We're not really sure how it happened ... but that room is only half as full as it was 72 hours ago. Woot. It's amazing how much easier it is to purge after not seeing things for two years. Lydia did a lot of resting, and was not too helpful. But Britt, Paige, Troy and I all sorted for most of 10 hours on Sunday.This conversation took place over and over:
"Do I need this?"
"Have you needed it in the last two years?"
"No."
"Well then you probably don't need it ever."
"But, will I use it sometime in the future?"
"Has you life been empty and void of meaning without it?"
"No."
"Then you probably don't need it."
"Okay. You're probably right."
(Troy does not need his National Honor Society pins and memorabilia from 1991 & 1992 and I do not need every single piece of artwork that Britt or Paige ever made. We also don't really need 14 pairs of jeans in one size smaller and one size larger.) The two pack-rats of our family are Troy and Paige. We were all very proud of the moves they made to separate themselves from their stuff this weekend.
It feels good to have a handle on what is actually in the room. The Goodwill became familiar with our faces this weekend. We've had a few calls on the house, but no renter yet. Our current renter has another month left, we're praying that November brings the perfect new people and that they want to move in in December or by January 1.
Over the weekend Lydia's social security card and Birth Certificates came in the mail. We were able to go apply for her passport this morning. The logistics of taking a passport photo of a baby are just a little more difficult than you might imagine. The baby must have eyes open, be facing the camera straight on, and have a white background without any hand or assistance showing in the photo. The photo was captured by laying the white board on the floor, poking her to wake her up, holding her hands down at her side and timing it right ... before she turned her head to the side to look for milk. After all, the only reason she has to be awake is to eat.
At three and a half weeks of age she feels like she needs to have more freedom to up and leave if she gets bored or disgusted with her surroundings. Being stuck in Minnesota feels very limiting to her. When she found out it will still be six to eight weeks before she can bail out of here, she threw a gigantic tantrum ... can you imagine waiting until you're ten weeks old to be able to travel abroad? The injustice. At least she is going to Texas on Wednesday to visit Baylor and make sure she agrees it is the place for Britt. That should serve to cure her of her itch to see more of the world. ;-) Britt is glad to have Lydia's input as well.
At three and a half weeks of age she feels like she needs to have more freedom to up and leave if she gets bored or disgusted with her surroundings. Being stuck in Minnesota feels very limiting to her. When she found out it will still be six to eight weeks before she can bail out of here, she threw a gigantic tantrum ... can you imagine waiting until you're ten weeks old to be able to travel abroad? The injustice. At least she is going to Texas on Wednesday to visit Baylor and make sure she agrees it is the place for Britt. That should serve to cure her of her itch to see more of the world. ;-) Britt is glad to have Lydia's input as well.FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY, Hope and Isaac became USA citizens when they landed in Miami and became official.
It is still one of the most surreal days of our lives. The same time that we landed in Miami and made the kids official, a boat of Haitians arrived on shore illegally. When we got to our hotel room, emotionally high (and drained,) we turned on our TV to see the live coverage. It was so sad to see the desperation of all the people running to hide to try and stay in the USA, and knowing that Hope and Isaac had just escaped ever feeling that desperate.
Tonight we're going out for pizza to celebrate the wonderful, exciting, and never boring five years with them. God is good.
