Let think of something...

In the immortal words of Fred Rogers, let's think of something to do while we're waiting!

It has been a week since our paperwork was submitted to the government in Alec and Zhenya's country. I don't have a clue when we will find out our travel date and I'm getting tired of trying to guess. So let's think of something else to think about.

Many of you do not know us personally, so today I'll tell you a little bit about our family.

James and I met in college. Well, not really in college, but more like in a popular nightclub near the college! We were just 20 years old and still trying to figure out our lives. He says that when he met me, he knew instantly that he loved me and we would be married. He was quite persuasive! We really started out all wrong, making all sorts of mistakes. Now that we are born again, Bible believing Christians, we can see that it was the grace of God that brought us through all the rough times!

Our first son, Wesley, was born in 1991 with a serious GI obstruction. He required surgery at the age of 1 day. I was initiated into the world of the NICU. Even today, the scent of a particular kind of hospital soap takes me back to those days. James and I learned to cling to one another then, cementing our commitment to each other. We brought our son home after two more major surgeries at 2 1/2 months of age.

We were surprised, but not really, to find out that I was pregnant shortly after bringing Wes home. We decided that the time was right for us to get married. So we threw together a little ceremony in a week's time. I wore a pink maternity sweater set with pearls. Not the dress of my dreams, but I'd rather have a beautiful marriage than a beautiful wedding dress. Our honeymoon was a discounted night at the Marriott (I worked there) with a portable crib at the end of the bed. It still baffles me that not any of our family or friends would babysit for us for one night!

Richard was born the next summer on the 4th of July. He's always been a firecracker, too! Wes turned 1 year the next week. We were young and too inexperienced to know that life would be difficult with two babies so close in age. So we just had a lot of fun and didn't think about life being tough.

I started tech school when Richard was a week old. James worked 2nd shift. We were a tag team, but a team indeed. When I graduated I left James with the boys and went to Arizona to snag my dream job. Again, too inexperienced to know that you can't just pick a company and take off across the country, show up unannounced and expect to get the job. Well, I didn't get my dream job, but I did get my foot in the door there! The dream job came a little later. :)

I worked as a laser operator, trimming resistors on integrated circuits with lasers. Later I became a technician, servicing and setting up the lasers. Later still, I became a technician in the op amp design department. Soon, baby Chipper came along and I began to rethink my role as a working mom. Not only was daycare eating up my paycheck, but leaving crying babies and driving to work was killing my heart. Something had to change.

To be continued...