Sophie's World

8:55 PM Yesterday was Susan's birthday. She went in to work, but don't cry for her--they had a delicious birthday cake for all the employees with birthdays in April yesterday and Susan got to bring the rest of it home. We opened presents last night (the girls helped, of course), and I made jambalaya for dinner, which Susan had been hungry for. It was the first time (I think--if it wasn't the first, it was the first in a long time) that I made jambalaya, and even though Susan calls me a Cajun food "snob," I thought it turned out great. We have tons of leftovers, so if you're local you can taste it for yourself!

Susan and I both went in today, and Susan and the girls are at a women's meeting for church (I hope the girls are behaving). I now have only one more class left until I graduate. There is no class next week because it is Maundy Thursday, and the week after that is the last week of classes. I have two very short papers left to write, and I will be done. Graduation is Mother's Day weekend, and I cannot wait!

I never know who is reading our little updates, but I keep hearing from many of you that you read even if you don't post comments. It's a little weird, then, when someone walks up to us and says, "Oh, how did this-or-that go?" and we're not sure how much that person knows. . . But, all that is to say that if you are in the New Mexico area, I will be commissioned as a probationary elder in the NM Conference of The United Methodist Church on Friday, June 2nd at the Glorieta Conference Center north of Santa Fe. It would mean a lot to me to have people supporting me as I take this next big step in my ministry.

On a note closer to home, we are trucking along just fine. Sophie is doing well, chatty and cheerful as ever. Her hair is growing perhaps a little more slowly, but I think it looks as cute as anything (granted, I may be biased). Elisabeth is growing and maturing right before our eyes it seems. She has just a few more weeks left in the 2nd grade. Hard to believe that she was Sophie's age when we moved to North Carolina, but since Sophie is wearing some of Elisabeth's clothes and shoes from that time period, we can't deny it.

We heard from Susan's mom that Nannie came home from the hospital. They sounded happy to be home on the message she left and are getting settled. Mary said she couldn't remember when she's been so tired. Staying with someone in the hospital will certainly do that to you.

T'yanna was also expecting to go home today. I can't express enough how heartbreaking her situation is for us. We keep T'yanna and her family in our thoughts and prayers, we cry for her and for them, and we pray for strength and courage and hope.