Belated Post

So much has happened in the past couple weeks it's hard to know where to start!

I guess I'll start with August 22nd. We had a birthday/goodbye party for Abel as he was going to his mom's the next day. We had both our families over and a few neighbors. I wanted to do something with a Mexican theme so we had tacos (Krissy informed me American tacos) for dinner. Our neighbors Bill and Jen let us use their bags game so the kids had fun tossing bean bags and also tried their skill swinging at the pinata. Saturday, we packed up all Abel's belongings (a whole car full) and brought him to his mom's house. I did have trouble emotionally packing up his things - the little boy things that had been around the house for a few months. It wasn't easy to know that he wouldn't be coming back. We brought him to his mom's and explained all the new procedures to her and then we left. Paul took me out to Panera Bread and wasn't embarrassed by my red eyes. He was such an encouragement to me - reminding me that Abel is in the Lord's hands and that we could trust the Lord for Abel's care.

Sunday we went out to eat with my parents in honor of our 1st Anniversary. When we got out of the restaurant and Paul started up the car, it wouldn't move. He tried to turn it off and on several times but to no avail. He got out to see if the bumper was stuck on the curb, but it wasn't. He got back into the car and said "I hope it's not the transmission" (it was the car we were taking on vacation). I saw my dad in my mirror and looked in the back of his truck and saw Brittany in the back with a video camera so I got out laughing and said "OK guys, what did you do?" Then, all my siblings came out of the woodwork. They had jacked up the front of our car and put it on blocks and of course captured our attempt at leaving:) Life with the Knottnerus' - that sounds like a good book title:)

Monday I went to Abel's school and gave the school nurse all the info she would need to care for him. We found out that Abel's mom forgot to send his insulin with him (it's a different insulin system than last year) so I ran around and got it.

Monday night (August 25th) Paul and I watched the video of our wedding as Monday was our 1st Anniversary! We also finished the last piece of our cake (we ate a slice every month as we celebrated our "monthaversary's").

Tuesday we went to Lake Geneva and had lunch at a old-fashioned diner and then walked around the town. My parents had given us a gift certificate for an "ice cream social boat ride" on Lake Geneva. It was so relaxing and romantic:) We sat by the lake for awhile, had dinner, and then after searching the stores for a tea cup, we headed home. It was a relaxing day - just what we both needed after all the preparation we spent getting Abel ready.

Wednesday early morning Kristine came home! YEA! We all missed her so much while she was volunteering at the orphanage in Mexico for two months. Her flight was delayed around four hours, but she made it home safely. She said she enjoyed her time there but that she was very ready to come home. I sure hope when Krissy gets married some day, that she will stay nearby - I really missed talking to and seeing her while she was gone.

Friday night I got a call from Abel's new foster mom. At first I was confused as I was helping Abel's mom line up childcare. We don't know all that happened, but for some reason, his mom is unable to care for him. Abel is with a wonderful Christian family now that has three children including another six year old and he is now going to a Christian school. We truly believe that the Lord has His hand on Abel and protected him by putting him in the wonderful home he is in and will continue to protect him. He has been covered in prayer since before we received him into our home and we are praying daily for him.

Life right now is full of getting ready to go on our trip. We leave this Saturday! I am starting to get really excited - seeing our cousins again in Alberta will be so much fun! After the week of wedding preparations and ceremony, Paul and I will travel five hours south to Jasper, Lake Louise, and then to Banff. They are in a beautiful stretch of the Canadian Rockies with Glaciers and ice fields all around. We'll be camping (with an air mattress) so I have piles of gear all around the house:) Paul visited Jasper and Banff in '05 with his siblings Marie and the twins (Jesse and Jeremiah) when they went to Alaska, so he is already declared that he is going to be my personal tour guide:)

Last night we vacuumed out the cars and steam cleaned them - we are ending up having to take Mustard (yup the get away car at our wedding - go back to the wedding entry if you want to see why our car is called Mustard) as Mayo is having oil problems. That means less room, but I think we'll manage - we'll see Friday night I guess.

When we get back, I'll post some of the pictures from our trip.

Till then!

Rebecca