Empty Nest...
We are really and truly empty nesters now. With Jill in Florida, Torrey in Indiana, and Tim -- well, currently in London, but soon to be in France and then North Africa, the city and suburbs of Chicago are feeling mighty empty.
No, not everything got done. Not everything I wanted, anyway. Tim's room is definitely looking like Tim's room. Messy. His "desk" was left on the dining room table -- I really will have to move that. Tomorrow I will cancel his cell phone, and this weekend we'll sell his car.
I have a Tim-shaped hole in my heart.
I got a very brief e-mail this morning saying he had arrived safely. Jen, his special friend, got a similar one. Presumably hers might have said just a bit more. I would hope so, anyway. We're going to get together sometime next week before I start traveling again.
Susy, Jen & Tim at our Memorial Day cookout:
Last minute work on my computer:
Loaded down....
On the way to O'Hare:
Checking in:
This is IT for 27 months? Why do I feel as though we'll be sending a LOT of care packages?
Last pics with the Madre & the Padre
Goodbye Tim -- God's richest blessings on you as you begin your Big Adventure. (Glad you are TALL so we can see you over the crowd and watch you thru security....)
24 hours & change
We made it through the commissioning service at church. It was pretty low key -- evening service; little bio written up about Tim and Bruce talked a bit about what he would be doing, then prayed for him.
I didn't cry.
Well, that is to say I didn't cry OUT LOUD.
I did leave at the end of the service with three wadded up and wet tissues, however.
One family tradition we have had is to go to Baker's Square for pie after evening events -- school concerts, their baptisms, and so on. Jen's family and her best friend Susy joined us at church, so we all went together. This was the first time we actually met Bob and Irene -- though evidently they were in our SS class at the church when we first attended there and when I was pregnant with Tim. We have a lot of friends in common, and they had a wonderful time catching up with some folks they knew there.
Yesterday we grilled. That is, Tim grilled, I made 7 layer salad, Jen and Susy brought veggies and dip.
It DID NOT rain!!! This may possibly be a first. It was cloudy, but warm enough that I didn't need to wear my woolies.
Great fun!
So now we are down to 24 hours -- well, 30 hours to be more precise. What is left to do?
Everything.
Yup, you read that right. Tim hasn't done anything yet.
I will not get anxious. I will not get anxious. I will not get anxious.
The car is leaving at 3:00 tomorrow afternoon. Tim will be in it. He may not have any suitcases, but he too is leaving at 3:00 tomorrow afternoon.
I will not get any more anxious than I already am.
HAHAHAHA!
Just in case...
...you wanted to know, the MC have been married 539 days.
3 Days, 22 1/2 Hours
As you can see, I'm not counting down the hours or anything. I'm still working on days.
We still have just about as much to do as we did when we were at 9 days. Tim finished working on Wednesday -- his last night of work he had a group of 8 from church which he thought was great fun. But he seems to be able to find a lot of things to take up his time -- none of which involves closing up the apartment, cleaning his room, sorting his belongings, getting his thank you letter out, putting his clothes together for packing or minor things like that.
It has involved hanging out with friends, going golfing, saying goodbye, shopping (but not for much needed shoes or pants), the French Market, tiptoeing around piles and heaps of "stuff" in his bedroom, and going to a White Sox game.
A White Sox game?
A Cubs game would have been perfectly understandable, but a White Sox game?
Untenable.
I bought a "quick cam" today for my computer so we can video chat. It's installed nicely, but I've not yet figured out how to work it. I can see him, but he can't see me. That's not so bad -- but he can't HEAR me. And if he can't HEAR me, how can I dispense much needed motherly advice when he's in France?
One more thing to do before he leaves.
94 1/2 hours. Not that I'm counting.
Got the Word....
Got the word this morning....Tim's acceptance into the French language school has been confirmed and he really, truly, actually is leaving in 9 days and 6 hours. Not that I'm counting....
Wow. Lots to do in these next few days. Finish cleaning out the apartment and moving everything home -- though he's staying here now. Figure out if there is anything we need to purchase for this trip....check the suitcases....look over his clothes....put everything away that he wants to keep but doesn't want to take, and take all his "I'll never wear this again" stuff to Twice is Nice.
He's working his last three days -- after Wednesday he's a free man.
We are debating as to whether or not Bob and I drive him to O'Hare, or if we get him a limo -- he's thinking he wants to say goodbye here rather than at the airport, but I'm thinking that I need those last few pictures and hugs.
We'll see. It's gonna be tough in any case.
No one warned me about parenting adult children -- that while I am elated to see our Tim serving God and doing what God has called him to do -- it feels as though there is a sword being thrust into my soul....
Mother's Day and More...FAMILY!!
Lyn's blog (http://berlinami.blogspot.com/)which retold the story of our family miracle -- Mother's Day, 1996 -- brought back all sorts of memories.
Of course, I'll never ever forget the miracle of Tim's recovered memory on that Mother's Day. How COULD some new, unsupecting couple sit in OUR pew this morning??? But it was easy to praise the Lord for that, none-the-less. It's been 11 years...
We celebrated Mother's Day with calls & flowers from Jill & Torrey and then a trip to Weber Grill to have Tim serve us there for the last time. We've come a long way from burnt toast as breakfast-in-bed to stellar service at an upscale restaurant in the Chicago suburbs. OTOH, we didn't have to pay for the burnt toast....nor leave the most excellent server in the entire US of A a hefty tip!
Our first visit to Weber Grill was a suprise one last Father's Day -- That was Tim's fourth day of serving. Our last visit -- today, Mother's Day.....just less than one year later.
But I digress....
Family. How God has blessed us!
On Friday night we went to a graduation party for my cousin Bruce. He finally, after over 10, long, arduous years, received his PhD from Northern Illinois University. Bruce lived with us part time while he was getting his master's from Wheaton College in preparation for going on for his advanced advanced degree from Northern. What a WONDERFUL visit we had with Bruce and his family -- all three children were there -- two from Tacoma WA and one from Houston TX. Bruce has always been one of my favorite cousins from my father's side -- how many are there? 60 or so? And of all 60 cousins, he and I have connected off and on more than I have with anyone else, with the possible exception of his sister Vonnie. Vonnie is 6 months older than I; Bruce 6 months younger. All of us, of course, are less than -- um -- 40....ish...well...50...ish...well....let's just say, we are under....
Since Retta, his wonderful wife is from the Incredible Land of Oz, I count on them to supply me with Vegemite. (Vegemite, in case you are interested and don't know, can no longer be imported into the US because it has -- gasp!! -- folic acid as an additive. The US has stated that Only Certain Approved Foods can have added folic acid. Vegemite is not one of them. Never mind that dietary folic acid can decrease the risk of neural tube defects (and possible Down Syndrome) in unborn babies -- but the FDA, in their infinite wisdom has determined that Vegemite (made by Kraft, I'll have you know) can no longer be imported for sale.)
Their daughter, Michelle, was a freshman at Taylor when Torrey was a senior, and was a senior when Tim was a freshman.
FAMILY!!
Again, I digress.
The celebration was held at a church where Bruce functions as one of the pastors. Bob was looking around for people he knew from that area, but -- it was someone I knew instead. Sarah's husband is the worship pastor for that church. Sarah is the daughter of one of my friends -- she double dated with Torrey for Junior Prom -- and I've been her lactation consultant for at least one of her three babies -- she doesn't need me anymore; she has the breastfeeding thing down pat.
My cousin Ben -- first cousin on my mother's side -- and his wife Liz -- will be staying with us for a night the end of next week. Ben is (to put it in words of one syllable) a missionary in Korea. It will truly be a treat to have him here.
When Tim and I were spending some required Mother's Day Mother-Son bonding time together today I was telling him how blessed I was to have three amazing children that were beyond compare -- and that loved their mother. And added to that, I was blessed to have three siblings -- two sisters and a brother -- all of whom love each other (spouses & children too!!) -- and how triply blessed I am to have cousins -- extended family -- also a gift from the Lord. My cousin Ruth (Bruce's sister -- "Cuz Nuz Ruth") keeps all of us on my dad's side together through her amazing online publication of a monthly newsletter -- "Cuz Nuz".
Thank you dear Lord, for all these wonderful people that you have given to me...a Happy Mother's Day and Father's Day to all of them....and to You too!
Odds and Ends
I can't believe it has been nearly a month since I posted last. Seems as though life has just gotten away from me....
I'm actually in North Carolina at Linda's house -- we are teaching a cram course here, and then leave on Sunday to teach another one in Albuquerque. Home for nearly a week, then head to Brunswick GA to speak at a one day conference -- home three days and then head to Merrillville IN to do another cram course. Torrey will get home while I'm in GA -- she's doing a modeling gig at McCormick Place. I'll be so glad to have her home, even if I won't see her much.
Tim is in Florida visiting Jill & Derrick who have finally moved into their new house. It's his goodbye to them -- next weekend he'll go to Indy to see Torrey & Chris. It's all going so very quickly. He'll be moving home in about a week, and then the end of May will pack up and fly to London to see his college housemate, his cousins and St. Paul Cathedral -- not necessarily in that order....
Language school starts on June 4. I've told him all the French words I know:
"Oui, merci"
"Fromage"
"Haricovert"
and
"Parlevoux francais?"
That will get him "yes, thank you", "cheese", "green beans" and "Do you speak French?"
Not great after two years of college French. Oh yes -- I forgot:
"Ooohh, la la!!" (to be said in reference to Monsieur K.... our rather hot French instructor.)
Bob is swamped with work, and the cat has decided that he needs to eat frequent small meals, particularly at night. So he's taken to waking Bob up to join him for his 2:00 am snack -- he wants company -- and then again about 4:30 so he can roam the neighborhood.
Great payback since Bob never had to get up to breastfeed the babies.
All men should inherit a cat like Munchkin.
