Election

I would like to write you a nice, lengthy, in-depth post about what an American election looks like to someone living outside of America, and more specifically in France. However, honestly I don't have the time or the energy right now. Or maybe I'm just lazy.

Anyway, my good friend Mentanna, who I've already mentioned in this post, did write a post about the election that I find pretty well describes the feelings that our election and its outcome inspired over here. So, if you're interested, here is her post. Happy reading, and, thanks, Mentanna, for saying the things I don't have time to say!

Baby #2: First Pictures

I hesitated on a caption for this one, so you can take you pick, either:

I'm a lumberjack, and I'm OK, or

Beverly Hillbillies, here I come!

Seriously, here is my solution to the fact that I can find no maternity clothes to fit me. One pair of suspenders and, voilà, any pair of pants that would normally be too big becomes a pair of maternity pants. Don't worry, I did NOT go out in public like this. I had a nice warm sweater over the top of everything and actually, I looked pretty cute. At least, Thomas says so.

Here's the side view. This was at about 3 1/2 months. I know, I know, my hand is kind of in the way.

This one's just a freebie. Fortunately, we spent the extra euro or two to get Alina the super-washable Crayola kids' markers. One or two swipes of the washrag, and our warpaint was a thing of the past.

At the Park

What a cutie, huh?

Pastor Thomas

Thomas has spend all week in Alsace (for you geographically-challenged, that's eastern France) at a conference and business meeting for our denomination here. And, at the same time, they examined AND APPROVED him to be a pastor in our denomination. He won't actually be officially ordained until he receives and accepts a call from a local church, but he's all OK'd for that now. That's a big and exciting answer to prayer!

Alina's 2!!

Here are some precious memories from Alina's 2nd birthday!

Do not...

If your toddler takes your hand and your spouse's, closes her eyes and said "Mina!," thereby indicating that she wants to pray for her paternal grandmother for at least the sixth time during that meal, do not, I repeat, do not, take the hand that is in yours and the hand that is in your spouse's, join them together in front of her, and suggest that she could always just pray for Mina by herself. Unless, of course, you want to deal with a screaming and apparently traumatized toddler for the next 10 minutes.

Just a word of advice.

It's a...

I had my first ultrasound today, and can officially tell you that it's a...baby. (We can't find out the sex until next time, and I'm not sure we want to know. We kind of liked being surprised with Alina.) Everything seems to be fine. The little heart is beat-beat-beating, it has fingers and toes (and arms and legs.) If we had a scanner, I'd scan you a picture. Well, just picture something black-and-white and kind of grainy, and you'll probably be pretty close.

The due date is April 16. This confirms exactly what I thought, except I forgot that in France, a pregnancy lasts 41 weeks, not 40!

I'm still feeling pretty sick sometimes, but I think all in all it's better than with Alina, and hopefully that'll all clear up sometime pretty soon.

Thanks for all your prayers!