Last Days

Well, this week has been crazy. Here's how it started:

We went to Bay Area one last time to say goodbye to our church friends, but didn't see too many people. That was OK, it was still good to go. One of the things that I love about BACC is the worship. Marshall Drake is the leader and really allows the Spirit to take lead as he leads us in song. Jeff and I love it.

As we were singing, I thought of how much I'd miss this part of BACC. Wouldn't you know, as soon as we were done, the pastor came up and announced that the Drake's were moving back to their hometown in California! Ha! Guess I wouldn't be missing out on much!

After that, we dropped off our friend Jennifer at the train station. She was here for about 4 days, and was a tremendous help around here. Jak gained a new friend and nanny :), and we all got a ton done around here with packing and sorting. Jen is also moving to CA with the family she nanny's for, so we aren't sure when we'll see her next.

On to the Knapp's for family dinner on Sunday night. JoAnn made Jeff and I our favorite things and it was delicious. She even made Jeff a strawberry rhubarb pie, complete with vanilla ice cream. It's his favorite.

Monday we had our prenatal appointment with Evelyn. It was the last time we'd see her, too, so we brought her some pretty flowers and made her cry. I cried a bit too. I really love her, she is just so special. She said as many families as she cares for, there are always a few who stick out and stay close to her heart. We are one of them. We share her love for the Lord and babies of course, and she is just so sad to see us go. I promised up-to-date information on baby #2 as well as normal life stuff so that she could keep up. We'll miss her greatly.

Monday didn't come without hitches, though. Jeff woke and could hardly move, he had a muscle spasm and it was bad. I had never seen him like this. All I could think of was "how are we going to pack the truck on Thursday??" He could barely bend. Add to that that we had to go to the hospital for an echo and sonogram for the baby and it became a week from you know where. We didn't have time for all of this extra stuff!

Tuesday came and after a couple of hot baths, Jeff's back was doing better. He says it's still sore and stiff but he can at least lift and bend. Thank God! And our tests with the baby went well. Evelyn detected an arrhythmia on Monday and wanted to take precaution so we had to follow up at the hospital Tuesday. We got to see the baby again, and he is head down which makes me very happy! All of his movements and practice breathing patterns looked good, and there was a normal amount of fluid as well. I was hooked up to the machine for about 30 minutes as they monitored his heartbeat. He never had a missed or fast beat, so they said he was perfectly healthy. Sometimes the arrhthmia can be caused by eating or drinking something with caffiene in it, or a cold or virus, etc., and it's nothing to worry about as long as it doesn't continue. This was the first time it showed up and it was gone the following day, so we're all set. Phew! I was beginning to wonder what would happen with the moving plans should I have to have stayed in the hospital or something.

Now that all of that extra stress is over with, we are gearing up for tomorrow. The truck will be loaded and as the house is emptied, I'll clean it. Then, we head to the Knapp's before we leave for NY on Friday. I can't beleive it's already here. These months have flown by and as I look back on the years spent praying that we could go back to "where we belong" as Jeff puts it, I am amazed at how God has put it all together.

And, to top it all off for the week, JoAnn arranged to take off for 3 days to watch Jak at her house! What a gift!!!! It's so nice to not have to worry about schedules and such while trying to get things done. This was a lifesaver for us, especially with having to go to Baltimore and Jeff not knowing how his back would be. Thank you so much Grandma Knapp! I'm sure Jak is loving the extra special attention. :)

So, that's where we're at right now. A busy week about to get busier. Then we'll have a few weeks of down time before we get into our house, and we'll be back at it again: loading and unloading the truck, painting, cleaning, decorating, etc. Then a few more weeks of down time before baby arrives. Crazy!

But through it all, one thing remains: God is so good to us!