Looking for a light at the end of the tunnel

We have become more and more impatient for our travel approval to arrive, and I finally sent an e-mail to someone higher up in our agency yesterday to ask for a better estimate. Unfortunately, she responded today to say that our travel approval will not arrive for another four weeks. Since we wouldn't travel until two to four weeks after our travel approval arrives, that means that we won't have Louis home for Christmas. Our new hope is that we will travel in January.

We are terribly disappointed, though at least we now have what we hope is a better estimate. Fortunately, Louis will not be sorry to miss celebrating Christmas with us--he doesn't know what he's missing, after all--and we assume he is healthy and happy and not as anxious about our arrival as we are to have him in our arms, our family, and our home. But we are sad to miss out on more time with him. We trust that God has a reason for making us wait, and that this is what is best for Louis and us. John pointed out that so many families have waited so much longer to bring their children home, and he is absolutely right.

These have been impatient weeks for us as a family as we also wait for the birth of a niece and nephew. My sisters-in-law, who each have a son very close in age to Louis, are each hoping to deliver any day. So we are all waiting together, and each day that passes, we know we are closer to meeting our children. I have to admit that the only thing I envy is that they have deadlines! Our niece Lily will be born on Tuesday (at the latest) and our new nephew shouldn't be too far behind.

Meanwhile, John has been working hard to get the house in order, and this weekend was all about putting finishing touches on the dining room. I am including a few photos of John's marvelous handiwork (and his sister Rene's--she painted the walls and ceiling and John did the trim).

Won't this blog be exciting when the photos are of Louis himself--maybe even Louis pulling the newly installed curtains off the wall or swinging from the chandelier?