Almost Here

The weekend that is. This has been a very long week. Shael was home only one night before she took off to my parents to spend the night. She has to come home tonight so she can get packed and everything ready for Aquire The Fire. She leaves the church at 12:30 tomorrow afternoon. I'm going to take her to work with me and take her on in to town from there so I don't have to drive all the way back home to pick her up. She's excited about that. She's excited about ATF (no not alcohol, tobacco, and firearms) also, but she's a little nervous this being her first time. Her first trip anywhere with the youth. She's been to church camp with the kids the past three years, but this is the first time she's gone with the youth where there's older kids involved. Our youth group is small enough that they combine 6th grade through 12th grade. I hope she has a great time and gets to know the older kids a little and they get to know her in return. Some of them she's known her whole life, the ones who've been raised in that church like she has, but several of them just started coming to the youth program on Wednesday nights and I don't even know them. They only come on Wednesday nights. Shael can be so shy that her youth pastor made sure that the sponsors that are going pay special attention to her and make sure she gets involved and try to include her in everything so she doesn't feel left out. Wasn't that sweet? They'll be in Santiago, Chile, yet they still thought enough of my daughter to make sure she's included and not forgotten.

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Tomorrow will mark 17 years for my first niece, Emily. 17! Why, I remember so clearly when she was born. Like it was yesterday. I remember I had just climbed in bed and was almost asleep when Mom came up stairs and into my room (something she RARELY did, she usually just hollered up the stairs if she wanted me) and told me that my sister was in labor and going to the hospital and asked if I wanted to go. What a stupid question, I thought, of course I wanted to go. I remember we got to the hospital and waited and waited and waited. I remember sleeping in the dark chapel overnight and the next morning she still wasn't born. I remember my teeth feeling so gross because I hadn't thought ahead and brought a toothbrush. I remember being glad I'd worn my green sweatshirt I'd made in home-ec because it was officially St. Patrick's Day. I remember the nurse coming out to the waiting area telling us that the baby was crowning but had been for a while and my sister was having a hard time but was not in any danger. Then shortly after that, the double doors flew open and the nurse said "It's a girl! You can see her now for just a minute before we wheel them to a room" and we all crowded in, my Mom and Dad, Kelly's Mom and Dad, me and my brother, and looked at that tiny dark head peeking out of that tight papoose and my sister was literally shaking like a leaf in the wind. "It's a girl!" she stammered out of trembling lips. I don't even remember where Kelly was at this time, although I'm sure he was there! Ha! We hung around for a little bit longer, then we got to go to the back and look through the glass at baby Emily. The nurses asked how old I was before they let me through because at the time no one under 12 could come back there. Under 12?! I was insulted! I was 15. Then there she was. She wasn't the only dark headed baby there, not in that Indian hospital. But she was the only baby there with her eyes open wide, as if to say, I'm here, you can all relax now.
So, I hope you have a wonderful birthday tomorrow, girl.