Before Leaving...

School is still closed! So Kevin and I had the morning together. When I got out of the shower, this is what I found: Valentine stickers all over my jacket! :) So sweet!

Once I was packed up and ready to leave, we headed for the cemetery with vice grips and the pink roses, as I had to pull the plastic webbing out of the vase to be able to put the new flowers in the vase. On the way, we received a call from Uncle Greg telling us that Kien's adoption was finalized this morning -- finally! It has been a long, slow process. Kien is now a Walsh! When I told Kevin, his face dropped. He tells me once in a while that he misses Kien and Aria. He talked to Kien on the phone and told him, "I love you, Kien."

Taken at the courthouse this morning:


I asked Kevin if he knew I was writing a book about Mommy. He did not, so I told him about her Faithbook describing how God convinced Mommy and Daddy to make the decision to adopt. It is so beautifully written that I told her she should publish it, but she said, "No!" I told him about her journals waiting for him to come home -- how beautiful they are, and that I want to publish her writings with my stories filling in the blanks. Since she had said, "No," I worried if I was doing the right thing. I told him about a have-a-day-face :| being Karin's signature in high school. I saw one in the clouds on my way to a writers' conference. That was Mommy, and she told me it was OK. We talked about how much all of us miss Mommy. I told him that God has promised, "All things work together for good for those who love God." It is hard to understand how losing Mommy could be good, but we know that God will take care of us and make our lives good as long as we love Him.

We arrived at the cemetery. With Kevin's help, I was able to pull the webbing out, and we secured the new flowers in the vase. As soon as they were in position, he looked at the gray, cloudy sky and said, "There is a happy face! Mommy is happy about her new flowers!" Then he saw happy faces everywhere -- in the trees as well as the sky. Cute!

We met Daddy at a nearby Starbucks to give him the vice grips and the one and only key to his apt.! After eating two bowls of oatmeal this morning, he ate a breakfast sandwich at Starbucks! Hungry boy!

Just before noon, I dropped him at his "after school" program for the afternoon. We said tearful goodbyes, and I left. When down the corridor a ways, I heard his teacher yell, "Grandma!" I went back and my boy was sobbing. We hugged and kissed some more, and his teacher handled the situation very nicely.