It was a fun surprise for both Dave and I to find out earlier this week that his accounting class was being completed a week earlier than scheduled. In fact, it was a great opportunity to go out today and do something that we have never done together!....the Flea Market/Farmers Market experience! We went to a local market in search of some yummy fresh products and came back with nothing fresh but two things for baby Derr! It was fun to comb through everyone's stuff...it brings new meaning to the words, "One man's junk is another man's treasure!". All in all, it was fun and very hot...the temp today is over 90 and the humidity is up there as well.

Back to the house for a nap as we had been up at an earlier hour than expected. We got a call a bit before 7:00 this morning asking us to check on a neighbor's house. The house is owned by a couple that attends the same church as us and had been broken into the previous evening. So....up for an adventure...and an adventure it was...both Dave and I were praying and hoping that no one would see me crawling through the same window that someone had apparently broken into...mind you, the police had already visited their home and had locked all the doors but had forgotten to close and lock the window that was originally the problem. So, off I went, slithering backwards through the basement window...forgetting how short I was and how far a drop the basement floor may be. After a few scrapes, bumps, and bruises, I had completed my first official break-in! I must say that it was a bit nerve-wracking...Dave and Fawn were waiting at the front door when I came out to declair everything secure...then...when we went to leave for our Farmers Market experience, we saw three police cars at the same neighbor's house, and thought 'Oh boy! Someone did see us afterall...and got the wrong impression of what was going on!'...so off we went to confess to our break-in when we realized that the police were dealing with a domestic dispute and, ironically, it happened to be along the same side of this neighbor's house that was broken into. So...Dave's first weekend off from studies in a while was definitely begun with fun and excitement!

Just a plug for something fun that a friend recently introduced me to...over to the right here you will find a link to www.goodreads.com...if you are not familiar with the site, you should visit it...this site not only gives you the opportunity to set up a library of books that you have read, are going to read, or are reading, but you also have the opportunity to write reviews, rate books, and share them with friends...you can add friends to your booklist...updating them on reads they may be interested in...and in general, use it as a way to keep in touch with those you see less frequently...or most frequently. If you sign-up, add me to your list, I would love to swap ideas on what to read...and even hear about what you are learning!

As for adoption, Dave and I found out during the latter part of this week that we need to go on a search for a copy of his birth certificate...we have a 'consular report of birth' from Colombia, but need a DS-1350 from Washington, D.C. Vital Records...this is a fancy proof of birth for someone born abroad. We do not know how long this process will take and have been advised to work on this immediately as there may be a longer than normal delay with folks rushing to get their passports with changing U.S. policy governing travel across borders. We invite your prayers in this as this stands to hold up the process of submitting our dossier to Colombia. We are reminded that God is in control and will ensure that this process works out in his timing, though.

On the whole, we are doing well...I am catching up on some sleep and rest after the push to finish the dining room and kitchen...I will continue with priming, painting, and trim here in August, but desired some rest before moving forward with that as well. It is also fun getting to catch up with some of you who we have not been able to speak with in a while!