I mentioned last post that my new little nephew and niece were born last week. They are about 5 weeks premature, so they are spending a little extra time in the hospital before they can go home. As you can imagine, that means my family is juggling their schedules to spend time with the babies and give Olivia a sense of normalcy at home*.


Since my dad is still in Nevada working and I am still in Groningen, my sister, her husband, and my mom are taking shifts between the hospital and home. I think my dad and I feel a bit helpless as we count down the days until we get back there to help. I am going back on Thursday for about a month to help as much as I can, but in the meantime, I have a lot to finish up before I can head out.

In fact, right now I'm taking a little break from the hours of Dutch homework I've got over the next few days. Wednesday will be my last class although the course doesn't end officially for two more class periods. I have to finish up my last homework assignment and study for my last test to qualify for the certificate of completion. I haven't come all this way to miss out on that, but it means a couple of late nights between now and Wednesday morning.

Plus, we have only a few more days with our friends John and Suzanne who we've become close with over the past 6 months. John's basketball season ended abruptly on Saturday night when his team lost their playoff game. They are leaving on Thursday as well, so Suzanne and I have to have one last IKEA day and one last shopping day before they depart. It is a sad time for us especially since John's contract wasn't renewed in Groningen, and they will be be somewhere else in Europe next year. I am praying that God will bring me another Suzanne for next year.

Finally, as you can imagine, I have a few chores to do in preparation for departure. Brad will not be joining me in North America until mid-May, so there are a few things that I need to get ready for him such as toilet paper in the cupboard, food in the fridge, and clean clothing in the drawers. After that, he'll have to fend for himself.

And of course, I need to pack which is always a huge process when I'm going to be gone for so long. I've shared before that I find packing a bit troublesome especially since I'm going to be handling my luggage alone on this trip. Lugging heavy bags on and off the train is not my idea of a good time.

Needless to say, the time between now and my departure is moving along quite quickly! Which reminds me, I need to get back to my homework...

*As I mentioned, my family is quite busy shuttling themselves to and from the hospital. To make it easier on them, I was wondering if anyone had the desire and ability to pick me up from the Vancouver airport on Thursday evening and drive me to the border. It would make it a lot easier on them to drive a shorter distance. I get in at approx. 7:00pm, but could wait around longer if necessary. Send me an email or leave a comment if you are interested and able.