Right now I'm sitting in my daughter's bedroom, a room that she'll use eventually, in a rocking chair listening to the cars pass and the birds chirping in the tall trees behind our townhouse. It's a beautiful morning, cold, but it's going to be very warm today. I had some coffee with two oatmeal chocolate chip cookies made just last night. Claire is sleeping in the other bedroom on this floor in our bed so I'll be able to hear her when she wakes up. I'm taking advantage of this quiet time. I wrote an e-mail to my French host family with whom I stayed during the 1995-96 school year when I studied in Lyon, France. Their daughter, now 16 probably, is coming to Portland this summer to spend six weeks or more with my parents and with us for part of the time. I feel grateful that we've been able to stay in contact with this family! They are very kind and I have many great memories from my time spent in France with them. I hope Noemie will have the same kind of memories!

This Sunday Claire is going to be baptized. I'm looking forward to that event, but I'm also looking forward to having lots of our family at our church. For most it'll be the first time they've seen our church and who knows for some when the last time they went to church was. It's a way to share our faith with them without words. We feel blessed to have found our church and I feel blessed that we have so much family in the area! Speaking of which, I better e-mail everyone with directions to the church and ideas for what to bring to the potluck afterwards!!!

Thank you Claire for taking a nice long nap this morning...   ¶ 8:20 AM