It looks like fall in Detroit (really it does)

I’m sitting in the Detroit airport waiting for my next flight. I’ve just hopped over to Detroit from St. Louis where I spent the last week and a half at my sister and brother-in-law’s house getting acquainted with my first nephew.

It was a really great time to spend together with them to enjoy, and watch them enjoy, little Benjamin (or Benjamino as Daddy calls him… driving his amarillo el camino…). The first several days were spent enjoying things that I forgot America had to offer (like no currency exchange, Poptarts, highways, car dealers that give you cookies, popcorn, and bottled water while they fix your sister’s car, automatic grocery bagging – no questions asked, chocolate animal crackers, the material gluttony I find myself prone to at first step into Wal-mart, etc. (note – these all depend on your geographical location in both countries.. just thought I should clarify!)). I got to cook for Hope and Wes a little bit, but they were well stocked with meals from their church, so there wasn’t much need. It is never a bad thing when a nice, good-smelling woman from church brings over pots full of equally good-smelling food. Never a bad thing…

Nana, Pop Pop (these names are yet to be decided on, but for now, this is what we’re going with), and Uncle Mitch joined us (with Pip the puppy!) on Friday evening and Mom, Hope, and I had some good times shopping together on Saturday. We ended Saturday with some MEXICAN!!! :) for dinner (don’t tell Ian!). Sunday was Benjamin’s big day to be baptized into the Covenant body of believers. Baptism never gets old for me. I’ve watched many, many baptisms and feel like I get closer to understanding the depth of it each time. It was a blessing to be able to share in that gift with my family and Wes’s family, to see the generations of Christians that this child has been born into, and to see the Lord’s faithfulness proclaimed through that. It was even better because Charles Parsons III baptized Charles Parsons V, son of Charles Parsons IV :) (I think I got that right!).

We had a big meal at Hope and Wes’s afterwards to celebrate with lots of friends and family. It was great to see some friends I haven’t crossed paths with in years and catch up a bit. This is another area where I am continually encouraged. Sometimes I get really overwhelmed when I think about how many friends the Lord has blessed me with over the years and how, if He continues to do that, I’m never going to be able to keep track of and keep in touch with them all. But, repeatedly this year I have spent time with many, many friends, some of whom I didn’t anticipate seeing again until we were sharing in the joy of Eternity. I am thankful that even in these little fears that spring up within me, the Lord has it covered and will enable me to maintain the appropriate relationships at the appropriate times.

I thoroughly enjoyed spending time cuddling Benjamin and enjoying his many, varied facial expressions, and just his general unbelievable cuteness. I am looking forward to continuing in my role as Aunt Corrie, and especially continuing in that role in the company of Uncle Ian :)

- pictures of Benjamino are to come.



* Update

I am home now safe and sound. The flight that followed my above musings was great fun. I sat between a young, Indian man from Mumbai, and an old, Dutch man from Utrecht. I had great conversations with both of them and managed to make a fool of myself a few times, but they both pretended not to notice :) I am learning that this is what happens when you move a little American girl from rural Indiana to places around the world where people think from completely different angles and take notice of things a little larger than the cornfields and cows (though I will never be convinced that cornfields and cows are not worth noticing). I learned quite a bit from both of them thanks to a 9-hour flight that forced us to be friends. Turns out, the old Dutch man from Utrecht has a granddaughter (his only granddaughter) who is going to be a senior next year at Taylor – what?!?! I know, unbelievable. I’m going to email her and tell her I met her grandpa :)

There is much more to update on, and it is coming. And so are the pictures that I promised weeks and weeks ago from our trip to the Continent!