Funeral...

Apparently a local Sheriff or someone of great value in the police force recently died in our area. I'm sitting here right now, and as I pen this, there is a loud roar outside our house. Of all the streets they could have picked, they decided to block ours of and allow the procession down our street. We got cop cars from all over the area -- like a mini parade -- rolling down our street mixed with a few civilian cars and one random firetruck. The roar, however, comes from the air. I grew up hearing those things every-now-and-then, but today there are two hovering over our street. Helicopters. I saw one close-up once as a child, but this is my first time to hear the roar until I've a headache and see them just hover for so long...

Ah, the procession has just finished and now the helicopters are flying away. What an event. Feel sorry for the family, but it's still pretty cool to watch. On our street, too, no less, not the main street!

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Oh, and for anyone wondering about the rest of my day. It's been great thus far. Got up and went to Wal-mart to get the professional photos I had taken there, and to order my mother the one she wanted as her birthday present -- don't worry, it's no surprise to her, so I'm not ruining anything by blogging about it...

Also, I met Dorcas Thursday and then we went for a movie night at the church with Marie-Louise; had a great time. Fred & Deb took both girls out to OH to drop Marie-Louise off for her missions trip with the Ingole-family-group and then they took Dorcas shopping at Gabe's on the way back to pick up another pair of jeans (and to figure out her size better, maybe). She's more like a 1x (not the 2x we'd previously guessed) and her paints are about a 16; supposedly she's a little taller then my friend Emily, too, she had to stoop to hug her! How cool is that? But they are about the same build. Anyway, everyone got back from that event at about 2am this morning...

Oh, and Marie-Louise called this morning during their layover in TX to say she's doing great and having fun with the team...!

Oh, and my Nichols Grandparents are on their way here for a short weekend; they want to meet Dorcas, and tomorrow attend the church diner we're having that will both welcome her and shower her with gifts (Dorcas doesn't know about that last part; she's already in shock about how many options Gabe's has, wait till she owns a loot of clothing and other such items herself!)

Guest...Family

This week has been rather busy for Fred & Debby. Besides Sunday, they only had Monday and originally hoped to have today in town. Monday Deb, her mom, Rosalee & I went to see Julie & Julia. It wasn't as good as I thought it'd be -- it was slow, not bad, just long -- but Debby loved it; guess it helps if you used to watch Julia Child on TV doing her cooking show, because part of the reason Deb loved it so much was how well Meryl Streep portrayed Julia. Then Tuesday morning Fred, Deb, & Weesy left to head to NYC; they didn't hurry but took a hotel room half-way there and then went to the airport about 7pm yesterday. Originally they hoped to drive straight back last night, but I guess it just turned out to be too long of day and they took another hotel room half-way back. Sometime this afternoon -- like in the next hour -- they should be pulling into the driveway.

Then tomorrow they start it all over again, but this time heading out our friend's the Ingole's in Ohio. There they will stay the night and help take people to the Pittsburg airport where Marie-Louise and several friends/family of the Ingole's are leaving for another two-week missions trip to Honduras -- it'll be the first one Weesy go on without her family, so she's excited about that! Then Fred & Deb will come back home and we'll start the next week all together.

So, that may not be very exciting news -- we always seem to have a busy life -- but it isn't for their schedule I initially wished to share. It's for whom they are picking up and whom I'm excited to meet in about an hour! Yes, I'm sure at least some of y'all heard about us trying to help a girl from Africa -- the child of an African couple Fred & Debby call friends and have connections with while in Africa -- come as a student here. Well the US embassy finally OKd her, she got her visa, and is now on her way to Olean with Fred, Deb, & Weesy. She'll live with us and go to school with Weesy at the small local Christian school. Dorcas is her name. She speaks almost no English but is familiar with French -- thankfully Fred, Deb, & Weesy know a good deal of French, I'm gonna be the one who has a hard time communicating with her! She's tall, broad shoulder -- or so I've heard -- built like my friend Emily.

Anyway, I'm just looking forward to meeting her in the next hour! A little nervous, maybe even anxious about how this is all going to work out in the next couple years, but still excited! I'll try and let y'all know how it goes...meanwhile if you find any clothing, especially winter things, in about a size 1x, size 16 pants, or a shoe size 11, and you feel led to give it away/pass it along, feel free to send them this way!