A Much Needed Spirit Boost

We're coming off a rough week here in the Sturgeon household. Now, to be fair, our part in the struggles are nothing compared to those directly effected, but it has caused some stress and anxiety nonetheless.

Last Wednesday night, my brother David suffered a major myochardial infarction (heart attack), and only through the Grace of God / a miracle, he was spared. One of the guys playing basketball with him was a paramedic, administered chest compressions and used the AED machine, and revived him. The next day, as we waited to find out what David's prognosis was, I went to my dad's oncology appointment to act as another set of ears. We got a call from David's wife with the crushing news that Dave would in fact have to have open heart (bypass) surgery: CABG. Five bypasses nonetheless. Shortly later, we discovered that Dad's cancer was not merely the one spot on his lung; rather, he had a some on a lymph node as well: stage 2A. The determination? Seven weeks of radiation coupled with chemotherapy concurrently. Sigh. While taking that all in, Troy and I made the decision to pack up the boys the next a.m. and head the 5 hours to Rapid City to be with / near David during and shortly after surgery. Now, Dave jokingly (or maybe not....it is David after all!) refers to himself as Superman, and we all accordingly give him grief and tend to disagree with this assessment of himself. However, after seeing his near superhuman initial recovery after not five but SIX bypasses -- i.e. sitting up the next day -- I think we can acquiesce and for a time allow him to don that moniker. At least for a while!

Now, during this entire time, at the back of my mind, I was marginally concerned that we had not received notification that our I800A paperwork had been received at the USCIS. I called USCIS. They gave me an email address for lockbox. I emailed. Crickets. I called USCIS again. This time the employee shared some information that I was actually not supposed to be privy to. I had forgotten a signature on the 8th page!!! How could that be?!?! In all the paperwork I had completed for these three adoption, I had never made such a rookie mistake. I was sick! Well, lo and behold, when I got home from school, there were the offending papers. I signed them, copied them, and sent them off with Troy FedEx. Now we wait again. I effectively cost us a couple of weeks in the paperchase and thereby a couple weeks away from our son. So, last night as we were getting ready to fall asleep, I said to Troy, "You know what would really help? What would really lift my spirits? An update. I need an update on our little guy." I emailed our ever patient agency and asked if they were working on Good Friday and / or Monday so I wouldn't wait needlessly those days if they weren't even in the office. She said the would be in, but that our little man's province is notoriously slow at returning update requests. So, I put it out of mind....hahahaha! Yeah right! Then, a few short hours later? AN UPDATE!!!! Be still my heart! Seriously. He could NOT be any cuter. We even got a video this time. I am over the moon!

So, without further ado. The newest picture of our painfully cute son!!!