Today was the day ...

... it was all supposed to have begun.

We were going to take the rotator from Turkey to Germany today, June 15. We had a commercial flight for Veronica booked for tomorrow. (We cancelled that flight and thought it was very nice of the airline to return 38 euros to us for fuel costs! Better than nothing!)

Today was the day I was supposed to start my stay in Germany.

And instead, I am one month in. Four weeks! Hard to believe I have been here four weeks.

I still remember lying in the hospital bed at Achibadem Hospital in Adana one month ago, and JB saying to me, "You know what you just did don't you?"

"No," I replied.

"These contractions probably just bought you an early ticket to Germany."

I think I went even paler than I already was. "You are joking. Please tell me you are joking."

"Not joking. I think there is a very good chance they are going to send you out of here earlier. Very early. Maybe tomorrow."

I was speechless. Literally speechless. As a planner, the list I had of things to do before we left was miles long. I hadn't packed yet at all. There were so many things to do. So much to get ready for. And my friends were throwing me a baby shower in just a few days! I couldn't leave now.

"I can't go to Germany NOW!" I finally sputtered.

"I don't think you are going to have a choice," John had said.

"Can they wait until after the baby shower?"

He just laughed. I guess that was a no.

And that was that. Two days later I was on a plane, breathing through contractions, showing every desk clerk and attendant the letter from my doctor giving me permission to travel, and trying to make sure that our first daughter was born on German soil.

She will be. And I'll be a pro at Germany by the time this is all said and done.

I have learned a lot about the area and the Base. I can get myself around Base and off-Base with the help of the what-in-the-world-did-we-do-before-a-GPS Garmin. (GPS' aren't really useful in Turkey since so much of the country isn't available yet on the programs.)

I'm making the best of our time here. In fact, the boys started swimming lessons today.

And I am now on the countdown (30 days) until Abigail is here (at most.) I'm actually praying, after all this, that she doesn't wait until her "scheduled" date: July 18th. I am hoping she at least comes a few days earlier. If you could join me in that prayer, I'd greatly appreciate it as I would love to take the rotator back to Base with JB and the boys near the end of July, and we have to have her passport here in order to do that. If she waits until the 18th, it is unlikely that Abigail and I will be able to leave Base with the rest of the fam. We'll have to hang out here for a few extra days while we wait for her to be official.

And I'd like to fly back with them.

Not that I'm planning of course. I've learned better than to think that any of my life is within my control! God has it figured out, and I need to chill out.

When will I learn?