picking up amanda

Amanda's flight was delayed in Newark 2 hours and 15 minutes. She was supposed to land an hour ago, but instead she's landing at 11:20pm tonight. :( There was some bad weather at the Newark airport, and it delayed everything. First they were waiting for an incoming aircraft (I'm guessing that there were people aboard that needed to connect with this flight), and then they had to wait FOREVER to taxi to the runway. Right now she's about halfway here. My dad and I are leaving in about half an hour to pick her up...I can't wait!!!!!!

PS I'll bring my camera, I promise. Oh, and I got the Lutherhaven pictures on the computer. Hopefully I can post them really really soon.

in america!

Amanda landed about 4 minutes ago (the flight was 16 minutes late) in Newark. She's in America! Next stop, our house!!!

woo hoo!!!!!!!!

We got word this morning from my other sister, Alina, that Amanda was safely in the air. Right now she is almost in the states - she's pretty much at the border between Canada and New York, it looks like (the flight status map is really small). She lands in Newark, NJ at 11:40am (10:40 our time), where she has about 5 hours layover time (but that's kind of good, as she isn't really an experienced traveler, and she can make it through customs with lots of time to spare). Then the plane to our city leaves there at 6:05 pm (5:05 our time), and lands here at 9:05. On my iPod I even added clocks for Germany and New York, so I can easily keep track of the time changes. I also created a "by-the-hour" chart, so I can cross off each hour until she's here. Right now there are about 11 hours until she lands here, 40 minutes until she lands in Newark.

She been to the US once before in 2006, with Alina, to visit my grandma (unfortunately we weren't able to see them, as that was when we lived in St. Louis) but this is her first time visiting us.

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!

visitors

Our friends the Stocktons stopped by from Saturday until this morning. They were on their way back to Tomball after visiting family in St. Louis, and were able to stay with us two nights! Yesterday was also Mr. (now pastor) Hintz's ordination + installation (which was another reason the Stocktons were here)...it was a really nice service. We went to the Hintz's afterward for some Oklahoma BBQ. :) In 13 days is my dad's ordination + installation...I can't believe it's so close! A week from Wednesday (the 12th) my older sister Amanda is coming in for a month!!!!!!!! I'm SOOO excited. I can't wait to see her!! My grandmother on my dad's side is also coming up from Tomball, my best friend (Andi) and her family, a cousin of my grandma (the same one that is coming up) that we've never met is coming from Grove, OK, Pastor Wayne Graumann from our old church in Tomball (Salem Lutheran), and many other special people. It's going to be really exciting, but probably a little stressful as well. The people at Grace have just been the best...they're organizing EVERYTHING, right down to the last detail. They're planning a dinner for everyone afterwards, with shrimp, cocktails, champagne (the main dinner I can't remember...oops :))...it's going to be so wonderful! Our pastor's wife told us that it was like a wedding, and it kind of is, as my dad is getting "married" to the church. We are pretty much all moved in...the only thing that still has to be renovated are the servant's quarters, which we have to get done by the 14th (my grandma is going to be staying in there). I'll take another video when all the craziness with the ordination is over! Thank you all for being so patient!!! -Carlotta