Day 5: three years ago today

Goodness sakes, I can barely remember what I did yesterday - let alone THREE years ago!

However, thanks to the marvels of Facebook and the insane compulsion that I have to live my life on this social media site, I have discovered what I think I was doing 3 years ago.

I was preparing to add to my family - in two ways.

First was through the addition of a son.  Brandon and Alyssa had been dating since November 2006.  I have always told everyone that I picked my children's spouses, since in both cases, I met them before my kids did.  Brandon lived in the dorm and from the start I knew that he was a keeper.

He was a man of integrity - even at an early age.  He clearly showed a love for God and his fellow man.  He was definitely son-in-law material, so it was never difficult to see Lys and Brandon pursuing a relationship.

They dated a LONG time.  Really long, considering that Dan and I only dated 3 months before we got engaged!  When Brandon finally came to Dan and I, asking for Alyssa's hand - we were enthusiastically in favour of it.

Then came "the plan" - how to pop the question.  Brandon wanted to do it big, so he asked the master for help.  Knowing that I was all about the production, he conscripted me to set the scene...the theatre at Prairie - full of candles, red roses and just the right music.

It went off without a hitch.  She said yes - of course, and today I am even more thankful for Brandon.  Not only did he join our family, but he brought along with him an amazing family that have become some of our very best friends.  It is a rare and beautiful thing to melt two very different families together like this.  Blessed!

The second addition I was waiting for was the arrival of my first grandson.  Amy had come back into my life just 6 years earlier, after a the separation of adoption.  Now she was having her first baby.  This was the connection that we shared together.  She was my first child - not quite mine and this her son, my grandson - but again, not quite mine.  Isaac made his appearance just 4 days after this day 3 years ago.  He is loved by many, including me.