Farewell, our Norwegian princess

Father's Day was bittersweet this year. My husband lost his Dad a few months ago, so it was his first holiday without his father. I came across a nice little pin to give him on this occasion. I found it at Berean Christian store. It's a little lapel pin in the shape of a teardrop, with a rose engraved in the bottom of the teardrop. There's a note that goes with it, explaining the significance of the teardrop, meaning a loss, and the rose, everlasting love. They also have necklaces. They're really quite nice remembrances for a difficult "first" day like this for the grieving.

It was also tough on my husband and me because we spent Sunday morning sending this year's exchange student, Merete, back to her parents in Norway. It just happened to fall on Father's Day. Unfortunate timing. We caught a few breaks at the departure this year. Her luggage was really full but the nice people at the airport let it go through -- bless them, we so appreciated that. While we were waiting to say goodbye, some of her friends who travel to India every year say that traveling out of Fresno is vastly superior to leaving from LA or SF. The lines are shorter; the people much nicer.

I took a call from from Merete just a few minutes ago. She's safely back with her Norwegian friends and family, already partying with her homies. But she knows she'll always be a part of Fresno. She was traveling in a T-shirt that says Bullard Volleyball on it, a gift from her friend Avreeta, last year's team captain. When she stopped to change planes in Amsterdam, a girl came up to her and asked if that was Bullard High School in Fresno. Turns out she was from Visalia.

Though we had a great year with Merete, things are pretty sad and quiet in our house while we readjust to our empty nest. She did leave us with these two little kittens, Mettie and Andy, who manage to make us laugh every day with their antics.

Farewell, sweet Merete, until we meet again -- in Oslo about this time next year!