Peace amidst the chaos

Hello dear friends,
I've had a most wonderful day amidst the chaos that the in-laws arrival always brings. Is that a miracle of God's grace? I am sure it is so. I have prayed that He should show to me the way I must behave to them, because I am totally confused, especially with C's mother. Take for example now: I am sitting on our bed and type (blessed phone line, after 5 months' waiting, it arrived at the needed moment, just before they landed in our home, and to me that is a God sent), and I can hear her telling C (rather shouting) what we should do from now till summer (let me remind you that we just welcomed January). We must finish unpacking, we should empty the garage, we should move the furniture to make space for a permanent bed for them, etc. etc. In her more immediate plans is baking the stuffed chicken she brought all the way from Athens (a 6+hour drive) that she knows my children detest.
Anyway, I feel so nice sitting here, knowing that my girls do their homework next door and my son is sitting next to me, chatting all the time while watching TV. I don't know if I've told you, but we don't normally have a TV in our bedroom. However, C tried to set up our computer in what is an open wardroom cum media room nook, but apparently the screen had died, so he went out and bought a new one from a German discount store that opened in our city a couple of months ago, and said screen can also play TV. So we've moved the screen in our bedroom so as to avoid prolonged contact.

I have taken some nice photos to show you of our day. As you may have seen in a previous post, today we celebrated Epiphany. It is celebrated in a very special way, so I am going to write a special post for it.

After the morning church service we visited an aunt of C that has had Alzheimer's. She is in hospital after suffering a stroke, and we hope that she will make it. I am fond of her and her husband, who is my f.i.l's brother. He is my husband's favorite relative and the first one of his relatives that he knew about our relationship, even before his parents. Both he and his wife have been very supportive of us when we moved here. There is something more special though, that links me to them. As my mother disapproved of my marriage, she wasn't present at my wedding. During the Greek Orthodox ceremony, though, the couple's parents have to share from the common cup of wine that the officiating priest has blessed. After offering the cup to C's parents, the priest turned to my side, looking for my parents. I hadn't thought of that detail, and I was quite embarrassed. Then C's oncle and aunt stepped in and said "We are". And after the service, when we had to stand in line and shake hands with our guests and well wishers, they stood in line and acted as my side of relatives, at least to those who didn't know who they were. So, in a way, Oncle and Aunt A are my adoptive parents, and I love them very much.
Please pray for her. We know she is never going to be who she used to be, she didn't recognize me or C, today, but please pray that God will grant her His best.

I hope you are all well. God bless you.