Thanks for your remarks, everyone! Foxy and I had a few good chuckles reading them over.
REM -- Nicole and I were talking this morning about how this is going to change our road trip for next summer ... we're toying now with the idea of a simpler vacation that will take us directly to your part of the country, so we can visit you finally. Meanwhile, I'm going to have one of my computer-savvy friends make me a webpage on which I can post photos and such (I've enjoyed looking at yours). As soon as it's up I'll send you the address, along with a more detailed account of all these recent developments (sorry I've been such a stranger -- I never visit Amazon w/out peeking at your wish list).
Slayerlayer --
Your fiance!? You aren't married? Have you spoken to the elders about this yet?
Oh, we plan to humbly submit to the elder arrangement ASAP, lay bare our guilt, and ask them to pray for us. We will gratefully accept the soothing reproof that runneth like fine oil over our hair or something like that. He he. Seriously, we're not too concerned. Foxy's parents, who are Witnesses (though somewhat inactive) are thrilled, and don't mind that we're not married yet. And two of my JW brothers are also excited and understanding. The other brother, however, has heard the news, disapproves, and won't talk to me, which is actually nothing new. It's a bummer, though, because my brother's wife is also pregnant, with approximately the same due date. This would be really cool if stupid JW cult mentalities weren't screwing it up.
Joelbear -- you crack me up!
Duncan -- great to hear from you! I think it's so cool that you left the Witnesses because you were about to have kids, probably because my parents joined the Witnesses for the same reason -- they were about to have children, and were worried about how to raise them. They were ripe for conversion: ten years younger than I am now, socially alone, spiritually lost, and morally well-intentioned. Perhaps if they had had the internet back then, they would have learned about the seedy underbelly of the pristine JW veneer.
Esmerelda -- probably you'll be getting frantic e-mails as I struggle to understand what's happening with Foxy ... what are cyber-sisters for, if not to explain these things to their befuddled cyber-brothers? You'll definitely be getting some photos in the mail.
To the rest of you -- thanks! I'll probably post later to tell how it went telling my dad. I'm sort of hoping, like REM suggested, that it might actually help us, that the thrill of become a grandfather will be more important than "theocratic instruction" he's supposed to follow.
Dedalus