picture of my boys with neighbor friend

This weekend our very good/great/fabulous/always dreamt of neighbors like this - are moving away. Well, they are just visiting family in other countries for a few months, but will not be back by the time we go. We are all sad at this parting, especially my boys. Our neighbors voiced how sad they were at our moving and had hoped our children would grow up together. Our children run back and forth freely, and we feed each others kids without a second a thought.

Today they are in the end of the end part of moving, you know, cleaning carpets, completely emptying the fridge, wiping the cupboards on more time. This is the best and worst part. You can see the end, but, oh man, you are so done by this point.

Anyways, this afternoon they called over and asked if I had any coffee, and if I did, could I make them a cup and bring it to over? I had just run out of coffee and so I quickly drove and bought them a large cup.

She was a little embarrassed that I done that. But I was so happy. I loved the thought that they would feel comfortable enough to ask me to make them coffee. It made me only love them more and feel a greater loss at their going.

And besides, I of all people know the need of a coffee!!!

So for me, this is another good-bye that I knew had to come before we left. I guess the nice part for me is that these good-bye's are happening in stages, not all at once. All at once could just just have been too much. And for that I am thank-ful!

Resistance if Futile

this weekend is a Homeschooling conference. Last year was my first one and I loved it!~ For me it was the perfect combination of encouragement and information. Plus it is always extremely refreshing to realize, again, that I am not alone in this path. So, that is all fine and dandy. But there is one part of the conference that I am just not sure what to do about it.

It is the Curriculum Hall.

All these fabulous stores are set up so you can buy their stuff.

Just image a whole gymnasium full of wonderful books. Oh man, I have been pondering all week whether I should even go in. I mean, how can I go in and NOT buy something, anything. I really don't know if I can resist.

But really, that is so silly. I mean, just a few weeks ago I was on here posting about how I had to get rid of books, so why on earth would I go and buy new ones.

I fully realize it is not logical thinking, but I am not necessarily known for my 'logical thinking'.
(yes I can hear those chuckles out there).

So, here is my game plan. There are some resources that I will not be able to have shipped or buy in Hong Kong, so really....

truly...

it only makes sense that I would buy them now!!!

Right???!!!!

(only opinions that agree with me are allowed to be posted by the way hehe)

One life

My thoughts have been thinking on this for a few weeks.

One Life!~

Just one.

What does that mean to me.

How does that effect the choices I make?

I mean, it is pretty heavy when you think of this being it. These short 70 or 100 years we will be here for. What are the things that we can take with us after our last breath. What will I spend my breath here on? Will I use my years to pursue comforts for me and maybe a few people around me?

Or,

will I pour out my life. Will I spend my life on the things I can take with me?

This life is a gift, and I have to decide how I will use that gift. When my kids get a new toy, I am often giving them the talk 'think of how much more fun it will be if you share it with others rather than just hiding it away for yourself'.

I recently heard how someone described this life. They wrapped a rope around the inside of a large gymnasium, and colored the length of a piece of paper red, leaving the rest white. The part that is red is this life here and now, the rest is eternity. The challenge was of how we spend so much time thinking about that one short red part of our life. Yet in comparison to the rest of the rope, it is such a tiny part. I believe the rest of the rope is going to AMAZING!! There are so many wonderful things in the here and now for us. Me and the kids talk often how amazing it is going to be to live on the ocean, I have personally dreamt of living by the ocean for many years. I am so thank-ful for those blessings!

But, that is not it. Those blessings are not my fulfillment!



Eternity is the prize that I set before me. It is what will make all the good things I experienced here even better, and will make all the hard things I experienced here worth it.

But I believe it won't just make it 'worth it'. I am going to see those things in such a completely different light. Now I only see thru a glass dimly, but there, well, there I will see it as it is.

Won't that be amazing!

I can hardly wait.

Safety

It was a wonderful sunshiny day. The temperature was still a little chilly, but the sun was calling us outside. After an.....interesting morning with my boys that included school, laughter, laundry, and how shall I put it.....anger management classes, we headed to the beach for some play time. We played tag, buried each other in the sand, and tried to build a castle with dry sand (they soon figured out that wasn't going to work so well). It was glorious.

One of my boys came up to me and asked if he could hug me, and I of course laughed out loud because everyone in this house knows I am always ready for a hug. So as we hugged he said how safe he felt when he hugged me. That made everything worth it today. Just that one simple statement.

With our visitors gone, I have started back into sorting for packing. It feels a bit strange to be doing this all without our tickets in hand, but that is okay. I think I will probably cry when we finally do have them! Brad is just putting the finishing touches on his paper and can hopefully hand it in the beginning of next week. We can already feel the relief of being done his classes! What an accomplishment. I am so totally proud of him! Then we can finally get the visa application under process, which will lead to ticket purchase.

I have many moments when I feel a bit overwhelmed at all that needs to be done, but it passes, and the excitement takes over again. We have had a few moments of stressing about our visa's going through, but that too passes.

Really these are just the hoops that have to be jumped through yet, and so it will be such an amazing feeling when we are finally going.

"I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again......."

How love can make you cry

Today was a sad day for me.

For the last week we have had family come to visit. It was wonderful to have a houseful for Easter. There was one family missing from each side of the family (one of my sisters and family, and Brad's mom and hubby). We were sad that they were not here as well. It was so fun to have everyone around. a little crazy at times, but wonderful. It made for a super busy week, yet we managed to find time to visit with everyone. It was extremely special to have everyone come for a visit before we go.

This morning the last of the visitors left, my dad and mom and family left. We don't get to see most of our extended family often, so we soak up the moments that we do have together. This morning I was thinking of the line "these moments in time". We hold them closely as we carry on.

We count the cost of following our dreams.

My children saw that this morning.

My family has a certain reputation for crying. So this morning as I was hugging my dad good-bye, we were both crying. My children watched as the tears fell. After they waved one last time as grandma and grandpa drove away, they came and hugged me. One brought me coffee (teehee she knows me well), another came and snuggled me. One came separately and quietly asked me why I was crying. I told him how sometimes you love so much is makes you cry. He then asked why grandma and grandpa can't just live with us, then we would never have to cry and say good-bye.

So I have been thinking of this today. Thinking of what a powerful thing love is.

As my kids get older, I often think of how we don't understand what out parents go through and feel, until we have our own children. Now as we get ready to fly across the ocean, I feel keenly aware of the gift of blessing Brad and I have received from family. And I wonder what my heart will feel like as I hug my children good-bye as they sail off on their own adventures. I pray we can be as gracious in releasing them with a blessing to follow their own calling.

What an amazing gift it is!

Thank-you!

Last week

Last week we had the privilege of having two 12yr old Japanese girls staying with us. They were here on their spring break. They went to English school during the day, and then came home for super and the evenings. We have hosted other students in the last year, but they were all older and out of school. The week went by very quickly as they came on Sat. afternoon, and left the following Sat., very very early in the morning.
They were so very sweet. We had a wonderful week getting to know them as best we could. They had very little English skills, but it was amazing to watch the week unfold. As is part of their culture, they brought us many gifts, all hand picked for each person. They each brought a photo album for us to keep of their homes, families and activities they are apart of.
They were incredibly jet lagged the first night, and I actually had to chase the one girl as she walked out the door and down the driveway in her sock feet. She had woken from a nap extremely confused, and really had no idea where she was. I felt so bad for her. I took her back to her room, closed the door and guarded it for a few minutes to make sure she didn't run out again before she went to bed.
Our children soon found ways to communicate, and jumping on the trampoline and playing Wii became the two favorite activities. It was amazing to watch and listen to the laughter that transcended all language barriers. Feshya of course loved having some other girls in the house, and it was fun to take them all shopping. A little painstaking at moments, but I suppose shopping with three tween girls of any culture could be!
I was also struck with the honor of caring for someone's child whom I had never meet. I thought of how I would feel should I send my children across the world to stay with another family.
When we dropped them off early Saturday morning to say good-bye, tears began to fall as I hugged them good-bye. We came home to special notes written in origami hearts.
What an honor!

One thought

Today I have one thing bouncing around my brain.


OHH

MY

GOODNESS............

IT

IS FINALLY

HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!