I didn't mean to leave this little spot of mine neglected for so long! I've missed my happy little blog home and I really hope to keep posting here. We've had so much going on that I have wanted to share. But alas, I guess I have been too busy living life to blog about it!
A few of the happenings of the last few weeks, in no particular order:
1. We started school again. We've doing school for almost three weeks now and I have to admit, I am LOVING it. This is our third year of homeschooling but it is only now that I feel like we are in a groove and that I really know what works for us as a family and what doesn't. I am so thrilled to be able to be with the kids and to take part in their learning. Although we don't really "do" grades, age-wise our kids are now in 3rd, 2nd, Kindergarten, and preschool. Phew! It's a lot or organizing and coordinating on my part, but we are loving it. You can read a little more about our homeschooling HERE.
This was my favorite first day of school "back to school" photo!
2. Not only are we back to homeschool, the kids are back to "specials" at BAIS (the school where Jason teaches). All of the kids go in for PE (they want to be with their dad!), Caleb and Alaina do art, and Alaina also does music. It's a LOT of going back and forth to school for me (about 20 trips to school a week!), but I love letting the kids get to do a few extra things and be with some of their friends. And how cute is Katie? I have never seen a little girl so excited to go to PE class!
3. We've had two fun hotel nights in the last few weeks. One to our favorite place in Jakarta and a second fun hotel night at home!
4. I've been sharing my heart at my new site, Preparing the Soil. It has been a really growing experience for me. I have never really shared this deeply about my thoughts on parenting. My heart really aches for moms who are struggling and the kids that are hurting. I hope and pray that in some small way I can make a difference in the lives of moms and kids. A Mother's Love is a post that really wrote itself. I was writing something else and it really felt like God just took over and started pressing keys. It was NOT what I was intending to write that day. But all along I have said it was His site, not mine.
5. Although I don't get to do it as much as I would like, I am still scrapping when I get the chance and still selling my templates at Sweet Shoppe Designs. I love the creative outlet and the income I get from this allows us to stay overseas in a job that pays, ahem, not much.
6. The kids are doing great! I am finding so much fulfillment and so much enjoyment in just being with them. Just yesterday, I was doing the dishes and Katie asked me if she could help me. I said yes and she sat on the counter and chatted my ear off. At one point she asked, "Where does Jesus live"? I was able to share with her that Jesus is with God in heaven but that Jesus also lives in the hearts of people. We had a great conversation and she ended with a beautiful prayer that she did "me self" that I know just pleased the heart of God. "Dear Jesus, please come live in my heart and help me obey. Help me to sleep when it is night-night and not talk. Thank you for my family and that you live inside of us." There was more to it, and I know Jesus must have been beaming with as much pride as I was. How can the heart of a three year old NOT please Him?
And Caleb, bless his heart, said to me yesterday, "I never knew helping someone could be so much FUN!" He is such an amazing kid. I love seeing his personality (which is so much like mine) come out more and more each day.
Alaina has been such a joy to my heart this summer. She is growing up and maturing and I am seeing some amazing things in her heart. Just a few weeks ago, when we were at the hotel in Jakarta, I saw an ad for a show I have heard a lot about (we don't have cable at home). I said, "Oh, I've heard -- even from those I repect -- that that is a great show." Alaina says to me, "Well, I saw it at someone's house and the older sister in the show was being mean to her brothers and so I decided not to watch it." Widsom and discernment is hers, far above her years.
Levi is still our happy and goofy little boy. His biggest thing lately is to carry around frogs with him wherever he goes.
Bethany is doing great! She's five and half month old and just as sweet as she can be. If it is possible, she loves people even more than the other kids did at this age. If there are people around, she is just as happy as she can be. She loves to just sit and listen :)
7. We're entering into a tough time of year. We have some big decisions weighing upon us and although we aren't fearful and we have a lot of peace, we are desperately seeking God's wisdom and guidance in our lives.
8. Our good friends left in June and I am feeling the loss of their friendship in deep ways. I am thankful, though, that God has assures us that we can trust Him and so I do...I trust that He will fill the void and that in my lonliness, He will be more than enough.
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All in all, I am doing great. God has brought some amazing things in my life over the last few months and regardless of what else is going on, I feel so incredibly fulfilled. It feels amazing to really be able to say, "The joy of the Lord is my strength."
Hopefully I'll be back to more regular posting here. Until then...
