la vie est belle

it's funny, most people try to do something special for their "100th post" on their blogs.  i happened to notice that my last post was my hundredth.  i suppose it is fitting that i remembered an amazing friend in my 100th post, though it definitely wasn't any of the fun ideas i had toyed with a year ago when i thought of doing that post.  but life often necessitates different options.  my former housemate ashleigh, just wrote her 100th post, from her life in Kenya.  it's a fun read from the mission field.

the past month i have felt like a failure in communication.  i have sat down many times to update my blog and then had no words, or rather, too many words to express all i was feeling.

i have started to pick up the phone, then set it down, because there was no way to speak.

started messages or emails, and then erased them, because i couldn't settle on what to say.

i thought of pictures i could share from my housemate, Kristy's wedding.  i was both bridesmaid and the cake maker, but alas, we did not pick out bridesmaid dresses with pockets, so i took nary a picture.  i will post some soon when i can get some good pics from friends.  it was a truly beautiful day and a bright spot in a hard month of life.

i thought about sharing about the night last week when a cheese grater made me cry in Publix.  that's right, a cheese grater.  the kind like they have at olive garden.  you see, kylee boden had that grater and every time i used it at her house we would talk about how great it was and how i needed to buy one.  so by the time i had reached the household cleaners isle, i was sobbing.  and i reached for a sale priced cleaner to smell it (it didn't smell good) and as i screwed the lid back on, the spray nozzle shattered in my hand.  in shock from my display of apparent brute strength, i burst out laughing.  as Truvy on Steel Magnolias states, "laughter through tears is my favorite emotion."

so i continue on.  all who are left here in this life continue on.  waiting for our true home in Heaven (the link is what Kylee Boden herself wrote about being hungry for heaven).  this week in Bible with my homeschoolers, we are devoting the whole week to Heaven and the beautiful parables about the kingdom of Heaven, such a deep reassurance of Christ at work in us already.





Exciting notes:  i'm starting a unit on shakespeare with my homeschoolers.  they are preschool - 4th grade age and they are pumped.  we're turning an entire wall into the story of romeo & juliet.

at the same time i'm planning on teaching them fundamentals of drama and speech, helping them become better speakers and  listeners.  i'm already having so much fun with this.  their mom and i talked about how we learned to hate shakespeare in high school because it was so confusing, but the stories were actually beautiful.  we're excited to see how the kid's respond to shakespeare at their level.  so far, so good.


also, i'm moving out!  after a lot of prayer, i've realized that God doesn't seem to be done with me here yet.  i'm still determining what it is that He has for me, but i do have a definite peace about not having peace about going overseas yet.  since i have been getting deeply more invested at my church here and a wanting to be a little more settled if i'm going to be here for at least the next year, i decided to ask one of the women in the mission if her rental properties might be available in the future.  as i'm sure God knew, her tenant across the street from her house was moving out may 5th and she would love to rent to me.  i prayed about it and visited the house and said yes.  in a few weeks i'm moving to my own little cottage!  it is an adorable one (and a half) bedroom house right across the street from two families in the mission.  i'm pumped about the opportunities to host and care for people from my home.  i'll only be a 12 minute drive from the mission and within walking/biking distance from most of the families in the mission.
already i have been blown away by people offering furnishings and i know God will continue to provide for me.  i can't wait to share pictures soon.

lastly, i leave a few pictures of the boden family with beautiful baby caleb, taken a few weeks ago.  

la vie est belle.  life is beautiful.

2.5 year old Sarai, baby Caleb, 5 year old Seth

Daddy Matt with 5 year old Lydia & baby Caleb