highlights

Thought it might be fun to write down a few highlights from our first week back!  It has been busy, and difficult, and tiring... but also full of joy-filled moments, funny comments from the kids and the like.

Isaac is one pretty hilarious little boy and he can deliberately make fun of his sisters when he sets his mind to it.  He definitely keeps us laughing.  The other night it was getting late and he said "Ju-janna and Lydia really really really need to go night night.  I need to drink water..... (dramatic pause) .... in my bed."  He busted out laughing and the girls did too.  Not sure what was so silly, but the three of them were a mess of giggles.  Even Matt and I couldn't help laughing. 

Earlier this week we were at a home improvement store and I was on kid patrol while Matt shopped.  It was about ten in the morning and the store was almost empty, so we were attracting a lot of attention from the floor staff.  One lady who was particularly charmed by Isaac fumbled in her pocket, got out a pack of tissue, pulled one out and wiped his snotty nose.  It all happened in a flash and I was left thinking, "my gracious, a stranger just wiped my kid's drippy nose".  It was a happy China moment.  I love the way people here can be so gracious, so generous, so serving. 

We haven't done as much reading as usual, but we are starting to get back to a more normal, consistent routine ... today we got out markers for some 'craft time' and played a few games too.  

I am craving a semblance of normalcy, so it's fun to be able to start to do simple things like this... even though there are huge reminders that this is not yet "home" - like this evening when Julianna repeatedly referred to our apartment as 'this house', not 'our house'. 

We know two families in our new neighborhood (via previous friendships) and we are eager to really spend time with each of them.  One family has four children (which makes them very unusual - we were outside with them one evening and they were getting as much attention with their four children as Matt and I were getting with our blondies).  Their oldest daughter is 12 days older than Julianna and then they have twin girls that are two months older than Lydia.  The little brother of the family just turned one. 

Yesterday afternoon at our house it looked like this:  

... all decked out in dress up clothes, sorting through accessories.

Matt and I are still up late most nights, which makes us both a little loopy and prone to say funny things and laugh out loud at comments that would normally only merit a smile.  Mostly, it's been fun.  Although an intense amount of work. 

Still nothing hung on the walls, still no usable oven, still looking at a depressingly long 'to do' list... but grateful for all the progress we've made.  Grateful for a warm, cozy apartment to call home.  Grateful for the friends we know and the ones we've yet to make.  Grateful for Jesus who leads us all the way. 

We are grateful.