friends in town

One of the big blessings from the past month - friendships for my kids.  

It's always awkward to walk away from the world you know well and into a world you don't know much at all.  It's awkward for adults!  And the last time we were in the States we realized it's awkward for our children too - this weird balance of living in two separate worlds.  

So one of our dreams for this season is that our children would land well in America.  Into friendships and familiar places and a confidence that comes with knowing and understanding the world around them.  

School is doing this for the girls!  One of the biggest gifts of the school is the relationships!  Friends and play dates and birthday parties and buddies to run alongside in the church hallways.  We're delighted to see that they are embracing their "learner" role - figuring out the ins and outs of school and culture and relationships - and also confidently sharing some of their Asia life.  

[One of Lydia's buddies likes to use Lydia's chinese name :)  At first I didn't know quite what she was saying, but as I listened to her chattering in the back seat of our van I finally realized, "oh, she's calling Lydia ke qing ya!  how funny is that!"]

But I wondered and worried about Isaac.  

He loves to talk, he loves to be with people, he loves his big sisters.  I knew the days with the girls away would feel long to him.  He and John Paul are good buddies and play so well together but I knew he would enjoy some good solid friendships outside our home too.  

I'm so thankful that God is providing abundantly for Isaac!  He loves AWANA. I mean, he LOVES it.  He's such a little participator, likes to be part of a group, thinks his Cubbies leaders are awesome.  It's perfect for him.  And he's in a class full of boys that run as fast as he does.  Sweet. 

Sunday mornings are another big win.  It's a different set of boys than his AWANA classmates (he's right on the fence age-wise and is one of the youngest in his Sunday class).  But it's a super fun set of kids.  

To top it all off, he's got a new addition to his favorite places to go list.  Some of our family friends have three sons (a 5 year old and 4 year old twins) that are perfect playmates for Isaac.  We've started a little habit of heading out to their house once a week for fun and fellowship.  Bonus that the momma is a good friend for me and I learn lots watching her home school some of their older children while our little boys run and play.  

Not to mention it's just fun life-on-life fellowship.  I'm bummed that my bigger girls don't join us (they are at school) but also realizing the gifts of that - instead of schooling my girls I am watching (and helping, a bit) this mom school her kids.  She has YEARS more experience than me so it's a kind of school for myself as well!  {Actually paging through a curriculum and watching it being used is so helpful for a homeschooling newbie like me!}

I missed pictures of Isaac in all his playmate glory but I did take a few pictures of the drive to their house.  

The boys and I love looking for farm houses and tractors and, well, anything!  It's all interesting to them!  I like to imagine what it would have been like for the pioneers, all that endless white in every direction.  Makes me want to go back and re-read a few Little House on the Prairie books.  (And I have read a few other pioneer stories this month!)

Next time I'll get pictures of Isaac and his God-provided buddies.  And maybe me and the other boys too :)

It's Friday which means it's about time to head to family-swimming-pool-fun.  We're deep into this weekly routine of a pool trip on Friday afternoons and tonight we were offered tickets to the men's hockey game!