OUR LAST WEEK IN AMERICA

January 1-6, 2016

Here we go again – packing up and saying good-bye.  Even though it happens often, it doesn’t become any easier.  Moves are stressful.  Good-byes are painful.  Emotions are real.  This mission life is a crazy journey - always in flex between two countries, always feeling a bit out of place, and always wrestling with emotions that most people just can’t fully understand. 

Our year and a half in the states has been good.  More specifically, our last 6 months in the states have been really good.  During those last few months, we were able to deepen friendships, establish routines, and be a part of ministries that we will very much miss when we return back to Paraguay.   

Here’s spent the last week:         

My family (Dad, Liz, my brother Jedidiah and his new bride Kathleen) came to visit January 1-3.  Jed and Kathleen headed back to Arkansas on the 3^rd.  On the 4^th we said a tearful good-bye to my parents.

 We hung out with friends.  Lots and lots of friends.  Lunch.  Dinner.  At the park.  At their house.  At our house.  At the soccer field.  

We’ve loved having this group of boys at our house.  They are fun, polite, always hungry, energetic, and laugh a lot.

Friends threw us a going away party.

 And we packed.

We did lots and lots of packing.  And sorting.  And organizing.  And weighing.  We boiled our possessions down to 21 Rubbermaid containers all under 50lbs.

 Our last day – January 5th – brought a steady stream of good-byes from phone calls, texts and friends stopping over.  The boys went to one last soccer practice.  One last chance to be with friends.  It was 9:30 when the trailer was loaded and the last of our friends left the house. We were exhausted emotionally and physically.

Once the kids were settled and everything became still and quiet.  And once I finally laid down, I cried.  I cried as I said good-bye to this chapter in my life.  I cried just as I cried one and a half years earlier lying in the same bed our first night back in the U.S as I said good-bye to Paraguay.
We mourn for what we leave behind but we press on to what God has in store for us.  We press on to His call for our family.  We press on to Paraguay.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RYAN and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What?  16 years old already?  Where has the time gone?

The cool thing about Ryan is that he's....a cool teenager.

Seriously.  He is fun to hang out with and interesting to talk with.  

I love him and the young man who he is becoming.

Ryan, Jeff and Uncle Steve spent the morning playing disk golf. 

For lunch Ryan went out with Oma and Opa to Whataburger.

We spent the evening at friend’s house celebrating Ryan and ringing in the New Year.  

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, CLAIRE!

 12-29-2016

 Claire crawling on hands and knees

Tooth 5 and 6 are poking through

Gives kisses

Loves to communicate

When she babbles she has inflections as if she’s really trying to communicate.

Pulls up to a standing position

Says “bye” and waves

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS!

 We celebrated with family

 Claire's first Christmas

 As tradition we watched The Grinch.  Ginny was inspired to do a “Julia Lou Hoo” style.