Counting

I'd be dishonest if I gave you the impression that this transition has been easy.  On paper, it's the closest, most similar move from one place to another I've ever made.  But leaving a place I've loved so much is hard.  There's just no two ways about it.

I know that it's okay to feel sad, confused, or unsettled, and that God is big enough to handle the human feelings that go along with transitions.  And yet in spite of - or maybe because of - the challenges, I wanted to take a bit of time and count out the blessings I've seen the Lord generously give me during these last several weeks (specifically, and as many as I can think of, though I know there are more than I'd be able to share here).  To look at them written out is almost overwhelming.

• The ladies of Cascades (and by extension, the whole church family :)) who sent me off with prayers, notes, gifts, hugs, and sweet words of encouragement.  I was so touched by their outpouring of love.
• A walk with Holly.  So thankful we were able to squeeze one more visit in! 
• Lunch with Linda - it was wonderful to get out of the house, leave the mess of boxes and stuff for a bit, enjoy some delicious crepes together, and visit.  She trained me when I first came to the business office and has been such a sweet friend since then.
• Carrissa, who helped with packing and cleaning and whose company was just the encouragement I needed.
• Esther, who sweetly and unselfishly helped me pack up my kitchen one afternoon, in spite of having her own house to pack and clean.
• Tamara, Emma, Josie, and Isabelle who helped clean one day.  It's amazing how much work can get done when you add four more people!  It was VERY hot and sweaty that day (I believe it got up to 90° in my little apartment), but they didn't complain and it was so fun to laugh together while we worked.
• Raylea, who also came and helped clean and whose company, again, truly encouraged me.  We got to visit one evening shortly before I left and though we didn't watch any BBC shows like we used to, it was a treat to catch up on a few months of life when we hadn't seen each other.
• The empty apartment downstairs that I was able to stow packed boxes while cleaning.  This made my life vastly easier!
• Josh volunteering to drive the trailer out when no one else was available to drive that day.
• Friends who gave me extra boxes and packing material, sent me with on-the-road snacks, moved furniture and boxes, and answered various pleas for help.
• Being able to sell the appliances I wasn't taking with me.
• A painless cleaning inspection (I was nervous about possibly having to re-do things, but that wasn't the case).
• Danny, who saw a storm was coming and showed up with some of his guys a bit early on loading day to make sure we beat the rain.  More friends quickly joined in and from the time I answered Danny's knock to the time we were pulling the trailer door shut was thirty minutes - and as soon as we'd finished, the rain came down fast and furious!
• Staying with Tamara and the kids the night before I drove out, which meant that I could pack up last minute house things and not have to worry about needing them.  It also meant, more importantly, that I could spend every minute possible with them before leaving.  They made sure I was fed and didn't have to do much cooking during my last couple weeks, they mailed a fun housewarming package here, Josie painted a picture for me, they listened to me process all the thoughts/questions/feelings/etc. rattling around in my head leading up to the move, they sent me off with lots of hugs...too many things to mention.
• A safe, uneventful drive out here.
• The group who helped unload my things on this side of the lake.
• The welcome basket waiting for me, filled with food and other first week necessities, along with a cute plant and a "We're so glad you're here!" note.
• A newly-redone apartment, including a brand new kitchen - the only time in my life I've ever had a new kitchen!  I'm also very thankful for the windows which give a decent amount of natural light, more than you would usually expect in an apartment.
• A quick visit from Carrissa who happened to be in town the weekend that I moved - it was fun to see her again and show her my new little place.
• Luke and Taylor having me over for dinner after I arrived.
• Chris and Melanie and their family having me over for dinner.
• Dinner with Todd and Sue who were in town my first week - it was so wonderful to see familiar faces and be able to visit with coworkers I know.
• Technology that's allowed me to stay in touch with family in California, Senegal, and Michigan.
• All the people here who have taken time to answer questions, help me find my way around, and offer words of encouragement.
• Melanie, who has already been such a wonderful coworker as I transition into guest room ministry here.
• The trickle of coworker-friends from the other side of the lake.  New friends are good, but I'm thankful to have the old ones too, especially during this transition.
• Simple "extras" - things that aren't necessary but the Lord gives me to enjoy, like the summery cricket chorus, the cute little cottontail that comes by almost every evening, gorgeous dahlias and zinnias from the farmers market (pictured above), avocados on sale, rumbling thunderstorms, fireflies, breezes through open windows, and new places to explore.

The list could be far longer, but even this is enough to show how kind, faithful, and extravagantly good God has been to me.

Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I've come...

Sneak Peak

Here's a few pictures of the new apartment. :)

I plan to do some painting and I still have to hang things up on the walls, but other than that, it's fully unpacked and fully functioning.

A week ago today we were loading up the trailer on the other side of the lake.  Weird.

Well, that's all I have for you right now.  Laundry, painting, and more orientation are calling.

This...

Hello again.  It's been a while, hasn't it?  I've accumulated pictures from as far back as February (not posted entirely in chronological order).  I can't tell if it's actually only been three months since then or if we've all been stuck inside a time warp for like ten years.  Sometimes it feels that way.

This is a February snow...I think it was the last time I was happy about snow.  Once March and April roll around I'm ready to send that cold, white stuff packing.  Not that my sentiments ever alter reality.

This happened one night in March: while I slept soundly and peacefully, someone came tearing down my street, hitting my neighbor's car and pushing her car into mine before driving off into the night.  Both our cars were totaled.  I never thought I'd be attached to a car, but I'm still a bit sad that my little red car is no more.  Perhaps I'm growing sentimental in my old age.

These are the cute crocuses (in four colors - what fun!) that bloomed in my backyard way back in March.  They're tiny, welcome reminders that spring will come.  "Cheer up!  Hang in there!  Winter won't last forever," they seem to say.

And of course, spring did come with its daffodils and tulips and warmer days and birds singing all the time.

This is what the give-away area of the laundry room at school looks like when the whole student body leaves on short notice.  (Mid-March the school leadership advised students to return home if at all feasible.  They continued with their classes online.)

This is a coloring page Jonah was so proud of he wanted me to take a picture.

These are some of my favorite people.

This is my interpretation of cheb - a Senegalese dish.  Rice flavored with loads of garlic and spices, served with beef and stewed veggies.  Comfort food. :)

This is nearly 5lbs of onions I sliced (and cried over) for yassa, Senegalese onion sauce with chicken.  The onions are caramelized with mustard, lemon (and/or vinegar), garlic, and spices.  So delicious.

This is because I believe in having houseplants, and lots of them if possible.

This is Hyacinth, a wee bunny that's been hanging around.  Can you see her?

(Yes, sometimes I name the local wildlife.  How else am I supposed to write stories about them?!)

This is Pip. 

This is Cashew.  Some days - most days, really - he's energetic and spunky, and other days he's...not.  (I guess we all have days like that, right?)

This is Isaac's rendition of the battle between David and Goliath.

Goliath: You are little.

David: I believe in God.

Also David: I have rocks.

:) 

This is another drawing of Isaac's.

I know, buddy, me too.  Meeee too.

This is Kai, Ava, and Gracie in their Easter outfits, even though there was nowhere to go.

This is Kai, Ava, and Gracie not in Easter outfits, just because I think they're so cute.

This is Ava, who is, apparently, three going on sixteen.

This is Kai, builder of Lego things!

This is Gracie, who is so cute I want to scoop her up and snuggle her tiny little self.

This is my favorite tree in the whole wide world, conveniently located just in front of my home.

This is when it snowed after said tree began to bloom.

These pom-poms are my favorite.  I look forward to their arrival each spring.  Green pom-poms exploding on a tree for a few weeks each year - isn't it so fun that God made trees like this?

This is NOT about life giving you lemons.  Life doesn't give you lemons, silly.  You buy them at the store or if you're lucky (like I used to be), you pick them from a tree in your backyard.

Anyway.

This is my chalkboard, where in pre-Covid19 days I used write verses or clever quotes or my favorite things about the current season.  Now I'm counting down the days until our state's stay home order is over.

That's where it's at, folks.

Of course, the order has been extended three times, which means that three times I've had to erase my count and write it over in smaller print.  I hope it doesn't get extended again, because I'm just about out of room and really don't want to have to buy another chalkboard.

All joking aside, this has been a challenging few months for most of us in one way or another.

Today was supposed to be graduation day for our seniors at EBI.

A day that should have gone a certain way...

The morning prep, helping take things over to the church where we hold the ceremony, passing out the caps and gowns with Esther, the silly but predictable lump in my throat when Pomp and Circumstance plays and the seniors start walking in (okay, I guess I really am sentimental after all), coming back to the school for the amazing reception that our kitchen team throws...

It's lovely and wonderful and special, but it is a lot - a lot of people and cars and bustling about. Usually I stick around until I've said all the congratulations and goodbyes I want to and then go home for a little rest.  It feels like too much to stay at the school past a certain point, but too quiet when I leave.

Graduation evening Josh and Tamara have a bonfire for anyone who wants to come, and I love that most of all.  It's something fun and social to look forward to after the let-down feeling when the reception is over.  S'mores and smoky clothes and laughing late into the evening - that's how today was supposed to be.

I can picture our seniors' faces and imagine the disappointment they (and their families) are feeling.

There have been so many "should have beens" already and there will be more, I know.

Here's where I'd normally try to tie things up into a neat lesson or something either cheerful or profound, but today I don't have any profound thoughts and while I may not be in the depths of despair, I'm not sure cheerful is the best descriptor either.

This is today.  It may never have a neat lesson to offer, but maybe it doesn't have to.

To Sunshine

Hello to lovely sunshine streaming in, warming the room and heralding the nearness of spring.

To birds singing happily in the morning.

To tiny buds swelling on the tips of tree branches.

To sky in brighter blue.

To days stretching out a little bit longer.

To sounds of melting snow (hopeful and cheery) and falling icicles (startling at best, mildly terrifying at worst).

To windows cracked open for a hint of fresh air.

To softer-sounding breeze instead of winter's branch-rattling winds.

To bulb flowers poking green leaves up from the dirt.

To walks outside without feeling frozen.

Hello, happy, sunny days.  It's so good to have you back again.

Consolidation Notes

Having caught up on last semester, Christmas break, and my favorite little Californians, it seemed fitting to give a brief update on the Bible School consolidation.

So here you are: the facts, plus a few feelings thrown in for free.

• Our campus's last semester has started, which is all kinds of strange and sad and hard to believe.

• I was asked to continue working at the consolidated school in the same primary roles I currently have: guest hospitality and business/finances.  It will look a bit different, I'm sure, but it's a less dramatic transition than some of my teammates are facing.

• My tentative (though not 100% confirmed) timeline for moving is mid-July.  This year.  (How is it "this year" already?!)

• I am thankful for those, particularly those in leadership, who have made an effort to reach out to us as individuals, to listen to thoughts or concerns, and to communicate regularly as more information becomes available.

• Some days I'm surprised by how routine and steady life seems.  Even though I know there is a big move looming on the horizon, daily life - for the most part - is a simple, predictable routine with a productive-but-not overwhelming pace.  I count this as complete grace, and I'm so grateful for the things the Lord has shown me in this area.

• Making lists and writing things down is infinitely helpful to me.  It helps me process things (like a big move).  It settles the ping-pong thoughts that sometimes bounce around in my head crazily (if they're written down, I don't worry about forgetting them).  It also gives me a better idea of the big picture (the visual of a list, whether written down on real paper or on the computer, is much easier to work with than a nebulous bunch of thoughts in my head).

• I will miss this place so much...the school itself, my church, our quiet unassuming little town, the state's gorgeous scenery, my cute house.  Every place I've ever lived has felt like home eventually, and I know that will be true for this move as well.  Still - for now - I'm quite sad about leaving and it would be dishonest to pretend otherwise.

• Not all of my teammates here will be making the move, and that makes me sad.  So many layers of change and goodbyes we're facing.  BUT...I'm so glad that some very dear friends will be moving with me.  Again, I know this such a grace-gift.

The Cuties at Christmas

Pics from Christmas time ~

Although she had her first birthday, Gracie-Poo is still so delightfully tiny that it made me feel as though I hadn't missed out on quite so much.

She loves music, my parents' dogs, clapping (a skill she's exceptionally proud of!), walks around the backyard, looking at pictures up on the wall, FOOD!, and is generally a happy little camper.

We had a sleepover - just Kai and Ava, Gracie isn't quite old enough for that yet - which meant Grandma's deliciously buttery popcorn, hot chocolate, and watching Tumble Leaf and Shaun the Sheep.

I'm not sure which I like more - the evening of the sleepover, or the following morning, when they wake up with their cute pajamas and bedhead and I make us all a hearty breakfast.  Tater-tots usually make it onto the menu...what kid doesn't like tater-tots?  (Frankly, I'm quite fond of them myself!)

- - -

On Christmas morning we had brunch together (minus Beck, who couldn't come until the evening).  Tahoe brunch casserole was something my grandma used to make when we'd go up for Thanksgiving - we'd have it Thursday morning before tackling the work of cooking the Thanksgiving feast.  I'd been hungry for it again, partly because it's delicious, and partly, I suppose, for sentimental reasons.  When I was prepping it on Christmas Eve, the realization hit me that the last time I'd eaten it was Thanksgiving at her house...many years ago.

After brunch and sufficient amounts of coffee, we moved to presents.

Looking at these pictures (Brian took some, and I took others), I had to chuckle at just how many different expressions are captured on Ava's face.

In His Hands - a book from our childhood!  Sarah and I had fun paging through it, laughing at the pictures and the parts of the story we remembered.

She melted my heart...so sweet and genuinely excited over her gifts.

When she opened the gift Kai had picked out for her, she exclaimed, "Kai!  Thank you SO MUCH!  That was SO SWEET of you!"  ...and then leaned over and patted his foot appreciatively.

Kai was a little more even-keel about his presents, or at least, didn't make quite as many faces in the process of opening them.

Still, I think he had a good time.

(Also, isn't that flannel shirt the best?  So cozy, so cute, so Christmasy.)

Puzzles!  The other day, Mom told me that Ava called him as a "whisperer-puzzle".  As in "puzzle whisperer".  Because he's good at them, and being a puzzle whisperer is totally a thing. ;)

Gracie, well, she was happy to be in the middle of it all.  She found the wrapping paper and the set of popcorn seasonings her mommy got to be infinitely more entertaining than her own gifts.

All ready to open her own bakery!

Their faces...I can't stop laughing.

- - -

Kai, still obsessed with dinosaurs (as he has been for months), considers it necessary to declare himself a dinosaur with great frequency.  These declarations are accompanied by roaring, claw-hands, and the above-pictured face.  

The night before I leave to fly home is always sad.  Sarah steadfastly refuses to sanction me taking the kids back in my suitcase, so alas, I have to leave them in California.

I squeeze them and kiss them and squeeze them some more, but it's never quite enough.  Sigh.