Hello again!

Hello there.

It's me.

Contrary to what the silence of the blog might suggest, I do, in fact, still live.

It's actually been the living that has gotten in the way of blogging lately.  Oh, no, it's not that I'm drowning in busyness or that I've suddenly become occupied with such noble things and have no time for blogging.  But the days and weeks came one after the other and there was life to be lived, and before I knew it, 2019 was almost over.

It seemed like a good time to sit down and blog again.

But what to write about after so many months of nothing?

Well, life, I suppose.  Life, which has been both grief and joy, changes and routine, questions and answers.

An endless string of family birthdays (close to twenty since the last post I wrote).

Another semester and (nearly) year finished.

The ticking clock of the Bible school consolidation.

Ninety-plus loads of guest house laundry since May, and counting.

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If you get my email updates, you'll recognize most of the pictures below.  (I borrowed some of them...thanks to those friends who have better cameras and picture-taking skills than I do.)

Teammates -

I'm thankful for my teammates.  Not just getting to work with them, but for the times we do stuff together outside of the school, like excursions to the farmers market.

Apparently we just seemed like such a fun bunch that even random strangers like the red-haired lady in the back wanted to join the picture. :)

Brunch with a few teammates (+ Abigail, visiting all the way from California)

They make me happy, and not just because they give me an excuse to make bacon and scones.

Isabelle, Abby, and I made Senegalese food one night: marinated chicken, onion sauce, french fries, crudités with vinaigrette, and baguette.  I think Angèle would have been proud of me.  She's my gold standard of Senegalese cooking, and if she would approve of how a dish turns out, then I feel I've succeeded.

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Abigail's visit -

Abigail, a long-time friend, came out to visit in November, and so we had a little mini-reunion here. All of us except Abby (in the blue) are from the same church in California.  It was fun to hang out and Abigail got to tour the school, see some of what I do and some of what her brother (who is interning at the school) does.  We also played tourist a bit, which was really quite fun.  Do you ever do that, play tourist in your own town?  You should try it sometime. :)

"Goofy picture!" I said, and then they betrayed me by smiling normally while I look like...well, I'm not entirely sure.  The faces, they always seem like a good idea until I actually see the pictures.

Christmas memories -

The Christmas ornament exchange - a tradition the ladies of my church have been doing for years.  I've been going since I moved there, and I think this one might have been my favorite yet.  The food is always good and the banter during the ornament exchange itself is great.  But this time was just extra special.

Grandma -

I still miss her.  I know I always will.

Grieving is such a strange process sometimes, full of unexpected twists and turns.  Some days life seems almost normal, other days the smallest and most random thing can bring sudden tears to my eyes.  Some days grief feels like a heavy blanket; other days it has a touch of fierceness, the kind that makes me want to go create something in my kitchen, feed people I love, look out for them, and somehow make the world a better place. 

Snow -

We haven't had too much of it since this storm, but I'm hoping for more once I get back.  A mid-west winter without snow just doesn't feel right.

Monday chapel -

This has been an enjoyable addition to my weekly routine.  During the chapel hour on Mondays, students meet as small groups in staff homes instead of a general assembly.  I'm co-hosting a group along with two teammates (Jared and Heather), and this has been great for a number of reasons: getting to know some students better, getting to know Jared and Heather better, hearing what students are learning and processing, being involved in ministry outside my office (office work is important, but it isn't the only part of ministry), having an excuse a reason to bake goodies, holding Jared and Heather's new baby...

Tuesday small group -

Time with these ladies remains one of the biggest highlights of my week.  Discussions, laughter, prayer requests, and tea.  Always tea.  So much tea, in fact, that I'm surprised we haven't all floated away by now.

Sometimes it's crafts and cookie baking, most times discussions on our book Adorned, but every time is special and encouraging. 

The California cuties - 

They deserve their own post, but I just love this picture Sarah sent me.

Their faces make me all sappy and sentimental.  They are the cutest, aren't they?

 - - -

Here's to giggling with nieces and nephews, to Cottage Inn pizza, to bacon and scones, to flickering Christmasy candles, to friends around the worn dining room table.  Here's to doing a little less, trusting a little more, and slowly learning to let go of perfectionism.  Here's to questions - the ones that seem scary to ask, the ones that have answers I might not like, the ones God meets with silence, the ones that bring clarity I don't even realize I need.  Here's to answers - the big ones, the little ones, the ones that take a long time coming.

Here's to home and loved ones, to traditions and Tahoe brunch casserole and socks for Christmas.  Here's to movies on the couch and popcorn stuck in the cushions.  Here's to puzzles and tea and enough rounds of Clue that we each won a game.  Here's to tulips in spring, to fireflies and thunderstorms, to fall colors, to magical snow globe days and coffee with eggnog.

Here's to 2019, to the growth that it brought and the memories it holds.

Here's to 2020, to hope and confidence and choosing to smile at the future.

Here's to grace, and most of all to Jesus.