pictures...

"cousins"

my tehteh (older sister)

the beautiful bride

aren't they all sooooo gorgeous

A and her bibi-bibi

she danced the night away

The News in life

It's been exactly a month since my last post.  Since then I have finished my statistics class and passed it!!  Woo hoo... A has gone to her first VBS (thanks to R&T for helping with rides) and walked down the aisle once again as a flower girl!!!  Our condo is so close to being done that I am jumping out of my skin in excitement.

A and I are embarking a new chapter in our life... we are both starting school.  I start with orientation this Saturday and start my actual classes on Wednesday.  A starts the following Monday.  It's so crazy that my baby is starting kindergarten and we are going to meet her teacher next Friday.  I just know I'm going to start crying.  My friend CI was one of the first ones to pray for a believing teacher for A and now we reap from the prayers that were lifted.  A's teacher is a believer and I'm so excited about that.  I really have been praying for next year already.  It would be lovely for A to be in the public school with believing teachers.  Please lift this up with me... It would be great for both of us if that were to happen.

Transition back to the states have been hard.  We are still in transition, mostly emotionally, but really praying through this season and hoping to really settle in well as the Lord leads us into our niche, our schedule, our life...

Please pray for us as we both start school and start this new schedule.  Pray for our transition as we still find ourselves emotionally adjusting...

I wanted to put up some pictures, but it's not working... hopefully soon!!!

sick...

please pray for me. i have been fighting something since thursday. i've been drinking orange juice, sleeping a lot, drinking tea, drinking lots of water, all that jazz... but it's finally got me this thing called a cold. been taking day-quil and tonight for the first time i took nyquil. i have a test on tuesday this week and really with two weeks of school, this can't last long. i know that's such a strong word... can't... if God wills it, what can i do right? but i believe in prayer and that He does know what i need, so... i will go now to rest, but just thought i would throw it out there. please pray that this will be a really quick round of the cold.

two more weeks

my beautiful city... welcoming us back

bike rides

and boat rides...

we have been on the move even during transition. constantly doing something... in two weeks my class will be done and hopefully all the final details of the condo will be done too!! i pray that from then til i have to start school, we will be able to have a time to breath. i have been so thankful for counseling and the friends that watch A so that i may have this time. it is good that in the midst of hectic chaos, i could sit and talk about the issues of my heart. in two weeks, i hope to spend more time in quiet at the foot of Jesus and just enjoy HIM.

i have an hour between the time that i drop off A at camp and i go to class. i love that during this time i get to have a long deep intimate conversation with my Savior. who else could i go to than the one who gives me life? i think of how much i miss P, but at the same time so glad that i have an eternal husband who knows me much more than P or any other man/woman could know. i am in debt for this life that the Lord gives me and the breath He gives me and the opportunity to serve Him in ways that i find myself not worthy of.

i have recently finished reading the book of daniel and am struck by how i lack in prayer. daniel prayed 3 times a day to maintain his intimacy with his Lord, but not only that he prayed for his people... i mean he seriously prayed for his people and asked for forgiveness for their sins and was just a man of prayer. i have been convicted at how i need to be on my knees more. i know i have mentioned this before, but my favorite thing about P was that i would walk into his study and he would be on his knees in prayer. i'm not sure if this is appropriate, but i find nothing sexier in a man than when he is praying on his knees alone in a quiet place. i knew that he was so worth following and respecting as my husband because i knew he was going to the right place for his leadership. i want to build this family on prayer and pour out my soul to the one who knows before i even utter a word and who will hear!!

praise God...

1. for A's adjustment back here and her camp as i have been going school.

2. for a car, condo, and all the wonderful people that have been helping with the remodeling of our condo.

3. for friends and family.

4. for His goodness and faithfulness in our life.

5. for KB, a friend of ours, an old student of P's. she will be our nanny while i go to class. so excited that she lives so close and is willing to be a part of our lives in this capacity!!! thanks KB... we love you!!!!

please continue to pray for us...

1. as we transition. still going through some reverse culture shock and adjusting.

2. as we start school in a month, both A and i will be starting school.

3. as i look pray through what ministries the Lord would have me invest in as i start my life here in the states.

4. as i long to spend to more time in prayer... pray that i will pray more.

AWOL

i've been AWOL due to my life rapidly changing. funny how just a little over two months ago i was in a completely different season of life. now that we are moved into our condo, me in school A in day camp, still getting things settled here and there, and finishing a few things around the condo still yet. i bought a new computer and two weeks ago it started doing something funny, in which i thought i was the reason it was doing it, but i took it in two days ago and my brand new computer's ram drive or something is out. so it's in the shop for at least a week... so i haven't been able to do much on the blog.

i will try harder to keep updates here... sorry family and friends.

is sexy the new cute?

i just don't know what to do in this society that i feel that sexy is the new cute. clothes for little girls are a seductive and it's just crazy how i feel like they are even acting that way. no more cute overalls with pigtails. i went to the pool with A this weekend and i was floored at how many string bikinis were worn by the little girls and older women. now i am not trying to judge, this is not my intention at all, but ... so the situation that floored me was how these little girls even knew how to move their bodies...

i'm currently reading a book "bringing up girls" by james dobson. it is a scary task... our job as believing moral people to raise our children in such a sinful immoral world. how do i really raise my daughter to be a child of God in this world that teaches her other wise?

my daughter is starting camp at the park district tomorrow and i think about how much i need to be on my knees. not that i think anything will go bad, but i anticipate lots of questions from her from what she sees, experiences or hears. then i think about public schools and i just think, wow...

when i was teaching, we were supposed to teach about the different kinds of families... mom/dad, dad/dad, mom/mom, divorced parents... but when it came to doing holidays, we couldn't teach about the real reason for christmas, but it was okay to teach about kwanza and other holidays. that's the world... it's sad... and i am someone who grew up in the public school and think A will do well (i'm not against public school), but it is something i will definitely have to pray about day in and day out and constantly be on my knees about.

just something i have been thinking about these days and it's an overwhelming thing, letting our kids go and grow...

please pray for me and A as we start this new endeavor.

i passed!!!

yes i passed the test. i had to take this placement test so i only have to take one class not two in the summer and i passed!!! woo hoo party time. one thing off the check list!!

if all things go smoothly, i think I could be in our own place by mid week next week and be settled!!!

thanks for your prayers. please pray for smooth transitions and a start to summer school and fun!!!

PRAISE GOD!!!