update

I had just finished writing an update for this blog last night when we had a power cut and thus my internet connection was interrupted while uploading some photos I had added. It's all just part of living in this beautiful country!

It's been good having my mom here to visit. We've been doing some sightseeing, making good use of our new pickup truck and working on various projects.

Elliot is definitely enjoying his grandmother. Dylan is fullswing in his "terrible 2s" mode and totally ignoring all my mom wants to do with him...It's times like that you wonder what you are doing wrong as a mother but he's just a kid. But I feel sorry for her. Anyways, her main reason for coming was Elliot and even though he's in a fussy stage of teething at the moment, she's having some good times with him.

David has been busy preparing for the next semester which begins next Wednesday. I'm kind of dreading having to go back to our normal routine, especially as he probably will have to teach 2 classes this semester. That would mean 5 evenings alone with the boys. Help! But we'll manage somehow.

Since our puppy died we have taken in our puppy's father again and I'm actually enjoying Jacob. He's a lot easier to keep happy then Linus and is not as high maintenance as a puppy.

David brought some birds back with him from the capital so our zoo is growing.

Dylan starts Kindergarden, or Pre School, on Monday. Wow! I'm excited for him but also a little apprehensive. I know he'll enjoy having kids to play with but I do hope he does well and learns to play with them and share. At the moment, he's in a "that's mine" phase, grabbing everything from Elliot and also the our neighbor kids and not cooperating well. So I hope he learns quickly without too many problems.

It'll be a change for me with lots of free time at my disposal in the mornings. What will I do? I'll think of something! :)

more goodbyes

It's been an emotional week for me as the time to say goodbye to our good friends here in Laos came closer and closer. Even though I have had to say goodbye so many times throughout my life it has never gotten easier. But this time was made harder in that Dylan had to say goodbye to his friend, too. I'm not just sad for myself but for Dylan as well. I guess he will get over it fairly quickly, at least more quickly than David and I who will miss Ferrells a lot.

Now I'm glad that after a last lunch together I could finally get it over with. The saying goodbye bit. I am thankful for the time we had together although I know that some of my days will be empty now without them around.

And so I'm all the more glad that my mom is coming in just 2 days and that Dylan gets to start kindergarden soon. That will make transition a little easier.

David is in the capital this weekend, buying a car. A Toyota Pickup that will hopefully serve us a bit better than our Beijing Jeep in getting around town and this country. We are so thankful for the chance we've had of getting this vehicle!

The boys are still asleep though I'll have to go wake them if I want them to go to sleep again at a reasonable hour. We've had busy days, hanging out with our friends as they were packing up and trying to squeeze as much together time into this week as possible.

David goes back to teaching in about two weeks. We've enjoyed this school free days.

I have struggled with feeling ineffective these past few weeks, not feeling like I'm getting anywhere or accomplishing anything, not reaching the goals and dreams I had for our life here. But I've been encouraged once again reading Brennan Manning who quotes Francis of Assissi. It's not what I do or accomplish or succeed in that makes me great in any way. But I am what I am in God's sight and nothing more.

I've been reminded that I just need to be faithful in the small things. And God does all the rest.

the fransiscan way

I've been reading a book on the writings and life of Francis of Assisi and was challenged once again in the issue of simplicity. What does it truly mean to live a simple lifestyle? Simplicity is a value that I do consider to be part of my valuesystem. But in real life how can I put it into practice?

The book has challenged me to consider and make a difference between my needs and my wants. That in all things and choices that I make I pause to ask myself: "Is this something that I really need or is just something that I want?"

The same is true for apparent needs like food - food is a need but meeting that need leaves room for choice.

Talked about it with David and he set to work uncluttering our house. We have so much stuff stashed away somewhere, partly because our helper, when cleaning up, doesn't know where to put it, partly also because even though we're not using it now we might need it sometime. So we keep it. But we now have a pile of things to give away and I hope to be able to put simplicity into practice on a daily basis more and more.

We're surrounded by people who's worldly belongings all fit into a plastic bag so it shouldn't be too hard to remind myself that not all my wants are a need.

The fellowship will be meeting here in an hour and my mom surprised me last night with booking a flight to come visit us next week! Very exciting!

The boys are taking a nap and we still have time for a coffee break before our guests arrive. :)

update

Found Dylan sleeping like this one day during his naptime. :)

.FOUR THEETH!

It's been a weird week somehow and I have struggled with demotivation and feeling irritated at so many little things that make life here different and at times difficult. I have even thought longingly of Germany, something I would have never thought I would one day say.

But I'm feeling reinvigorated!

Last week, I went to visit a neighbor with my friend Beth from the US. She had met the lady before and had been invited back to learn how to weave. So I came along and we got to spin the thread of cotton onto a spool to be used for weaving. It was good to meet a neighbor and fun to learn more about one of the main handicrafts that has been passed along from one generation to the next for a long time now.

It's still raining like crazy here and I read that parts of the country are flooded and many farmers have lost their rice and corn crops. How will they get by?

Elliot's two top teeth have come through and now it almost seems as if he's showing them off, smiling and laughing and so content. It's so much fun watching him play and playing with him now, he makes me laugh a lot.

Dylan left his big business in our Asian squat toilet instead of his underwear for the first time yesterday evening and actually went to the bathroom himself for the first time today. I can't believe I'm getting THIS excited about someone else going to the bathroom but that is a milestone in a kid's (and parent's life). My little guy is really growing more and more independent with each day.

Well, not much else happening at the moment. I am thankful to be here and was reminded this morning, how we are to seek after, among other things, perseverance. I guess that's what I'm needing at this moment.