Long Weekend, Thai Style

Well our long weekend (thanks to the King’s birthday) is over, and it’s back to more regular routines (if there really is such a thing) on Tuesday and for the next few days.

Feels like there’s a fair bit to catch up on here, but hopefully the pictures will help tell the stories of Sunday’s worship time and Monday’s little outing. And as I go fetch them, I realize I haven't downloaded or organized the best one, so here's a start.

A few thoughts, though, to add.

Sunday

Prelude. Abby helps in the kitchen to get the congregational lunch ready. That's one big wok!

It does not matter where on the planet I am, Sunday morning is a gift. To gather with beloveds and be united in our desire to give God our praise and thanks, to orient ourselves to His being oh so much bigger than we are, than our struggles are, there’s nothing like it. Doesn’t matter the language.

Abby says Hello to Hot Springs Church

Of course, if there are enthusiastic little ones who want to express that through dance, all the better (see separate posting for video). And Ahjahn Suradet’s sermon on 1 Corinthians 4:10-23. About building our lives wisely, on what matters, was uplifting and inspiring. Next week I will teach, but it was wonderful this week to be taught by this godly man I respect so much.

Always a joy...when children who have moved out of our care come back for church. Today it was Praweet! He's as tall as me!!!!

Also, to reconnect with former staff Foon, and his family. Lovely.

Still needing an afternoon nap, although Sundays are famous for that anyways. Then we headed out to eat a meal at a uniquely organic restaurant where they literally grow all their own vegetables and mushrooms on the premises. Patrons are invited to go for a stroll in their photo-worthy gardens.

Ultimately we were headed to the Walking Street Market along the old city walls of Chiang Mai.

Abby proved to be a natural market shopper, and I even engaged in a little bartering myself. Yupa is the pro, though. You can save quite a bit just by having her around. Stamina being what it is still at this point, I found a place to sit down for an hour while the others carried on past all the booths. Lovely chair. It even leaned back. And happily someone was there to provide a relaxing foot massage for about $6 CDN.

Everyone returned satisfied and laden down with market finds, gifts for friends and supports and such. I had two girls asleep, one on each shoulder, on the way home. And I myself had the best night’s sleep since getting here.

Monday

No school! I feel I sometimes get too excited about this in front of the children. We really do want to foster a positive attitude towards the education their being here provides them, and lovingly encourage them to fully engage in their studies to the best of their abilities. But…when there’s a holiday, we can spend more time together, and that’s what we did today!

With no pre-trip planning in particular to help gather extra funds, and with there being now 25 plus three staff children here, we had to choose something simple and within the budget. So, to Hot Springs Park it was, for a swim and some ice cream.

Friends, the entire trip is worth it just for this. For children who have come from nothing, to be this excited and having this much fun…the sheer joy on their faces and in their voices means everything.

Most of them ‘dressed up’ for this. Even the older girls. It’s refreshing to be away from any sense of entitlement at all, and humbling to realize again how much of that, despite my intentional soul-work, lurks in me.

Oh a nap again in the afternoon is needed. And the children are given popcorn and a movie, another big treat when there is no regular screen time around here.

Did some reading with them again just before supper.

And then our evening lesson where we scrambled up our Bible verse.

Ephesians 5:1-2

Follow God's example

as dearly loved children

and walk in the way of love.

And on Speaking Life, and the importance of our words to build a strong family.

Added a tag to our lanyards (thanks again Sharon Ogilvie).

And put in another installment of Ahjahn Ruth and the Bear. Side note: It’s been a fun and recent discovery that they truly do love cliffhangers. So, I’m telling stories in chapters now. Only drawback is that when Yupa asked, at the end of the lesson, what our Bible learning was about, some of them answered, “Bears.” Oops.

I will let Abby give her own reports in her own ways. But she has been fully engaged, even with jet lag (lesser for her now than for me), reading with the kids, holding hands with the little girls as we walked around Hot Springs Park, and doing her best to make friends with the dogs here (another story).

Since some have been asking in other messaging, I’ll give a quick personal report here. Today I am officially into week five of a four to six week recovery period. Probably fair to say that jet lag tends to make recovery from surgery a tad more challenging, and recovering from surgery makes jet lag more difficult. While I am pleased to be able to fulfill my basic ministry responsibilities while here, having NFF Management Committee Meetings, a meeting with the November Team, preparing Bible lessons, reading program, and next week preaching, I am definitely on modified duties and an adapted kind of schedule. Any thoughts of doing that complete inventory of all our ESL, Bible Lesson, and arts and crafts supplies, even with Abby’s help, I’ve put aside. And while I usually love to set up a desk to work on the porch outside, I’m more inclined to make myself comfy with the pillows and work and write from bed. Air conditioning helps, and I’m grateful. And no worries on the lifting anything bit, even though I’m technically past that restriction. I’m not even being allowed to carry my own purse!

Sponsors, I promise to make sending you a report and some pictures about your individual child a priority this coming week!!!

So…that wraps up week one (Wednesday to Tuesday).

One more to go with lots still to experience.

Thank you so much for everyone who is praying!!!

All on a Saturday

 

There’s a different vibe around here when the kids are not at school. 

You’d think it would be noisy.  And while there is the sound of laughter, and sweeping brooms and scrubbing in tubs first thing before breakfast, and then playing Uno around the table, or even simple conversation while walking to whatever next thing any of us are doing, it’s remarkable how relatively quiet twenty-five children plus their caregivers can actually be out here away from the city.

A lot more happens in the cool of the day, very early as the rooster is literally crowing and a veiled sun rises behind a clouded sky.  It’s the best time to get things done, before it gets too hot.  And since jet lag is still enough of a thing to have us up way before any alarm, Abby and I are taking advantage of that too, cutting and prepping what will be needed much later, at the end of the day, when we get to evening worship.  Personally, I find it oh so much better to set up what I want on the white board right after breakfast, as the meeting room can become quite the oven later on.

Today I have given Abby an assignment for when I will be busy at the New Family Foundation Management Committee Meeting at 9:30.  She’s to walk around with her camera and try to capture some casual shots of the children and the grounds.  Some of her creative work I use here with her permission.

 

Our meeting is so productive!  It’s never lost on me the huge benefit of being face to face in order to work out all manner of things that can get rather messed up in translation online.  There is laughter when we see how the translation ap missed the point in previous emails.  There is sadness in talking about some Staff changes, and the adjustments that have been made.  There are questions about the future, about next steps in the property and this long travail of obtaining the land deed.  There is news of a new connection with a government run organization of support and continuing education for those involved in ‘alternative child care’ in Thailand.  And there is excited planning for next visits.

The children have already gathered for our Saturday reading time of ‘just before lunch,’ perusing through the books that we put out on the porch to be ready.  And then a delightful hour of chasing down monsters and figuring out all the things we can do in the snow.  A book that shows close ups of animal parts before the big reveal at the end starts a giggle-fit when one part is a small tail, but seems to be hilariously mistaken for the animal’s rear end.  Sometimes on a Saturday, when something strikes you as funny, you just can’t help it.  And it gets contagious.  Good thing that was our last book because I’m not sure we would have accomplished too much actual English learning after that!!!

I’m grateful for lunch and the forecast of heavy rain in the afternoon.  Didn’t sleep so great yesterday, and I may have overdone it just a little, last night at worship, in the actions to “Stand on the Rock,” the part that has my house falling dow-ow-ow-own.  As much as it seems counterintuitive, I’m still at a stage where I’m most helpful if I can make sure I’m off my feet for portions of the day.  So a little napping yes, but more just some quiet work/writing in between.  And, hey, I’m already ready for tonight’s evening worship so…

 

Tonight we do the conversational bit where someone asks how old you are.  There’s writing it down on a card, then standing beside one another in order of age, then taking pictures as a way of recording it for Sponsors, and for all of us.   Spoiler alert:  I’m the oldest person here. 

 

 

 

It’s a three-day weekend.  That gives this Saturday an even more elongated, unpressured feeling, since we also have Monday to enjoy together, with Sunday in between of course. 

 So hope you all have a great Saturday, whatever you need it to be.

We just did.

Indoor Snowball Fight (In July....In Thailand)

 

"In your anger do not sin."
Ephesians 4:26

But it doesn't say you can't have a snowball fight!!!

Thanks to Karen Bowman who saw these 'fake but fun' snowballs and thought immediately of our kids at Hot Springs, we were able to have a spectacular time making a point about how we deal with our anger. Yes, I actually made that connect during tonight's lesson. But not before there was a pretty fierce battle, worthy of any snow day in January back home.

"This is my Family" is our theme for this visit. And learning strategies to self regulate and express our very human emotion of anger was part of what we were exploring together.

We have a long weekend ahead of us. Monday is the King's birthday so no school. That means extra time with the kids, and we are looking forward to it very much. They still don't know but we are planning a very small 'bai teo' (out for fun) down the road to the Hot Springs park where there's ice cream and a swimming pool. Also, Abby has a craft in mind with all the supplies. Also, we will want to make sure our Sponsors get cards and notes before we leave. So, no end of ways to interact.

Today we had our first time of reading together, and it was lovely to have that closer connect, especially to get to know the new children better. Abby took a group and got right into it. Bee-Mai has taken to sneaking up beside Abby for a sideways cuddle.

Abby's jet lag seems to have turned a corner, and I've put her to work in various ways today. We also took some time for a bit of Thai language study, and she's making inroads there. She expressed to me just now that it's so hard not to be able to talk to the children. Truth. And. There are just so many other ways to communicate, and I'm seeing her interact beautifully.

It's been a good day.

It took me until now, just before bed, to hit any sort of energy wall, which is a good sign I think. Still, I'm being mindful. While it's not actually that hot, the humidity is bothering me a bit more than usual. I'm blaming it on any residual recovery.

And as I continue to physically 'take it easy,' and am so lovingly allowed to and encouraged to do so while here, I have to say that it's been oh so wonderful to actually be doing something other than orchestrating a big move and/or recovering from surgery. My heart is relieved to be engaging in life again.

And there's so much life here! Just look at those snow pros!

It's rainy season right now, and we've seen very little sun. No matter. That's what's keeping the heat at bay, and there's something quite comforting about an afternoon nap under the sound of the rain.

So here's to Fridays, and happy voices singing, and snowball fights inside in July in Thailand, and everything else that seems too good to be true but actually is.

Simple Day

A quick smattering of shots from our first full day here. It was an easier kind of day, although in the end it seems we did quite a bit.

Took Abby for a little tour of the property, including the goats and sheep pen. There's a new kid at Hot Springs, the goat kind, and she's only two days old. Abby was given the honour of naming her. She's still thinking about it, but we'll let you know. And we're growing sugar cane and pumpkins right now!

Wrote some emails and prepped for the evening's Bible Lesson in the morning. It's not terribly hot but quite humid, so that, plus the jet lag caught up with me and I had my feet up for a bit even before lunch. After lunch it was a nap proper, then sorting the new books brought from Canada via the generous heart of Cheryl Wilton. Can't wait to get a start on our reading program tomorrow.

Had fun talking about the connection between truth and trust at Evening Worship Time. We're building on the theme of "This is My Family." With so many new children since I was last here (eight) it seemed a good time to remind ourselves of how families, especially larger families, work. Working that around Ephesians 4:25-5:2.

And with so many new little voices, the singing of the doxology at the end of our time seems especially sweet and strong.

Lukmee (means "little bear") is showing off the dress she received from her Sponsors Martin and Lillian Weatherall. I hope to get more pictures of the children wearing or playing with what Sponsors sent them.

Well, I had hoped that writing this post would help me stay up a little later, but jet lag seems to be winning. I can tell when I actually and literally doze off at the keyboard while writing.

Better go and 'listen to my body.'
I totally do not want to push myself even now as today marks four weeks since my appendectomy. Grateful that I feel this good, truly!

Good night/good morning to all.

Arrival

The first 24 hours is its own thing.

Just get here, have that first amazing shower, get settled, unpack a little.

Sleep when you can, let your body catch up with what you've just put it through.

Chill.  Low expectations.

And.

See the children.  Have our first time of evening devotions together.

Open Sponsors' packets.  Let your heart be filled up with all the goodness of their excited squeals, like a little Christmas morning for kids who are anything but entitled and are excited by every little bit of it.

And weep a little because one of our first songs is an old chorus back home but is a favourite here.

Give thanks, with a grateful heart...and now let the weak say I am strong....

This time I get to see it all over again through the eyes of Abby.

And can I just say that she's a marvelous traveler, managed all the peculiarities of flying (her first flight) for 14 hours straight, and hauled those 50 pound bags onto the weigh scale and then off the carousel like a wrestler, and is so far dealing with the jet lag like a seasoned pro.

So here we are.

At the beginning of this particular adventure together.

Today we lay low and I'm glad.

While it was an 'easy' ride in so many ways, I am mindful that it's still less than four weeks post surgery.

There will be more pictures, I promise.

And little updates to Sponsors about your individual children.

And we will start our reading thing...with more new books thanks to Cheryl Wilton!

But for just now, these first 24 hours, we'll do our thing.

Countdown

As I write we are approximately 12 hours from lift off.

It's one of those 2 am flights this time. Not a fan of having to try to stay awake that long, but once we get there, it's actually a little easier on the jet lag adjustment, I find, to arrive during the day. So there's that.

Meanwhile, I am packed and weighed. Abby is packed and weighed. Everything but the last shower and final tucking in of snacks is done. Time now to put my feet up, settle my soul, and give myself over to a nap if I can.

I am so grateful for the open hospitality of our KW hosts Karen Bowman and Roger Bowman, and the easy way they make room for friends. It's a little strange to be in town and have nowhere to call 'home,' except when I realize that's not entirely true. Not as long as there's a community that takes seriously the whole 'all things in common' idea from Acts 2. These past two days have been exactly what I've needed to leave behind the overwhelming tasks of the move, and change gears into preparing for both the travel to and the time at Hot Springs.

Yesterday it was SO good for my soul to be together with my Highview Peeps. In this transitionary period of time when I will be away for so many Sundays, not being with you to worship hurts a lot. But thank you for all the hugs, and the commissioning yesterday.

Today the morning was spent running errands with Ken to finish off business with the sale of our house, and keep things moving in the construction of our new home. Got a few Taiwanese dollars for our layover. Did some banking of my own. Picked up the aforementioned snacks. Checking off all the things as I go.

And now the best thing I can do for my still-healing-post-op body is keep my feet up and enjoy the quiet.

What a summer!
What an adventure!
What a life!
What a God!

"Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am He.
I am He who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you.
I will sustain you and I will rescue you."
Isaiah 46:4

Oh Father..
It's Your reputation that makes us outrageously brave.

Next post will most likely be of Abby and I once we're through check in and security. But hopefully all of you, (maybe not you Travis Golem) will already be asleep. :)

Last Day (For Now)

 

Heading back to KW, ending our cottage family time for this season. There's always a chance we can be together here another time before fall, but this is the 'main event' for us so far this summer.

It's been unusual, interrupted, and I have had to continue to be careful with my energies in these weeks of recovering from surgery. But we're all feeling filled up and grateful for all that we were able to enjoy together.

A new phase of this summer starts for me, and for Abby. In just a matter of days now, we'll be on the plane heading to Thailand. Glad for the kind hospitality of good friends, Karen and Roger to give us a place to lay our heads for the next two nights. It's part of what is making this crazy summer possible.

Sooooo looking forward to being at Highview on Sunday. Can't wait for worship, and Abby and I will be commissioned.

Oh this summer!

Echoes Off These Walls

Today is furniture moving day.

I have to distinguish it like that because each phase of this move is almost its own moving day. Actual closing isn't until Thursday, which is good since there's still a lot of 'stuff' we need to deal with that I have strategically left out of the picture.

But the house is sure empty enough. Empty enough to echo.

I don't like it when a room echoes. All the cozy is gone if there's an echo. All that made it the room it was, whatever its function was. As in our family room. Ken and I had our last night on the couch watching TV together last night. And now, the room echoes.

I'm sentimental enough to have been saying thank you to each room as I've worked in it. Remembering out loud the living that happened in it, and thanking it for how it enriched my life. Room by room, I've been saying good bye and thanking the house for being our home these 36 years.

Then again, the echoes might be something else. As I'm going into each room and I hear the echo of my feet on the floor, or my voice if I speak, I am wondering if I might not be hearing the house speak back to me.

Maybe the echoes are the Spirit bringing to mind memories and speaking them back to me. Reminding me of all that grew here, all that was celebrated here, all that was mourned here, all that was lived here.

I am so grateful.
Thirty-six years is a long time to call a house home.
This has been a good home.

I am so grateful.
The phases of our move are not done.
We are held in suspension for a little while until the next piece comes into play.
There'll be cottage time, then Thailand time, then cottage time again.
Other homes.

So, in the end, the echoes off these walls send me on my way with gentle boldness.

Shalom, Shalom

Such a serene morning to begin.

The next four days will be a final push to clear out the house and do some final prep and packing for Thailand.

We leave this quiet place this afternoon to head back to 79 Blythwood Road for the last time. Movers come on Tuesday. Final cleaning on Wednesday. Then we return to finish off our cottage time with the gang.

It's a tad daunting. But it's doable. That's what we've said about our summer calendar and moving strategy since mid June when we accepted the offer. And step by step it is unfolding.

There've been times I've wondered if my determination to make sure our cottage time was unaffected might have been a bit unrealistic, perhaps putting more pressure on us. There has been a bit of back and forth, shuffling of beds and such.

But this morning when it's so perfectly quiet, and the water is flat, I realize how badly I've needed to be here. It anchors me during a time when so much else is in a state of flux.

"You will keep in perfect peace (shalom, shalom)

those whose minds are steadfast

because they trust in You."

Isaiah 26:3

Glad to worship together with the wonderful friends of Cognashene Community Church this morning, before we head back to the city.

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We Have Babies!

 

I'll start by saying that since June 22nd I have not slept in the same bed for more than four days in a row. And looking towards the rest of the summer, it's going to be like that, more or less, until into August. This doesn't count the 13 nights I'll be asleep 'in my own bed' at Hot Springs. More on that in a second.

This bed shuffling has a lot to do with the cottage comings and goings of various family members, and the fact that Ken and I now have the option to retreat to the bunkie when it serves best to spread us out a little. But it is also a significant feature of the unsettled nature of this season of transition we're in.

I'm feeling it.

Doesn't help that some of that bed shuffling included two nights in a hospital bed. Doesn't help that, while I am steadily improving, I'm still not quite 'myself' or fully back into my regular routines (just ask my kayak).

Almost nothing seems normal.

And I guess that's why hearing the baby jenny wrens chirping excitedly when Mom or Dad arrives with breakfast brings me a measure of comforting joy.

This happens every year. Every summer we watch as the wrens build their nest in the birdhouse above the deck. Every summer we wait until we have evidence - i.e. the chirping - that the next generation has hatched. Every summer I find it delightful to watch the parents come back and forth with insects. And every summer those illusive little fledglings leave the nest without us noticing.

And just now, on this perfect Saturday morning, while Grandad has the little boys down on the boat fishing, and we wait for the arrival of all the parents of all the children, I notice the chirping. And I am glad for the reminder that there is indeed some familiar joys all around, even now.

Reminds me of the words God said to Noah as part of His reassurance after the ultimate unsettling of the flood.

"As long as the earth endures,
seed time and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night,
will never cease."
Genesis 8:22

What a good gift it is that I now feel so at home at Hot Springs that, ironically, half way around the world, I will find something familiar for my un-nested soul to rest into.

Just a matter of days now. One night's sleep in the bunkie. Two or three at the house, then back up to the bunkie for four more, then three days at the home of friends, then off to Thailand.

And the faithfulness of God sustains.

Hope some form of baby birds chirp for you today!!

After the Rain

 

We're glad to be outside today after all our rain yesterday. It's amazing what we can pack into the first few hours of the day. Breakfast, Lego (inside until a grownup was ready). Then fishing out beaver sticks, feeding chipmunks and some good initial shots with the water gun. All by 9 a.m.

Grandad has taken the littles over to the bunkie, more for a little walk than anything else. I'm going to see if I can get at some emails. Now less than two weeks before Abby and I take off, and there's a few things to take care of before that happens.

Great news! Yesterday I heard back and two more of our children at Hot Springs now have Sponsors! Only one to go. Funny how that always seems to work out.

Meanwhile, I am grateful for another good night's sleep and another mostly chill day to continue to recover.

Lofty Lego

A feature of our 'rustic' cottage is that is has been added on to over the years, with the intent of accommodating more beds.  Mostly this turns out to be actual bedrooms, but in one iteration, a loft of sorts was built over what might be considered the original master bedroom. [Please note: All this has the potential of sounding way more fancy than it actually is.  It's important to keep the word 'rustic' in mind here.]

The stairs to the loft are steep.  More like a ladder.  A steep ladder at that.  And there's where the practicality of the loft for sleeping has been somewhat complex for our family.  Because the skill required to safely go up and down, particularly at night if one had to use the bathroom, sadly does not match the age of the children who actually and enthusiastically want to sleep up there.  But, also sadly, by the time they have the physical dexterity to manage the ladder, the novelty has worn off and they've decided they like their 'usual' cottage beds just fine.

We've ended up using the loft more for storage.  But it has proven at times to be a decent place to play on a rainy day.  

Also we are big into Lego around here.   So here's a good place to remind us all about the 'rustic' thing, and that includes our cottage being small.  When everyone's here and it's a rainy day and you want to play Lego, and since it's summer and most of us walk around indoors in bare feet -- well, you get the picture.

This morning Grandad has had a genius idea.  Move the Lego to the loft!  Bonus for Gramma was that he spent about 20 minutes first organizing some of what we've got stored up there to clear the space, which, since it was his idea, happened with zero 'discussion'.

The Lego bins were hoisted, and a happy and quiet hour and a half ensued, on this our first full day at the cottage with this crew, when it also happens to be raining.

A lovely start to this 'phase' of family cottage time.  The older ones are playing Monopoly.  Grandad has escaped over to the bunkie to take care of some emails and business, of which there is plenty when you are in the throes of moving and building and still working.  And I am actually able to still take it easy, in between prepping snacks, that is.

I am finding in these unsettled days a deep sense of grounding in the immediately simple and profoundly good gifts of being with people I love.  For the ways life seems more wonderful because of how chaotic it can also be.  For the almost-didn't-happen joys of summer traditions that remind me of all that's actually real and important.  

Lego in the loft.  

It's been a good morning. 

What God Was Doing While I Was Picking Blueberries

 

Photo 2002

It’s a great season for blueberries, at least so say so far our little patches.  Warmer temps and lots of rain, and whatever happens back there in April I think, with the black flies and the blossoms; it’s all come together for yet another bumper crop.

 Perhaps Zachary will be willing to continue his Great Grandmother Mary’s tradition of the blueberry pie.  He’s quite interested in baking, and made some delicious treats, including a pie with crust made from scratch, last summer.  Perhaps this summer there will be enough for more than one pie.

I do love eating whatever happens with the blueberries.  But the real therapy for me is the quiet solitude of blueberry picking.

I did about fifteen minutes worth yesterday.  I’m still being careful, and while there’s no heavy lifting involved, some of the bending and squatting puts a bit more pressure on places in my body I’m still being gentle with.  Even so, there’s a really good patch alongside the wall of the main building on the other side of the property; one I haven’t really noticed to be so productive before.  Got a full cup and a half of berries in just the short time I sat down there.

It was enough time for some blueberry ruminations.  I’ll call it that.  It’s my tendency to use the quiet to speak out loud some of the more confounding matters of my life, particularly in my relational world, and/or particularly where I feel I still need to seek some better resolutions.  Or maybe I’m sorting out where I stand on a controversial matter, and practicing how I might talk about it with someone I love who holds a different position.  Or perhaps there’s a situation that seems stalled out, and I’m trying out different approaches, only just talking to myself out loud.

I suppose if you snuck up quietly behind me while I was out blueberry ruminating, you might find cause for some concern.  Except those who know me know I tend to talk to myself from time to time, and would not be alarmed at all, I’m confident.  There she goes again, they’d say.

What I realized yesterday, briefly out in the little patch by the wall there, was that I’ve been doing this for so many seasons, that I can now look back at all that’s been resolved or un-stalled or reconciled over the years that, at one point, was causing me stress enough to talk to the blueberries about it.  I realized how many really big things have all worked out. Quite well in fact.  Not always the way I thought they would, and sometimes things took a lot longer than I was expecting.  But in the end, there have been so many difficulties that are no longer difficult.

And I realized that, really, my blueberry ruminations were actually prayers.   And that all along, God has been listening.  And He’s been working things according to His plans and purposes.  And it has been good. 

And I had another one of those times where my spirit just goes, “Oh yeah.”

A little rush of blueberry reassurance, if you will.

Today is a transition day in all our family cottage joy.

We will drive home the girls, visit the lawyer to sign off on the house, then Tuesday drive back with the boys.  All in stride, taking it easy, simplifying expectations according to current realities. 

I’m sure I can convince Timothy and Jayden to come blueberry picking with me.  Until we see a frog, that is.  Then it’s all over, and frogs will be the main thing. Brace yourself for possible frog analogies :).

Meanwhile, hope your Monday is full of blueberry reassurances!