I can’t believe it’s still January.
This has been the longest, hardest, best month of the New Year. It’s been high and so low and incredibly busy in-between. The month in re-cap:
- We returned from a wonderful family vacation over the week of Christmas.
- It’s January 28th and I’m still catching up on laundry from this trip. Oy.
- My teen got braces.
- My precious sister-in-law and friend lives with Jesus now. I miss her so much.
- We flew to Amarillo to be with family for a week.
- And celebrated our first teenager in a hotel room.
- We took our Christmas lights down on January 16. Woohoo for being those neighbors.
- This happened
- And this.
- Plus a whole lot of laughter. Seriously, watch this and this.
- We had a bunch of house parties and speaking events
- I ate a caterpillar (for reals) with a dab of goat on the side. We ate dinner with a lovely family from the Congo. It was fun! But I’m thankful God called us to Kenya (the food is way better). P.S. I swallowed mine, Maureen didn’t. But my husband actually liked it.
- Drove to the ER with my youngest and her busted mouth
- Compiled this epic report
- We mailed more than 500 end of the year statements for Mercy House. Whew!
- My agent submitted book number 2 to a host of publishers (eek!)
- My son tested positive for the flu (again, but a different strand)
- We quarantined him from Maureen for 3 days and Lysol’d liberally
- Drove to do this yesterday and realized we showed up a day late.
- Maureen and I met for hours and hours planning, dreaming and have been continually amazed at all God is revealing to us about the future of MH.
- Attended two of my daughter’s basketball games and got her to countless early morning practices
- Woke up to this hit and run mess on Friday morning: NO WORDS
- We’re attending a 5th grade musical tomorrow night after flute lessons.
- With a (now) feverish 6 year old. Lord, help me.
- Tomorrow our precious Kenyan flies 8000 miles home.
- I end the month missing her.
- And collapsing.
I’m exhausted reading your list! And is that your mailbox?
yes, hit and run mailbox tragedy
Praying for you, your family, Maureen, and everything under your roof! Asking God to bless you with strength and rest, and so grateful for the ministry of Mercy House!
Wow!!! No wonder you can’t believe it isn’t February yet!! You are blessed!
i have loved your posts about maureen. even though i’ve traveled to the dominican several times, if my friend-from-there elizabeth came to.my.home. i would wring my hands in shame i think.
Lady, you need a nap!
Is that YOUR mailbox?! I can’t believe someone just drove off after doing that!
Yes!
If it makes you feel better, we just took our lights down YESTERDAY. Talk about being THOSE people. And out month was not nearly as crazy. We’ve just been under the weather and not in the mood to be outside in the cold.
Thankfully for OUR neighbors, we don’t do outside lights. Because it’s the 28th, and our (once live!) Christmas tree is still up and decorated. Yikes.
Dear Kristen, is there any adventure our Lord doesn’t seemed determined to send you on?
What an amazing month! Prayers for Maureen as she travels home.
Wow, praying God’s grace and strength to you!
I have LOVED reading all your posts this month! And I love Maureen, and I love you. THANK-YOU for all you do- for your transparency, your sense of humor, for the way you love the way Jesus did. I am learning so much from you.
God definitely put this blog post in front of me today. The title had me. You see in a little over a week either my husband or I will have the pleasure of eating a live worm. We lead the youth at our church and we have challenged them to bring in $ for an organization called Stop Hunger Now. If my money jar has the most money, I am off the hook and my husband gets this little delicacy. If not, that fat juicy fish bait, is all mine. I guess if you can eat a caterpillar, then I can eat a worm. And I have to ask, did you get butterflies in your stomach AFTER you ate that caterpillar?…ha! ha!
Kristen…you have lived a years worth in a month! Wow!
I really enjoyed the video of Maureen you posted a while back and how she said that dogs, pets were an excess (paraphrasing). I had never thought about it before: how many pet hospitals we have versus people hospitals.
Sounds like you have been busy. hope you get to relax soon.
Oh my gosh, your post makes ME tired just reading it-I can’t imagine how tired you must be!
Confession: our tree is still up (it’s artificial) and our outside lights are still up. We are having a family birthday party in a couple of weeks and if I take down the tree, something else will clutter up that spot!
thank you for sharing this journey with us: you are SO inspiring.
xo
Kim