Yum

Making Burmassa!  

Today Therese made a Burkinabe dish.  It's basically fried bread dough.  You can make a bunch of variations on this dish such as adding a filling of onions in the middle, or making it sweet by adding sugar.  

I was a little nervous about how this might turn out since we of course don't have a recipe, but Therese LOVED it, so I guess we guessed right!  African style all the way.  

With this post, I have to give a plug for older child adoption!  While their are challenges to be sure with raising the older adopted child, there are incredible moments that can be shared because they can share their life experience with you.  

Bon Appetit!

Surprising Myself

I have never, never wanted to home school.

I like my public school.  I like my personal time.  I like my sanity.

But God.

Last spring, I started to feel that the best option for Therese might just be home school.  She was about to enter middle school, but was academically way behind her classmates (understandably).  She also displayed a love of learning and work ethic that was way above those students she was being grouped with academically.  I began to see how I could keep her home and get her caught up.  I began to see how this would provide us with the time we need to grow as mother and daughter.

I started researching my options and boy was I overwhelmed!  I didn't even want to tell anybody I was thinking about doing this, because I was afraid of the deluge of information that would befall me.  After wading through the sea of options, I found a fit!  And I began to get a little excited.  Some of my fear was melting away.  We'd concentrate on reading and math and the rest would be icing on the cake.  She also has the opportunity to take a class at the middle school and play on the school soccer team.  Truly the best of both worlds.

Today, we are eight school days into this experience.  And you know what?  It's going great.  I have never seen a happier Therese.  She is thriving because all her work is at her academic level.  She is soaking in all the one-on-one time.  She has space to try new things, ask the questions she never could, and has the time to heal from her past and soak in my love.

As for me, God is faithful.  I don't hate it!  Yes, I could do with a few more hours of alone time.  But this just feels so right.  There is so much relief and pleasure in obedience. I am so grateful that God showed me the most excellent way for my daughter, and that He provides the strength for me to walk in it.

Margin

I skipped one of my kid's curriculum nights.

I didn't sign-up to receive text messages about my child's homework assignments.

I said no to yet another Safe Family placement.

I didn't sign anyone up for AWANA.

No more "extra" physical therapy for my boy.

What the heck is going on with me?

Focus.

Room to breathe.

Grace.

I need to make room for these things in my life, or they won't happen.

I remember a few years ago hearing Jill Savage talk about creating space in your life- she called it having a "margin".  Having that margin means if one thing goes wrong in your day, you will have enough energy, time, and patience to get through it.

Days where I have no margin completely stress me out.  Next Tuesday is one of those days.  I'm double booked in the afternoon and triple booked in the evening.  I need to do something about this.

I don't love having nothing to do, in fact a little positive stress keeps me going.  I like going to bed tired.  But too much, and I am too easily irritated with my kids.  Too much and I can't find time to meet with that friend who needs me.  Too much, and I'm not laughing anymore.  My joy is gone.

But no one can lighten that load, but me.  It means saying no and cutting things out.  Even good stuff.

I'm still finding my rhythm this school year, but I am determined to make space to experience joy for myself and offer grace to my family and friends.

First Day of School!

Do they look ready to learn, or what?

You Can't Fight City Hall

...nor did we try to, however:

We live on a fairly busy street kiddie (kitty? kiddy?)-corner from a large public high school (my alma mater).  So clearly we didn't move into our house thinking we had secured a house with maximum privacy.  But yesterday, our little world became a little more public.

In ONE day, the city removed three huge trees that we see from our yard and installed a stoplight at the corner.  Apparently a few kids have gotten hit by cars, or almost hit by cars in the last few years.  Not to sound like a curmudgeon or anything, but somehow kids have managed to make it across this street for decades without incident, and now it is a problem?  I'm gonna wager it has something to do with kids and their i-pods. or that darn texting.

End of the curmudgeon report.

Happy Home

Just wanted to share one of my favorite sights in our house.  

It's just happy proof that you don't need a lot of square footage to have a love-filled home.

PS-  Therese insisted that she and I be the same color and next to each other.  Even our toothbrushes are working on attachment!

Eduoard

On Saturday, a group of young people from Therese's former orphanage, Sheltering Wings, were involved in a serious car accident.  One of the injured was an aide worker from France; she was fortunate to be able to fly back to France to receive medical care.  Eduoard is a young Burkinabe man who has achieved excellent grades and is a kind and compassionate.  He needs our help to continue receiving the medical care he needs.  He has suffered a traumatic brain injury and is in a great deal of pain.  Conditions in the hospital where he is staying are described as deplorable, however; it is still the best place for him to be right now.

If you are interested in making a donation to help with his medical care, you can donate through Pay Pal here.

Thank you for remembering Eduoard in your prayers.