Missing Krishana

Having this sister visit Vienna was one of the highlights of the year for me.  How I miss sharing life with her here, but what a blessing it was to have her around for a couple weeks!  My heart was so encouraged and enlivened by the Spirit's work through her.  We miss you, Krishana!

Cooler weather and Lantern Festivals

Eva likes this cooler weather and an excuse to wear her gloves!

Indoor play means more playing with pillows and blankets.

We still make it to the parks when we can.

These are my favorite two pictures from attempting new passport photos for both kids.

And November means St. Martin's Day and Lantern Festivals!

Waiting to see the puppet show about St. Martin, performed by the Kindergarten teachers.

Preparing for the Lantern Festival march around the neighborhood

Time for punch!

All the rest of my photos from the festivals didn't turn out.  It was simply too dark, and Nathanael and his friends were a little wild. :)

So thankful for this birthday girl

My mom has a birthday today.

This is the woman who taught me about sacrificial love, servanthood, patience, and prayer, to name just a few.

In her two and a half weeks with us this month, she and Nathanael read six chapter books!  I'm not sure which one of them loved it more. ;)

She indulged Eva and baked in the kitchen with her regularly!

She bravely assisted Nathanael in painting his wooden car.

And she attended both children's Lantern Festivals for St. Martin's Day, even though the language and culture were unfamiliar.

Thanks for sharing life with us, Mom/Grandma!  We love you and celebrate you today!

The Task of Healing

It's been over a month since my last post.  We've had an unexpected last few weeks, beginning with a Sunday morning trip to the emergency room for me.  We were so grateful for two friends who dropped everything that morning and afternoon and took shifts caring for our kids.  I was experiencing severe pain and was quite nervous about what may be wrong.  It turned out to (just?) be a herniated disc in my lower back, not due to a specific injury but the culmination of genetic (hyper-mobility) and occupational (motherhood) issues.  Apparently, it was inevitable for me.

What has this meant for us?  Until I heal, it means drastic life change.  I can not pick up Eva.  I can't play on the ground with the kids for more than a couple minutes.  Sitting for longer than a few minutes is uncomfortable and means pain later.  Walking more than 10-15 minutes is difficult.  The bending and lifting that goes with normal life tasks (grocery shopping, using the dishwasher, making a bed, etc.) is not advisable.  As you can imagine, Gregory dropped everything for nine days to care for the kids and me until my mother could arrive to help.  The two of them have made an amazing team, and I have been able to rest and recover well thus far.

I admit that I am a bit nervous about how I'll do while my mom is gone for two weeks.  (She and my dad return in early December for a couple weeks here, a trip they'd planned months ago!)  I am sure it will be a humbling and stretching couple weeks; I wonder what the Lord has in store for us.