Seeing The Unseen

About 1 1/2 years ago now, I went for my drivers license. Not because I though I would ever use it, but because my husband encouraged me to do it with him for a just in case day. Then we bought a car, and he started driving. I was still swearing up and down that it wasn't for me. Driving here is a full body and mind experience that requires focus and nerves of steel. Focus I can do, nerves of steel not so much. But as Rob got busier and busier I eventually caved and started driving in really small doses, and have gradually worked my way up to being fairly comfortable in the chaos. One of the days of my family's visit here, we had the chance to go blueberry picking. Although we have a fantastic fresh fruit selection in our area, blueberries are extremely expensive and in limited quantities around here. So when my neighbor invited us to go to a blueberry farm and pick them ourselves I jumped at the chance. Off we headed in two cars. My car carrying myself, ...

Today I took my daughter to her first morning of preschool. She's my baby. My little pixie. I hate being without her. I've been all sentimental about the idea, and at a different time, in a different place, I probably would have gone to pieces. But every time I am ever tempted to feel sorry for myself, HE hits me square between the eyes with what I have been blessed with and usually reminds me of what others are facing that puts my small struggles in perspective. I know 2 girls who live 1/2 a world apart. In the recent past they both had the same funny symptoms. Nausea, tiredness, mood swings. They both saw a doctor and got the same diagnosis. For both it was a complete surprise. Neither was expecting the beginning signs of new life to appear. But this is where their stories stop being the same. For the first girl, this new life although completely unexpected and unplanned is a source of rejoicing. Her family and her doctor stand behind her as she faces this ...

Wow, so it's been more than a month now since I've posted. Life got the better of me and I have had trouble finding the quiet time and mental energy necessary to write anything worth posting. Thankfully my reasons for all of this busyness are the best kind, my family visited me here for 1 whole month! It was awesome! I have lots of posts to write so I suppose I should start at the very beginning, July 19th, when they landed in Beijing! My father, mother, sister, brother-in-law, and niece all came to visit! Yippee! They providentially booked on the same flight as a dear friend of mine, and the youth group from my home town who were also coming to visit us! Our airport reunion was joyful and complete chaos. We proceeded to tour Beijing sometime with the teen group, and sometimes on our own for the next 4 days. We made one of the most unlikely tour groups ever comprised. Two senior citizens, 2 preschoolers, 1 toddler, a pregnant woman, and 3 otherwise able bodied a...