After (almost) a Decade!

Heather, Malinda (+ baby), and I recently met up for an unofficial decade reunion.

(!!!)

October will mark 10 years since Heather and I moved to Zambia. 

Upon arrival, we met Malinda who had moved to Zambia a couple months earlier (her house was down the road from our house).

After we all moved back to the States, we wound up living in the same neighborhood for a while, and we're still general "neighbors" within an hour of each other.

It was a treat to spend a steamy afternoon together with these two ladies.

After a 4 mile walk on the rail trail, we topped off our visit with chocolate milkshakes :).

Click here and here and here for a trip down memory lane with these two.

from strength to strength

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

They go from strength to strength,

till each appears before God in Zion.

                                            ~Psalm 84:5&7

new journal

I recently started a new blank journal (thanks to Sharon),

one with a witty cover page.

violets

The violets have been enjoying the special food I bought for them earlier this year.

These cheery blooms bring such joy.

visiting Longwood Gardens

Last week I took a personal day and Sara and I spent the day at Longwood Gardens. 

This was my first time to visit the Gardens, and I hope it won't be my last!

We had a lovely day together.  

(though it was a lot of car time for the two littles)

So much to see and explore!

Playing in water was so.much.fun.

His favorite part was watching the big crane working on an expansion project at the Gardens :).

seder reflection

 

my favorite passage from the Haggadah this Passover:

11. Enjoyment of the Festival Meal

Leader: Let us now take time to enjoy the festival meal. We will begin with the roasted egg, a reminder of the final destruction of the Temple in 70 AD and the end of a place for the sacrifice...

As we eat this egg as our "fellowship offering" let us offer our lives as living sacrifices to the God we serve and follow. To remind us that the joy of sacrifice may be surrounded by tears, we dip the egg into the salt water before us.

All: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who turns our mourning into dancing.

island time

...thinking about the fun sisters' week we had in Hilton Head earlier this winter.

Every year for the past number of years I've thought I should plan to fly somewhere warm in January or February. I've never executed the idea... until this year. Having now had the experience of spending a week in a warm(er) place during the winter has confirmed that scheduling time in the sun in the dead of winter is indeed a very good idea!