Sarah's Senior Voice Recital

 

Sarah's dress rehearsal on Monday night abounded with laughter and joy.  So many of her friends collaborated with her to make music.  Benjamin also composed a piece for her to sing.

One of the highlights for me was watching and hearing Aaron and Sarah open the recital with the Magnificat (arranged by Benjamin) in Lavukaleve, based on one of the tunes we sing in Evening Prayer in Marulaon Village.

We left the auditorium with hearts full and excited about what God was going to do the next day as Sarah presented the culmination of her four years at JBU.  

On the day of the recital, we realized that we didn't have enough glass serving dishes for all of the treats Sarah had baked on the weekend.  So I went looking for some bargains.  At the very first place I stopped, I found two trays in the EAPC glass pattern that I already own, so I excitedly snapped them up, knowing that we will use them repeatedly.

We were so grateful that, at the last minute, JBU allowed Sarah's grandparents to attend the recital.  We had extra hands to help with the reception and to clap from the socially distanced audience.

People from around the world supported and encouraged Sarah by watching the livestream on JBU's YouTube page.  I'm blown away, but not surprised, at the volume of people who reached out to us and to Sarah to say they were attending the recital virtually.

One of our prayers for our children is that they would steward their gifts well and that they would use what God has given them to bless and nurture those around them.  As people filed through the reception line, we repeatedly heard about the ways Sarah impacts those around her...in the classroom, in the admissions office where she works, in the mundane day to day events.

Our hearts are overflowing.

Easter Sunday

Bright and early, we ate our resurrection cookies for breakfast and drove the few blocks to cool outdoor Easter worship service.

There is nothing like singing hymns as a family, hearing God's Word as a family.

After a traditional lunch (gotta make those cross biscuits!) shared with Sarah's housemate, we walked downtown.  Siloam Springs maintains a really cute park area right next to springs for which the town was named.  And so many cute shops and old houses line the roads in that area of town.

 

Hindsight

I usually try to post here in real time, or at least somewhat close to the day events transpire.  But the last month of traveling and moving and hardly opening my computer have delayed posting and given me a different perspective.

In hindsight and with some reflection, the journey of the last month shines even more than it did in real time.  And in the midst of living, each day surely shone brightly!  On the road between Dallas and the college kids, we found a cute (and inexpensive!) coffee shop in Oklahoma...Freedom in a Cup.  Perfect for a much needed pit stop.

Sarah had supper ready for us when we arrived.  A family favorite: chicken pot pie.  Her comfort food filled my belly, and hanging out with my favorite people in the world filled me heart.

On Good Friday, extra people filed through the house all day long.  One of the reasons we chose a large Airbnb?  So we could have room for hosting during our week in Siloam Springs.  So while I kneaded dough for hot cross buns, a table full of students played games.

Spring in Dallas cheered my season-missing heart, and we experienced a repeat as we transferred farther north.  Daffodils, redbuds, dogwood...everything was bursting into bloom.  The mornings were cool and beautiful for a walk around the historic neighborhood, which made my heart sing even more.  As my friend in Dallas reminded me, I'm still in the honeymoon phase of transition, and I hope it lasts for a very, very long time.

After hot cross buns had been shared and consumed, our family plus some extras attended the Good Friday service at Sarah and Benjamin's church.  As we sang, the sun fired up the beautiful stained glass windows behind us.

Sarah used Saturday to bake all of the goodies for her recital reception.  The huge kitchen and work space certainly came in handy!  Aaron drove several hours to attend his uncle's funeral, but everybody else prepped for the head chef.  While she put the finishing touches on her baked goods, we settled in with the Met's daily opera.

After supper, a few of Sarah's friends and their family members joined us to make Resurrection Cookies.  After the "tomb" was sealed with the cookies inside, we circled up to play a new family favorite, Goat Lords.  Aaron got home in time to play with us, and our borrowed house reverberated with laughter until well past our bedtime.