Building Community

"Let us increasingly become to one another like an oasis from the demands of our days, making space in which we might get to know one another more fully, appreciate one another more deeply, and encourage one another more readily." ~Every Moment Holy, Volume 3

We have so many opportunities lately to invest in our communities.

The gift of satellite internet makes it possible for Aaron and the Lavukal team to meet twice each week to work on translation.

Katherine and I continue to strengthen our bodies and build relationships at the gym.

Our neighborhood held a soup potlock, because we are a "souper" neighborhood :-)

And for the second year in a row, I joined my friends at Shaky K Farm for a plant sale.

What an honor to be included with this sweet family. I'm still exploring and learning and making lots of mistakes, but I am falling in love with the process of watching things grow!

Easter morning

"I will give You all my praise. My seasons change. You stay the same. You're the God of all my days." ~Casting Crowns

Since we have no small ones at home anymore, the Davis kids came back in their pajamas early on Easter morning to open the "tomb".

The resurrection cookies were a big hit.

Watching another generation delight in this meaningful tradition brought us much joy!

I'm noticing that I'm trying to find the seesaw balance of relishing old traditions while also embracing the new season in which we find ourselves.

So we gather new people around us and use the beautiful napkins that Sarah embroidered with snowflake stitches when she was small.

And we remember, though our ages and stages change, God remains the same and guides us through each season.

Holy Saturday

Katherine has been incredibly proactive about preparing for her upcoming senior recital in July. She held a rehearsal in our living room for the Bolling Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio.

During the rehearsal, Dr. Davis's family joined us. We played with blocks,

read books, and enjoyed the music.

Then, after supper, we did one of my favorite traditions, we made resurrection cookies together.

With fresh eyes, we read each scripture and added the ingredients one by one.

I hope we have imparted this tradition to a new generation of children who will enjoy remembering Christ's death and resurrection as they make the cookies.

Katherine was the only one of our crew around, but the Davis family feels like they belong as we continue to build years of history together.

Beaters were licked.

The "tomb" was sealed.

And then we had to walk away and just wait.

Good Friday

Our Good Friday looked nothing like a Tenebrae service this year. Instead, we spent some time walking around downtown with some sweet friends and celebrating community.

The Conway Symphony held an "instrument petting zoo" alongside our town's Art Walk.

The Davis family enjoyed trying out the instruments, particularly the cello!

And if the Las Delicias truck brings paletas, then those make the evening even sweeter!

Life with a garden

"As any gardener or farmer will tell you, coaxing life in all its vibrancy and nutrition up and out of the soil is nothing short of cultivating a miracle. And don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise - miracles are always fraught with difficulty. Gardening is no exception." 

~Michael Yankoski, "The Sacred Year"

I've been using the Bible Project's reading plans and resources this year, and I'm learning so many new things. 

Their Sermon on the Mount series often references the Garden of Eden and how one of Jesus' goals was to nurture life and restore fruitfulness.

As I'm pondering how to help those around me flourish, I'm also trying to expand my backyard garden and its fruitfulness.

Thankfully, I have helpers and mentors who point me to tools I can utilize to help steward our little piece of ground well.

"Coaxing life in all of its vibrancy" is exactly what I hope to do with the people and plants and situations around me!

 

Holy Week

During Holy Week, we scheduled pretzel making so we could share with my music students. Katherine is an expert at rolling and shaping pretzels.

We return to "Brother Giovanni's Little Reward" every year as a sweet reminder of prayer.

 

Sweet Sabbath

"Gratitude represents a paradigm shift away from the value system of our culture that promotes a reductive, consumptive , competitive, and acquisitive lifestyle, and toward a slower, fuller, connected, and generous lifestyle celebrated by the Sabbath." 

~Travis West, "The Sabbath Way: Making Room in Your Life for Rest, Connection, and Delight"

I'm so thankful for people who do the work of providing a bountiful variety of heirloom seeds. Planting seeds slows me down, makes me wait for the miracle of growth, and reminds me that I am not in control as I watch the sprout push through the earth and blossom. Hopefully, we will have enough beautiful beans to share with others this summer as we welcome people around our table.

Spring Break in Kansas City, Part 3

Our last day together was brief, we explored of Hannah and Benjamin's favorite coffee shops. "Cardboard Corner Cafe" combines a cafe with a wall full of games, what a brilliant idea!

On the way home, our vehicle and Olivia and Connor's vehicle paused side by side for a moment on the highway. We exchanged finger hearts, then went our separate ways.

We stopped at the Battle of Carthage State Historic Site to stretch our legs and learn a little bit about the Civil War.

The Carter Springs trail gave our legs a stretch and let us enjoy being outside for a few minutes before we got back into the van.

The Jasper County courthouse stunned us, and the town square made us want to stay longer and pop our heads into all of the cute shops. Alas, we still had a long drive ahead of us, so we forged our way home, thankful for the memories we were able to make together.

 

Wrapping up March

Finally home for a little while, we settled into more of a routine at the end of March.

We hosted a pair of sisters we count as adopted family. Acacia's family lived in Tanzania for most of her life, but now that she is stateside, we're thankful to add her to our Third Culture Kid crew.

Thanks to the generous donor who provided Starlink, Aaron resumed his late nights working with the Lavukal translation team. They are making steady progress toward a consultant check of Matthew.

My music studio continued to bring me joy. I love working one-on-one with each unique student who walks through my door. What a gift of an opportunity!

Finishing up Advanced Biology

Katherine knew long ago that she wanted to pursue the career of Veterinarian Technology. Shadowing in a couple of local clinics and taking Advanced Biology confirmed that choice. We have loved every bit of our homeschool adventure with Sonlight Curriculum, and I'm a little bit sad that it is coming to an end after so many years of learning together as a family.

When Katherine extracted the fetal pig out of the package, she held it in wonder. With tears in her eyes, she explored each tiny, perfect feature of the piglet.

Then, she began to work through the experiment, cutting carefully and marveling at our Creator every single step of the way.

 

Handholding-versary and Quiet Faithfulness

"Cultivating a garden, baking bread, feasting with friends -- these are all extraordinary acts of enormous particularity, of stewardship, of attentiveness, of care. And if the resurrection is anything at all, it is an act of great particularity, stewardship, attentiveness, and care, and I'm rather inclined to herald and participate in it in any way I can." 

~Michael Yanoski, "The Sacred Year"

We celebrated our 36th handholding-versary quietly, with chili and a viewing of "Hunt for Red October", while reminiscing about God's faithfulness in our relationship.

The seedlings began to flourish as we prepared for the plant sale and our summer garden. I'm learning so much every year as we try new things in an attempt to steward our resources well.

The tent caterpillars also showed up. This time in the laundry basket as I hung clothes to dry. They are fascinating and intricate creatures! According to Wikipedia:

"Tent caterpillars hatch from their eggs in the early spring at the time the leaves of their host trees are just unfolding. The caterpillars establish their tent soon after they hatch. The tent is constructed at a site that intercepts the early morning sun. The position of the tent is critical because the caterpillars must bask in the sun to elevate their temperatures above the cool ambient temperatures that occur in the early spring. Studies have shown that when the body temperature of a caterpillar is less than about 15 °C (59 °F), digestion cannot occur. The tent consists of discrete layers of silk separated by gaps and the temperature in these compartments varies markedly. Caterpillars can adjust their body temperatures by moving from one compartment to another. On cool mornings they typically rest in a tight aggregate just under a sunlit surface of the tent. It is not uncommon to find that the temperature of the aggregate is as much as 30 °C (86 °F) warmer than the surrounding air temperature on cold but sunny spring mornings. Later on in the spring, temperatures may become excessive at midday and the caterpillars may retreat to the shaded outside surface of the tent to cool down."

 

Baby Shower

At the end of March, we drove up to Northwest Arkansas for Olivia's baby shower. In preparation for an upcoming Suzuki workshop, I've started reading "Nurtured by Love" by Shinichi Suzuki. The more I delve into this approach to teaching music, the more I love it.

One of my favorite people in that corner of the state is Bree. She generously carved out some time for an early morning walk and let me push the stroller with her sweet little one. Sweet fellowship while moving our bodies was exactly right!

Connor's aunt hosted a baby shower for Alice. Sarah sent an adorable dress from the Solomon Islands,

 which surprised Olivia and made all of us tear up.

This stage with our young adults means that many of their friends (and we count them as our adopted kids!) are also getting married and having children, 

and we got to spend a little bit of time with Elisa and her growing belly. These two friends are due within days of each other!

Road trips always mean stopping for coffee along the way, but finding a shop that consistently delivers when I ask for "extra hot" proves challenging. Diamond Drip Coffee provided delicious coffee, big smiles, and the perfect temperature when I asked for 190 degrees!