Conjugate What?

While my mind seems to be in constant whirlwind of moving "to-do" lists, I am reminded each weekday morning at 8:00 that I still have a very important job ... Teacher. So we will continue to conjugate Latin verbs, classify sentences, determine the values of x, y and z, and read the classics. And may the Teacher's head not explode on any given Thursday afternoon ... or Tuesday morning ... or ever.

These are the faces that do the reminding ...

.......

.......

Thankfully, Patrick was able to shoot 2010-2011 School Photos before the winds started increasing, and the stacks of books attest to the following:

Germany will have to wait a while longer ... Homer, Twain, and Bunyan (among others) wait for no one.

Ahhh ... Sweet Release

Purge: to cleanse or rid of impurities, foreign matter, or undesirable elements

This is the word that quickly came to mind when Patrick shared the news that we HAVE ORDERS!! Although I have yet to set my own eyes upon a copy of these orders, I am still making lists of all the areas of this house that will have a complete purging ... and soon.

*I envision post-it notes with labels of "KEEP," "SELL," and "TRASH IMMEDIATELY" on most everything ... inanimate.

*I fantasize about the mounds of unused, unwanted, and unnecessary toys and stuff that will finally be released from the bonds of this family with the help of this loving mother's commitment to purge.

*I contemplate the pros and cons of Craig's List versus Yard Sale when it comes to selling the big items that must be "purged" so that all the books may travel to Germany.

*I imagine the day when Maintenance will make their final visit to fix whatever is ailing this lovely house we've called home for the past two years.

*I dream of the day when the HHG (Household Goods) will be neatly and clearly separated from the UB (Unaccompanied Baggage) and awaiting the arrival of the TSP (Transportation Service Provider).

After the purging ... when simplicity reigns ... then we will (or at least we "should") rest and revel in the relationships that God has blessed us with here in Hawaii until it's time to say "Aloha."

Some Old, Some New

Just ten days ago Mimi left Hawaii for the last time.

The children and I took a two-week break from school in order to throw ourselves wholeheartedly into sharing this island paradise with my mom one last time. While we revisited a few beaches and sites like

Pearl Harbor,

we did manage to show Mimi a few new-to-her places.

The Bishop Museum

While the Live Lava Flow demonstration was a big hit with all, the big whale hanging from the ceiling was a close second according to Bear.

Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden

Micaiah had a tough time keeping up with Mimi's demands to photograph this plant or that tree, and "Be sure to take a picture of the sign so I'll know what the name of that flower is."

Shark's Cove

One of our favorite haunts quickly found a place in Mimi's heart. Wading through the crystal-clear water ... standing quietly like a statue while fish of different shapes and hues darted under rocks and around feet ... reveling in the beauty of another Hawaiian morning, is it any wonder why this spot is in the top five??

The View from Trinity Presbyterian Church, Kailua

We'll miss our family at Trinity.

The next photo sums up Mimi's visit better than any blog post I could write. While everyone gave 100% attempting to make this last Hawaiian adventure the most memorable, Bear would not be outdone...

Next adventure for Mimi ... Germany!!

His Rewards in His Time

If I have learned anything from God over the past few years it is that He works on His own time. It has also become apparent that this great drama He authors is often times a lighthearted comedy in which we are the unwitting foil.

We are pregnant. There, I just spit out the news we have been holding back for what seems like ages. Of course, Shelly is the pregnant one who is having all kinds of wild things happen to her body yet again, but, the entire family is pregnant with anticipation of meeting our newest housemate. The comedic story line comes from our planning a move to Europe just three months prior to the babe's coming out party; it is not that we are approaching the age of Abraham and Sarah.

It seems that every time we make a major life change of jobs or locations, God has seen fit to bless us with a child (Not sarcastic). So we should have seen this coming. Of course, that is always the case in the traditional comedy -- everyone but the stooge sees the obvious.

And thus, God has decided to give us the full European experience. Not just living in Germany, visiting castles and retracing Luther's steps, but the experience of a life beginning in the shadow of all that history. While I am hopeful that we will be strong enough to resist the temptation to name the child Wolfgang or Hilda, we will embrace another opportunity to trust in God's providence and relax in His sovereignty. We are still very excited about the prospects of experiencing all that the history of Europe has to teach us. But, we have once again been reminded that the true joy of being a family comes from trusting in God and seeing Him work faithfully through the lives of the members of the household. Europe is exciting, but it pales in comparison to being anywhere with my family. The fact that God has prepared a path for all of us to experience the old world together, and furthermore, to reward us with another child is yet one more example of His unfathomable love.

As the Psalmist wrote, "Behold, children are a heritage of the Lord, The fruit of the womb a reward."