thank you.*

it is no surprise that i am kind of a bawling mess right now.

i am a *cry baby*.

i think i cried at all of my graduations.

i cried everytime i came home from college and had to leave again. my WHOLE freshman year.

eeeekkkk.

my wedding.

my babies births.

every funeral i have ever been too.

anything sad.

and sometimes happy things too.

you need a good cry...i am your girl.

i am also thinking a bit how rediculous i am at times.
how the Landis' had to say their final forever good-byes yesterday to their little boy.
their little boy who fought cancer for 2 years.
ugh.
i cannot imagine.
trying to grasp the glory of re-uniting one day in heaven...and
until then. pictures and memories will have to do.
i am so sorry for all this pain on earth, that we will never understand...
only trusting in God's great, great plan...

and here i stand.

i am realizing how lucky and blessed i am.

my family

and

friends are coming out of the woodwork.

even my kids teachers from this year, and years passed...

emailing, texting and instagraming, :) (my newest favorite addiction.) me, and phone calls...

how great my trip is going to be, how excited they are for me...

how they are going to hug on my kids a little extra. :)

the list goes on and on.

the thing is you all know i am a cry baby...

so the Lord is prompting your spirits to encourage me, because He and You know.

i need it.

:)

thank you again so much.

today will be a day of cleaning and laundry,
writing cards to the kids and leaving surprise love notes on cereal boxes they find when i am gone.
i have bought so much junk food and little fun gifts for them to open...
i guess that's the guilt in me, or that i love gifts, so i give them. kind of often.

and finalizing that i can really get that zipper shut on my borrowed suitcase. :)

[i wanted to buy REALLY cute luggage on clearance at t.j.maxx.

it was navy with little red and pink hearts on it.

i thought it would blend into this feminine family just great.

*but* i didnt' get the "clearance" i was hoping for.

so we borrowed luggage.

it's great. thanks kendra and marilyn!!]

i think my kids are going to have a blast.

i mean. a babysitter for 10 days?  :)
with junk food.

i hope to do some posting in chile...

continue to pray for us.

for a momma who can disengage, with far less tears in my opinion, is best.

(my kids have not seen me cry yet...BONUS),
the babysitter. :) the kids. me.,

for health...matt is feeling better, but still cranky, :(,

good flights, safety, a breeze thru customs, protection,

our spanish, our construction skills, team unity, great warm and sunny weather,

(the weather forecast is going from 80s, to 70s, to 60s and some rain, all in the time we are there!!)

the list is endless.

i covet your prayers.

big time.



("it's you flying away mom," campbell (age 5.9999) she will turn 6 on tuesday. )



until we meet again.

xoxo.

~mis.

oh. and HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPPY and AUNT NIK.
(don't get confused. our good friend Nicole. she's not our aunt. but feels like it. :) )

i don't think i ever posted a picture of my new quilt.



this was made by my dad's parents.
richard and sara.
my grandfather has cross stitched ever since i can remember.
and my grandmother has quilted since i was a child.
many memories of each of them includes cross stitching and quilting.
and letting me try on occassion. :)

this quilt was needle pointed by my grandfather and quilted by my grandmother.
the most special part about it is that my grandmother cannot see much anymore...
so she is unable to quilt. something that brought her so much joy...
and i imagine prayer time too, sitting around all those quilt frames...

i found out the grand-daughters, there are 4 of us, were each getting to chose a quilt.
around the same time i ordered my bedroom set.
and while this will match my new bedroom, i would much rather preserve it for awhile,
and keep it hanging in my kitchen. :)
it receives many more complements there!!

isn't it gorgeous?
the HOURS that went into this is crazy.
i am so blessed to add this to my collection of afghans, and another quilt i already have,
and all my cross stitch pieces...
i love having special things from family...generations.

i have several dishes from each of matt's grandmothers, and some quilts
and huge old crocks filled with homemade soap,
and a mennonite cookbook with favorite recipes marked,
all who have passed on already,
and several dishes from my mom's mom too.
and my favorite cookbook, with her penciled favorite recipes in the front.
it's the best.
i treasure it all...

a much happier note to end on. :)