when the cupboards are bare...

The kids and I arrived yesterday evening.   We all swooned to see the tomatoes, corn, green beans and eggplants all leafy and green a foot taller on our back patio than when we left just 10 days ago. The kids adored their legos (the perfect help for a single-for-a-week mom) while I heaped the laundry and started the first loads just before our (cereal) dinner.  Then there was some serious scrubbing up in the bath and hard effort for an early bed time, which meant we were just a little later than regular.

We had a wonderful trip. It was more deeply encouraging than even I (the crazy optimist) expected and I hope to write a fair bit more about all that we loved of this land and this people...  but for now...  I think I'm more tired than ever (I told a friend I'm more tired today than I was just after childbirth...  perhaps a slight exaggeration, but I Am Really Wiped.)

Stories and many more pics soon...

Just quick~ now that we're home, we've slept like jet laggers (for just a 2 hour difference) and since our cupboards were bare, we stopped at "breakfast alley" (we could throw a stone there from our back patio) on the way to preschool this morning to fill these sweet bellies.  Breakfast for all the big kids and I = approx 75 US pennies.

veggie saucy soup... I know it looks like chocolate but no...

And for one more reason, it turned out to be a good morning to have the camera on me.  Once we arrived at school, I left the key in the bike and stepped off to pull John out of his chair.  Faster than I noticed, Marian got out of her seat and climbed onto my seat to get down.  But she grabbed that singular most dangerous thing-  the handlebar "gas pedal."  How was she to know?  It was ridiculous of me to leave the keys in it.  Since she pulled the handle to her immediately, the bike made an instant U turn and Praise the Lord! crashed into this wall after only 5 yards of her driving and a second or two of all of us screaming.  

Sometimes a hard crash is just what you need.  It was this morning.  Pure, lavish, wonderful grace.

A full body crash into my pillow is what I need right now...  I just so wish that Matthew would be beside me there!  We miss you Daddy!  Praying for your time...