3 Sleeps...til Goodbye

In the past 24 hours, the mood in our family has grown a bit more melancholy, though the Olympics has been a sweet distraction from impending changes. After tonight, we are down to a mere three more sleeps before we no longer call Kentucky home.  Last night as Ellie lay in bed in the dark she asked, "Do you think we can have more than four more sleeps here?"

As a parent, it's hard to see your children go through a difficult change and transition.  Especially when they had no 'say' in their lives being uprooted (again).  While we firmly believe that God is leading our family on to a different place, the interim is still yucky.  Saying 'goodbye' is especially hard for Ellie, though we're trying to assuage it by taking lots of photos and talking about it frequently.  To Reni, 'goodbye' means that some of his toys got sold, and those that remained were boxed up and hauled away, along with his bed. He has been extremely clingy and borderline panicky if one of the fours of us is not around.

Ellie pigging out on marshmellows at the Irelands

Reni and Ellie with Joy and John at their home

But even in this interim stage, God has been good and faithful. We are grateful for a full summer to stretch out our goodbyes (first to our students, then to our church and friends).  Had we been required to leave in May, no doubt our hearts would be grieving rushed goodbyes in the midst of frantic packing. Instead, we've had the luxury of dinners with friends and a bit more time to appreciate this corner of the world that is special to us. (Tonight we took the kids around town and photographed them at places that have been a part of our day-to-day).

with the Easley girls... (who are WAY cool now that Ellie knows they have a HERMIT CRAB!)

We are also grateful for this past month since moving out of our apartment.  We are in a guestroom in the student center and it's been great.  The kids have been able to see the apartment empty out and change with new paint and carpet, yet still play in their same yard, within the same four walls they've known as their only home (albeit a non-traditional one).  Finally, we are grateful for the gift of our next 'transition' home (my grandparents farm house) which is a place that is familiar to both kids and which holds all kinds of new and exciting things like a swing set and barn cats, for example.

So as we prepare for our last Sunday in our home church tomorrow (of fourteen years, to the month), we may be a little sad, but in our hearts we are thankful for the good, like the blessings of friendship with brothers and sisters in Christ, good instruction from the Word, and meaningful worship that drew us in God's presence.  Many have asked if we are 'ready' to leave, and while we will always be sad to leave Kentucky, I think now we can say 'yes.'  I think we are all ready for life to have a bit more structure, to turn the reins of the center over to Jonathan and Faith and to jump into preparation for Albania with all our focus and attention.

Tonight a bit of levity came in the form of an "Ellie quote."  Visiting with some company in the student center parking lot, Ellie felt it necessary to tell our guests about her brother Reni.  "He has 'prophetic' legs!" she said, then looked quite bewildered when we all burst out laughing.  I shared the quote on Facebook and received this comment from our friend, Julie:  "maybe he does have prophetic legs, ready to carry the Good News to the world... :)"  May that be true!

 Thank you for your prayers for our family.  I'm afraid it sounds 'trite', but we have definitely felt them during this time. How wonderful that we can lean on you and and our heavenly Father who goes before us...

[editor's note:  the photo uploader tool is giving me fits.  Check back Sunday night when I'll try again!]