Thanksgiving

This year we spent Thanksgiving with our JV Slovenia team at a tourist farm in Bled, about 40 minutes from where we live. The place was wonderful! The kitchen staff let us bring our own food in and warm it up. So we had Thanksgiving with all the trimmings! We took the kids out of school and everyone met in time for a late lunch. This is Rebecca, Kendra and Kiley Jackson. Then we sat around talking, let the little kids play, took naps, even had some American football going on. Later we had leftovers and Johnny and Brooke set up a very fun game for us that really made the night.
The next day we packed up and headed into Bled where our friend Sreco met us with a boat and took most of the gang out to the island in the center of Lake Bled and everyone played Sardines.
This is the amazing team of people we get to work alongside and call our friends! What a privilege and delight!

Oma came to town

My mom is here for a visit! She is such a brave soul. We had hoped to be farther along in the process when her and my dad got tickets to spend the holidays with us this year.
The plan was that we'd be all done with the middle floor renovation and the guest room. She would come and spend thanksgiving with us and then we would decorate and organize and get ready for Christmas. Dad would arrive Dec 16 and we'd have that Christmas that we've been dreaming of, being together with the lights down low, the tree decorated, the children playing quietly with Christmas music in the background.
Instead, she's sharing a room with the girls and we're cheering the progress the workers are making every day, just praying that we will open presents in the living room and in this shot she's cleaning the boxes out of the guest room to help us get it ready....maybe when Dad arrives they'll sleep in there? Stay tuned for more exciting adventures with The Patty family!

Kendra's piano recital

Kendra has been taking piano privately for 2 years but this year we got her signed in at a music school. We've heard it can be pretty demanding and just weren't sure if we wanted the kids to do music school. We wanted them to have a good experience with music and to be encouraged creatively. But one teacher suggested that of all our kids Kendra can roll with the punches and maybe she should try. Well this week was her first performance and of course she was amazing! The Jackson family all turned out to see her as well and then scooted out while we stayed behind for a parent meeting. The teacher started talking about the year ahead and what to expect when she suddenly stopped and very sternly and with an exasperated voice gave the parents a tongue lashing. "Parents?! Do you think your children will listen when you will not? Please! I'm sorry to say this but I see that just as I have some students who behave and others who do not I also have parents who behave and some who do not!" Whew was I glad that I wasn't talking right then! Later Kendra said, "I thought that part was funny."

Poppa

This weekend I got a phone call from my Dad. I could tell it was serious by the tone in his voice. My mom's dad "Poppa" was in hospice. All the family had gathered there to say goodbye to him.

He had just turned 90 and my cousin was putting together a book of 90 memories from all of us. So we'd all just been thinking of things we wanted included over the last few weeks. I'd decided to write about what a great story teller he is and how he's handed that down so that I see it in my own children.
I feel so far away from my family right now. I don't feel worried about Poppa. He knew the Lord and I'm certain he's enjoying being there with Him and being reunited with ones who've gone before him including my Grandma. But I'm aware of the shift in our family structure and that I'm away as things are shifting. I miss the chance to grieve together with them.
To laugh and tell stories.
To cry and tell stories.

I'm reminded why I live away today. This world is not my home. And I'm anxious to invite as many people as I can to my home.

Mr. Fix-It

I'm grateful to be married to a man who knows how to fix things. Sometimes I ask him "Did you research that or is that something you just know?" You can't believe how many times it's something he somehow just knows! Well, he's passing on the know how to Blake these days. This weekend the two of them fixed my dryer. It wasn't broken yet but it sure was sounding suspicious. And I don't want to loose my nice big american dryer!The joy of being the guy who fixes the dryer is that you get to keep any loose change you find. Even if it is tolars which are now obsolete! But there was enough Euro change to make it worth it.
Here's Luke's contribution! Not much help but a whole lot of cuteness!

One is silver and the other gold!

Isn't there a Shakespear quote about angels and ministering spirits? I tried to look it up but just couldn't find the one that a friend from AP English had written in my year book..... Well, no matter. Because in place of the quote I've got photos of some of the folks who have ministered to us by working alongside us and sometimes working on their own while we go off to other errands! These two photos are of Craig, Miha,and Mariella with Josh. They took out the wall that seperated the living room. We are turning two bedrooms into a living room. Miha is a student we've known since we moved here and he's come to help on multiple occasions. Craig and Mariella are a sweet dear couple that we just met! They are friends of friends actually. And well, here's their story in their words..."My wife and I were given notice that I would likely lose my job. We saw this unfortunate event as an opportunity embark on a global walkabout. Do we really believe that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God?"
So Craig and Mariella were in touch with teammates Brad and Laurel. They came to Slovenia to be a part of an english weekend with them and then gave 2 days to our house project doing anything that would bless us. Wow! How great is it to meet people like this? If you'd like to check out their blog you can find them at http://craigandmariella.blogspot.com/
And last week Meta and Sonja came over while Josh was gone. They told me they were going shopping later but first wanted to come and help me. So they rolled up their sleeves and did a lovely deep clean of the upstairs. Windows were cleaned, floors scrubbed, and the bathroom sparkled. "We're going to make your house shiny!" And they did just that! I'm overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of friends old and new! And the creative ways the Lord is meeting all our needs.

Saying Goodbye

It's never easy saying goodbye. This month we said a very emotional goodbye to our friends and teammates Joel and Amy Woodard. On our team we've taken the stance that though we work together we are family. So it brought sort of a different interpretation to Paul's words when he said, "We loved you so much that we shared not only the gospel of God but our lives as well." The Woodards shared the gospel of God with Slovenes alongside us for many years. We're so pleased to know that they'll be sharing the gospel of God wherever they go. But we won't be sharing our lives in the same way as we have these past years.
Luke and Abby are only a month apart in age. This is a shot of them the day the Woodards flew out. We miss you already dear friends!