But this time we won't be back home for eleven months.
Our sabbatical-vision assignment is nearly upon us! We won't be back here to stay until next July. YIKES!!!
Dave is carrying things down the stairs as I type, wondering what on earth I'm doing at my computer at a time like this...but thankfully understanding of his blogging wife! (I did get all the packing done today so he's not waiting on me for that!)
When I woke up this morning and saw this familiar sight, I thought "I love this place! I don't want to leave!"
Honestly, it's so hard to think of not waking up to that sight, and to life here, every day.
But that's not what the Lord has for us in the coming months. We'll be living out of suitcases for quite a while now.
Letting Kaylee, our dog, out the back door one last normal morning, was comforting. She has no idea what's coming. For all she knows, it was just a regular morning today.
She'll be with us in Croatia for the next two months, and then will go to live at the other Patty's house in Slovenia for five and a half months. How we love our family for being willing to add her into their already full lives!
We woke up to a surprise - the pink lilies bloomed THIS MORNING! We wait for them all year because they're so spectacular. What a good gift to see them opening this morning.
Made coffee this morning for the last time in a while...I'll miss this old coffee maker! My dad bought it for me years ago, when we still lived in Havirov, and it just keeps on perking!
The house we're staying at in Croatia is solar powered and doesn't allow appliances that "heat" as they take too much energy. So for the next two months, it's French Press baby! :)
Ahh Lysa Hora...my inspiration for this blog all those years ago (Living By Lysa...). One last gaze at it this morning. I'll miss that view.
I'll really miss this view! My girl, who has walked in and out of that door innumerable times. It will be a year before she walks back in here once we leave tomorrow. Sniff, sniff. I will miss you Claire! As I miss Tyler and Caleb.
We'll drive down this "oh so familiar" road tomorrow morning - and head into all that the Lord has prepared for us.
I'm excited for that part of this transition! Because I know our Father is going before us, hemming us in behind and in front, making a path for these coming eleven months, I'm at rest and peace.
Claire requested dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, La Bodega. Not hard to indulge your last child who's leaving for college soon!
While we'll still have Claire with us for a few more days (and Tyler and Lara for that matter! They come to Croatia on Friday and then all fly out on the 15th), Dave and I are about to head into the biggest transition we've had since Tyler was born, twenty three years ago!
Are we ready? Yes! The Lord's been faithfully getting us ready for months now. We still really like each other (ha ha! Big understatement there!) so are excited about these months ahead of having really good time to be with each other. It's going to be good!
Well, Dave's ready to start loading everything that's now downstairs, so he's kindly asking if I'd finish this up!
Before I do I'll put in one more thing to close up this long, epic post - the last one at my desk computer for a while!
Not long after we got back from dinner, the town of Malenovice threw a little goodbye party for Claire, complete with fireworks!
Well...okay. So it's summer carnival time in the village. But hey! We'll take those fireworks as a good send-off from the Lord for her!
"See you" down in Croatia!
Your words are making me weep! Well done. You've certainly learned over these years how to say good bye well. I love that you took all those little moments to capture those things that making living there sweet. I'll be praying all day today as you drive. That the Lord will speak, stengthen, encourage and remind you that all the promises in Him are yes!
ReplyDeleteI am excited for what God has in store for all of you as you take this sabbatical, rest, write, focus on each other. I'll look forward to hearing your continued journey. But what am I going to do without Kaylee pictures? :)
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