Wow where do I start!

There is so much I want to tell you! I don't know where to start! Mosbach was amazing and a great place of rest for our family. We had been in at least one new place every 2 weeks since Thanksgiving through mid January. I was a bit scared about some things moving back to Ireland. I had gotten so used to transition that I actually feared being in one place that I might have the feeling that I had no escape. There were some other things I was concerned about in protecting my thought life. I voiced this to one of my new friends at OM. She understood exactly what I expressed and gave me Psalm 91 to pray. God did so much work in my life during that time. It was so good as it was the first time we stopped in a long time. There were a lot of lessons He taught me that I knew in my head but had failed to apply them in my heart. I felt like I did in school when I had heard something over and over, but then it finally clicks and makes sense. I wonder if I am making any sense at all.

One of the huge blessings that God has allowed me to see is how he is working in Griffin and growing him. I have been praying that God would make him wise beyond his years and that he would give him a desire for His word. I can see God doing that. Side note: Griffin likes listening to the audio Bible on the internet, however the KJV is just a little much for his age but that is the one that is free. He likes Star Wars. So you ask, what does Star Wars and the Bible have in common? Well James Earl Jones, who did the voice for Darth Vader also has CD's of him reading the Bible. Griffin is very excited about that and we want to get him that sometime.

We are back into our house and settling in. I feel like I am living on Little House on the Prairie but with modern day conveniences. Griffin has the best room in the house. It has room for a bunk bed and his shelving unit but it is cozy! And we have decorated it with a poster of Andy Griffith, Barney Fife and Opie, a poster of the Logos Hope OM ship that just set sail today...and is coming to port in Dublin in May...I can't wait. He has also put up all the post cards his Sunday School teacher Mrs. Pat has ever sent him and is still sending him. And his window sill is about 2 feet deep because of the thick walls of the original cottage to protect against the cold (good hiding space for hide-and-seek). The window sill is where he keeps his lego projects (a good display place but also safe from Ruthie eating them).

We do homeschool in the morning while Ruthie takes her nap. We then have lunch together and then we go for a walk in the afternoon. We find where roads (which are places on you can get through by walking or tractor) go through. We meet the neighbors, go to the playground at the end of our road on the bay, walk to a friend's house, play in mud puddles and Griffin practices riding his bike. Then we come in, Ruthie takes her afternoon nap, Griffin and I read a chapter of The Secret Garden, and then I cook supper while Griffin watches a DVD. We have no tv, no phone and no car. It is great! I do have a cell phone, a "mobile" now in case of emergencies and Lord willing maybe a car soon. Ludie uses the car to go to OM and if I need it I take him to work but I have only done that twice. Ludie does the grocery shopping, and has always enjoyed that.

He has been teaching me how to drive a manual car and I have been learning on the left side of the road. I now feel comfortable driving except for downtown which is on a hill and you have to parallel park with a road that is rarely big enough for two cars to pass but somehow we make it. My favorite road is what we call the Bog Road. It is a road with a bog on each side and is a one lane road. You cannot go off of it because you will get stuck so if you meet a car, one of you has to back up. I have only gone down it by myself once. I had a big sense of accomplishment.

There is a wild hare that comes by our house every couple days. He is huge. He is a big as my dog I had growing up and very fast. It is funny to see him hoping around. He actually came up to the patio outside the kitchen windows. I would give him a name but we might actually eat him someday. :)

I have learned to stop what I am doing at a moment's notice for guests that stop by unannounced and have tea and biscuits. Time together is valued more than tasks that have to be done and I like that.

We had a nice comment made the other day. Some friends came to visit and went to the wrong house. When they asked for us the person replied, oh you want the Christian family... May God help us to honor Him in all we do and say at all times. How humbling and convicting that is.

I will post pics soon but I am in Kilkenny right now and don't have my camera cord with me to download my pictures.