exciting

is what today was.

Every time the girls head to their play house, especially with the Strawberry Shortcake clan: exciting.

When four visiting professors hit the classroom (well, three.  One had a very hard time getting in.  But is here now and will start tomorrow) on the first day of school and they are excited to learn and share and the students are excited to learn and share and you can hear good learning and sharing abuzz throughout the hallways: Exciting.

Watching the students and staff all reunite today, bubbling over with excitement and rejoicing like community: exciting.

Hearing Matt preach a great message in our first chapel service, hearing him work with the guys like friends and brothers, and be treated like a friend and brother, watching the Spirit in him pour balm on the students and light fire in their hearts at the same time: Exciting.

 When your washing machine has been broken for weeks, and carrying buckets of laundry to the seminary laundry room and trying to find times no one is using them and switching out loads throughout the day and carrying it all home with two kids to tote back and forth...and Junior figures out the problem: EXCITING!!!

Being one of only three homes in Saccanville that don't have to wash clothes by hand: also exciting.

Finding out the problem was a rat finding his way into the circuit board and then getting fried to death in there, adding a special smell to your clothes and costing you $150 for a new part?  Not so exciting.

  This is a picture you hoped NEVER to see on a blog.  Or anywhere.  Yeah, keep looking.  You'll see him.  Teeth at the bottom, tail at the top.  Nice ribs in the middle there.  SO. DISGUSTING.  If I have to experience it, you can at least SEE it with me :)

Even Sam thought so, and Sam doesn't get disgusted too often.

Mama Heart goat FINALLY has her babies, three healthy little "kids": Exciting.  Our kids wouldn't leave her kids alone all day long, with Sofie adding "Baby Goak!" to her repertoire and Lily adopting Brownie and crying every time she has to leave him.

Watching Lily from a distance run across the field to Granny, jumping up and down to show her friend her new furry friends, watching her chatter Granny's ear off as she led her over and introduced her: really heart warming.  

Lily, plowing bravely back into school today, running to her classroom, coming home full of stories and toting a glowing report card from her first semester: Exciting.  I know a report card for a three year old is silly.  But it's mama's first one, and it's all in a different language, based on exams and exercises all in a different language, and she's my baby, and I'm ridiculously proud.  

Add in a trip to Vaudriel to pick up Karah (VP's daughter teaching art at Cowman school), an unsuccessful trip to the airport to get a suitcase, getting Lily too and from school, Matt teaching in Leroy's place and having Lucner and Vilmer be in New York and all trying to pick up their duties...it was a really exciting day.  And now we're really tired :)  

To add to the randomness of this blog, here's a post our neighbors posted recently that I'm amen-ing, a special mention of just how thankful we are for our Visiting Professors and all of the good conversation, good attitudes and good work that they pour into Emmaus, and a Big Thank You to everyone holding us and holding Emmaus in your prayers!