pictureless updates...

so i usually wait until i have cute pictures and some exciting events to blog. today abby got me thinking though. she was really focused on how "nothing special happened today."  it made me pretty sad that going to her weekly school, making bread, watching a hailstorm, jumping with maddie and tai tai, and going to church for an art show weren't special enough for her. but.... in my own way how i've probably projected that on her somehow. anyway.
i'm posting about the not-so-special but still beautiful/important every day stuff of our family in the last month.

1.  pets. we got lots of pets in the last few months! first i wanted something cuddly and since lollypop farm didn't have anything that specifically called out to us, and matthew has always loved his mom's dog, kirby pucket, who needed a bit more love... we brought him home. he IS cuddly and loves attention. the kids love him!!!  he has relatively little experience with passerby people and dogs so that has been a challenge and he really hates his leash, but we're figuring out life with a dog and enjoying him quite a bit.
also we got a fish. we've been promising abby a fish since Denver when she petitioned for one. the fish is great. exactly what we'd hoped.  his name is angel and he watches over abby at night. perfect.
the problem is that while we were buying said fish a guy came in and begged us to take his rabbit. we said no. he explained. the rabbit was being sold at the market by a chineese lady for stew meat. he couldn't see it go that way and bought it but was now on his way to lollypop farm with it where they would probably kill it. could we PLEASE take it. i caved. what was i thinking?! it stinks, it is totally depressed on it's life diet (vs. it's death fattening diet), and it bit tai tai last week and he bled for 2 days straight. sigh. pets.

2. choices. we are doing some soul searching about next year. we have about a month to decide if we want to send abby to preschool next year or keep her home and find a more active homeschool association. i've been bouncing back and forth between 2 good things all year and surprisingly find myself no closer to a decision. This winter was really tough for us. We did not do well all being home all the time. We were also watching a extra baby which made traveling anywhere pretty tough/impossible. We also didn't know many people and have much going on. Abby would absolutely love going to school. But i wonder if she would love a homeschooling group as much? If she is just craving friends. The free preschools of the city can be pretty great, but are always 5 days a week and usually 3-4 hours long. And then I'm not sure we could turn around and take her out afterwards instead of sending her to kindergarten. Our neighborhood school is pretty great too with a bilingual k-5 program. It seems like a justice issue to not send her to the public schools. All the parents I meet on the playground talk about how they could NEVER send their kids to city public schools, which, of course, is part of the reason they stink so much. Sigh.
My heart resonates however with the wholistic homeschool idea too. I wonder where Abby would flourish most, where community would be built, what I want to do with my time, if i want to go back to teaching?  Still I wonder. We will make a decision soon I suppose. I just have no idea what it will be. Say a prayer for us?

3. Church. We are 6 months old! We are doing lots of things. We have guest speakers, interactive worship, volunteering at the Rochester Catholic worker, ladies craft nights, using the church as a temperary homeless shelter, baking bread, and exploring leasing out our kitchen to a local food truck (french fries!) to help sustain the building. This week we are doing an art show with photography of homeless people Monday-Wednesday and then services every day Thursday through Sunday.  Matthew is still guest preaching. We are tired, energized, going through church people drama, and generally on a wild ride. Every day we wonder what it means to be faithful and try to live it out. Every day we try to let go the outcomes of our actions and pray we have done our best and that God will do the rest. It really is exhausting.

4. Family. Matthias had his first sleepover without mama last week. Both kids spent a night with dad and lynda and it was amazing. It's a glimpse that life may truly be about to get easier. The kids are getting more independent. Abby wakes up and does art at her art table. Tai tai is almost weaned. Along the same lines, spring is coming, bulbs are coming up (and in our yard nonetheless)! It has been a cold, harsh winter both outside and inside. We are hopeful of the life that Christ brings us, life that we desperately need. We are so thankful for Easter, resurrection, and hope. May you all have joy, and light and life too this spring season!!!  Peace!