Because Adrienne asked me to...

I didn't have much reason to blog...but Adrienne wanted something to read...and I always can ramble on about something :)
It's been a mellow weekend...following a regularly crazy week :) Monday we went back to the hot stone place - YEA! and Yukari our school secretary helped me make back and shoulder massage appointments - which was REALLY nice...much better than our other massage experiences here! Kevin comes in a little more than a week - SUPER excited to have my first Okinawa visitor :) It will be a perfect way to break up the very long month of March! School has been a struggle to get my kids into the swing of things with Samuel...it seems to have thrown us all off, but each day it's a bit better, so I'm hoping to turn a corner next week. I've been busy with conferences...that's what I get for sending progress reports - 11 reports, 11 conferences :( yuck! We have real conferences next month for the end of 3rd quarter - can't believe how close we are to the end of the year! Those conferences are the ones I'm dreading most though - I have to decide by then if my 2nd graders become 3rd graders. I know how far they've come but there are many of them that I don't know if they've come far enough...and retention isn't always the answer...all that to say, there is much work still to be done! We had our first D.E.A.R. Friday this week - drop everything and read...the kids all checked out library books and brought snacks and pillows and we all camped out to read the last 45 minutes of class - the peace and time to grade...I know, I should have been reading too...but it was all so nice! We went to Heather and Dustin's house for games and dinner with their friend Tom. I got to make my turkey pesto wraps - YUM, I've missed those things! Heather made these molten chocolate cakes for dessert - really yummy with ice cream (the ice cream caused a bit of a problem when Heather kept flipping it onto the floor, Dustin got extra ice cream!) We had a good time talking, laughing, and playing - stayed up WAY to late though! The next day Adrienne slept late...I even slept till almost 9 - WAY late for me! We kind of puttered about the house before finally doing our grocery shopping and some other errands. That night we were back at Kitakisen for a good-bye dinner for Adrienne's aide, Azusa. Friday was her last day - Adrienne is already dreading what this means for her and the 16 four year olds - I predict more naps when she gets home :( Be praying for both of us with our kids for the next few months - it's been a challenging year. Today in church Pastor said something though that really struck a chord. When we have faith that God is planning for our eternal life we can have amazing peace even when we don't know the outcome. I may have botched the exact quote...not much of a note-taker - but you get the idea. I think that is one lesson well learned here - that amidst everything else, peace comes from God...our only job is to keep that in mind each moment.

PS for your viewing pleasure Adrienne wanted to "skip over" to the 100 yen store and I didn't really want to go...I said I'd go if she really skipped over and I got to video it...and put it on my blog! Anyway, it was dark, sorry - but you can still tell Adrienne is skipping and flapping her arms for some reason...yes, we're silly...it's really rather freeing knowing that no one can tell you that you look ridiculous (or at least we can't understand it!)