summer

It's summer in Georgia. And we have the wrinkly pool fingers and popsicle stains to prove it. We're settling in well here, feeling at home. It's a time of deep feeling for us, of settling, enjoying, gratitude. We departed Thailand one month ago today, and I am amazed to think of all that month has held. Good, good time with all of our family. Moving to our Atlanta house, which was beautifully and lovingly prepared by able hands to be a home for us. The fun and big wow! of Vacation Bible School for Em and Asa. Enjoying this amazing piece of wizardry known as the dishwasher (you know all of that effort expended three times a day? It takes care of it all overnight!) Friends- the joy of our loved ones here. And before that, India! But I think that will have to have its own little spotlight, as the sheer volume of content would turn all away in exhaustion, I think. So, to catch up a bit...

We had a sweet send off from our church in Thailand; although we'll return, we'll be moving to a new place and a new work, so this was a bittersweet time for us and for our faithful team leader's family, who also departed for the U.S. in June. Our friend Ling did a beautiful dance for us...


And one last lunch at the market- our little man with his little buddy who is just about the same age.

A loving welcome at the airport

bedtime stories with big sister

Enjoying the company of loved ones...





The 4th of July was all I had hoped it would be. I dearly love this holiday and had greatly anticipated spending it in Georgia again. We started the day with a 10k 'Peach Stand Road Race' through Locust Grove, which echoes Atlanta's famous Peachtree Road Race, without the crowd and with the nostalgia of the Gardner Farms peach stand. Then we moved on to a day of family and food- we boiled peanuts and fried pickles and made peach ice cream and pie- and that was all before the cookout and fireworks in the evening. Hence the need for the run.

shucks