Hello from a new country! Wow. If I could write life a letter I think it would go something like this:
Dear Life,
Please slow down. I need to catch my breath.
Love
Bryn
We are now in France in the freezing cold but still loving seeing the Lord move. We got here the 2nd of Jan, we had placement testing on the 3rd, then right away classes started full swing. Craig is doing really well and soaking it all in while I on the other hand have realized that time does not take away the hatred of the classroom. Hatred might be too strong of a word, but I really dislike being a student especially in a class where it seems like everyone else loves learning and gets French. I have realized the billion holes that I have in my grammar and in line with the French system and way of teaching have been laughed at in class by the teacher because I forgot something simple. Boo. Language is so stinkin hard and we are both at a place in our language learning that it is just enriching, making it more conversational and fluid AKA not sounding like a kindergarden text book. But it is so hard because I find myself sitting in class thinking of ways that I can avoid using the new things they are teaching by saying it differently because I dont understand them fully. So I continue to use a lot of hand gestures and sound like a kindergarden text book. I am not a good language learner or student for that matter. Yet, we press on! I want to know French really really badly I just struggle with the whole dedication and discipline thing that has to happen in order for me to learn. Oh, the cycle!! The Lord has definitely blessed us while being here a ton already though and we are constantly humbled by His kindness. We have connected with Craig's old language partner and his wife who have become dear friends. They have had us over to their house often and just stopped by our place to say hello or to see if we need anything. Their daughter has two sons and she gave three big bags of winter clothes and a huge garbage sack of diapers (the exact size that Elliot wears now I might add and we didnt say a thing about it beforehand!) They have been amazing and have treated us like family. The wife, Michelle, comes to Keenan's school a couple of times a week as well when he is getting out to walk home with us and chat on the way. They are so dear. And for the Keenan, the Lord has provided a sweet friend, Aidan, who lives across the hall from us. He is 4 and they love being together. And Elliot just goes with the flow. He enjoys going to the nursery and my favorite moment of the day is going to pick him up because at that time they are having snack and he is sitting in his high chair. The moment he sees me he starts laughing hysterically and dancing around in his seat. Love it!
The pictures here are from our beautiful Saturday. We got Keenan a bike a couple of weeks ago and he wants to ride it day and night. He could not figure out how to ride a bike for the life of him for the longest time and he would get on his friend's bikes here and just end up frustrated that he would not go anywhere but one day we were in a store and he hopped on a bike and just started riding it around and around the store. He was so proud of himself and the bike was big time on sale so, he is the proud owner of a blue and red bike!
See how proud?
Keenan and Aidan riding together
Aidan's sister Amelie who adores Elliot and Elliot might have a thing for her too :)
Michelle also gave Elliot this walker thingy which he roams around everywhere with.
We found this hat here!! How fun is it that there is a brand Elliot?! We also got him a couple shirts with his name on them!
Super smiles
Keenan goofing off on the tire swing
And Craig joined in with the kiddos on bike riding extravaganza. He looks awesome :)
So, there you have it! I realized there are no pictures of me this time. I was the one behind the camera. Maybe next time! Love to you all!!
I forgot when I was putting up these posts that they would end up backwards, so keep scrolling after this post. The birthday celebration is in the next one. Here are Elliot's one year pictures! Big guy! I took them here at the school at a little play log cabin with a little tractor that is here for the kiddos too. So fun with his little hat :) So, without further adoo (or however you spell that little phrase), our one year old!
He had an entire conversation with "someone" in the road. He just kept talking and using hand gestures at no one at all. Funny!
Checking things out under the hood
Practicing for his senior pictures someday
Love love love this sweet smiley boy!!!!!!!
Love this picture because of their faces. Keenan is thinking "haha!! I stole the tractor, now to get away fast!!" And Elliot is thinking "I wonder if she is noticing that I am about to eat this tasty rock?"
Now Elliot has noticed the stolen tractor and is super angry and Keenan is thinking "Can someone get this screaming kid off the back of my ride?!"
A very very sweet thing about Keenan is that every single time he sees a flower even in a movie he turns to me and says "Look, Mom, flowers for you!!" And he picks every flower and brings it to me to put in my hair. After I do so he says, "You look beautifuuuul!" Love his little heart!
Keenan and his friend Nicholas
Nicholas and Karlee
On Feb 26th, Craig turned 31!! We had a great weekend celebrating him and what he means to us all. The festivities actually started on Wednesday when we loaded up in a friend's car and went to Geneva to wander the apple store for a while, browse through the Christian bookstore that is there, and sit in Starbucks for a half of an hour sipping coffee and having lemon cake. That is a Craig day for sure :). Then Friday he got to go skiing with the school on the winter field trip. I stayed home because Keenan comes home for lunch and there was not really anyone else to get him for the 2 hour lunch break so we went to McDonalds with a couple of his buddies and they had a blast. Saturday we had low key day as a family with breakfast cake, plenty of playing with his new superhero action figures with the boys, running around outside, Craig got a nap, and then we went to a super fun dinner with another couple here at a great restaurant in the mountains. Dinner was incredible, the company was even better and it was the first time in a long time where I was laughing so hard that I was crying and legitimately afraid that I would pee in my pants. So, thank you Craig for your incredible life and for all the endless joy that you bring to me and our sweet little family!!
Craig requested a german chocolate cake which was not very pretty but tasted amazing. First time I ever made one and it turned out great thankfully!
