Monday, December 17, 2012

wending our way


The house was filled with the cheer of Christmas carols playing this week, but instead of unpacking boxes of ornaments to decorate the house, we packed up boxes of our personal things and squirreled them away in our friend A's attic (many, many thanks, A, for storing our things!) for hibernation during our next term overseas.

Then we swept the rooms, raked the yard, and packed our suitcases, all while saying good byes left and right to people we love here in Savannah.  It seems a strange way to celebrate the season of Christmas.
saying good byes
 
to friends we love...
But in the midst of it all we found time for a few Christmas traditions, 
like a ferry ride across the Savannah River to the Westin 
to see the Gingerbread houses, 



a gingerbread library!  how great is that?!?
to Leopold's for some of Savannah's very best ice cream, 



 
watching The Muppet's Christmas Carol while snuggled under blankets, 

 
and a grand finale of beauty 
in the majestic Lessons and Carols service 
at church on Sunday evening.

Elise and Amy join the youth choir one last time
more good-byes

And now, as you read this, 
we'll be wending our way across the country 
to spend the holidays with our dear families in the Northwest.  
And soon afterward we'll begin our travels back to the Philippines!  

We treasure your prayers for us in all of the transitions.  
Saying good bye is hard. 
It just always will be.  
  
But as Dr. Seuss said, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."  
So we'll smile and give thanks for all these wonderful memories.
We hope you'll give thanks with us!
 

8 comments:

Betsy de Cruz said...

Merry Christmas, Barbara! I hope you'll have a blessed time with your family. May God give lots of grace for the good-byes!

Carl G. said...

Godspeed!

Rosalie said...

Lovely . . . thanks for sharing! Looking forward to having you here.

The Church Cook said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Becky said...

The other side of the "coin" (or world?!) --we're glad to hear you're heading back this way. :) --although we might not see you till late January cuz we'll be up north. It'll be great to have you back!
Your situation right now reminds me of us a year ago--"wrapping up" things (not Christmas gifts either!) in our home country, celebrating a cold Christmas with family in Michigan, then being back here in the tropics for New Year's! A lot of mixed emotions, di ba? Do have a wonderful celebration and "smile because it happened!" See you soon. :)

us5 said...

sorry, Kay...trying to keep our last name off the blog. ;)

us5 said...

Merry Christmas to you too, Olive Tree! enjoy the season, your family, and the opportunities to share the hope within you!

us5 said...

thanks so much, Becky! we look forward to seeing you soon! it's nice to know others understand the bitter-sweetness of this time, di ba?