Hi.

Well, it's been two months since I posted. A visit to Chicago for my cousin's 40th birthday. Our annual L'Abri conference down in Rochester. A lot of snow. Trips to the grocery store. Helping with homework and supervising piano practice. Working out particulars to do a remodel on part of our house. Drawing and sewing and always cooking and clean up. Driving people here and there. Books and movies and music and Bible reading re-read and simmering and new opportunities to live it out and readjust my wrong thinking. Discouragement and encouragement to continue on in faithfulness. Tears and some fights and making up and thankfulness for the restoration of things present and all things to come. Sleep. And coffee. And paper and pens. My 40th birthday. My youngest son's 5th birthday. Cakes. And a breakfast party. I will start in and show you something of these two months.

Dietrich has a friend at school named Bijou. Bijou likes to talk, and she has lots of stories. Dietrich told me, with deep respect, that Bijou likes to regularly run outside in the snow without shoes -- you know, to harden herself up and be ready for anything. He decided that though he detests weird physical sensations (things that are too hot or too cold or too scratchy or too indescribable) he would need to try this. He is a great one for needing to try something -- at least once. He's a brave one, he is. So here he goes out the back door into newly fallen snow. Verdict: Once was enough and worth a few tears.