don't you wish you had this much fun at your bathtime?

Rachel and I were making oatmeal raisin cookies this afternoon and talking about how she had been able to eat her absolute favorite oatmeal raisin cookie at La Madeline's when she visited the US this past summer . . . and I realized that one really fantastic thing about being a missionary is that you have two homes to go back to; whenever you have the sadness of leaving one, there is the comfort of the familiar in going to the other. . .

Yesterday at the park

Malachai and I pulled this great little bike out of the trash on our way home from school yesterday; it's a classic - - made in Spain! The frame can actually be broken down into two pieces - - to facilitate storage and transportation.

Malachai's first day of school! The entire month of September is "adaptation period" - - so he goes to school only 1.5 hours every morning. he did great! (ok, his teacher did say that he had a hard time sharing the play-dough . . .)
here is a picture of Joshua and Malachai with the school building in the background (on the left)

Well, I went down to the school yesterday and signed Malachai up without a glitch! Joshua and I took Malachai this morning to "orientation" - - met his teacher, the other kids & parents, and explored the classroom. I saw several of the women I know from the neighborhood with their three year olds too. I am beginning to wonder how this might change our lives . . .

because we were in the US in the spring we missed the time period for the pre-registration in the Spanish education system, and we were told that Malachai would probably not get a spot in the school that is just a three minute walk from our place (kids here in Spain start school at age three). The principal told us that it would be highly unlikely that Malachai be admitted into the School - - and that if we did want to "educate" our son, he would have to have to be sent to the school on the other side of Baranain. The truth is, Joshua and I aren't really, really convinced that we want to stick our boy into the public education system at age three anyway, so we have been praying all summer long that if it would be best for Malachai (and us) to be in school, that the Lord would make that clear to us by opening all the doors to make it happen. (Malachai's prayer, however has been "God, please, please, please let me go to school!"

all my Spanish friends are scandalized when I tell them that I might keep Malachai home for another year. "How will he learn to socialize?" they ask. I just laugh. I tell them that our God is the God of the world, and that if he created the universe, he can certainly open up a spot for my boy if that is what he wants for Malachai! we will trust God to do what is best!

Alli's memorial service was last night; it was a sweet time of remembering Alli and of being with the Veldt family as they remembered her.

Luke had wondered if maybe we could make some bookmarks with Alli's picture and a bible verse to pass out at the service; Rachel and I did that - - and I was so glad to - - I know it was just a very, very small detail, but I was glad to know that we were doing something that Luke wanted.

What a blessing it has been to live a bit of it along side of the Veldt family this past week; they have lived the tremendous tension of truly rejoicing that Alli is better (fully and perfectly better!) in heaven, and at the same time feeling and expressing the immense pain brought on by death.