Disappointment

Today was a very difficult day. Due to a situation completely out of our control, we had to cancel the Haiti trip... at the airport. LONG story. It was heart-breaking to watch many of the students cry as we told them the news. They have been preparing for months for this trip. And it has been terrible to receive so many questions from parents without being able to give answers.

I have been in shock all afternoon, but we wanted to make the most of spring break, so we decided to do something a little crazy...

We re-packed, came back to the airport, and we are leaving at 11:15PM for Paris.

Girl time

This weekend was girls' weekend in Chattanooga. Elizabeth rented a really cute house for us. It rained all weekend, but we still went on a Saturday outing to lunch, coffee, and cupcakes. The rest of the weekend it was just fun to hang out, watch movies, cook, and relax.

Holly and I also got together with Eryn Thursday night for supper at Com Dunwoody, a Vietnamese-French restaurant (that happened to offer a Scout Mob coupon recently!). Check out our dessert: 3 layers- brownie, cheesecake, chocolate mousse!

When we returned Sunday, Doug and I went to a Haiti adult meeting, Haiti team meeting, small group, and then going-away party for Justin.

We leave tomorrow for Haiti!

We're off

In 30 minutes we're leaving for Nashville (had to wait until after Doug's class). It is not nearly as exciting as last year's Winter Break (Holland, London, Scotland), but I'm glad we're going somewhere. Our year in France seems so unreal to look back on. Lyon nous manque!

Stone Mountain

This is our third year to live in Atlanta. We see it everyday as we drive to school/work/church. Today we FINALLY visited Stone Mountain.

We started the morning with a visit to the German Bakery. It was good, but didn't compare with the pastries we had in Heidelberg last April.

Then we headed over to the park. We decided to do the "Walk Up Trail." It took about 25 minutes to walk up the mountain. The views from the top were great! BUT, it was VERY cold at the top! The wind was brutal! Afterwards we did a couple other short trails before heading home for lunch.

hard questions

Why is this so hard?

Rich Young Ruler by Derek Webb

poverty is so hard to see

when it’s only on your tv and twenty miles across town

where we’re all living so good

that we moved out of Jesus’ neighborhood

where he’s hungry and not feeling so good

from going through our trash

he says, more than just your cash and coin

i want your time, i want your voice

i want the things you just can’t give me

so what must we do

here in the west we want to follow you

we speak the language and we keep all the rules

even a few we made up

come on and follow me

but sell your house, sell your s.u.v.

sell your stocks, sell your security

and give it to the poor

what is this, hey what’s the deal

i don’t sleep around and i don’t steal

i want the things you just can’t give me

because what you do to the least of these

my brother’s, you have done it to me

because i want the things you just can’t give me

---

Our small group is currently reading Economy of Love, and I am finally reading Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution, so these things have really been on my mind lately. There are no easy solutions, but I am hoping for measurable and meaningful steps in the right direction.

Snow Days

Tomorrow will be the 4th snow day in a row. Totally unprecedented.

My productivity has decreased drastically from Monday, when I was a cleaning/de-cluttering/productive machine. Now we are bored and ready to leave the house. Tomorrow I am going to the grocery, even if I have to go on foot.

Christmas in NC, New Year's in Atlanta

We spent Christmas (and a few days afterward) in NC this year. We were surprised on Christmas evening with SNOW... and a lot of of it!

Doug enjoyed seeing his 15 year old cat, Hobbes.

On Tuesday we went to Winston-Salem, then to the Branches' for supper. The Kornrumpfs came too- Nathan is adorable!

We returned to Atlanta on Wednesday and began the process of unpacking, putting away, cleaning out, etc. On Thursday, I took the plunge and got about a foot cut off my hair for Locks of Love.

On Friday night we went to see Amy's concert (plus Matthew Perryman Jones) at Eddie's Attic. It was a fun way to spend New Year's Eve- of course we didn't actually stay up until midnight- we went to the concert at 7 and went to bed by 10:30 :)

On New Year's Day we hosted a brunch and had a bunch of friends attend. It was a nice way to start the new year!