Moving along

I'd say we just had a full weekend, starting at 5 a.m. on Saturday morning.  We all got up and dressed quickly for our last family picture before Mike left.  Here we all are crowding together out on the balcony to take a quick picture.

              Mike's flight took off at 9:30, so we all piled into a taxi at 6 a.m. to accompany him to the airport.  David decided to stay for the remainder of the process, so I knew this moment was going to be extremely hard on him.  David loves his Daddy and is very close to him.  Sure enough, while Mike waited in line to check in his bag, the tears began.  David just buried his little head into Mike's chest and cried his little heart out.  
To try to make it a little easier, we found our favorite restaurant at the airport and sat down to a nice breakfast all together.  Once we got David happy with his chocolate chip waffles, Mike gave us all hugs and said goodbye.  I stayed in the restaurant with the two boys for the remainder of our tearless breakfast.




Then we went home and sat on the balcony of our apartment to watch his plane take off.  He texted us to let us know when they were about to take off, and then we snapped a picture of his plane once it was in the air.

We rested and played lazy the rest of the day, other than a trip to the grocery store to restock for the next week.
Our dear friend, Mercedes, invited us to her church on Sunday and then for lunch at her house afterwards.  So we attended the Baptist Church where we miraculously met her last year.  Nothing flashy or attractive about the building on the outside, but what an amazing church body exists on the inside.  The pastor spoke so clearly and with such depth--I could have listened to him for hours.  I looked around and saw tons of people taking notes and really soaking up the teaching.  After church, the boys played outside while we waited for her to attend choir practice, and then we walked to her house.  Julian joined us for lunch, too.  We have not seen him much yet, and I sure have missed him.  

The church

Waiting outside after church 

Lunch

My boys

(You can tell who the jokester is already....)
Later we visited Julian at his job and took some more pictures that I promised him I would not publish.  We finally said goodbye to Mercedes, and Juan David told her he'd be waiting for another invitation. :)  She told him he always has an open door in her home for the rest of her life.  She truly mothered him as a small child, and he will never forget her.  I'm so thankful to not only know her, but to have such a priceless bond with her in Christ.  
I miss Mike and feel a bit out of sorts without him.  However, I'm thankful for having such great Christian friends here who are looking out for us in his absence.