Abby's First Week of School

So it's really hard for me to believe that it's only been a week since we have been on our own without our friends.  I feel like this week has been an eternity! The biggest hurdle has been Abby going to school.  Just like Andy did with the older kids, he and I decided we would ride the bus with her on her first day.  What I didn't realize was she was scheduled to be on the bus for an hour and a half!  I didn't find this out until that morning when I received an email from the bus contractor.  As we were on the bus, I couldn't help but pray and wonder if I was supposed to home school my four year old.  If you know me, just thinking about it was a big deal for me.  As we arrived to school, all I knew was that this situation needed to change...and Andy felt the same way.

From there, Andy went to work and I went to meet a new friend.  Andy and I briefly spoke and came up with an alternative idea, but didn't know if it was going to be accepted. As I met with my friend, the bus contractor called to see how the morning went.  When I shared my concerns, he was totally understanding and was supportive of our idea for Andy to bring Abby to another stop later in the morning to catch the bus, and therefore, only be a rider for 25 minutes. This give me great peace, especially since she loves school, and loves riding the bus...and yes, I still can't believe I put my 4 year old on a school bus!

The other part of this, of course, is that I need to pick her up everyday.  There is no bus that brings her home.  As Rebecca and I figured out before she left, there is actually a bus that will help tremendously in this situation.  So, my commute to pick her up entails : bus from our community to Tai Wo MTR, train from Tai Wo to University MTR, then bus from University to Heng On MTR, which is right by Abby's school.  I will never complain about picking up a preschooler in the states again!  This takes me a little over an hour(one way), but I have found that I don't mind it, as long as I am not stressed about timing.  The pressure of timing still weighs on me, and I liken it to carrying a weight in the water vs. on land....the weight/burden is much heavier on land/when I'm running late vs in the water when it is lighter/when I have plenty of time.  Who knows what the future will bring, but for now, it is working for us.  And Sarah just sleeps the entire time in the carrier...such a sweet girl.

The other big thing for me this week is that my friend, Bernadette, asked me if I wanted to meet, pray and read through 1 Corinthians together on a weekly basis.  She is from Australia, and her and her family have befriended us, even before we arrived.  The way we connected is for another post, but her four children are about the same ages as our older children, and Grace and her oldest have especially connected...a huge blessing for both of them.  Bernadette and Robb have been a huge encouragement to us...being there when Josh needed stitches, helping with furniture stores, and Robb, being an IT guy, has been a great resource when it has come to trying to get wifi in our house.  We are so blessed by there friendship, and it has been fun to learn some "Australian lingo" along the way!

Well, everyday is an adventure here.  I also attempted the grocery store and finally went swimming in the pool with Abby.  We are incredibly blessed by the many ways the Lord has showed up for us in too many ways to count.  Thank you for your prayers and encouragement as we continue the transition process.