My baby turns 11 and going home...

Makaela enjoying her birthday cappucino  ;-)

It was a fun week around here as we prepared for and celebrated Makaela's 11th birthday.   She loves cappucino, which Andrew usually orders on the weekends, but under our legislation, the girls cannot order one, so she was promised that she could have one on her birthday.  Makaela is my gentle, tender, sweet girl--the ultimate Mother's Day gift.  Happy Birthday sweet Makaela!!!

My good friend, Jennifer Rector, sent me a note asking me to update my blog on why we are moving home early without Andrew, so that is what I am going to do.  When we came to India, we thought we had a wonderful school for the girls, but it turned out to be a sham, so I took them out to homeschool them.  Any one who has taught knows how much time and energy it takes, so I have been very busy managing two, very intelligent and disciplined students.  ;-)   I have to say it has been wonderful to have Sam back with us again, and we have grown together in ways that would not have been possible if we had not come here and been forced to homeschool.   I believe that this was in God's plan.  I thought the plan was for the girls to be stretched academically in the "challenging"  Indian school system, and for me to work on my health, as this was to be the first year in 13, that I would not be a full time mom.   However, God's ways are not ours, and He always knows best.  This year with the girls has been wonderful, but it is time to go home.  I need to focus on my health, and the girls need to be in a school system.  I cannot prepare Makaela emotionally for junior high like the local elementary can, nor can I prepare Samantha for high school like her junior high can.  The girls will be in 6th and 8th this coming school year--unbelievable. 

Andrew will come home with us for the first 6 weeks, and then back and forth through the end of October.  It will be hard, but doable since he will be traveling home frequently.  I have been asked why he cannot come home too.  He could, but we both feel that he needs to finish the time he agreed to (one year), and get the team set to continue on successfully. 

So, we will blow this pop shop in just over 3 weeks.  We are all so excited to be back home, and yet sad to leave the people and places that have become precious and familiar to our hearts.  My mom comes to join us for our last two weeks on the 22nd.  On our way out we are going to swing by Delhi with her, and head over to the Taj Mahal, and hit some other famous sites in Delhi.  We will go out with a bang! 

Hugs!