MSP to PDX

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We leave Minneapolis tomorrow.  I can't believe our first week in the US is already over.  We have had some great family time - especially great time with the kids.  Clark and Claire saw snow for the first time, wore snow boots and snow pants for the first time, went sledding for the first time, rode their first 'roller coaster', got to play with cousin Anna, 'sang' in a small Christmas performance, and enjoyed spending time with their beloved Marie - creator of the green pillow.

Kevin and I enjoyed eating at the Olive Garden, cooking a turkey, eating my mom's lasagna, making our first trip to a Mac store, watching the children scream with glee on amusement park rides, drinking tons of Starbucks coffee (eggnog lattes for Kevin!), trying to buy Christmas presents for each other without the other one noticing, watching Rachael Ray, and browsing Barnes and Noble for as long as the children would allow.

Minneapolis is a delightful place.  I feel safe here.  I feel at home.  The people seem friendly and trusting.  The food is abundant.  I feel taken care of in this place.  The folks at the church here provided so much for us... including delicious meals, fun fellowship and warm winter clothes for me and the kids.  I was overcome with thankfulness as we unpacked the bags full of borrowed apparel that would keep our frozen-to-the-core bodies safe from the harsh winter weather.  So very thankful.

The week has been one of sleep and relaxation while trying to keep up with a few work items and make a few phone calls.  I did not realize how truly exhausted I am.  'Unable to function' is more like it, actually... My body is moving in a state of severe diminuendo.  Every step is an effort; every action a chore.  I want to sit on the couch and watch TV or sit in a fluffy comfortable chair and leaf through the pages of my favorite magazines.  But I know it can't be all fun and games; it can't be all rest and relaxation.  And therefore I press on with the jobs at hand. 

It is presently 11.30pm and I know I will be sorry in the morning for not going to bed an hour ago.  However, my jet lag has worn off a bit and my late-night-second-wind has returned, despite my overall state of fatigue.  There are reports to be edited, proposals to be written, correspondence to be answered, and schedules to be kept.  I press on knowing that in the end my tenacity, although tired, will be worth it.  Oh to get caught up and forget about the urgent and the demanding and the important and the deadlines.  And yet, I press on with a sense of inner joy, thankful for the opportunity and praising God for allowing me to be a part.

Tomorrow evening we fly off to Portland, Oregon.  We're hoping for great times with friends, slightly warmer temperatures, some good Lincoln City clam chowder, and a general sense of peace and enjoyment while in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

More photos, more reports, more thoughts to come.

~lk

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