More new friends

Thanks to Gayle Woody, I agreed to attend the Community Women's Bible Study (spring semester, from February to May) - and she welcomed me in and introduced me to people. There are a variety of women who attend, from young moms up through older, retired women, and they represent numerous area churches. It was my first time to attend any sort of women's study, which was nice. One of my first times there, Gayle said, "Oh, you've just got to meet Sadie!" and promptly invited us over for lunch after study that week. 

Sadie and Dustin moved to Cullowhee last year (Dustin is a professor in the theatre and film department), and their two boys are almost the same age as ours. Wait, double take, yes, this is another family with two boys the same age as ours! Sadie is also a certified doula, and has such a kind and generous spirit (and is more spontaneous than me, which means we actually have gotten together numerous times, usually with other people, too. "Hey, we're heading to the park this morning..." "Okay, great, we'll meet you there"). I feel like God has known what we needed and provided us with new people here who have been able to listen to our story, ask questions, initiate with us (that's key for me), and show us gentleness and compassion - and even to provide friends for Timo and Mattias, who hadn't yet had boy friends their ages. For that I am very thankful.

Amos (on left), born three weeks before Timo; and Guthrie (middle), born 3 months after Mattias

And hey, this is fun, let's take photos of just the two of us, since there's actually another adult around to do so! (Never mind that four little boys are running around the driveway at our feet, throwing baseball bats and balls and sticks and climbing up on the dirt hill...)

Unfortunately their family is traveling for the summer (mostly to Chicago area), as Dustin is involved with acting and directing a play. They came by to say good-bye on Sunday afternoon, which is why we're standing on the driveway taking photos, ha!