And March came blowing in...

Crazy how time flies--March already and yet it feels like it just turned February not too long ago. It also puts into perspective what you really have been up to... and for me it has been an exceptional time in the past 30 days or so. I also regret that I have not written in such a long time. Apologies, apologies.

On that note, we welcomed March with much warmer temperatures. Poland is actually quite nice in the spring (not to say it wasn't nice before--I actually am glad I experienced winter too), and the sun has been glorious. I have had the windows open in the kitchen lately for the nice fresh air. One of my favorite things here is one of the drives that I take sometimes in the morning to pick up the kids from the swimming pool. The road happens to wind through several villages and there are many cool farmhouses, fields, and just nature in general along the way. This makes for an especially nice drive now that the days are longer and I get to experience the sun coming up over the horizon. It makes me want to get out my camera and just drive nowhere in particular. There are so many little country roads I have yet to explore. However, the thought of doing this in a family size mini-van ultimately puts that thought in question... I nearly got the thing stuck in the mud a few weeks ago after our rainy period. Darn country roads. More photographs are still on my to do list--and I will conquer those muddy roads!

Speaking of photographs, I have loved spending my time arranging my pictures of my time here in the form of a book. As some photography enthusiasts might tell you the perfect addition to a bookshelf, coffee table, or for your own personal enjoyment is a book of photographs. I could spend hours looking through such books, and since I find them so fascinating I have decided to create my own project inspired by my year abroad in Poland in the form of 12 little books, one for each month. January and February look fabulous--and each one is only a couple dollars! Love.

Doesn't it look like Courier & Ives?

 March also brought a goodbye of an American au pair (Natasha we will miss you, but hey a visit to Chicago is in the works!) that I have come to love spending time with while here, while also bringing in a new American au pair in her place (Caitlyn you will be awesome!). Life has its way of introducing new people to you and I like what it has given me so far. Even though I have only been here a little more than two months, I found myself helping Caitlyn in any way I could. I knew she would need encouragement and knowing that if she ever needed anything she had support. She was hard to read at first as our first meeting consisted of us walking around the mall as I chatted about where things were and what she might find helpful. I honestly felt like I did too much talking, but maybe that was due to her being a super quiet person. And I thought I was quiet--oh boy. In spite of that, we did have a nice conversation about the overall au pair experience, and Natasha and I both agree it had its benefits and also things that would change your life and also the way you see things. We both agreed we had/were learning how to live on our on (even if we were at the mercy of a family), to be so-called 'parents' to children, to live in a country that doesn't speak English as it's native tongue, and living the life God has called us on. Even though we laid out what would be difficult, we also praised God at the opportunity and told her it would be an amazing year of her life.

I have become comfortable. In three months I have learned so much, and it makes me excited what I might come to learn and experience during the rest of my time here. This church I had doubts about here has been one of the things I come to enjoy and look forward to every single Sunday. I love the people there, and I love how full my heart gets every time we sing and worship our King. I like feeling a happiness that can't be described. I like being closer to God. It's brought me to a new understanding in how I am growing spiritually, how I need to read my Bible more, how I need to pray. It's so wonderful to know and to see how that is working in me now. How it affects me as an worker in this house, a friend, a girlfriend, and a daughter.

In a nutshell, I have learned how to prepare myself for a life on my own, to take care of someone's children as if they were my own, and to attach myself to a life more in tune with God's Word. In all of this God has been the greatest stronghold I could ask for, and I have Him to thank for this journey.