June

June, oh June, where have you gone?!?! I just realized that June is half over, and it's no surprise, because we've been pretty busy and all the days seem to have run together! Here's a glimpse into what we've been up to so far this month:

*We started off the month by saying good-bye to some very dear friends of ours, the Helmlings. They felt led to pick up everything in NC and move across the country to serve in a church in South Dakota. Dirk was the college & singles pastor at our church and co-leader, with Marty, of the Refuge Ministry on Mars Hill's Campus. He and his wife, Julie, were the leaders of our LifeGroup and over the past 2 years had become some of our best friends. Last May, they welcomed Moses(5) & Nana(7), whom they adopted from an orphanage in Liberia, into their family, making their family of 5 a family of 7! Dawson, Cassie, Nana, Moses & Sydney lovingly referred to us as Auntie Sarai & Uncle Marty. They are amazing "family" and will be greatly missed!

*Last week, I was able to spend 3 days in Pigeon Forge, TN with my mom, 2 of her sisters and 1 of my cousins. It was such a nice time away, to talk about life and get caught up with one another. We relaxed in the Lazy River and spent some time pool-side, and even experience the Synchronous Fireflies of the Great Smoky Mountains! It was pretty cool! I'm so thankful that my schedule is flexible enough for me to be make little trips like that!

*Last Saturday, we celebrated Father's Day and my dad's 50th birthday with friends and family at his house in Robinsville. It was a nice time with them, and great to catch up.

*This week, we're cleaning and doing some organizing projects in our bedroom. Lots of painting and vacuuming and laundry and manual labor, which I am not really fond of :) Check back later for some pics of the finished product!