it always seems like i should write “dear diary” like i did when i was young because sometimes i feel that’s what I am doing:) it also feels like I don’t have much to write about at this point in January. We decided since it was revivals every night that we’d try this Freshly service that you order fresh healthy meals from. They were kind of expensive but we ordered a few of them so I got out of cooking a couple nights!

Last Friday evening we had a couchsurfer couple come for night! Yay! It’s always tough to make sure the house is cleaned up and their bed made but it’s so worth it. They were a couple our age from France and they had been riding bike through south and central america for the last year and 3 months. They started biking in Argentina and stopped at several orphanages in different countries to spend time working with the children and now they’re on the final stretch before they fly home to France. We took them out for pizza Friday evening and they had breakfast with us before they left Saturday morning. It was so inspiring to talk with them!

Last Sunday was church mostly with lunch at folks with Justin&Shenda, council in afternoon, and after church on the evening we went to jenn and Audrey’s, my coteachers, with ben&ang and perrin&nikki. Trudi was out visiting from Nebraska so we spent a fun evening there at the teachers.

We had no school Monday and Tuesday for report cards and parent teacher conferences, a teacher favorite of course. Mine started Tuesday at 9:20 and finished around 3:20 so it wasn’t too long of a day. The school board wives bring lunch so that makes it an even easier day for us. We worked helping ja a couple evenings in his house so John Martin’s could move in this weekend. Wednesday night was communion at winton.

We and Jalen left Friday evening and drove through to madis house in scio. We went to Mike and Vals for an amazing brunch Saturday morning and then madi, ja, and us drove to Portland and spent the day there. It was such a cool day. We explored a skate park under an overpass, shopped vintage and outdoor stores where Morgan bought hiking stuff, had some famous Voodoo donuts, and tried some coffee houses. Voodoo Donuts is a place where all donuts are possible. We tried an m&m donut, a vanilla bean, a vanilla frosted with fruit loops,and a maple bacon. For their complete menu check out https://www.voodoodoughnut.com/ .

In the evening we met lanae, ceejay, and Devin for supper and coffees. It was so happy to spend the day with madi shopping again♡. Sunday we hung out mostly and left this morning after a quick stop at school to see madison’s kids. We drove to Crater Lake after we left which was so beautiful and there was quite lots of snow around.

Now we are continuing home through beautiful mountains with snow and trees covered with fog and still lakes. We’ll get home late with the three of us back at work in the morning.

My after Christmas/revival goal is to be more hospitable…give more of myself…maybe some of you have ideas on how to help me with that! I feel somewhat inferior with my cooking skills and having to come home and make food after school. I’m just uncomfortable enough in the kitchen that it worries me to have company on school nights so if any of you have recipes or ideas for me, send them over! Have a good week!!