May held so many great moments for our family that I'd never forgive myself for not taking the time to blog about each and every one of them--or at least post pics of those May highlights with a caption or two about them.
This year's Teacher Appreciation Week truly filled my heart and left me feeling loved and appreciated in my classroom. My kids brought me flowers every single day that week, along with tons of chocolates, classroom supplies, sweet handwritten notes, soaps, lotions, candles, and even toiletries like shampoo and toothpaste! But to top it all off this year, four of the moms showed up unannounced at my classroom door on the last day with cake and cupcakes to surprise me for my birthday. First time in 15 years of teaching here in Texas-I felt so dearly loved.
My surprise birthday party!
Teacher Appreciation Gifts
Juan got a job at Pine Cove Christian Camp this summer and had to be there by May 12th, so I picked him up at school on May 10th and had one little sliver of time to spend with both him and David together on my birthday (the 11th). We got a quick drink together at Starbucks before David had to be at work for his own first week on the job at our very favorite Chick Fil-A.
If I only got to see Juan for a day, I'm glad it was on my birthday!
The next morning, Mike and I had a chance to go for a quick coffee date with Juan in the morning before we dropped him off with his roommate to ride with him down to Pine Cove for the entire summer. Not only will he not be home for three whole months, but we also can only communicate with him on his cell phone on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings while there are no campers. It makes communication a bit complicated, but I am so thankful for this opportunity for him to grow and mature.
That little coffee date was extra special because we went to a coffee shop where one of his friends works, and she gave us all free coffee for my birthday. :)
That afternoon, on the 12th, Mike and I drove to Fort Worth to celebrate our sweet friend, Jenna's, wedding. Jenna was one of David's first babysitters here in Texas, and then she took care of our home and animals when we went to Colombia the first time. She holds a very special place in our hearts.
As do her parents, Kim (below) and Doug (above). We met them on our first mission trip with Lake Pointe Church when we went to Piedras Negras in 2004. We've been like family ever since. On that trip, we all met Madai (below left), who then came to the states to live with them and study the following year. After that, she came to visit every single summer. I love her like a sister.
We all went to Madai's wedding in Mexico four years ago, and we sadly haven't seen each other since. Kim and Doug moved to Hawaii three years ago, and we haven't seen them since. So it was a real blessing to find ourselves all back together for Jenna's wedding. They will always be like family to me.
Just a few days later, David and I headed to the orthodontist to finally get his braces off!!!!
Love that beautiful smile!
The office staff all came out and serenaded him to celebrate the big day! We could not have been any more satisfied with the orthodontist we chose for him, along with the amazingly friendly, upbeat staff that work there.
And, of course, we went out for a coffee date to celebrate that beautiful smile.
Exactly one week later, he passed his driving test and now is an officially licensed driver.
Lots of big things happening for my sweet "little" boy.
As if that's not enough to celebrate and cherish, I can't forget to add that I finally gained the courage to share my story, directly in relation to a message on prayer. I spoke at a women's event on May 8 at my church called Unveiled, so I spent quite a bit of time reliving all the emotions of the last 11 years in preparation for the event.
Just two days before I was to share about losing Juan David and Laura, adopting Juan David, and then finally finding Laura again 9 years later, I got a sweet text from her wishing me a happy Mother's Day because they were celebrating Moms that day in Spain. Later that week, I got another message from her wishing me a happy birthday, and then just two days later, I told her it was Mother's Day in the states, and she wished me a happy Mother's Day again.
After years of longing to know anything about her, those three sweet messages truly melted me heart.
Yes, May was a good month.
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