school dayz

This past week brought the end of school for Orilus and Jackson--they had a half day at their Christian school on Wednesday. We went out to Fuddrucker's that night to celebrate, and gave them the traditional "moving up" cards and five dollars each. Thursday and Friday the boys spent at some friend's houses (which they are loving!) while Jason and I worked. J and I are done on June 20th (this coming Friday).

So the end of another school year is wrapping up. There is much, much for which to be thankful. Mostly, I am feeling awed to realize that this is the FIRST school year since the boys arrived nearly four years ago that I have started AND finished. No leave of absence to travel to Haiti. No leave to school my children at home and help them adjust. No medical leaves for things like bone marrow transplants. :) Just a regular, run-of-the-mill year. And given all we've been through in the last four years, regular is a gift, and I am thankful.

The summer will hold some changes for us (we hope). We hope to move sometime (July? We are still waiting to hear on the seller's bank to get back to us about our offer). I start my doctoral program. We hope to re-organize Ripple Effect. But the summer will also hold the usual lazy-quality that I have come to love so much since the boys came home to us--mornings spent doing some schoolwork (to continue to fill in some gaps that remain in their educational backgrounds), afternoons at Lynn beach, some day trips, a family camping weekend in Vermont with my Mom and sisters and some cousins, an anniversary weekend getaway, and time to see family and friends. After last summer's blitz (South Africa, two trips to Kansas, our Make-a-Wish trip to Disney World) I am looking forward to a slower pace as we find ourselves this summer in a season of "wait." Waiting, mostly, to buy a house. Waiting on change.

And, I might add, waiting on the world TO change. It has been a bloody week here again in Lynn; even Governor Patrick is promising more funding to help curb the violence here. Tonight in the car on the way home from a family cookout, our boys heard a song about God's Kingdom coming and we told them that where God's presence comes through people of His love, there is peace. And that peace is not just "calm," but also "healing." How exactly God might have as work for peace is not entirely clear for us, but if there is a war going on in my city (and there seems to be), I want to be on the side for peace, and wholeness. Ironically, as the city erupts in gang fighting and shootings, our city's schools are in a budget crisis. Schools are closing. Many teachers are losing their jobs. In my "Freshmen Academy," 14 of our 24 teachers will not be with us next year (they have been "bumped" into other positions, or their positions were eliminated). This is not the kind of peace and stability Lynn kids need. And so, to be in the midst of a city that is angry, and in the midst of a school system that is hurting, is a very interesting--and purposeful--place to be. We struggle to remember that God, too, is--and can be--present here. Pray for us as we wait and work.