We have immensely enjoyed a mid-term break this week. A quick trip out of Massy and to West France’s, Normandy has been incredibly refreshing. Our brains and bodies have caught a breather and are better able to synthesize the loads of new information we have been taking in. Moving to France nearly 2 months ago and diving into school head first has been both a huge blessing and completely exhausting. We were giddy about getting out of the classroom and into France.
We were reminded that the learning never stops while touring magnificent Mont Saint Michel.
1. Apparently Archangel Michael coined the phrase, “If you build it, they will come”, when he was instructing the bishop of Avranches to build the island abbey in A.D. 708. The sight is packed with stories of faith, war and pilgrimage. It is truly an awe-inspiring pile of stones. I guess the 80’s baseball flick Field of Dreams was inspired by the same idea.


2. Taking a stroller to this historic site is a horrible idea. As we passed people upon entering the village below the abbey I wondered why others kept giving us a little chuckle as they passed by. Normally this might be because of Oliver’s chubby cheeks, relaxed stroller pose and who knows why else. But in retrospect I am pretty sure it was because they knew something we did not....there were many, many, many STAIRS in our very near future. After about 10 flights of beep-bopping Oliver up the ancient stone steps we approached the entrance to the abbey. It was glaringly evident that this was one job that the baby jogger was not cut out for. Plan B...divide and conquer. Thanks to a borrowed car, nearby lodging and nap time we were able take turns coming and going, taking in the sites fullness sans enfant (without child).

Joyeux Anniversaire

We have much reason to celebrate lately...Jonathan and Oliver being the biggest (click on the pic to view album)! An overnight stay in Paris and a wild, toddler bash marked the turn of the year for these two studs. We are grateful for another year of growing in family life together and for the opportunity to study French this year. It continues to be a lot of hard work, but we remain hopeful that the seeds of learning now will reap a harvest in our ministry that lies ahead. We are also encouraged by glowing moments in present life when we can effectively buy bread, get a haircut, talk with soccer buddies, greet people at church or around town and wade through our prenatal appointments. Everyday is full of learning.

Life in Massy, we have discovered, does not equal life in Paris.  Although we are a mere 8 miles from downtown, we often feel a world away from Paris as we navigate the streets among not-so-modern high-rise apartments. Massy is one of many suburbs that surrounds the city of light.
We are learning our way around the 4 grocery stores in the neighborhood and where to find the best in vegetables, fruits, cheese and prices.  We have discovered a charming french bakery nearby where there are amazing breads and delicacies! Good thing we have to do lots of walking to get to these places. Toting a toddler around town without a car has taken some creativity. Although we miss strapping him in a car seat, he seems to enjoy the freedom of the open road.

We spent the month of November living luxuriously in a real house, with a real bed where "road tripping" meant going to the store, church, to see friends or to the mall to gather more gear for our big departure. It was nice to unpack and catch up with family, friends and partners in the Houston area. Suprisingly there were times we missed our little vagabond lifestyle of daily adventure. Not for long though....once again we are on the road. Currently we are making the drive to Colorado for a three week course on cross-cultural adapatation. We look forward to what this course has to offer as we are amist one the biggest transitions of our lives...and to playing in the snow and mountains.




Our time in Texas was full in all the best ways. Here are a few snapshots of memorable moments...more to come later.

What's time in Texas without tractors and corn?

The cutest little monkey and lady bug in Katy. Oliver was really in to knocking on doors and taking candy from people.

Oliver was so excited to get his haircut (while driving a car and watching an Elmo video), he threw a tantrum when we had to leave.
Oliver hanging out with his friend Ian.

Sweet Reese and hanging out with the Slay family.

After nearly 50 days of road tripping we have put the car in park for a little while and are unpacking our bags. We are in Texas for the month of November working, playing and visiting until we hit the road again after Thanksgiving. All in all it was a trip of a lifetime. We are thankful for all the hospitality we received while on the road. Good food, great company, warm showers and new, exciting toys are what kept us going. We are pretty sure we have mapped out most major playgrounds from WA to TX, along with the most indredible beaches in the US. Most importantly we have bonded as a family in new ways, learning to live very closely and work together in everything. This is probably the most valuable preparation we can have as we face many new people and places over the next couple years.