Spring. I really love spring. The gardener in me loves all the flowers waking up, and all the blossoming trees. And I love the feeling of a fresh start, of a new season after the dead and cold of winter. Our family has had a really hard fall and winter, so this spring is especially precious and a beautiful picture for me personally of a much needed fresh season for us. As I shared back in January, our daughter Danny (Anna Danielle changed her name) was diagnosed in December with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Clinical Depression. She stopped attending school in November and we began officially homeschooling her in February with the goal to finish up her 10th grade year and be on track with her classmates and ready to re-join them at ICSB in September. That goal has been huge for Danny, helping her plug ahead and get her school work done and keep at her physical exercises and chiropractic appointments too. She’s been able to still go in and see her friends at ICSB and have lunch there plus some teacher assisting each Wednesday, and after their Spring Break this next week, she’ll be going in two days a week. Three days a week is the goal by May. There are still really hard days, or even weeks, but Danny’s progress is real and we’re so proud of her. November and December were especially scary months and we’re all in a much better place – a place of much more Hope, a time of Spring.
Danny on ‘our’ Margit Bridge on a sunny winter’s day in January.
At Joshua’s 18th Birthday Dinner in February
A new season also perfectly describes our Joshua, as he looks ahead to his High School graduation in just a couple months, and so many new and amazing experiences happening in his life. Tomorrow Joshua flies with the bulk of his Senior class to Israel for their Spring Break, an amazing opportunity that the school does not have every year. I’m so very excited for Joshi that it has happened this year, it almost feels like it’s just for him – he’s been so very patient and easy going through all our transitions. My prayer for him, when we moved to Budapest, was basically asking God to bless his socks off – and that sure seems to be happening. Israel this month, and then, just before graduation at the end of May will be the traditional Senior Trip that the school always has, to Cyprus. Yeah, there are some real perks to going to an International School in Europe! My most ‘exotic’ school trip was going to Boston. Joshua is also pondering his next season, as he leaves childhood behind and begins his adult life. He’s still not exactly sure what he wants to do, and we’re cool with that. He’s considered a few possibilities – the US Air Force has been one of those for some years now, but he’s also considering training to be an electrician, or…??? He has time as after graduation he’ll be having jaw surgery and not going anywhere while he heals, poor dude. If you pray, we’d love prayer coverage over all his fun trips and guidance as he ponders his next steps and for his jaw surgery and quick healing afterward. And if you bump into him, conversations about careers and future possibilities, especially in the sciences, are always appreciated.
The Senior class of ICSB on a field trip in the city, Joshua is 2nd from the right in the black zipped hoodie.
And while I’m updating about our family – Josiah keeps doing so well on his own back in Colorado. He’s still enjoying his classes at the Colorado Media School, and his job at Chuck E. Cheese’s as well as working with the youth at Crossroads Church of Denver. He recently created his own blog, if any of you want to check it out, we’re pretty proud of him.
https://josiahlakatos.wordpress.com/
One of our weekly Skype calls with Siah, trying again to help pooch Gizmo ‘see’ his boy.
Spring also means a new season of hosting Pastor and Pastor’s Wives Retreats, and the men’s one is coming up – May 7th-9th, again outside Szeged. A bit later in the season than we’ve held it before, but these are busy pastors and it was hard to find a date that could work for the core group of men who’ve been able to come for the past three years. We’re excited to see these tireless workers get a real break, a real Retreat, with no schedule, no sessions or studies, just time to encourage each other, pray and be refreshed. Oh and eat, there is always lots of eating.
My favorite tree, taken last March, there is construction all around it this year so I’m glad I got this shot last year.
So much seems to be happening, or about to happen, we can’t help but feel like we’re bursting open like the buds on the trees we walk past each day. It was a shock to find my favorite pink blossomed fruit tree down by the Danube suddenly becoming pink, seemingly overnight. We walk the dogs past it every day; one day it was an empty, tired looking old tree and the next, the next it was all popping out with pink and seemed suddenly young and full of life again. We don’t exactly know all that God has in store for us in the coming year and season, but we’re all hopeful and anticipating much. I’m especially excited as my creative juices seem to be flowing again…this might mean some more blog posts, finally.
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