Hello Seattle ♥

Hola mis amigos!

Today has been full of new and exciting activities just as every day before here at the Henson house in Port Orchard, Washington. God has blessed this house. I pray He will continue to. Every morning I wake up to the sound of my little kiddy cousins running around. Almost every day is filled with some sort of project or goal - anything from cleaning the house to taking a trip to someone's house for a play date. Somehow this full yet flexible schedule makes me very happy.

The Legislative Building from the church's field trip to the capitol.

I have ceased to be a novelty here, however. My friends at church are starting to be just that - friends - instead of fans. ;-) There have been so many opportunities to get to know them better during this trip. A friend named Benjy had a birthday party and a workday for his Eagle Scout project. Both of those were unexpectedly gratifying. The birthday party included grilling out and singing around a campfire followed by an opportunity to sing with my friend while he played his guitar. The workday consisted of many many tangled roots, thorns, and tree trunks which were pulled, hacked, yanked, and hauled away to make a beautiful path through a bit of forest to make room for a nice picnic area. Being covered in dirt at the end of the day felt awesome! I was even able to help haul logs from a tree they had felled! Of course, watching the men devour the cookies we had made was enjoyable too. ^_^

Becky has enabled me to experience a multitude of "firsts" during my first month here. Transporting Sarah and Benjamin in a minivan on the highway to their piano lesson while Garth and Becky and Ruth took Rachel to the doctor to have tubes put in her ears was definitely a "first." Becky had me go through a drive-thru, which I had never done before. She taught me how to mow a lawn, iron a fancy shirt, and cook a bunch of different dishes. I am learning so much! I changed a diaper for the first time, and now I have a job watching two little boys (ages 4 and 18 months). Their mother has asked me to help with some computer jobs as well. I was even more pleased when she told me that I could do the computer work from college.

I really believe that this is where God would have me for the summer. I have no idea if I am truly as much of a help to my cousins as I hope to be, but God has some lessons here for me. Having a constant church again has impacted my relationship with God in a positive way. I had been struggling a little with that. Also, since this area is made up of so many families, there is almost always help needed, even if it is something small. It is nice to be needed. He has been teaching me a lot about families as well, but that is a subject for another post. ;-) It really feels like home up here. I have seen a wedding, a funeral, a baby shower, a graduation, a recital, and many birthdays. God is SO GOOD! Every day the cloudy sky boasts of his beauty. The snow-capped mountains point up to Him. The very flowers and inlets and bays scream of his wisdom, intelligence, and lordship. There are many more lessons for me to learn, and I am more excited now than I was before I came. He has a plan for me. I will trust Him.

*~FUR~*

Proverbs 31:30

Psalm 19:14