Monday, March 7, 2011

Ode to Creston

We've lived in Creston for seven months. We didn't indend to make it such a short stay, but here we are, ready to move back West. It's been a whirl-wind adventure here. We had some lows, but we also had some great highs.

We went to McDonalds tonight for dinner, we saw five people that we know. That's what is it is like to live in a small town.

Thanks to Mrs. Weese, Mr. Blake, and Miss Jecceka for running a tight ship with lots of fun and many creative ideas.

Thank you to Julie Lang for believing in my language learning ideas and helping launch my professional speaking career.

Thanks to Mrs. Chubick, Miss Julie, and Miss Chris for sick days that gave me a chance to learn so much.

Thank you Terry and Gail for teaching me that play is the work of children.

Thank you Betty and Donna for helping me see all of the fabulous things happening around me and for being a turning point in my stay here. Also, thanks for laughing at my outrageous comments--you are very rewarding.

Thanks to all of the capable women who cleaned my house, cared for my children and watched over me when I was sick.

Thanks to Lori--my fellow Skinner scorpion--for walking my path ahead of me and saying, "It gets better, it really does."

Thank you Lenox Branch for loving my children and being so thrilled about our arrival.

Thanks to Carly Roberts and Jessica Camp for your consistent service with me in the nursery.

Thank you, Corey for never giving up.

Thank you, God, for the beautiful night sky that is so clearly visible from my back porch, the geese and deer that feed in the field behind the path. (We'll never see that in Las Vegas.)

Thank you to the Cihaks who braved the worst storm of the year to help our family. Also thank you for the combine ride--definitely one of the highlights of our time here.

Thanks Brother Lui for the facsinating explantion of how to modify plant cells.

Thanks to our family who traveled to this out-of-the-way spot to visit us.

Thank you Bryan Zachary for the personalized tour of the village.

Thank you Dennis Carter for being a great friend, an honorable person, and for not selling us a house.

Our lives have been richly blessed in the short time that we've been here. So many people have reached out to us in kindness and have welcomed us into their hearts. Thank you to all of you who have been a part of our experience.