Countdown to Furlough

I spent the first half of this year fairly focused on one thing: adding a new baby to the family!

Now that the baby is here, Mike and I have started to look ahead (though Mike tends to always do this better than me, so I guess I should say I'm starting to look ahead with him now). We looked at the calendar and realized...furlough is coming up for us - and soon!

While I generally love the missionary life, I also fully appreciate the furlough aspect of it. Since we started living in Mexico, we have been able to take a two-month break every two years. We've also had the option of taking a three-month hiatus after three years on the field, which we did one time.

This year, as our schedule plays out, we're going to take about six weeks around the holidays to head back the U.S. and unwind. I anticipate our time in the States to be similar to our past furloughs: refreshing, relaxing, and a great time to see family and friends.

The best part of furlough - for both Mike and me - is the chance to worship with so many other Lutherans. This time, we'll be able to attend a concert (if you're at the MLC Christmas concert, look for us!) and participate in some other precious Advent and Christmas gatherings.

To celebrate the upcoming trip, the girls and I made a paper link chain. Each day, one of the girls takes off a link. As of today, there are just 89 days to go!