HIM.

He is quite difficult to describe. Once you meet him, you'll understand. He has the ability to light up a room faster than anyone I've met before. This little gem of a boy baffles me daily. I can't explain how magnetic he is...everyone, everywhere, wanting to touch him, wanting to be near. He lives in his own world - one that he and His Creator have made just for the 2 of them. He runs into everything, trips over everything, falls off of everything...except when in water, and then he is strangely at home. Nothing to run into, trip on, fall off of. Its no wonder God had us name him Levi River (connected to the River). He never wants to grow up. He wishes he were even smaller. He cuddles so nice. He gives about 45 kisses a day, and that's not an exaggeration. He has a million voices and loves using each one, depending on the situation. He hates clothing and doesn't understand the need for them. He wears his shoes on the wrong feet about 59% of the time. He can't keep any pants up, no matter how tight you tie them. He calls everyone his best friend. He speaks of God often, sings his own songs all day, twirls through the house. His laugh is contagious, his smile absolutely gorgeous, his little body so resilient. He is best friends with his brother, whom he adores and attempts to mimic...who I will write about another time soon. His Papa means the world to him. He stares at his every move. He begs to be in Papa's shop all day long. He's convinced his Papa can do anything. And he's pretty sweet on his Mama too - tells me often how beautiful I am, how I'm the best Mama in the world and how much he loves me. I know every mom thinks they have special kids, but for some reason tonight, I know I have one of the most amazing little boys on the planet and I had to write it down. It was just one of those special Levi days, where I don't ever want to take you for granted. I love you so much, Levi River. You are a joy, an honor, a blessing.

putting thoughts down. finally.

I'm sick of people telling me I need to write more and me knowing that it is true.

I live a life that some tell me is romantic...I'd never define it as that, but I do feel like I live on the front lines, like I'm in the game, like I didn't miss the boat, like I'm going somewhere. That's a feeling I'll never exchange for the opposite. Which I have felt before.

I'm ready to get home. Ready to get back into the swing of things. Ready for routine. Ready to put into practice all that I've learned this trip - the insights from books, people, thoughts, long showers (a commodity in India). I'm ready to see my beloved Tibetan and Indian friends that have become family to me.
I never want to forget this particular trip back to the States. My boys are 5 & 6. Unbelievable age. Wouldn't trade this life stage for anything. For real. My boys have really blessed me this trip. Somehow, by God's grace, my kids have begun to "honor" me. How these things happen, I don't know. Mothering still stumps me and still challenges me in ways no other task has done. Hardest thing I've done. Thing I've felt worst at. Thing I've felt so utterly scared of and so absolutely stunned by. Mothering. What a privilege.
In less than a week we board a plane to go back to what we now know as home. We've begun to know it well and sometimes I'm surprised we still want to board that plane. But we do. All 4 of us. Thick and thin. For better or for worse.

I feel a sense of urgency. I have dreams at night. I sometimes worry for my friends in India like they are my own children. I haven't slept well thinking about Naina lately - one of our street youth who was just married off this week at age 13. Her family forcing her into adulthood. Makes me ill. Two nights ago I woke up sweating thinking about Didi and wishing I could hold her and tell her it will be ok. I think about how she keeps going, knowing she's barely making it in her little shack with 5 kids, no bathroom, no electricity. Dave's builders at the shop have become like little brothers to me and I worry sick about them. I want to get back to Anu and practice his math and English and make sure he can pass grade 2 this year and go on to break the poverty cycle his family has been stuck in.

I have a sense of urgency. I should. Its bleak. Its hard. Its broken. And I know someone who can fix it. Mend it. Change it. Make it better. It's time to go home now.

toads, shrews, guitars and the toilet

That pretty much sums up this past week. Its been a doozy. I'm going to stick with my list format this week.

1. Micah fishes things out of the baptismal every day (yes, we live right next to a church). This week he's caught a few toads and a few shrews. He loves finding things in there.
2. David graciously gave up a day on the job last Friday and held an all-day photo shoot last week for JOYN. I'll attach a few of my favs. Good thing I have a multi-talented husband. Rikki and I were convinced our product shots wouldn't have measured up.
3. Rikki just made me pumpkin bread. wow.
4. I spent the day in the hospital getting 4 bags of that fluid stuff pumped into me. I've been pretty sick the last 2 days. We can't figure out what in the world is going on here. Really. Need. To. Get. Past. This.
5. Starting a business in India brings the following emotions, all in one day - excitement, hope, love, fear, frustration, anger, motivation, sadness, joy, uncertainty, contentment - I could keep going.
6. We went to a water park on Saturday with all of ZK. Good times.
7. Levi hit a growth spurt (I never thought I'd say that). He's growing like a weed.
8. We finally bought David some new jeans so he wouldn't look like a gangsta any longer.
9. Indian summer weather is here.
10. I'm really horrible at teaching my boys how to play sports - you'd think I never knew how!

back at it.

My history with keeping up with blogging is pretty rotten, but at least I blog...right? IWEB isn't cuttin it, so I'm back to bloggin it with blogger. murraysinindia.com is officially over. You'll find me here when I get a free minute to download my brain. Don't expect continuity. Our life is wonderfully crazy here in India, but I rarely have time to sit, and much more rarely have time to actually put my thoughts into complete sentences, but I know I should be writing more down and posting more photos, so please encourage me to do so, and I'll do my best. I promise mom.

Micah just notified me that I have a "W" on my head "when you do that" (said to me just now while I was typing). I should probably work on that.

Our Easter has been just lovely. I'm truly overwhelmed with thankfulness for what this day means to me. My faith has been shaken up, stirred and thrown into high gear here. We celebrated with some friends Saturday night and did some traditional US Easter stuff with the boys. We sang our hearts out to Jesus together.
This morning we celebrated Easter as a family with an incredible scooter ride through the wheat field villages of North India. I'm not sure I've seen anything more beautiful and peaceful. Sometimes seeing poverty makes you want to do something...other times, a simple, poor life seems so appealing, you don't want to change anything for these sweet people! We had a picnic by a river, did some swimming and rock skipping, and read the incredible story of the empty tomb together. It was ideal. Happy Easter everyone.

Tidbits for this week:
1. Indian bugs/worms and whatever else is in our bodies are driving me nuts! I'm feeling a weekly cleanse coming on, but I'm afraid we'll blow away.
2. My boys are healthy, happy, strong. Thank you Jesus!
3. My business is such a delight, but such hard work...excited to see it start to take off and create more jobs.
4. Rikki has joined us here and she is amazing.
5. Still not quite sure how my husband knows how to do what he does. His guitars are crazy good.
6. I miss my little nieces and nephews real bad.
7. I've decided this week will be one of monkey shooting. I'm done. I've had enough grace. They aren't nice and they should be shot.
8. David accidentally let one of the birds out of the cage. The boys haven't noticed. I haven't told them.
9. Micah daily picks very large ticks off of Spike with tweezers and it disgusts me. David tells me this is normal. I practically feel like soaking Micah's hands in bleach when he's done. I know, its gross and probably unsafe, but you'll have to take it up with David if you think this habit should change.
10. We need to eat about 100 hamburgers when we visit the US this summer, to make up for our lost meat consumption. That doesn't sound disgusting to me at all right now.

more to come...