A Week with Oshmanovi, Day #2

Monday morning in Bosonohy means a rush to get the kids ready for school and out the door and then return home to chug some coffee and be ready for a Czech lesson.  The girls' school is located 0.6 miles from our house.  So of course we walk...to the garage and then drive to school.  When spring arrives we will walk our lazy American selves all the way there.

Rush hour in my 'hood. 

This is my favorite thing in all of the Czech Republic. 

Mark and I take Czech class together every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.  Studying a slavic language together would end some marriages, but we've been happy classmates for over a year.  Mark got into the spirit of this photo week on my blog, so he was Mr. Photographer during Czech class.  He even videoed me speaking Czech, but I'm too embarrassed to post it.  You guys might know when I mess up. 

Our Czech teacher is such a gift to us.  She has been so encouraging and kind to us, really helping us adapt to life in a foreign land.  She and her family have become like family to us.  They live near us and we see them often.  We are truly blessed by them.

Yes, I am wearing Mark's down parka inside my house.  It’s freezing and damp today and Mark keeps catching me turning up the thermostat.  And yes, we have a brightly checkered yellow and blue bathroom--a fairly typical combination here.  And yes, Piper is such a cute dog. 

After Czech class I had to spend a few hours in my office/guest room/kids' play room when we have small group/mud room/room with an extra freezer preparing a discussion for my women’s Bible study this evening, as well as working on the topic for a talk I will give to women at a Bible conference in June.  I am thankful to be able to do some teaching and leading here--with the help of translators, of course. 

Rebekah and I text several times a day and I love it.  Poor girl has been battling sickness for about a month now. We're so proud of her and her daily triumphs at the Black Forest Academy.  

Every Monday afternoon our teacher’s two daughters come over to practice English conversation.  These girls are as delightful as their mom and we love spending time with them. Today we baked together.

Here's a photo from dinnertime at Rebekah's dorm.  Their dorm dad had a birthday and the girls all donned mustaches in an effort to provide more masculinity than he is accustomed to in their home.  We love her dorm parents and thank God for the many, many people at BFA that strive to help her grow.

Today concluded with women's Bible study.  Pictured here is my dear friend and our pastor's wife žaneta and my other sweet friend Petra.  Normally our group includes four more ladies but the others have either sick kids or brand new babies.  These ladies are so patient with my terrible Czech and also my mushy paleo zucchini bread (looks like meatloaf in the photo--yesterday's batch was so much better).  Right now we're studying what it means to be a disciple--meaning someone who follows Jesus. 

Aaaaand, we made it through Monday, but not unscathed.  Hannah has a fever and Zoe is crying with an ear infection.  Looks like St. Patty's Day in Bosonohy will be spent tending to little sickies, not that I had big plans.  In between dishing up bowls of soup and doses of Advil, I will get plenty of photos of Mark in action tomorrow.  He shaved his beard tonight, so he's looking hot (-er than usual...you know I love that beard, Babe.).