Good news day

The boys finished school today. They're as high as kites this afternoon and struggling to settle down to sleep. It is not a case of them being finished with hated school - more to the point in their minds they are a lot closer to going to Japan now. Now we've only got 18 days 11 hours 46 minutes and 3 seconds to help them wait. It could be a long few weeks!

Actually we're very thankful. They've all brought home great report cards. Not just academically, but behaviourally too. They aren't perfect, but it is great to see them working to the best (in most cases) of their abilities. We've had some terrible struggles with our eldest over the last few years of his schooling, it is encouraging that he seems to have turned a corner.

I'm also really thankful for this verse at times when parenting is hard: Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

The other good news for the day is that we've booked good tickets for me to Hong Kong. I bet you thought we were going to Japan!?! Well you'd be right. But I've been invited to a week-long writing workshop in Hong Kong at the end of August. So, only a week after school in Japan begins, I'll be shooting off on my own. I'm looking forward to it a lot, but at the same time praying that the family will cope with my untimely absence.