palm sunday and precious babies

the weekend update> leo came back from Hikkaduwa on friday afternoon. we went out for dinner together at the Gallery Cafe, that cool place I've written about before. We dressed up a little, kicked in some extra glitz for each other. That's the sweet side of spending the week apart, by Friday it's truly a "date". We drove ourselves across town which felt great and sat underneath a starry sky with candles on the table and a gush of stories on each of our lips. Bliss.

Saturday we slept in and had a slow morning. I had a bit of work to do so Leo and I went into the office together. After awhile we went for lunch, sushi (veggie rolls for me but i was eyeing that fresh pink tuna!). We shared a fun, meaningful evening with my good friends and colleagues Lynn and Patrick. We looked at pictures, new and old. Of Yemenese stained glass windows and snow in Amman, of babies now grown and shared stories dear to our hearts. Blessings abound in such friendships as these.

Today is Palm Sunday. It's been a great great day. It started with coffee in bed and reading a bit of my "Daily Word" meditation. A dear friend in Washington DC gave me a big chunky silver cross pendant from Ethiopia a few years ago. I don't wear it very often though I keep it on my bedstand....but today I put it on a ribbon and wore it around town.

All we had planned today was to spend the afternoon with our dear friends Kelly and Jason, and their new baby girl Naia Rose. We stopped by the flower shop and picked out the most precious buds and blossoms we could find. We drove on to our friends' house and parked the car (IT FEELS SO GOOD TO DRIVE AROUND!!!). The front door opened and there was beautiful Kelly-mama with a tie-dyed one-zied baby on her shoulder. We came in, hugs and smiles and oooohs and ahhhhs exchanged. Little Naia Rose was a precious little being to behold. She has an intense intelligent expression with beautiful blue eyes and long curly eyelashes. Busy taking it all in, eyes moving back and forth and enjoying open windows, the garden and gazing at the sky. I wondered what all she saw that we didn't. I got to hold her a little toward the end, ask Kelly all the questions a girlfriend asks about "what it's like", sit with the girls during breastfeeding time (is there anything more precious in all the world??). Blessings to Kelly and Jason and Naia. We are so very glad you are back :)


In other brand new baby news, our good friends in Grand Rapids, MI Chad and Jodi welcomed twin babies into the world last Friday morning. They are blessed with a grand total of 5 precious kids. The saying "the more the merrier" is so intensely true for our friends. They are all such amazing souls and each addition to the family seems to stoke the flame. Welcome to the world Sylvia and Nash. We love you so~


Leo just turned the page of our wall calendar. March was the Robins and April is black and white sketch of a tree with pale pink blossoms.....like a crabapple tree and two people, one big one little, climbing the tree together. Written across the top in light pink is the word STRENGTHEN. Maybe mother daughter, maybe father son, maybe little You and big Me, or perhaps little Me and big You.

Let's climb that spirit tree together and in doing so, may we strengthen that which is within and between us. STRENGTHEN. Let it be so....



I am looking forward to this Holy Week. Starting today with Palm Sunday, and continuing tomorrow with Poya, and mindfully on through these precious days. Blessings to all the new life around us. Blessings to all of you.


Sending our love,
Sara & Leo