I'M OFFICIAL

Okay, I mentioned in my last post I was going to a new nail salon Monday.  Though I haven't been doing mani-pedis while I was in Paris (I decided I could do it myself just as well as the girl there so why not save the $$$????), occasionally it's really nice to get it done by a professional.

This salon is very close to the apartment, easily walking distance (even for me).  The salon was very nice inside and the staff was very professional and kind.  The young woman who did my nails and toes didn't speak much English so next time I will ask for someone who speaks more English.  I don't care about just visiting, but I do like to be able to express my concerns, likes etc.

Simple on the outside, very nice on the inside

There's a hair salon around the corner from the nail salon and we stepped into it after my nails to check it out for my next appointment (early December).  It's owned by Ron and Maggie who also are the stylists.  I don't know if there are other stylists...I didn't see anyone else when we were there.  David ended up getting his hair cut so we may have found a home!!

We'll give this a try..hair isn't easy!!

As we were driving, we saw this statue and David went back later to get a closer look.  It's a lovely setting and David, who has read a lot about Churchill, wasn't aware of this memorial.  I'm anxious to get a closer look at it.

Clementine and Winston-I love this!

If you look in the above picture, you can see a bench to the left where you can sit

Yesterday morning we went to the DMV and got the car legalized AND got our Missouri driver's licenses. There was a little bump in that road, but it was easily taken care of and now we just wait to get the license.  Yeah!!!!  It was an independently licensed agent for handling motor vehicle registration and driver's licenses.  I don't know if that's the reason, but it wasn't very busy when we were there and it was no big deal.  That was great!!

All in all, a successful day.  Oh, and we walked the walking path in the park across the street.  It's very nice,  and the path is cushioned (which David had said from his first walk there) and is so much easier for my hip.  Remember, I mentioned there are strength stations periodically.  I think there are four and we stopped at each and did some strength training.  I felt I really got a good workout and the day was beautiful so it was enjoyable.  I need to do that 3-4 times a week and I won't need a gym.

Gotta work those triceps-don't want chicken wings!!!!

A rowing machine-my Aunt Ann used one every day

And we ended the day with hamburgers and a Hallmark Christmas movie!  Can't beat that!!!!

PROGRESS!!!

Slowly but surely progress is being made.  Hurray!  We now have a settled living room, a breakfast area, finished bedroom and pieces for the storage of family dishes, etc.  We even have rugs in some areas.   So things are definitely looking up!

This area has a rug now..nothing on the walls yet.  We're waiting for our stuff that's in France.

The table has a leaf for more guests

The area behind the windowed wall (in the top picture) is a sunroom, which at this moment is housing my two darling striped chairs.  This area doesn't have priority right now...we have ideas for it so it's a work in progress!  The breakfast area finally got a bouquet of fresh flowers but still needs placemats or something (to suit me).  Too, curtains are on the menu here but I'm not sure how to hang the rods on the brick other than putting them directly on the woodwork...hmmmmm.

As much as we liked the church we visited last week, we felt we needed to visit another on our list, First Baptist Church of Kansas City (an American Baptist church).  It's sooo much closer and convenient than Resurrection but is a small church (in congregation, not facility).  It feels more like a country church to me.  However, it was very diverse (which we love) and very warm and friendly (which is very welcoming).  The small group we attended at 9:30 was a mix of people, most I'd say, older than us.  We enjoyed it more than the small group we attended last week,  and they have rotating teachers, which would be a great fit for David.  It was a nice worship service, very casual compared to ACP at least.  Leaving we had a wonderful visit with one of the pastors, Rev. Dezo Schreiner, a young (by my standards!) Haitian woman who is absolutely delightful.  She has a great energy and passion, it seems, which is contagious.   We drove away thinking this may be a very different experience than we've been in before.  We could certainly BE ministered to at Resurrection but we could certainly minister TO at First Baptist.  We usually have visited a church a couple of times then joined.  This may take visiting a church for a while before joining just to see if it's a fit.  I just don't know...

First Baptist Church-Kansas City - to the far right the little "hut" is part of their Living Nativity setting that they do before Christmas

Now, I have to share the shoes I wore to church!  I found a box of shoes I'd stored when we moved to Paris knowing I'd never be able to wear them there with all the walking and my bad hip (that I thought was a recuperating knee!!).  When I found that box, I was like a kid on Christmas Day...I was soooo happy to see those shoes (mostly heels, of course).  However, I still don't think I can wear most of them til I fix my hip BUT I did try this pair of black (they kind of look blue in the picture) booties today.  I only had to walk to the car, from the car to inside church and back (with a little in-church walking).

I was never so happy to put on a pair of shoes!!!

As you can see, it's always been about the shoes!!!  That's me in the heels at my grandmother's house.

Now, and I know many,  if not most of you,  will not believe this,  my back felt so much better wearing this bootie.  I did have some knee pain and I did have to walk more slowly, but I've always said flat shoes made my back and legs hurt and I've always felt great relief when I returned to heels.  I don't understand this, but, for me, it is true.   I couldn't walk a million miles but right now I don't need to walk a million miles...I'm not in Paris anymore, Toto!!!!😉

Saturday night we went to the movies and saw "The Good Liar" with Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen.  Not exactly what we expected but it was a good movie, I thought.  It was strange coming out of the theater and being in a foreign place.  We went to a lot of movies in Plano (and some in Paris) so my mind expects a certain familiarity when coming out of a movie.  This is still new and it just felt peculiar.  We stopped into a Trader Joe's and got flowers for the table.  Fresh flowers on the table is familiar to me.  "Home" doesn't just happen, "home" is created...by tiny touches  of remembrances...like fresh flowers on the table.

Yesterday I went to  a new nail salon for a mani-pedi!  I'll let you know how that went!!!!

IT'S NEVER AS EASY AS IT SEEMS!!!

Just a little update of our first week in the States.

We have spent this first week going out every day (I think) shopping for various things, furniture and household items, and it's just exhausting!  Not fun, exhausting!!!  Right now, we are living in the apartment without any lamps (so our living room is dark at night and I can't even look at the magazines I periodically pick up!!!😢).

We did get a label maker so we could set up our spice drawer after we bought various spices at City Market on Saturday and little jars at Hobby Lobby (not particularly close to us).  The market wasn't very busy Saturday,  but we were able to get our produce and spices and eggs (we're hopeful they're as good as the ones we bought in Paris).  I also bought some potpourri that is handmade by this woman that is wonderful.  She was in one of the buildings at the market and the minute you walked in the door this fall-like smell surrounded you.  Everyone stepping in stopped at her table.  She said the fragrance wouldn't be as strong in our apartment, but it's been very nice...not too strong, not too mild.  Just right!!!

We spent most of one day at Nebraska Furniture Mart.  We both had real hesitation about shopping there but we were getting desperate.  It urned out to be fabulous, and they're delivering bedroom furniture, pieces for the living room and dining area on Tuesday.  Then, finally, we can unpack the crystal, china and Christmas dishes in the boxes!!!  Oh, and also a table and chairs so we can sit and eat!!!

Though it may sound as though this has all gone smoothly...it hasn't!  We bought some stools for the counter that were final sale and we were so excited.  David spent 90 minutes putting one together and when I saw it, I said "that will never work!"  He freaked out!!!  But he thought the same thing.  So frustrating.  Then with our big Nebraska order we had two chairs...the next morning I got up and told David I thought we needed to cancel them...I was afraid they wouldn't fit well with other things.  We are so ready to have everything put together I'm afraid we're not making careful choices all the time.  Fortunately, we could call our sales associate and have him cancel the chairs.  No problem.  Our sofa (that we bought in August when we were here) is bigger than we realized so is a little difficult though we do love it.  And our little striped chairs are absolutely lovely in the sunroom (though we bought them for the living room!!).  So not all our choices have been bad...it just makes me cautious.

It doesn't look as long as it is..at least in our apartment!

I love these chairs!

Today we began the day visiting a new church, United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.  Don't judge us, Baptist friends.  A pastor friend couple we got to know in Paris told us about this church and thought it might be a fit for us (they're Methodist ministers but know our background is Baptist).  Nikki also sent us their website thinking we might try it.  Anyway, this is mega church to us which isn't what we really want or like.  However, the senior pastor, Adam Hamilton (gotta love his name!!!), is fabulous and we really liked him.  We visited a small group first that was not a fit for us.  But, because they're a large church, there are other options.  The traditional service started at 11:00 and it was about 12:20 or so when we walked out...and I never once  looked at my watch!!!  Beautiful music (that was familiar to us--sorry ACP friends!)  that felt worshipful to us.  The biggest problem to us right now is distance...it's about a 30-minute drive and we've rarely driven that far to church.  We've always preferred close to home when possible.  But it's just us now and we don't have children to get ready early or who get cranky if it lasts too long so maybe this is the time...

The choir was absolutely wonderful!

This stain glass window was above the choir

I've had some difficult days this week.  Not difficult enough that I'm sorry we're back in the US, but difficult enough for me to question why here...why Kansas City?  I was reminded of Joseph when the Lord appeared to him and told him to pack up and go to Egypt (because Herod was killing baby boys) and Joseph didn't question "what am I going to do there?"  "where am I going to live?"   He trusted God and got the information he needed on an as-needs basis.  I have believed all along God was bringing us here...I don't know why (at all!) but I still believe it and I know He has a perfect place for us to worship and serve.

As we begin a new week, things are looking brighter,  and this evening we made ourselves official...

COUNTDOWN - WE ARE BACK!!!!

So it's Tuesday, and we left last Friday for the US.  People had asked if we felt sad leaving our Paris home and the life we'd created there.  Over the last few weeks, I felt the most sad leaving the good friends we've made these past months.  We've made many wonderful memories during our stay in Paris and, to quote a blog I follow, I've bundled all my memories up and they go with me wherever I go.

Friday was a typical Paris November day, cold and rainy.  I thought of the many days like it when we'd had to get out to go to the market, see friends, walk to church.  Believe me, especially in the beginning, I was a Grumpy Grace having to get out, holding on to my umbrella for dear life, avoiding puddles and knowing my hair was going to be destroyed!!  But, after a while, even I got used to all the rain and walking in it was a minor nuisance, nothing more.

I love this picture of a Paris street - this was from our hotel

Our flight was uneventful and we arrived in Dallas Friday evening tired and glad to be back.  We spent Friday night with Catherine and the boys (Andy was out of town) and went to Cheesecake for a little food then to Barnes and Noble to browse (Brady got some books and I got two magazines!!!).  It was nice to go to two of our favorite spots but I started to fade fast so went to bed as soon as we got home.

Saturday was really busy.  Nathan and Courtney met us at our storage unit and together they, along with Catherine, Ben, and Jacob and Jonah packed the van we'd rented with all our belongings.  We laughed and said our whole life was in that van!!  Well, except for the things being shipped from Paris (which, by the way, we found out later have not left France yet and we are not happy!!!  They came and picked them up mid September and we knew it would take a while but this is unbelievable).

Here's our life in the back of a van!!

And here's our motley crew..but they're cute!!

We spent Saturday night with Courtney and got take-out Tex Mex, our favorite.  We were still struggling with jet lag (and, actually, still are today!!) but managed to enjoy our evening before turning in to get ready for the long drive on Sunday.

We couldn't have asked for a better day to make the trip to Kansas City.  The skies were clear, it was a little cool and there was little traffic.  We made it to KC in 71/2 hours or so, got to the apartment and David's cousin's daughter and friends helped unpack the van and we all went to dinner.  It was a fun evening, and we couldn't have done it without them.

Our painters are still working on the apartment..really just finishing up the sunroom.  They had some questions and so waited til we arrived to complete the work.  They really have done a great job and we're very happy with the way it all looks.  Of course, right now it all looks a mess!!!!!!  The last two days we've shopped for miscellaneous items, sometimes successfully and sometimes not.  Last night we did buy a mattress (we still need a headboard) and a living room chair (although I'm not sure I'll put it in the living room) then today we went to Target and bought all the "life" stuff...toilet paper, Kleenex, cleaning supplies, pillows, sheets, mops, sponges, appliances (like a blender, slow cooker, hand mixer etc) and all the small utensils cooking requires.  Yesterday we'd gone to Sur La Table and gotten some cookware, so I think we're pretty set.  We walked out of Target with this...

And we realize we forgot some things.......!!

...four carts with a few boxes on the side!!!!  We applied when we entered the store for a Target card so we could get 5% off our order and after all the paperwork they told David it couldn't be used for 7-10 days!!  Are you kidding me??????  But, the young women in charge said she would bypass that and would give the discount today.  Yeah!!!!!!  There are still some nice people out there.  You can imagine the looks we were getting as we were checking out...one lady said she didn't envy us unpacking it all and I said "yeah, and carrying it up three floors with no elevator!!"

But we did it, unpacked it all and found places for it and tomorrow we tackle the boxes to find homes for the rest of the pieces of our life.......