at the conclusion of two wonderful weeks

it's 7:30 am and i'm sitting waiting for my flight to leave for miami. i was able to quickly get through baggage and security as there were hardly any lines - my favourite way to travel!
this marks the end of my two week visit home, a time that i treasured and enjoyed to the fullest! it was so good to be with my family, friends, and church family. i appreciate them all so much, and didn't realize just how much i'd missed them till i was with them again.
there were so many things i loved about being home: the long summer nights where it didn't get dark till 10:00, the fireflies that would flicker across the pond, the cool green grass, the quiet (i live in the country), time spent with family and friends, campfires, driving, reading a good book, eating fresh strawberries, playing a real piano..... these are all things i loved about being home. i could have done without the horseflies that buzzed around my head anytime i went into the woods, but other than that.... it's crazy to think that the next time i see that place it will be covered in snow and being prepped for christmas!
now that i'm waiting for my flight, i am looking forward to being back in Haiti, cause i love that place a lot too! sometime i'll maybe make a list of all the things i love about haiti. there are lots!
so for now, my dear Ontario, i bid you 'Adieu'.

a heart with two homes

i cannot say how many times in the past three and a half years i have said something along the lines of 'haiti is where my heart is' (or something cheesy like that. lol. what can i say? i like cheese). i think it's safe to say that those words have exited my mouth quite frequently. that certainly hasn't changed. yes, there are days that are hard, times when i get really frustrated, moments i feel discouraged. but according to several very wise people who have spoken at church, challenges are signs that you are doing something for God. it's when one is feeling comfortable and like things are easy that there may be reason for concern. 
anyway, that's not what this is about. 
in less than a week, i will be home in Ontario visiting my family and friends for a couple of weeks. the closer it comes, the more excited i get. i think of all the things i'm going to do, the people i'm going to see and hang out with, and just being back in the home where i spent the majority of my life. recently i looked at pictures i have of our property, and i thought to myself, 'i have a beautiful place to call home!' it's a place that holds so many memories and stories and, best of all, some of the most important people in my life. the people who have helped to shape me into the person i am today. people that i am proud to call dad, mom, brothers, and sisters. sometimes i take for granted the fact that my family is so supportive and encouraging of me being here, but it's an incredible privilege to have that - not everyone does. 
so, as the day of departure approaches, i look forward to being reunited with my family, and i look forward to hanging out with my friends from home. 

My wonderful family :-)

i have discovered that i easily call ontario and haiti both 'home'; apparently, i have two :-) what a huge blessing. i thank God for both of them!