Visiting Hours

• Krystle came over for church on Sunday and I'm so glad - it was fabulous to spend time together and she needed a break from Detroit life. When I walked into the sanctuary, I was surprised to see so many people around - usually there aren't that many for the 11:15 service. It turned out to be Youth Sunday! It was great: seniors talked (it sounds like they have a great youth program going), we sang camp songs, the youth acted out the Bible stories, and we laughed a lot. The only part that was weird was the way they sang "Light The Fire" (totally wrong) - but I loved it! And it was fun to share it with Krystle on my left and Mandy on my right :)
• After church and general hanging out with our great friends, Krystle and I decided to head to the Eischeids' for the afternoon! Once we got there, we got out of cars and into theirs...it was time for soccer! Since it was 3-year-old soccer instructed by college girls who seemed to have never worked with children before, it was pretty painful to watch - I just wanted to jump in and help! However, the best part was the little kid who kept running around the field and then roaring at teammates, opponents and parents. It was hilarious! After that, Jen and Andrew said they were taking us out to a birthday dinner! We went to Max and Erma's and the food was really good! Plus we got a free dessert. Krystle ordered cookies and I got "funnel fries" and we shared...mmmmm :) It was fun sitting with the girls and talking with Jen and Andrew. And Katie and Ella kept being sneaky about dessert and saying adorable things that made us laugh. Back at the house, we played a couple of rounds of hide-and-seek, which is actually feasible in their house. Then we helped get the girls ready for bed (took a while) and then hung out downstairs, chatting and watching TV. It was a fabulous Sunday spent with some of my favorite people :)
• I LOVE visiting the Eischeids, in case you couldn't tell. But one thing that overwhelms me a little every time I see them is the complete suburban lifestyle they are surrounded by. Soccer on Sundays; subdivisions with huge houses, just a half mile from subdivisions with BIGGER houses; minivans and/or crossovers everywhere; the lack of racial diversity; the sense of removal from any kind of city and any city issues (i.e. homelessness, poverty, etc.). This week was especially overwhelming with the soccer experience. We were watching 3-year-olds play soccer, on a turf field, surrounded by mostly white people, next to a parking lot full of crossovers and minivans, getting frustrated with the way the college kids were (or weren't) dealing with the kids. I was relieved to know that Krystle felt the same! (Sidenote: I also got the same feeling when I visited PP, in the Chicago suburbs.) Personally, I don't want to "surrender" to the completely suburban lifestyle. I try not to judge people who do. But it does, to me, seem like you are sheltering yourself and your children in this make-believe world of large houses and beautiful schools. Although I see the benefit of this (or, at least, the reasons for doing it) as an effort to protect your children from the craziness of this world, I feel like I would be less compassionate if I were more disconnected from current world events and issues. Maybe that will change if/when I have my own children.