Care

I am being taken care of by so many people here in Kansas City.

Last Friday after work Ali, and the boys and I decide to go to Costco to stock up on some of the staples that we had run out of. Shopping at Costco is always overwhelming! Before we can even seriously start shopping we have to try all the samples (usually more than once!) Once thats out of the way we can begin debating if we really need that much flour, or if we will really eat 4 dozen eggs. (The answer is almost always yes). Ali and I had convinced the boys that we wanted to make a pie, so we were making sure we had everything we needed for peach pie. Just as we were getting in line to check out, Ali's phone rang. It was a wonderful family from Kansas City whose son is doing a second year of JVC. They recently bought all us bike helmets so we could ride all the bikes that were donated to us! They asked Ali if they could come over to visit and bring us some pie. Crazy coincidence! Of course we said YES! We spent a nice evening with them and didn't end up making pie. (We did make homemade Cinnamon rolls for breakfast the next morning...post coming soon on some of the other new things I have learned to make including spinach tofu lasagna, zucchini fritters, and chili jam, I feel like I should start a food blog!)

There have been all kinds of little things like this that continually happen. Just about every week a Costco bag appears on our front steps with JVC written across the front. Inside has been everything from animal crackers to laundry detergent. We don't know who is leaving us these bags, but we have been calling them the Costo fairy and we are so grateful! Its such a nice surprise to come home from work, and find a bag with snacks or much need households items inside. The first few weeks we were here, one of us would casually mention something we needed and someone always found a way to get it to us. The FJV (Former Jesuit Volunteers) community in Kansas City is the best. From taking us to a Royals game, to showing us how to make black bean soup to bringing us a doormat for our porch to having us over for a bonfire to going with us to the opening of the new arts center to feeding us to just being such wonderful and supportive people to talk to. The kindness and warmth I have experienced since moving to Kansas City makes me feel so cared for here. It makes me feel comfortable and like there are people to go to if I ever need anything.

This weekend to show how grateful we are to everyone who has supported us we are having a potluck at our house! The JVC office in Detroit sent us a list with over 100 people on it to invite! All the FJVs in the greater Kansas City area along with the people we all work with were invited. I'm not sure how our little house is going to be able to handle all these people, but luckily the weather forecast looks good so we can use our backyard and deck! Getting ready for this party has been a week long event. We have a massive to do list in our dining room right now! Some how it seems that this is busiest week we have all had so far. So many different things are going on at work (parent teacher conferences are going while I writing this post, don't worry I am still making plenty of time to talk to the parents!) and then every evening we have something to do.

This weekend is also the birthday party/going away party for one of my favorite FJVs. She was probably the most excited about JVs being back in KC (and thats saying something because people have been SO excited about us being back...this is the first year JVs have been in KC for 8 years). She did so much to get our house ready for us, helped us fix our bikes, made our binder that is full of places to go in KC, took us to Foos (our favorite ice-cream place) the first weekend we were here, took us mini-golf, taught us to make black bean soup...the list goes on and on. She has shared so much wonderful advice with us and has been such a kind and warm person to be around. I am so sad to see her move to Colorado, but excited for her new job opportunity and for a possible road trip in our future!

Its amazing how quickly I have gotten attached to this city and the people here and in my community. And to Bishop Ward. Yes, there are struggles and teaching is stressful, but more often then not, I find myself happy and content. I cannot believe I am already half way through the first quarter at school, this year is already flying. October is full of more busy weekends: camping with our support people, homecoming at Ward, Anne our program coordinator is coming to visit for a week (we haven't figured out where she will stay in our tiny house yet...), my parents are coming to visit, and then the last weekend in October we are heading to St. Louis for a retreat with the St. Louis and Nashville JVs. It will be so good to see some of the other Midwest JVs and hear how everything is going in their cities!