Joy. Japanese Style!

Check it out!
Eileen sent us a box from Japan.
I bet the people in the post office are impressed that we have friends from all over the world!

Eileen is impressive, she always manages to send so much in such small boxes. I used to send enormous boxes with lots of packaging...
Look what she sent us!

Pocky sticks (yummy...but I curious about "Men's Pocky"...it is supposed to be more bitter, maybe dark chocolate?) and strawberry ones. Japanese Starburst-like candies.
Crystal Mint gum, I think.
David's favorite Koala cookies (when he eats these he goes crazy...it's hard to contain him, seriously)
A new flavored KitKat (these are always pretty good)
More chopsticks! Now we have 4 pairs! Time for an Asian dinner party.
Then, what looks like cracker french fry-like things.
And pancake flavored "biscuits" (in France biscuits are cracker/cookies, so probably similar to those)

Oh...and Reese's and Starburst from the US. They went from the US, to Japan, to France. I should send them somewhere else...Nah!

How exciting! Thanks Eileen!!
I'm still trying to find something that is really French that is easy to send you. I don't think you want me to send any baguettes or pastries...they would be rock hard by the time you got them. Usually, here in France, you can find the same things you can get in the US just less of it, or less of a variety. For example, they have M&Ms, but you will almost always only find peanut M&Ms. Not the regular ones...

In other "Swafford News," I picked up my bank card today (debit card basically) So now we each have our own card. April 11 and I finally have a card...no biggie...I could have waited longer to have access to our money :o)
Next point of business...getting my Carte du Sejour (French equivalent to a green card in the US) and editing my French Professor's 50 page paper!

Au Revoir!

two leaves vs. almighty creator

Today, while walking around the yard with Duncan I was looking at all the patches of clovers that have begun to grow since my Dad last cut the grass. Then I found it. As we all know most clovers have 3 leaves. Now, when a clover with 4 leaves is found we have determined that this genetic mishap supplies us with luck. Well, what about when there are only 2 leaves?? No, not when one leaf has been pulled off...but just 2 leaves total? Because when I was looking at the clovers today, I found one! And a few hours later...I got a phone call.

A very important phone call... My visa is ready! Amazing! It won't take 5 weeks! So immediately I started to look for plane tickets back, since I had to have an itinerary to pick up the visa. Originally I thought, wow...there must be something to this whole clover thing. Then I realized...it wasn't the clover...(it's never the clovers).

I had talked with my friend Eileen even closer to the time I got the good news and she told me that she would pray about everything. Well let me tell you, Eileen has a powerful connection with God and I believe this is why my visa made it through today. She had prayed for a miracle, that God would surprise me and I'd get to return sooner than I thought. And that exactly what happened. I will be leaving this Thursday!

Just a few minutes ago my sister also reminded me that my situation had been put onto multiple prayer request lists, so I was 'well covered.' Thanks everybody!

So, when it comes to putting my trust in something I'm going to stick with what I don't always have to search through the grass for hours to find.