Simple Pleasures

American food. We found a can of Pringles potato chips in the market. $4 for the can, but we bought it. The taste of home.



A green L.L. Bean backpack. It comes with a cool lunch box that is just right for a little boy’s car collection. Zippers and compartments and hiding holes everywhere. Hours spent investigating, organizing, closing and unclosing that green backpack.


Cell phones. The nightly call from the boys. Hearing their voices, connecting with home. The pleasure of those 10 minutes dies when we say goodbye.


Movies. Cozy in our bed each night watching movies on the computer. Documentaries, thrillers, drama and silly. They put us to sleep.

Aaron’s laughter. It is addicting. Once you hear it, you keep coming back for more. It begins with a giggle and evolves into a full fledged full body laugh. At his happiest, he bounces and jumps for joy. Oh the pleasure of hearing that laugh. Play ’little piggy’ with his toes and he can barely breathe for laughing. Roll his dump truck down the sidewalk and he bubbles over. Simple pleasures for a love-starved little boy. We’d cross an ocean again and again to hear him laugh.

Grapes.   Soup.  A croissant from the market with sweet fillings inside.  Homemade brew (we turned that simple pleasure down).  All gifts from our precious landlady.

 Comments. Opening up our internet and seeing loving comments and e-mails from friends and family. It brings joy to our hearts and reminds us that we are not alone.


Breakfast. The one meal we can make easily. Fresh eggs. Fresh bread. Good cheese, milk and juice. Definitely pleasurable.


Faith. Belief in a Loving God who has not and will not abandon us on this journey. Rejoicing in His daily provision for our every need.


Togetherness. Best friends of 18 years together on this journey. Enjoying each other's company, laughing together, crying together. Holding hands while walking to the institute. Longing for our boys at home, loving on our boy here. Waiting and hopeful for the words of a judge to declare that he is our son.

 Simple pleasures. We have much to be grateful for on this beautiful Sunday morning.


Philippians 4:8 - “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.”