may 2026.

What a month!

The month started off peacefully with a public holiday and a day trip out of town with friends to a coffee farm. I enjoyed picking coffee beans as it reminded me of berry picking in Saskatchewan in the summertime. We then shelled them, washed and dried them, roasted them, brewed them, and then drank the delicious coffee! It was a fun experience to make a cup of coffee from start to finish. Next month, I think I will try a tea tour!

With this being the last month of the school year, my work hosted an end-of-the-year banquet. I enjoyed bringing Noah to meet more of my colleagues.

Only halfway through the month, I went for a doctor’s appointment to check in about some increased pain I’d been having, only to find out that the doctor recommended immediate surgery. He diagnosed me with moderate to severe endometriosis (a new diagnosis for me). So, a few days later, I had surgery to remove endometriosis along with a few cysts. I had to quickly try to wrap up things at work because I knew I would need to be on medical leave, so a few days truly felt like a whirlwind, but I managed.

This was my first surgery, but everything went so smoothly. The room was so nice (my room was called the Narnia room!), the doctor was reassuring and calm, and the food was great! I am recovering well and waiting for the stitches to dissolve. I was on bed rest for a week, so I enjoyed some time reading, cross-stitching, and watching movies. I am grateful for friends who brought me meals and visited me while I was recovering. Writing this, I am just over two weeks post-op, and the doctor says I am healing well! Praise be to God.

Then, my friends threw me a bridal shower to celebrate my upcoming marriage! It was such a beautiful time. I left feeling overwhelmed with gratitude. The theme was “She’s Fresh Off the Market!” and we made flower bouquets. Every woman also shared their favourite memory with me, and we enjoyed laughing and reminiscing. It’s hard to believe we are less than 2 months away from the wedding date now.

I was able to return to school for the last few days of the school year to attend fifth grade promotion and some fun end of the year parties. I enjoyed seeing my students and colleagues before the school year ended.

I have officially moved in to our new apartment! I am beginning to unpack and settle in before my mom arrives at the end of next month, and then all of the festivities truly begin. I am SO excited. 😀

Noah and I have completed our marriage license application and interview (woo, this was an expensive and stressful paperwork challenge) and have been approved to be legally married in Nairobi on July 18, 2026!! If you’d like to give to our wedding registry, you can e-transfer using this information and we will let you know what we selected to help us furnish our new home!

CANADIAN DOLLAR BANK E-TRANSFER

Bank Name: RBC

Account Email: joc.smart4@gmail.com

Thank you for your prayers. We are so grateful. 🙂

-j.