Good Times!

Traveling in the truck! Thanks Mimi and Papaw for the loaner!

Mark's Psuedo Party!!!

After Austin, we drove to Houston for another great week of swimming and fun! Katie has finished her 8 books for her free book at Barnes and Noble!! She is definitely a fan of reading like her mom, grandmother and cousin!!! Go Katie!

Mark had also mentioned to Mimer the last week that he wanted a b-day party too! His b-day is in October and he wanted to celebrate with them. So, Mimer—being the great grandmother that she is—got a Transformer party together for Mark! He had “green” cake with green icing and green and yellow streamers! He loves everything(but Lettuce) that is green!!! He was stoked about his pretend –Birthday!!

Mark also lost his FIRST tooth!! How great is that---but that makes me feel that he is really growing up!!!

We are now off to Longview where we are excited to visit John’s sister’s church!

Homestead Living!

Homestead -Waco

Austin---family!









After Dallas, we started our journey down south---to an incredible place called Homestead---these are a group of people near Waco that seek the Lord and live very simply. That is the easiest way to explain their way of life. They are a community of believers that farm this huge piece of land, have their own gristmill, blacksmith, church, restaurant, etc. We stopped at this lovely place to meet a couple that knows our friends in Russia. We ate with them and enjoyed their home and homestead!
After this afternoon visit, we got to go to Austin to visit family—what a blast! We had our first experience with Barton Springs---a natural spring that is a swimming area for locals…it was soooo cold in the water—I believe the water was 69 degrees—just so you can feel the cold…a normal swimming pool is in the 90’s in Texas! Katie and John went off the diving board into the ice water! Brave or Crazy??
We also got to eat at Matt’s(Mexican) and Amy’s—Ice cream for dessert! Yum!

Summer Review---Big D!!

Our dear friend Tommie got married!!



Dancing Duo's

Home Group Kiddos



Fun with the Dahl's


Drop the kids off and off to Big D we go!

The grandparents were so nice and took two kids each during about a week and a half while John and I went to Dallas to visit our friends. John had been reading in Proverbs about not overstaying your welcome with your neighbor, so we were house hopping about every 2-3 days! We so loved seeing everyone and wished we had more time with everyone! It was really fun to eat with families and get to be with our Dallas family.

John spoke at our Sunday School class and to the Spanish church! How fun to hear him translated into Spanish and Russian! We reunited with our kids finally and they got to see all their buddies(or many of them!) and loved every minute!! Truly this time has been so much fun for them and they haven’t even seemed to be too “spoiled” in their actions.
As I type, we are driving through Moscow , Texas---how funny is that!!! Yep, I am typing in the truck!! Well, it’s a good use of my time, right! Gotta blog!!
During the time here Matthew has so improved in his swimming ability—he is jumping into the pool. Holding his breath, swimming a bit---this is such an improvement---before this summer, Matthew would not jump from the edge or leave the Little pool area! He has also learned to peddle on a tricycle! Mark has been swimming like a fish and has learned in one day how to ride a bike with out training wheels! The girls are swimming so well and floating too!

Summer Review--second week in Longview

Katie and Mo!


Brigg's b-day and Infamous sibling pose! Aren't they beautiful!




Congrat's Davis!!

Off for another week in a different place---East Texas here we come!

John’s family now all lives on one street---so the kids loved seeing their cousins, enjoyed ball games, swimming on the tire swing, and lots of dirt!!! The shoes from this visit will never be the same again, oh no!! Some we had to toss, but some were redeemed by the beloved washing machine!!

We had a great time on the fourth of July with John’s extended family that came down to celebrate together!

I got to go to two of my SIL’s classes—Jackie teaches exercise classes in the city and across the country and is amazing! I was so sore, but really enjoyed watching her in action. I am inspired and have intentions to start the exercising back up in Russia ---now that the girls will be in school and I will have more free time(well, theoretically, right?)! I will be home schooling Mark and Matthew, but Kindergarten is so much easier to teach than 2^nd grade plus!

One of the greatest things in Longview to observe was Mark with is cousin Grant!! They are so hilarious! They get along famously!!! Grant could have come to Russia with us if his family wouldn't miss him so!

Summer Review - First week in Houston...

Uncle Stephen and Java! and Snuggle time with Aunt Cristina!

Katie and Mary Claire & Water Balloon fun!!

Grand kids!

Goochie bug stories at night and Dad made the cake!

Matthew's 4th b-day party

We had a great time with Mimer and Papa—even with the hottest temps in Houston in years in June! It even got as hot as 107!! We enjoyed swimming—all our kids love swimming!! Our extended family came in during the week and the cousins had a blast!! All the fam got to be there—it was really nice to see everyone---it meant so much to us that they came in for a visit!

Matthew celebrated his b-day on the actual day and the following Saturday---He had asked for a robot theme, so Wall-E it was! He loved every minute of celebrating!!!