You know they listen when...

I heard this conversation on the way home from dropping the girls off on the LAST day of school!
Mark---Mrs. Stumbo said she would miss me---I am so sad---b/c I won't see her again---(tears flowing at this point---breaking mom's heart!)
Matthew---Stop Crying I can't understand you!!
Mark(more clearly-barely)---I'm sad because I won't see Mrs. Stumbo again---she is going to miss me.
Matthew---I don't speak Whinese so I don't know why you won't see her again...

You realize they do listen when they repeat your words--even at the most inappropriate times---when Mark's heart is sad and Matthew obviously---has no sympathy!!

This is why they say leaving can be bitter - sweet---you want to see your family and be near them, but leaving people behind is just heart wrenching especially when your kids' hearts are involved.  We are so glad to have met all these new people and we are better off for it--we will take them home with us in our hearts!  I told Mark we may be able to see his favorite teacher friend (he only had her for a week of testing, but he has grown to love her deeply--he thanks God for making her --- every night!) if we visit here again. 

Elema---cleaning up!

We went out to Elema with John to help with loading bricks and enjoy the country.  Normally John and Sergei go out alone, but today I had the boys and Sergei had his wife, his twin daughters and his mother in law.

 The kitchen pictures are before cleaning!  Christina, Sergei's wife, went out this Sunday to clean out the kitchen.

Note:  The stove--wood burning--is not what I will be cooking for 18+ people three times a day on.  I will be using a gas stove---look out world!!  I know my mom cooked for us 5 on a gas stove, but 18+ three times a day will be interesting!!  Hey, I know if people in Nicaragua can cook a week's worth of beans on an open fire, I can surely do a gas stove!!! 

John and the boys rode the lawn mower with the trailer on the back to pick up the bricks.  I can't wait to be able to show after pictures of when the work is all done.  The team from Georgia comes in a week and we will camp out at Elema for a few days with them.

Then, we will come home and our friends -Tim and Sue- will take the kiddos and John and I will celebrate 14 years of marital bliss!!  We are staying up late to see the bridges open(they open at 1-2 am!!).  We might have to take a nap just to be awake!!

We have less than 3 weeks left in St. Petersburg before heading to Houston to see what God has for our future. 

I won!! Yeehaw!!

I have found a friend that is a missionary in Africa through blogging and she had a giveaway!  I love her work and have ordered from her store before--but today I won!!  That's actually how I got to see her work in person---I won another give-away of hers!  I had ordered something similar for my sister in law and love mine that I won!  We are moving home to Texas very soon and this is such a nice item to have for my home--whenever I get my own.  Check out her blog and her store!!

Church Picnic 2010

Our church's family group went to an island here in St. Pete.  We came here last year and it was wonderful then too.  It's so green and sunny!! Our Pastors are the bottom right picture!  We love you-John and Renee!

Georgia Friends Adopt

We have met a couple of Georgie folk that came over to adopt their little girl---this was us just hanging in the hallway...it was so great to meet our new friends and to see them go through this process of being new parents!  We loved getting to know them and are so excited for them!!

My Mother's Day Gourmet Meals!

John and I have been eating a yeast free diet for almost a month, so when Mother's Day came around, I couldn't eat anything sweet or yeasty, so John, like always, outdid himself with all my meals.  I didn't take a picture of breakfast, but lunch was Florentine Stuffed Tomatoes, Strawberries, and Bell Peppers.  Dinner was beef cutlets with sauteed onions and a yummy salad.  Breakfast was amazing too---eggs, veggies, fruit!  John ALWAYS does Mother's Day up for me so well that it has become my favorite day of the year!  Thanks Honey!

Katie's choir at her school sings from the play Oliver!

Anne of Green Gables IA play

This is the Anne of Green Gables play that the school performed...if you want to watch.