More creek stompin'

Aaron having a good time


The kids wanted to build a dam


All the kiddos by the finished dam

Friends...

We have been having a great week being home. We have been working very
hard to unpack and get life back in order... but it has paid off. This
weekend, some of our friends from the Pastor's College stopped by for a
few days visit on their way to Arizona.

The kids toasting their soda's at supper


A pic at our Amish neighbor's fence


Aaron and his buddy Ronan splashing in the creek by our house


"I baptize you in the name of the Father..."


Toby and Rebekah Kurth

Final Days

Here are a couple picts from our final days in Gaithersburg...

The girls with their neighbor friend, Sofia


Aaron and his new buddy, Dale Landis


Steve and his graduating class


Me with the girls in my fellowship group

We're home!

Just wanted to take a minute to say that we are all home safe and sound. Steve arrived in the middle of the night with the girls after his graduation and then Aaron, me and my mom came Monday morning. It has been a crazy couple of days staring at all our stuff and trying to get life in order. I am so grateful for all the helpers we have had...
*Dale and Carol Landis who drove down from Lancaster and were our official moving/cleaning crew. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
*Linda Driedger who has done so many things, organizing a cleaning crew to surprise us with a clean house to come home to and brought us supper last night. Linda, you are servant extraordinaire!!
*Carol and Dale, Martha Privitera, Carl and Linda, and my parents who whipped our place into shape before we arrived.
*Our pastors here in who spent their day doing much outside work to make our place look great!
*My uncle Jim who is non stop and endless with all that he does for us.
*My cuz, Shannon Hanna, your sweet and kind welcome home gifts and for always loving and caring for me.
*My parents who go above and beyond the call of duty to help us out. We could not have done this transition without you. Mom spent 4 days with me in MD to prepare to come home and then all day Monday here to unpack. After spending all weekend with us, her and dad spend Monday evening picking strawberries for me to freeze. Thank you, thank you, thank you, mom and dad.

I think we are all a little "fried" emotionally and physically. Aaron has adjusted well and the girls are happy to be here but they seem a little sad. It was hard for them to leave their friends down there. I'm sure they will be back to normal soon enough.

All for now. Gotta get my tired self to bed.

Bubbles with Grandma

My mom came down today to help me pack and clean. First, her
and Aaron needed some quality time together...

Diversity

It was just thinking tonight about something that I'm going to miss about living in Gaithersburg... all of the ethnic diversity. I spent most of my day today at home but in the little time that I was out, I met a woman at the pool from Armenia (I even had to ask her where that was!), my girls played with their Ethiopian neighbor friend, and I chatted with my Ukrainian neighbor. I have met people from so many different countries and I find it so interesting. Back in Lancaster the big cultural difference is if you are from Quarryville or New Holland!!

Buddies