Happy Birthday sweet Kevy!

Happy Birthday to my sweet Kevy bear!

This was about 1993-ish, when we first started dating...

Good Bye Armenia, Hello America!

December 6th at 1AM we got the kids up, packed up our 16 boxes, which included our dog, and drove to the Yerevan airport to leave our life in Armenia behind.   30 hours later, at 9PMish on December 6th, we landed in Minneapolis, MN!  It was literally the longest day ever!  :)

After we got all our boxes checked in at the Yerevan airport and paid for the extra three boxes and the dog, we went to find our seat and wait for the plane.  Hannie was already in tears, worried about Rocky, when some officials came to tell Kevin that they decided we couldn't take the dog.  He was already checked through.  They needed some extra paper that we didn't have.  Our vet had given us everything we'd need so we're not sure if this paper was just misplaced or not actually needed.  We called her (in the middle of the night) and she was so sweet to talk to them and to help us.  After the blessing of a delayed flight and friends helping us, we got the okay and the dog was on the plane.  The kids were crying and praying all the while.  So that was our intro to our 30 hour day.

We finally got on the plane at about 6 or 7AM!  On the plane they gave us breakfast and Ruth asked if it was supper (it was still dark out)...  No baby, it's breakfast!  It's morning?  Still breakfast?!  Yup!  Uff.  :)

Czech Republic Airport

We stopped in the snowy Czech Republic for a lay over.  We were happy to find a little play place and Kev was off to check on our luggage and the dog...  we didn't see him for the next 3 hours!  I was getting a little worried.  Okay, a lot worried...  when he showed up just in time to get us to the next plane.  I'm thinking what will I do if he doesn't show up??  How long do we sit here?  Since our last plane was late, there were lots of travelers in line for refunds and whatever.  That took time.  Then, again, the dog.  They told him that he couldn't travel because it was too cold!  Well, then what?  Just leave him in his kennel in the Czech Republic?  Again, he got it worked out and the dog was off with us.  But first we had to wait for a delay of flight...

Now we're off to fly over the ocean...  Really this flight wasn't too bad.  We were along the window in seats of two each so it was me and a child, behind us were two children, and behind them was Kev and a child...  They showed some bad movies on the big screen right in front of us that we had to shield the kids from.  And Lijah spilled water on Kev while Benjamin bumped water on me, and the two people across the row from us... but all in all, that flight wasn't too bad.

I had time to pray for the friends we were leaving and the friends and family we were going to...

Beyond Tired...

Next stop, New York...  we get there with like an hour to catch our next flight.  Okay.  We know it's going to be crazy.  We have super tired kids (and super tired us) and 15 boxes and a dog to re-check!  After we wait in a huge line and get to the front to check our visas, Kev's told to go to the security room because we've been out of the country without returning for two years!  No!  We look suspicious!  But we have a flight to run to and boxes to re-check!  The gal at the security place was sassy and mean...  so I knew she'd be no help.  I have four kids and, yeah, all the boxes to get...  hum...  Lord, HELP!  I tell the kids...  Pray!  I'm going to see if the boxes are here.  I go away from them but keep them in sight.  No boxes.  But another airport gal comes to visit with them.  She's all sweet and nice to them.  Thank You, Lord, for sending help our way!  I say we're about to miss our flight and my husband is stuck in the security place.  She's quick to help us and gets things moving so he can come help with boxes (which are still NOT there).  The other gal scolds her for going into security without her permission... but still...  we're off!  She helps us run around and gets a guy to help us because now we've found Rocky!  Yea!  And he looks good but wants OUT.  With this guy's help, we run the dog to where he needs to go through back rooms and get him checked through.

We run, Run, RUN to our gate where they say they can't tell the plane to wait because we're there.  We stop to take off our shoes and belts and all that good stuff!  And then RUN again...  We tell the people we'll go without the boxes and they plan to send them on the next flight.  The guy is about to close the gate when we get there!  By the time we sit on the plane we're sweaty and exhausted.  We're scattered all throughout the plane.  Kev is kind of close to the boys and I am behind the girls...  At least this is our last flight and we got Rocky on the plane!

Well, the plane people decided to look through all our boxes and send the boxes along...  which may have delayed this flight (unless there were other things going on as well...?).  The plane made up the time in air and I visited some with the gal next to me.  She was from Canada, just north of us in ND, and had come to NY for a girl get away with her family.  During the flight Ruth came back to me and said, "Mom, should I go to the bathroom?  I have to puke."  Hello...  Go, Ruth!!!  Well, she didn't puke.  Thank you, Lord.  (While I walked back to my seat I stop and kiss Kevin on the cheek... he doesn't even move...  exhausted!)

We made it to Minneapolis!!

Lijah meeting Emma

We're dragging by the time we get off the plane but still excited to see, Blake, Crystal, and Emma (my brother and his family) who are waiting to pick us up in Mpls.  There they are!  Whoo-hoo!  We're a little teary and relieved.  We made it!  Gather up the boxes...  minus two which show up the next morning.  Gather up the dog and take him out to pee!  Get to the hotel.

At the hotel, Blake pulls us over to the side to tell us that while we were flying, my One Hundred and (almost) TWO year old grandma passed away.  We didn't think we'd see her when we left the states but it looked like we would...  We celebrate the fact that she's in heaven now and happy, healthy, and whole!  But wish we could have hugged her one more time.  Almost made it.

I wonder if I was praying for Bestamor (my grandma) as she went Home to heaven...

Rocky made it!

We drive with Blake, Crystal, and Emma to Grand Forks in a 15 passenger van (Thanks, Josh).  Stay there a few days.  Drive to Williston where we'll live for now.  Go to my grandma's funeral.  Drive to GF.  Drive to Springfield, MO.  Have Christmas.  Plan to drive home...  snow.  Soon we'll drive back to Williston and try to settle back into life in the states!  Whew.

There's the story of December 6th, 2010.  Hopefully I'll find another minute sometime soon to share some of our thoughts after leaving our home for two years in Armenia to come back to our home in America...  stay tuned!  ;)

Busy Month!

To say this is a busy month is kind of an understatement!  Heh...  We're actually about to run out the door right now but I wanted to get on for a second anyway to say, Hey!  and, Merry Christmas!

On December 6th we flew back over the ocean away from Armenia and back to the US.  Talk about chaos!  Whew.  But, we made it and here we are!  In some ways it seems like we've hardly been gone from the states.  It's so good to be home and with friends and family again.  But then again, in other ways, we miss Armenia and talk about our friends there like we'll see them tomorrow...  What a blessing for us to get to spend time there and to build friendships.

Now I'm off to spend some time here with more family!  I'll try to touch base with you again soon to fill you in on our adventure over the ocean!  :)  For now...  Merry Christmas!

heart

I've always loved people.  My friends and family are some of my biggest joys.  I think of them and smile.  Or cry...  heh.  Now that we've moved here, I've come to realize that I can even love more than I knew I could.  Our friends here have such a special place in our hearts.  Not the same place that our friends in the states have, which is already huge... but a whole new place that I never knew was there!  :)  So glad for the treasure of these friends in Armenia.  God has grown my heart bigger than I'd even thought about.  So glad that He opened the hearts of our Armenian friends to love us back!  We will leave part of our hearts here in Armenia.  Or maybe take part of Armenia with us in our hearts?!  Both.  We love these friends!  Love 'em!!  

Okay, of course, I realized that I shouldn't start putting pics up because, obviously, I will miss more than one friend on here... but I'll leave these few group pictures so you can at least see a few of the people who have our hearts here!  :)

The first pic is of our friends from the Fire Bible Office over at our house.
The second pic is the Rhema band over at our house for the last time...  sad night.  (Narek is in England but he's with us on Skype!!)
The third pic is our friend and language tutor, Nadela, and her husband, Khachik at their apartment.
The last picture was taken a year ago at Hannie's 9th birthday party...  kind of a combination of the groups above...   :)

YIC kids

I figured since I posted pics/videos of everyone else in the family in the last two posts I'd show you something I've been up to, too!

These are some of the sweet kids I've had the privilege to teach at Yerevan International Church.