Asian Blend: July 2011

Well, only 2 more days 'till we head back to Cambodia! Can't believe how quick our summer has gone by!

It has been a terrific summer full of visiting family and friends. I really needed this time with my family especially and I leave feeling full of love and warmth. :)

We spent our first two weeks in Tucson, Arizona where Tim's mom and my mom lives, along with other family members. It was great to see our family again and catch up.

Next on the agenda was a quick jaunt over to North Carolina to see my nephew married. While there, I got to see 2 of my 3 sisters, and my youngest son (who was an usher in the wedding). It was wonderful to also see family there. Oh yes, I also got to spend the night with my youngest sis in LA, at the beginning of our trip into the US. :)

Killeen, Texas came next where we played with and cuddled with our two granddaughters for 3 weeks!! That was Heaven on earth! And of course we got to see our oldest son and his wife. :) Our son had just returned from Afghanistan (Army). There are tons of pics on my fb page!! :)

Then off we flew to Wichita, KS where our youngest son lives with his wife and dog, Winston. We had a fabulous time visiting with them :) They treated us to a fancy restaurant and we got to see their new apt and hear about their life! It gave me good memories to take with me! We also got to spend time at our home church there in Wichita. We were so blessed by their love and generosity while we were there. It was great to touch base with them and share what we have learned in our first year in Cambodia. We showed funny and interesting pictures and videos of our life in Phnom Penh, including the exotic foods and crazy traffic! :)

The end our journey finds us back in Tucson, AZ for 2 days to regroup, try to rest, and do last minute shopping and finish packing 4 plastic bins, and 4 carry-ons!!

Friday, July 29, we shuttle to Phoenix, fly from Phoenix into LA, then catch a plane to China and then Cambodia. Two days later (due to lay overs and time zones) we arrive in Phnom Penh!

Teacher inservice begins August 3 and school starts August 8. We are excited for the upcoming year. Tim will be teaching 10th grade English and History and will the Jr.High/Sr. High school counselor. He'll also be helping with devotionals and chapels. He is very excited about this new job change. He loves the relationships with the kids and this will be right up his alley.

I will continue to teach 3rd grade. I will be training a new TA (teacher assistant) and will also have a student teacher in my class from the US! I'm excited about the training aspect of my job and meeting my new 3rd graders! It'll be a great year!

All for now! We'll catch you on the other side of the world!

I hope everyone had a terrific 4th of July!

We spent ours on post at Ford Hood Army Base. Wow! What fun we had. It reminded me of a State Fair we used to go to in Hutchinson, KS, only a mini one. :) The best part is we got to spend it with our grandkids! We spent the afternoon and evening there. First we had to do some rides. Lillia was frustrated because she was too little for most of the rides. :(

The fireworks were the best ones I've ever seen! And it was the longest show I've ever seen - about 25 - 30 minutes, awesome. The girls were troopers; though exhausted, they stayed awake the whole time.

Here's Josh (our oldest son) and his daughter Lillia