Summer starts with a double bang!

School got out last Thursday!  Woohoo!  The kids and I have been looking forward to this for a while, especially Dasha.  The last day of school marked her 13th birthday.  We now officially have two teenagers in the house.  My, my!  Dasha picked the birthday menu and we celebrated with taco night and monkey bread for her "cake".  It was a nice change from the typical birthday cake.  Her "big" gift was her third iPod shuffle.  Yes, I said "big" because we couldn't trust her with a more expensive choice considering she washed her previous two in the washing machine.  We told her she is more than welcome to have a nano... if she buys it.  I can't believe my two little Ukrainian girls are now teenagers!

The other "bang" was some very good news about Mike.  We found out that he is on the Lt. Col. promotion list!  Yeah, Whoop and Praise God!!!  It will take a while for him to pin on, but at least he's on the list.  We are guessing by next summer.  Keep looking for updates.  We'll definitely post it along with pics.  I am so proud of my hubby!  I am grateful to God for giving him the favor to get this far in his military career.  We give Him all the credit for where we are today.

Our plans for the summer entail a few fun trips.  We have some friends coming in next week for two weeks.  They are leaving their little ones behind.  So we have action packed their itenerary and are taking them to several countries.  One trip is a date trip because we are leaving our kiddos behind too.  A friend has generously offered to watch the kids for two nights and three days.  Once we get back from our little escapade, we are letting Stasia go with some people from church to a youth conference in Switzerland.  I am nervous about letting her go, especially to another country.  But I know that she is more than capable and trustworthy.  Mike had to remind me that in four years it will be college and I won't be getting her back except for holidays.  I hit him!

Our last big trip is going back with Mike to the states as he attends a three and a half week training in Florida.  I have all kinds of plans in my head and I am hoping to somehow fit them all in the little time we have there because, with the price of airline tickets, we may not make it back for a while.  Let's just say Chik-fil-A is at the top of my list, several times!

Again, our home is open for visitors if anyone ever wants to come visit!

In Him,
Melissa

 

Spring Break to School's Out

A few things have happened since our last post.  The first is spending our Spring Break as a family in Turkey.  What an adventure!  Mike was able to get clearances, signatures, and times worked out for our family to fly space available to Incirlik.  Can't beat free airlines!  We stayed on base for great lodging rates.  And then splurged with the traveling and purchases.  Altogether it was amazing!

Our first trip was to Cappadocia.  The cave houses were interesting to see.  

And the trip included a night in a cave hotel.  The kids liked that.  

Something new to experience was riding a camel.  It is very different from a horse - much more bouncy and the fall is greater which increased my fear!  It was worth it to try.  

The second trip we took was to see the seven churches of the Apocolypse (the seven churches mentioned in Revelations).  It was cool to see where Paul and some of the Apostles had been.  

This is Pamukkale.  It is a hot mineral spa near the ruined Roman city of Heiropolis.   

We had so much stuff coming back that we thought we were going to have to take two trips to get home.  I masterminded a way to get it all in for one trip.  We had to sacrifice alot of leg and comfort room, but we  made it. 

It was and amazing trip!  I am so thankful that Mike took the time and patience to arrange everything so we could see Turkey.  The kids and I will never forget our adventures there.  

Once we got home from that trip, we vowed to wait a while before going on another one.  School gets out next week and we are not planning anything until July.  We have a few local things planned.  But our big summer trip will hopefully be accompanying Mike back to the states for his TDY in Florida.  We are praying about HOW to get out there.  We'll see.  

Lastly, we finally said goodbye to our home in Del Rio.  We were blessed with it for 7 years and finally passed it on to another family.  We will still be back to visit.  But thankfully, I do not have a heavy burden on our shoulders to worry about that home.  I am grateful to be a single homeowner again.  God is good in all of His provisions for us!  

The summer chapters will come next...  

In Him,

Melissa