Fall and Grandparents!!

Fall is here and winter is on the way! There is a bite in the air and the weather is fabulous!

We just finished a great time with Mom and Dad. They were here for ten days and we enjoyed every minute of it. They sat in on Bible studies, preached, went to Albania, and most of all, spent time with the kids.

Below is a second posting, which due to technical ignorance, couldn't be put together as one! So, scroll down and check out the latest pics and news!

The grandkids with Nana and GeeDaddy.

Mom and Dad joined Jackie in making Pindjur, a Macedonian delicacy. It is kind of like a spicy relish. They made it with Vesa, a good friend of ours who hosts our Monday night Bible study. They used Vesa's family recipe and it turned out great.

Jackie samples the finished product!

Fall in Macedonia is fantastic. The five of us really enjoy hiking and this visit to Galicnik, in western Macedonia was a treat.

Check out the Kids!!

The last two weeks have been full but good. My parents, Vance and Cherry, came to visit for 10 days and we had a great time. The kids really enjoyed being with their grandparents- walking to school with them, having special stories, and enjoying a weekend in the mountains.


We had a great time hiking in the historic region of Galicnik, a wonderfully picturesque mountain village. We wore ourselves out with some long and steep hikes, but thoroughly enjoyed the turning leaves and the crisp air. Yes, we hiked to the top of this mountain!

Rebekah is doing well in school. 4th grade is a little harder than expected, with lots of homework, but she is showing some good initiative in studying. She enjoyed some needlepointing with Nana while the grandparents were here, and says she wants to be a botanist!
Josh is the president of his 1st grade class and is a very active kid. I think we counted 6 falls that he took on one hike this weekend! Not that he is clumsy, he just goes all out! Last week he literally split his bike in half when he hit a curb at full-speed. Josh was fine, but the bike is trashed! Rollerblading is his new passion.

Daniel must be doing better in Macedonian, because his pre-school teacher complained that he was talking too much to his friends yesterday! He seems to be enjoying school, although computer games are his first love!
Angela is adapting well to our family, but not so well to school! Apparently, her village school was not up to speed and she is struggling to meet the 7th grade standard here in the city. Jackie and I are also struggling to know how to help her learn and what kind of schedule we need to set. This is a big issue for us right now and we are more than a little confused and frustrated! Please make this a matter of prayer for us!