The latest.

Well, It's June 1st.  I can hardly believe how fast time is going by.  We have 23 more days left of school and then are off for summer break.  I am sooooo ready for the break.  This month is going to be nice because the boys will be going from 8-1 instead of 8-12, home, then back from 2:30-4:15.  Needless to say, I spent a lot of time in the car when the siesta is in effect!  But this month I will be able to breath a little.  The boys are doing so incredibly well in school.  It is quite impressive at times.  Both Evan and DJ are one of the best students in their classes with mathematics and they are speaking and learning so much Spanish.  DJ is also learning and reading a little bit of Arabic too.  They are able to hold their own with their friends and are gaining more understanding everyday.  It shocks me at times when I hear them playing with their friends and how much they know.  Julian is a little ball of fire.  He has grown so much this year, going from a clingy 3 year old who wouldn't leave my side, to being excited to go and be with his friends.  His teacher has been great this year and he is understanding A LOT of Spanish.  It is really awesome to see the boys thriving.  We were really worried at the beginning of the year, because it was so difficult, but we have pushed through and so glad we did.  It is paying off for them and they are adjusting so much better to life here.

 

So, we may be having to move again.  We aren't certain, but it is looking that way.  Dom's office moved to Tanger and they are wanting him out there.  It is about an hour and a half drive and he does it now at least 3 days a week.  We have tried to get the kids into the Spanish school there, but it is a lot more competitive.  We had to be interviewed, the boys had tests that lasted an hour and a half and we had to turn in a bunch of paperwork.  We should find out this week if they are accepted in or not.  Once we know, we will begin the house hunting.  If they don't get accepted, it is likely we will stay where we are at and keep them in the school they currently go to.  It's a lot of unknowns, but that seems to be how life is since moving here!  There are pros and cons to both options so we are just praying that God would open the right thing and know what is best for the boys so we can make the right decisions we need to make.

 

My highlight, since we are unable to come home this summer for a visit (sigh) is that a friend of ours is coming and bringing her son with her (YAY).  Her son and the boys are really good friends so it is going to be a blessing for them to have a familiar friend and such a blessing for me to have a girlfriend to hangout with!  It will be a breath of fresh air for us and we are so excited about it.  She is coming in August and we can hardly wait!!!

 

Business, well is business.   It has it's highs and lows for Dom, but since he has taken all the management responsibilities there is a lot more on his shoulders.  The company is still fragile and the economy and everything is still effecting things, but all in all, it is good and Dom is learning a ton. 

 

Me, well I am doing well.  I go in and out of lonely spells, wishing I had something and someone familiar nearby but I am so thankful for the internet and Skype.  It is such a blessing having those things and makes me feel somewhat connected to family and friends.  My latest focus is my health.  I am trying really hard to lose the weight I have put on over all these years.  Since January, I have lost about 15 pounds and have another 30-40 to go.  It is a slow process and gets discouraging at times, but I am super motivated and trying really hard to do it.  I have been working out again and it feels so good.  Once we know were we are going to live, either here or there, I will then start taking language lessons and focus more on learning the language.  But for now, I am thankful for the time I get to workout a bit and focus on my health.  I feel so much better!

 

Well, that's it for now.  I will let you all know when and if we get accepted into the other school and what our plans are next!

Saturdays.

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It is so nice being home on the weekends.  The rush of the week is done, we can sleep in, watch movies, play outside, have fun and enjoy our time together as a family.  Saturdays and Sundays are much needed in our home!

 

 

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Evan is 6!!!

Evan turned 6.

I can hardly believe that my little boy has grown so fast! We had a nice time. It was different, but we had a great time. Instead of the typical big party that I am used to throwing we just hung out as a family and enjoyed the day. I didn't even bake a cake, shame on me! I am trying to get over that, I have never not had a cake!

The morning started out by Evan waking up and not even noticing the presents that we put out for him. So, we covered his eyes did a count down and sang him happy birthday before revealing his bike and other gifts! He was so happy. Dom had to go to work for a little bit and when her returned we took off to go bowling and ended up spending the rest of the evening in Tanger. Evan didn't want to wait for his papa to get back before riding his bike so I took him outside and it took him like only 2 times of me holding the back to figure it out and he was off and riding! He is just so cool!

So, that's 2 birthdays that Evan has celebrated abroad. It is kind of a weird feeling for me now that we are starting to go the second time around celebrating birthdays and the holidays. It makes me miss family and friends and brings me to the reality that we are really living overseas. Anyways, we had a great birthday, and instead of the cake, he got his own huge ice cream sundae.

Julian racing the other boys. He wasn't able to ride the quads, so he got to ride these. He had fun and we loved watching him!!!

DJ and Evan racing....

Evan was determined to win. He loves games, racing, and winning. The boys had a lot of fun and it was fun watching them!

More pictures from our day, celebrating one year being here!

More pictures from our fun family day! Our little one year celebration!

We've made it a year!

Julian riding the big boy motorcycle!

We have survived our first year here in Morocco. Not only have we just survived, but in many ways we have thrived. It has been a good year. There have been many ups and many downs. We have grown, we have changed, we have matured, we have been stretched, we have learned so much and continue to learn, we have faced trials, we have made mistakes, we have seen the Lord provide for us in amazing ways, and our family is closer than it ever has been. Our boys, are amazing little warriors. They are learning so much. They have faced so many chages over this last year, they have had to say so many goodbyes that have been a little heart breaking. But, inspite of it all, they are doing well in school, learning the language and making their own little friends here. We are still trying to figure many things out and there is still much to learn, but we have made it to our 1 year mark. We don't know exactly what the future holds for us. We just know that for right now, we are were He wants us. The business that Dom works for has undergone a lot of change as well. It isn't doing the best and really if sales stop we could be facing it shutting down completely. We are pushing through, Dom is working really hard and if it does close, well, we knew we didn't go down without a fight. And, if the Lord chooses to keep it going, then we will continue to live life here. We don't know what is to come, but this past year, has truly been a blessing from the Lord. He has really been close to our hearts and drawn us nearer to Him.

"The passed is history. The future is a mystery. All we have now is the present; and that is why they call it a gift."-Kungfu Panda ;)

We are thankful for each day we have here. It is an adventure that is not always easy. We miss family and friends more than we can describe. But we are thankful for this time. Yesterday we took the boys into Tangier and spent the afternoon playing at an amusement type park. It was kind of like a little anniversary treat for us all making it to the one year mark. It was the first time we got to do something like that, and they had a blast. We love it and we're thankful we were able to do it. Here are some pictures of our day. We had so much fun!