Three years come and gone..... So fast

New Year's Eve will mark our three year anniversary serving here in Belgrade.  It is hard to imagine we have been here that long.  It is even crazier to look and see how much our family has changed.  The Girls have grown a ton and we added a little man to the mix.  We have found things here that we love, and still miss some things from the states. (Starbucks Coffee, Peanut Butter, and Oreo's oh how we miss the).  Luckily family and friends have made sure we have some of the comforts of home.   Three years ago we arrived thinking we would be in the big city for a year then move South and I would coach football, but the Lord had vastly different plans.  We settled and planted deep roots here in Belgrade and I started a company to teach business and English to students here in the city.  The girls have established themselves in local schools, made friends, and really opened a ton of doors for us in the community.  We miss our friends and church but we have made amazing friends here and God has blessed us with a wonderful community of folks meeting in our home weekly.  We desperately miss family but have been blessed to have several family members make the trip to visit us here.  It's been an amazing journey.  We have cried a little, laughed often (mostly at ourselves when we make language/cultural blunders).  Most importantly, we have seen the mercy and grace of God on display daily in our lives. 

Here is a walk through the last three years in pictures.

shortly after our arrival, walking home from the store 

At the 1 year mark, waiting for Wilson

Speacial Delivery, just after Christmas

2 years into our crazy journey

Year 3... 1 more year and we will be home

We got Rythem

Last year Michaela started taking Rhythmic gymnastics at her school.  For those of you who are wondering what that is, its the Olympic sport no one in America watches.  Its the one where all the girls spin and throw ribbons, balls, hula hoops or other apparatus, then catch the apparatus and keep spinning.  Although in the states Rhythmic is not very popular, it is huge in Europe, I mean very very HUGE.  So we have become quite the fans, and Kyleigh has even started taking classes. 
This past week they had their first show and we got to see all of their hard work.  The girls were great and did a terrific job.  Kyleigh is amazingly graceful, and Miki is a work of precision.  Each of their classes performed and also the "top" girls put on quite a show. 

Miki's Class

Miki on the far left

After her stunning performance

Working the ball