5000 VIEWS!!!! THANK YOU

This week we passed 5000 views on our blog and want to say thank you to all of you for keeping tabs on us.  Its been an amazing year and a half here in Serbia.  God has been faithful in so many ways and taught us so many things.  We are greatful to our faithful followers and ask you continue to pray for us as we continue our adventure. 
THE STEVENS FAMILY

Refreshed, Recharged and Reflecting

Some reflections from our week in Bulgaria for a business meeting:

- So thankful for volunteers from ALASKA who came to teach our kids and give them a VBS

- If you are ever in the Syracuse area you must go to Northside Baptist Church to hear Pastor Bruce Aubrey, he blessed us tremendously this past week. (and the band was great as always)

- Love listening to my kids sing VBS songs all this week at home

- June is a little cold to swim in the mountians in Bulgaria (if your an adult, kids don't care about water temp)

- My company has tremendous leadership, and it was a blessing to have them there teaching and encouraging us

- Driving through mountain tunnels never gets old, it is so beautiful

-Driving 8 hours home with no AC, not so beautiful

-Is excited that post meeting was the official begining of teammates in Belgrade

- Bulgarian food, not so great.... But they do have Dunkin Donuts so all is forgiven

- Breakouts, much better this year (Brit and Preston), free time in much more abundance

- got to spend some serious time pondering serious questions about Issac and Bethel

- the silver convoy there and back was great with super people

- watching the kids reconnect with old friends and make new ones is exciting

- also it's sad that they get there own food and only want to eat with their friends

- was pulled over for the first time, no ticket, he just wanted a bribe, which I did not pay so he got bored and let me go

- There are some amazing things happening in the Balkans, and it was encouraging to hear about them
- Got to spend time with a great friend sharing and praying
- Met some super people and made some great new friends

- As fun as Bulgaria was, looking forward to Greece next summer

Ms. Miki

Last week I wrote about K and today I want to share how awesome Miki is.  The first change that Michaela experienced here in Serbia was her name changing.  Everyone here has a nickname and Michaela is not a Serbian sounding name at all, so she quickly became Miki at school and not long after that at home too.  M has done the most adjusting here in Serbia.  She speaks very well, she eats the most Serbian food, and the clothes oh the clothes!  She dresses just like her friends, lots of tights, long sleeves and hats until it is HOT!  She is very concerned about being like her friends and not being to different (the blond hair is a dead giveaway, but she is going to blend where she can).  Where K still is very much American, we see that less and less in M.  She even has a hard time remembering English words we don't use very often (like umbrella). 
One thing that has not changed about Miki is she is still super funny.  Here sense of humor is a s sharp as ever and she loves to joke people.  The things she says are witty and funny.  Her latest thing is to make up words.  Her best one is  funny + hilarious = filarious, if you are bestowed with filarious, that is a huge honor.
This past week was supposed to be Miki's school trip but Sunday morning she came down with a terrible fever (104.8) so off to the doctor we went.  Strep throat was the cause and three doses of antibiotics by injection were the cure!  Like all kids the thought of one shot was not very appealing but three was just to much.  On the third day when Miki and I went for the last shot, she took Nunny with her.  As we arrived at the doctor Miki told me she was big and brave and left Nunny in the car.  She marched right in there and with few tears took her third huge shot in the hiney!  I was pretty impressed with her bravery, but I should not be surprised this is the same kid that thinks she can walk to school by herself.  Here are some pics of Miki being Miki.

A Big Day for Serbia

Where were you when Ratko Mladic was captured?  I was in the heart of Belgrade eating at a cafe as the news broke and you could see the people turn their attention from conversations to the tv's in the cafe. This was easily the biggest thing that has happened since we have been here. I was glad to be in the center of town that day.  An American friend of mine and I saw the police loading up in preparation for any activity that may need a police presence.  we saw The people in the center were chanting and we got to witness a little opposition gathering. It was mostly peaceful but it was fun to see the energy change and feel the buzz in the air.  This is an event that will bring closure for many people in the Balkans.  I also feel like it will be the catalyst for Belgrade and Serbia to move forward.  In talking with my friends in the city most of them are glad the hunt has ended and that maybe this will be the thing that propels their country into the greater European community.  Here is the headline from one of the news papers.  As well as a pic of the riot police we saw keeping the city peaceful.

The line of little black and white dots across the street are the police!

We were stoked to get to see some action! (It was all safe and peacfeul)

TRANSLATION: Ratko Mladic Finished

Kyleigh, the kid, the trip

I don't usually use the blog to brag on the kids but I thought I would indulge my self for a few blogs.  We have been here a while now and the girls have changed so much.  Wilson is just the best little eater and pooper  you could ever imagine, but those are really his best skills right now.  So lets talk about Kyleigh.
The past 18 months I have been shocked by the changes in K (most of them good, but as I write this she is being reminded of her chores for the 1 billionth time). She has gone from shy and a homebody to independent and adventurous.  She loves to spend time outside and with her friends.  She walks to school and home and loves looking for places to get palecinka (a great desert).  She is a tremendous Serbian speaker.  I mean she is the best in the family (with Jen and Miki close behind and I am just trying to learn as much as Wilson).  Last week K went on a school trip - for 8 days.  That is 8 days away from home in a foreign country (but for her its not all that foreign now).  She handled it way better then her mom and I did.  By the fourth day she had gone from two phone calls to one call a day and the last two days we did not even hear from her.  We know she had a blast, she came back with her language having grown leaps and bounds.  Her class was on a mountain south of Belgrade and in the morning they had class and explored the forest.  The afternoons were crammed with activities and in the evening they had some sort of fun contest and dance.   Her only complaint was meat paste for breakfast, but who can blame her.  Kyleigh is a great big sister.  Most of the time she willing helps with Wilson and often begrudgingly plays with her sister.  We are proud of her and pray she becomes the lady that God has designed her to be.  Enjoy some pictures of Kyleigh.

THE BIG MOVE

If you have been following the blog you know we have been working on moving for about 6 weeks (hence the absence from the blog). Well this past week it finally happened and we have moved to a new flat.  Now moving in any country is hard and the move here did have its interesting points.  Here you have two choices: One, find a friend with a van and make 100 trips moving or , two, hire a moving company.  There is no Uhaul, it just does not exist.  So on suggestion of a colleauge we hired a moving company.  I contacted them on tuesday and told them we needed 50 boxes and they brought 20... that's close.  Jen and I (mostly Jen)did the packing.  On Thursday I called and asked for more boxes, was told they would try to find some , then bring them to us. The moving company whose job it is to move people did find some boxes and delivered them.  We also asked for some packing materials to protect our breakables and were supplied with plenty used bubble wrap.  Its being used was not a problem, the fact that a cat used it, that was a little disturbing.  It was not to big a deal it gave us a great reason to try out the dishwasher at the new place when we unpacked (by the way it works great!).  On Monday at 10 AM sharp the movers showed up, 6 guys, and very effieicntly cleaned out our old place.  The only real moment of concern was when they  put my TV in a car not the moving truck.  But they we just protecting my investment and it arrived unharmed.  The guys did a great job of unloading, we did have to direct them as to where stuff goes, they felt like the front entry way was appropriate for all our belongings.  As movers go they did a great job, mostly because I did not have to carry anything. 
I think the move was the easy part, the unpacking YIKES!  Trying to find new places for everything has been difficult, although we have a larger flat we did lose a lot of storage so we are having to be creative.  Of course Jen is rocking that and by this morning we are almost unpacked.  Overall the move was a good experience and we are happy to have more space.  We also have a really neat neighborhood with a great park and lots of little restraunts and cafes.  Plenty to do out and about and lots of new people to meet.  As soon as all our new furniture arrives, I'll post pictures.

I still have the contract!

For a little background on this story click here.  As you read in that post we were having a hard time and that want was a new apartment.  Presently we live in about 700 square feet and we really were determined to make it in our present apartment after Wilson.  But as his things expanded, we realized in the next two and a half years K will be very near a teenager and Miki will be as big as K and Wilson will be a toddler, we knew we wanted a bigger place. We began to search for a bigger place.  Not only did it have to be bigger it needed to keep us in a neighborhood close to the girls school.  After contacting several agents and scouring the internet we found a great place that we knew would fit our family.   To make a long story short, after being denied (see above post) I talked to many folks in our company to receive approval on an apartment we really liked and it was granted.  Now this is where things got interesting.  I contacted the agent and said hey lets sign that contract we negotiated a week ago,  so he set up the meeting with the landlord.  I arrived on Friday at the apartment to sign, very excited.  I sat down and the Landlord had one little change to make so we could not sign. We had to wait till Tuesday.  Tuesday came and Jen and I went to the new place with a deposit and three months rent as well as the commission for the agent.  We signed the lease, took some pictures, and left happy.  About five minutes later the agent called and said there was a little problem, could I come back.  So I walked back to the apartment and walked in on the landlord and agent arguing about something (Serbian you know I'm still lost).  I sat down at the table and the agent gave my money back then the landlord tore up the contracts.  I thought this was an appropriate time to ask a question.
ME: "uhmmm what just happened?"
AGENT: "we are arguing about money"
ME: "since I have my money back and the contracts have been destroyed, I am assuming no apartment"
AGENT: "we will work it out and you will get apartment soon"
ME: "uhmmm OK"
So I left and told Jen don't pack yet babie...
A few days later they got their problems settled we met did the whole thing over and I still have the contract!!!!

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