Serbia is the place to see some beautiful sights and also to be spoiled by some delicious sweets! Yes, I ate every bite of my strawberry dessert. Our precious friend Ziza kept the kids for us while we were in Kragujevac, so I didn't even have to share one bite!

This past Monday, we were blessed to be able to visit some friends in the city of Kragujevac, which is not too far from our town. We met Sanja (who is a Serb) and her husband Scott (who is an American) just before we left for Serbia. They live in our N.C. hometown (Sanja went to Barton College). Sanja's family lives in Kragujevac, and she and Scott were visiting them for two weeks. We had a wonderful time catching up with them and seeing the town.
The first photo is of a monument located in a large park in the city. During WWII, the Nazis massacred thousands of Serbs, and this "Broken Wings" monument is a tribute to the schoolchildren and teachers who were killed. The second picture is of a graveyard for Polish soliders. The park had many other monuments including this lion (and yes, Scott is sitting on it) and also a beautiful lake. This last picture is of Sanja's brother, Sanja, and Scott.

This past Sunday, we all had a great time at Karl and Julie's house. The kids loved jumping on the trampoline; Samantha was a little unsteady at times and needed some extra help. Caleb was bounced, thrown, tossed, etc. and loved every minute of it.

Happy Father’s Day to our Dads! We love you both so much and wish we could be with you on your special day. You are both incredible men of God and have always believed in us. We have fun childhood memories of playing ball with you (me in the backyard with Dad and Mr. Wayne coaching Tim’s games), teaching us how to drive (Dad, we won’t mention what happened to your truck), and eating lots of homemade ice cream (was Tim the fruity or the nutty one?). As we grew older, you encouraged us in school, worked hard so that we could go to college, and taught us about faith, love, and commitment. We hope you both have a wonderful Father’s Day. Here’s a hug across the ocean from both of us; we are together in our hearts.

Happy Father’s Day, honey! You are a wonderful father – a rock in times of uncertainty, a man of God whose faith is never shaken, and a loving dad who doesn’t mind changing diapers, playing endless games of ping pong with a six-year-old, or reading “Froggy Goes to the Doctor” until you have it memorized. You are committed to your family; you place only God before us as it should be. I pray that Caleb will grow up to be just like you – unafraid to follow the dreams God has for his life. I also pray that God would bless Samantha with a husband who is just like you – someone who will be her best friend, encourage her in her walk with the Lord, and will love her more each day. One of my favorite times (though I rarely admit it) is watching you play with the kids, which usually involves a ball and hitting objects that shouldn’t be hit like the ceiling fan or lamp. The kids adore you and think you are the best. We love you, Tim, and hope you have a wonderful Father’s Day!

I thought I would carry on the tradition of my mom's of sticking my children in front of a pretty flower bush for a picture. I have many memories of my sister and I in our Sunday best squinting into the sun and smiling blindly at my mom. My mom is so gifted with growing beautiful flowers. I can take no credit for these hydrangeas outside our home, but I thought they were picture-worthy. For some reason Samantha was in a daze (notice the position of her hands never change), so I was actually able to take some pictures of the two of them together.

What a great job Shelly and Tori did teaching at the English Club this past week! Their first week was great, and many of the students are planning to come next week. My favorite picture is of Shelly leading the group in "The Hokey Pokey." We had so much fun!

Today my friend Zora brought me some of the best cherries I have ever eaten. They came from her cherry tree, and Caleb had fun "helping" her pick them. She then showed me how to fix a type of Serbian pie with the cherries. The pies/pitas were delicious; Tim really liked them with a scoop of ice cream. Zora and I had a lot of fun together; it was a treat to spend the afternoon with her.

Tomorrow is the big day! The English Club will kick off its first week of classes for this summer. Last week we spent an afternoon decorating the classrooms with the college students Shelly (in the first picture) and Tori (in the second one). For some reason, I thought Caleb might enjoy helping but boy was I wrong (I didn't realize he would be the "only boy there"). He survived (but the Nintendo is "off limits" for awhile), and Aunt Becky even got him to smile a few times. The English Club looks great, and the girls are going to do a fantastic job of teaching!

Last week, Samantha enjoyed her first "play date" since we came to Serbia. We went to our friend Dragana's house and spent a wonderful afternoon with her, her precious mom and grandmother, her sister Jelena, and Jelena's little boy Strahinja. As you can tell from the first picture, Samantha thought Strahinja was a cutie. Samantha also loved playing in their yard; it was a beautiful day to play and to be with friends.

Tim bought a watermelon today, and we lost count of how many pieces of watermelon Caleb ate. Samantha liked it too; it was a nice treat on a rainy, cloudy day. And yes, Caleb is sporting a new hairdo - I've been assured it will go back to normal in the morning!

Here is a picture of Caleb and David on the bike. Caleb rode on the back - a first for him. Ljubica is shown here with her beautiful roses. She lives at this house with her husband Miro. She gave me the gorgeous bouquet that she is holding. She also taught Caleb and David a game she played as a child with walnuts.

We even got to try some fresh milk - straight from the cow. Samantha loved it!

Earlier this week, our friend Dobrovoje and his two grandchildren - Katarina and David - invited us to visit their relatives in a village near our town. It was so much fun being out in the country and seeing all their animals and their beautiful garden. Samantha insisted on holding one of the chicks - I was so scared she was going to drop him.