We were glad to see Samantha eat a little bit of food on Thanksgiving. Even with a sore throat, she can't resist bacon-wrapped chicken (prepared at a Serbian restaurant - Samantha prefers Serbian food over mine). Despite the kids being sick, the Lord blessed us with a special Thanksgiving and we were also so grateful for friends who came by to wish us a happy Thanksgiving. This picture is of me and Mira, my friend Jelena's mom. She is a sweet lady, and Samantha and I always enjoy visiting her at her home because she loves us like we are family.

Samantha had been sick all week with a fever and sore throat. As our Thanksgiving Day progressed, I realized that my kids seemed to be "dropping like flies." Caleb didn't want to eat and soon fell asleep. On Friday, we took him to the doctor and found out that he has bronchitis.

Thanksgiving is not complete without "man games" - anything involving a ball and preferably rough physical contact. Caleb and Tim enjoyed a game a soccer on the driveway since the snow is still here.

Does anyone else's kitchen table look like this when preparing food? Tim thinks I have a special talent for "destroying" the kitchen when I'm fixing anything. Nana, I'm so glad that you taught me how to make an apple cake. It was a special treat on Thanksgiving Day. The Oreo cake was a little sweet for me, but Tim says there is no such thing as a cake that is too sweet. I also made a chocolate pie for my Grandma Lynch.

Here's our snowman! Yes, we tried to do M&Ms for his mouth, but they melted. Remember, we're from North Carolina - making snowmen is an art we have not yet mastered. But he seemed like a jolly snowmen after we were finished, so I think we did OK.

God gave Samantha a special present on her birthday - 10 inches of snow!

Samantha got a little help blowing out the candles from Milos and Caleb and then the cake-eating began! Look at all the cakes that our dear Serb friends brought. All the food was so good - including the pig that was prepared by our friends Dobrovoje and Zora. Everyone seemed to have a great time, and the house seemed so quiet after our friends left. While I was in the kitchen with Zora and Becky cleaning up, I thought Samantha was playing with some of her new toys. But her Uncle Chris caught her doing something else - chowing down on a chocolate bar that she had unwrapped herself. A fitting end to her birthday party.

Here are some different pictures taken the day of Samantha's birthday party: 1) Samantha & Dusan - he gave her an early birthday present before her party. 2) Tim does a little grilling before everyone arrives. 3) Look at the cake! Dusan & Milos' mother made it for Samantha - so beautiful! 4) Ziza gave Samantha a cute little purse that looks like a poodle, but she was more interested in opening the chocolate candy that was also from Ziza. 5) We were so blessed by our friends that came to the party!

"What's in the box, Tata?"



"A kitchen set!"


"So tell me again what I do with the water in the sink?"

Samantha had her first haircut at a real haircut place (we won't mention the previous haircuts given in the home). Ljiljana is so sweet, and Samantha and I really enjoyed our visit with her. She also did a great job with Samantha's hair. Samantha is ready for her birthday party on Saturday!

On Saturday, Caleb got to play in a "real baseball game" (as Caleb says it). It was actually more of a practice with another team from Kraljevo, but it was still incredible to see these two teams play together and have a great time. Caleb did great (despite the cold - Samantha looks like she's wondering why in the world she is out there), and all the kids had super attitudes and played their best. The Cacak Angels have some great hitters and even hit a few homeruns.

On Friday, my friend Dragana celebrated her slava and she invited me to come along with many of her friends. When you go to her house, you instantly feel like family. Samantha had so much fun playing with her nephew, and it was SO NICE to sit down and eat some food while someone else played with her. The appetizers were the best I have had since living in Serbia, and the soup was incredible. But it got late and Samantha got sleepy, so I missed out on the rest of the meal. Dragana was so kind and gave us food to go (even dessert!). Tim was happy with this arrangement, but I would have loved to stay longer. What a blessing to have her friendship!

Here is a picture of the ambassador (in the suit) as he talks with a Serb. This older lady was a part of the rescue mission and saved the lives of U.S. airmen. The picture below is one that an older Serb man had of a group of American airmen saved by Serbs in Pranjani. The ambassador chose to visit the Serbs on this day in honor of Veteran's Day. I got to shake the ambassador's hand, but the best part of my day was seeing the older Serbs honored and receiving praise that was so deserving.