The kids had fun on the slide at the park; there's a new play area there. Samantha thought she wanted to try it, but then she got too scared. Wowser. The Serb owner of this playland climbed up the ladder to rescue her.

We also had the college students over for dinner; Tim grilled some yummy cheeseburgers. These students did a great job this summer, and we're so glad that they were a part of our team. Tim and I were privileged to be mentors with two of the students. Here is a picture of me and Miranda. Tim and Adam are pictured below.

On Tuesday, we had a fun day together! Because of the heat, we've been sleeping downstairs. Here's a cute shot of Tim and Samantha together. Tanner and Caleb have played a few games of Sequence together; Tanner is the master! We had fun showing them the park; they couldn't resist getting their feet wet.

On Monday, it FINALLY stopped raining for a few hours so we headed out to the park. I saw my friend Dragana there; we were in the same aerobics class. I had never met her daughter before; she was a cutie! Kylie and Tanner enjoyed the park and the water fountain; we hope to go to the river this week too. Caleb is so happy to be able to show his buddy around Cacak. It's really a blessing to see them together, and I am so blessed to be able to spend this time with Heather. What a precious gift from the Lord!

On Sunday, my friend Marija came to visit us. She has been in America for the past month, and Heather and I enjoyed hearing all her stories. The kids had fun singing together, dancing, and jumping on beds. They all played really, really hard and were pretty tired that evening. I couldn't resist taking Kylie's picture!

Heather only brought one suitcase, and unfortunately that suitcase didn't quite make it all the way to Belgrade on time. But it arrived on Sunday in the afternoon, and the kids were so excited to give Samantha and Caleb their surprises! Heather gave me some wonderful lavender soap and perfume from Paris! It has been amazing to hear all three of them speaking French. They moved to Grenoble, France this past November when Heather's husband Matt was offered a new position there.

On Saturday, we headed to Belgrade to pick up my friend Heather from the airport. She is one of my dearest friends, and her son Tanner is Caleb's bestest buddy. We were all really, really excited! She was so wonderful to come spend a week with us. Caleb wanted to be at the very front of the line; I just wanted Samantha to stand beside me rather than me having to hold her. She's not exactly "light" anymore! The boys were so excited to see each other! One of the first things they giggled over was seeing a woman going into the men's bathroom. When she came out, she winked at the boys, which only made them laugh even more.

The neighborhood is changing! Just across the street, a gas station is being built. It should be finished in about three months. We used to walk across this field to go to our favorite little store to buy eggs, milk, and cookies.

Sometimes in the morning, this is the view outside the window in my kitchen. I will miss seeing this cat in the window!

We had a fun time earlier in the week at the park. We met a sweet family there - a mom, her daughter, and her daughter's son. Samantha and I were sitting on the bench waiting for our friends, and the mom asked if we were sisters. This sweet Serb lady became my new best friend! I will miss our walks in the park and the dear Serbs that we meet there.

Check out these cute cards from some of Caleb's friends back in America. We're so grateful to have friends and family looking forward to our return. I especially love the card with Caleb dropping out of the airplane into his new home. :-)

"Look what happens when I push this button. . . it makes even louder sounds!"

Last week we were able to spend some time with our favorite Serb couple - Jelena & Budimir. We had a lot of fun catching up, eating ice cream (look at Tim's banana split!), and watching the kids play. Caleb tried out the motorcycle for the first time. Samantha chose a safer ride but a much louder one!

Our teammates Chris and Becky left for the States early Tuesday morning. We had dinner with them on Monday, and it was so hard to imagine not living in the same town with them anymore. They faithfully served and loved deeply the Serbian people. Their phones were ringing constantly with Serb friends saying good-bye. The football team sang songs outside their home in the early morning hours before they left at 2 a.m.(!), and they even had a friend who lives in Belgrade say good-bye to them at the airport. And what dear friends they have been to us! We shared a Christmas together, Becky and I both had sisters who had new babies while we were in Serbia, we endured discouragement together, and we kept each other focused on God and His amazing goodness. They also invested time and poured out their love on Caleb and Samantha - something they did not have to do. My kids had a devoted aunt and uncle during their time here. Please keep them in your prayers as they transition to life back in the States. They are expecting their first child at the end of August.

Here is a clip of Samantha going for a ride! To enjoy this clip, turn the volume completely down on your computer. If you don't, you will hear me screaming at one of the stray dogs who started chasing them. Believe me (or you can ask Tim), it is much more pleasant not to hear me scream!

This past Sunday, we had friends over for a time of Bible study and fellowship. Tim encouraged them with some verses from Hebrews to continue meeting together, and we pray that they will in the months ahead. What a privilege it has been to meet together with our Serb friends. After the study, some of us played with water balloons. It was also Chris and Becky's last Sunday with us. Don't you love the shirt Jovana made for their baby? Samantha also had a great time. Our teammate Matt took her for a spin around the neighborhood!

Here is a super-short clip of the kids playing with the kitten. I love the look on Samantha's face!

Last week, we had some animal visitors that brightened our day. The first picture is of Maddy; she's a stray that likes to visit us just about every day. The second picture is of a pup that lives nearby (we think). And the last ones are of a kitten I took home from the park (not such a good idea I know). She didn't stay very long at our house, but the kids had a great time playing with her.