Starting Our Stateside Assignment June 2025

On Monday, June 23, we arrived in the U.S. to begin our fifth Stateside Assignment (furlough).  We will be here a few months before returning back to Guatemala for a new term.  We are so thankful for this much needed break! We plan to soak in every minute of it!

 

We took this photo at our house in Guatemala before heading to the airport for our overnight flight to the U.S. 

 

 

We enjoyed an early morning Chick-fil-A breakfast in the Houston airport. 

 

Seeing the sun rise in Houston. 

 

taking a nap in the airport while we waited on our connecting flight to Jackson 

 

 

When we landed in Jackson, our friends were there to greet us.  That was a fun surprise. 

 

me and my friend Malinda 

 

Malinda and the boys 

 

our dear friends, the Browns

Reagan, much to our surprise, had left work just to come greet us.  That made us feel very loved! 

 

 

The boys wasted no time reconnecting with friends.  Soon after we got home, they enjoyed a sleepover and then a day of fun at a trampoline park. 

 

We got a family membership to a local gym. 

 

 

On every trip home, my family gives the boys a combined birthday celebration party at a local Mexican restaurant.  This year we did it just a few days after we returned home.  They get cards with money so they can go shopping. 

 

us with my mom 

 

 

David's hometown (Crystal Springs, MS) has an annual Tomato Festival the last weekend in June.  We were excited to be home to attend it. On Friday night they have a street party with food, live music, and fireworks.  We spent the evening walking around with our friends, the Browns, and also enjoyed seeing many people we love and have missed.

 

Lastly, our first Sunday back in the States was a fifth Sunday, so our home church was having a potluck meal after the morning service.  It was a fun and delicious way to get back into U.S. church.  Here are Cruz and his friend Jude during the Sunday lunch meal.

 

Next, I'll share photos from the month of July. 

Flying to Denver and Driving to Estes Park

In our last stateside year (2021) we visited six national parks- Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier. We made plans then to visit the four national parks in Colorado on our next stateside year (2025). In mid- May we set off on that trip.

 

We had wanted to do it in July while already in the U.S., but our summer schedule filled up quickly. Instead, we went from Guatemala. We made it a combined trip celebrating the end of the school year, successfully completing our first year of high school, Cruz’s 15th birthday, and the upcoming end of our fifth term of service.

 

To say we were excited would be a huge understatement! We were all ready for some wide open, fresh air, outdoor, scenic spaces!

 

Here's my first of many posts about our incredible family vacation trip to Colorado.  

These are the places we planned to visit on this trip. 

 

 

on the plane ready to get the adventure started 

 

We flew Guatemala City to Los Angeles.  Here is a view of SoFi Stadium as we were landing.  The boys were excited to see it. 

 

 

A view of the ocean as we took off in Los Angeles. 

 

 

Next stop, Denver!!! 

 

 

A gorgeous view of the snow covered Rocky Mountains as we flew over them. My eyes filled with tears as I looked out and saw this view.  I think I was more excited about this trip than any trip I have ever taken in my life.   

 

A rainbow in the distance as we landed in Denver 

 

It was nearly 10:00 pm when we arrived at our Denver hotel.  There was a Chick-fil-A next door but the dining room was closed.  We got our food to-go and ate it in the room.  We could not wait to enjoy that delicious chicken!!

We were up early the next morning eager to get on the road.  We had breakfast at the hotel and then set out for Wal-Mart.  We love Wal-Mart and could not wait to get there! We picked up lunch picnic supplies for the week and then drove on towards Estes Park. 

The boys loaded up and ready to go. 

 

Our first view of the mountains in the distance. 

 

We drove through Boulder and passed by the University of Colorado.  Yes, we looked around for Coach Prime, but we didn't see him. 

driving to Estes Park 

 

Once arriving in Estes Park we stopped for coffee and then headed towards the national park.  We passed by the famous Stanley Hotel on the way there. It was fun to see it in person.

 

Next I'll share about our first visit to Rocky Mountain National park.  It was a snow filled day and one we will never forget.

Life Lately October 2023

We began the month celebrating Kid's Day.  It is an annual holiday similar to Mother's Day and Father's Day but is all about the kids.  It falls on October 1.  This year it was on a Sunday.  After church we met friends for lunch at Finca Azotea.  We enjoyed a great meal and then the kids spent the afternoon playing and riding bikes.  

 

enjoying a little friend time on Kid's Day

 

sweet friends

 

silly boys!

 

Our country was practically shut down for around three weeks due to protests and blockades stemming from the recent presidential elections.   Protests and blockades happen regularly around here, but they generally only last a day or two.  This one was different in many ways.  Thankfully, things have calmed down and are back to normal.

 

 

We flew to Virginia to attend a homeschool conference with other IMB families serving in the Americas.

 

 

The boys doing math in the airport while we waited to board our flight.  They are both doing a live online class for math this year so we had to keep up their work even though we were traveling. 

boarded for our flight to the U.S.A.

That is always a great feeling! 

 

The sunset view as we landed in Atlanta.

 

Like most all missionaries, our first meal was Chick-fil-A.  We enjoyed it in the Atlanta airport.

 

Ben loved seeing this car in the airport.

 

We enjoyed watching SEC football while waiting to board our flight to Richmond. 

 

The conference took place at the IMB's International Learning Center.  It is one of our favorite places to be!  Just entering the property gives you a sense of peace and calm.

 

We had the best time of the year to be there.  The leaves were changing.  The weather was nice and cool but not cold.  It was just perfect! Fall is my favorite time of the year and we miss the changing of seasons when we are in Guatemala.  Many of our missionaries serve in very hot climates so getting to experience fall weather was an extra treat for them also.

 

 

 

So beautiful!

 

The conference consisted of a wide variety of activities to enjoy.  The parents had daily classes to attend.  Some of our topics included having challenging crucial conversations with your kids, TCK trends, mom challenges, growing up globally, online learning tips, record keeping for high school, artificial intelligence and the homeschool classroom, internet safety and outside influences, preparing for college, and much more.  Our classes were fantastic and we all learned a wealth of valuable information. 

The kids were in their own classes during the day.  The volunteer team planned many fun educational activities for them to do.  The team also proctored the IOWA test that the kids took.  

Other activities throughout the week included an elementary and middle school science fair, high school oral presentations, a game night, a graduation service to recognize the juniors and seniors, a talent show, a curriculum fair, a parent panel, a college fair, and a surprise birthday party for our wonderful TCK educational consultant.

The homeschool conferences are always one of my favorite things to attend.  This one fell at a much needed time for me.  I left feeling refreshed and ready to continue doing the task.  It is not an easy one and now I feel a little more equipped to keep going.

 

 

Ben's science fair project.

 

Cruz's science fair project.

 

The moms had a great time together but it was especially life-giving to the kids.  They all had the best time hanging out and spending time with each other.  MK's have such a strong bond and really understand each other well.  I am always thankful for times when they can all get together.  It sure makes our two feel a little more normal.   Here is Cruz with some of his middle school peers on our last night together.

 

The sunrise view as we landed in Atlanta on our trip home.

 

Breakfast at Chick-fil-A in the Atlanta airport.

 

arriving back in Guatemala City

 

volcano view in the distance

 

 

The next day David attended the Bible Institute graduation service for Rafael and Luz.  They lead the church in Nearar.

 

Luz

 

Rafa

 

We are very proud of them!

 

 

We celebrated seventeen years of service with the IMB on October 24. 

 

In late October we attended a production of Beauty and the Beast in San Cristobal (near Guatemala City).  It was a fantastic play!!

 

The boys knew several students who were in it.   Here they are with their friend David who played Cogsworth.  

 

The last day of the month was cool and rainy.  We built a fire, roasted hot dogs for supper, and continued our tradition of watching Charlie Brown on Halloween night.  We also enjoyed some pumpkin pie.

 

hot dogs cooking over the fire

 It was a fun night!

 

 

And now we enter Thanksgiving season. This year has flown by fast!