We are so blessed!

We finally have internet again, at least for now. We have been so busy seeing family and friends that I probably wouldn't have had time to post anyways. Next week we will all be at camp all week, Stu is preaching, so I am not sure if I will be online then either.
We had a blessing today, we were getting gas and when we were done the guy behind us asked Stu to come back to his car for a minute. He was going to pay for our gas, but couldn't since we had paid at the pump. He owns a local pita place, and gave us coupons for free pitas. He is a Christian and just wanted to be a blessing. On the back of the van we are using it says, Baptist Missionary Transportation Ministry, that's how he knew we were missionaries. What a blessing. We talked to him again at the restaurant and found out he knows some of the same people as us, he grew up near where Stu grew up.
The churches we have been to so far have really treated us good too! They have gone above and beyond. The kids got spoiled with money at the last church. We also got a big bag of snacks, which the kids liked. A family let us use their house here while they were on vacation, that was a blessing. We have been well taken care of!
We are staying in a prophet's room right now and the boys think it is so cool to sleep in a church. Pastor Brett showed them the baptistery, so in the car Jesse wanted to know if he could swim in the pool when we got back. I kept saying there is no pool, and Seth said "No, he wants to be baptized!".
What an adventure furlough is going to be!

Canada!

We crossed the border into Canada and the kids went wild. They are so excited to be back here, after 4 years, and see all their friends and family. We have such a short time here to catch up with everyone. We have already had Tim Hortons and Swiss Chalet and visited with some friends. We are staying at a house in the country and we aren't used to that. Stu laughs at me because my ears are hurting me (they are ringing) because it is soooo quiet. Jesse is going down the country roads looking for Frank (the tractor off of the movie Cars). The girls wanted to play in the corn field, so Stu let them go in one, then he went in and scared them. I don't think they will be going back in it. :)
Stu was playing golf out in the yard with the boys and hit Jesse right on the top of the head with the ball. Another thing the boys have found to entertain them is to talk to each other through the air conditioning vents.  We don't have those in the DR, so it is another new thing for them. We sure are having fun!

Travelling with Jesse

Well, if I thought keeping up with Jesse at home was a challenge, it only gets worse as we travel. He has so much energy and being in the car for 6 or more hours a day, doesn't help! He does like to help though, Every time the GPS gives a command, he repeats it to Stu. He acts like Stu can't hear it at all! Juls was getting frustrated with him repeating it all the time and kept asking him to stop. So he got to where after it gave a command he would be quiet for a minute acting like he wanted to repeat it and then say, "Juls will you get mad at me if I say it?" Then he would ask me to say it.
Then we were at our first meeting at a supporting church. I was talking to the Pastor's wife, who was very pregnant, and Jesse almost punched her in the stomach. I told him not to do that and said that she had a baby in there so he needed to be careful. He squatted down and looked up under her shirt, then stood up and said, "She does not have a baby in there!". I was trying not to crack up!
My boys have discovered drinking fountains and are fascinated by them. Every time they see one, they want to go get a drink. It is such a new thing for them. It's also weird seeing toilets with seats, cars staying in their own lanes, stores with sale racks outside and no one watching them! I could go on, but I won't.
We will be crossing over into Canada tomorrow. The girls get to go to camp and see lots of their old friends. They are very excited! We are also excited about seeing friends and family and our "baby" Lighthouse Baptist Church in Alliston.
I am off to try to get some sleep. I have not caught up since we left at 5 am on Monday. Good Night!

We have arrived!

We made it to the States safe and mostly sound! We left our house at 5 am on Monday morning. We had a fairly smooth day with no major problems. Our team worked together well! The girls each had a boy to help watch out for. We made it through security and customs without any problems. We made all of our flights without having to run. We did sit on our second plane for an hour while they fixed something before we left. Thankfully Jesse slept the entire time! When we arrived in Kansas City, we did have to wait an hour for our ride and then drive another hour to where we were going. Then Stu had to get all the instructions for the van. We were all sitting on the couch like zombies. Seth was falling asleep. So the wife took me and the kids to the motel while Stu finished up. I got the kids to bed at 10:30 (which would be 11:30 Dominican time). We all slept good and unfortunately woke up early (because someone called Stu's phone at 6 am). We went down and had a great breakfast there at the motel. Biscuits and gravy, fresh waffles, fruit, yogurt, cereal, donuts! YUM! Then we loaded up and drove to Pekin, IL. We will be here until in the morning when we start driving to Canada. We will be visiting Mapleton Baptist Church tonight. They have been supporting us for years. We are off to do a little shopping today. Me and the girls need to find some shoes for my sisters wedding. We did make it to Walmart last night, although I was almost too tired to enjoy it!
Thanks for your prayers as we travel!