Happy Birthday to a "fearless" Dad!

Feliz cumpleaños, Papá!

Here he comes to save the day...

Guess I should update...

I looked at the blog and realized that I never updated to say that Mom and Dad arrived in CR. They arrived around midnight (our time) on Monday night and got settled in throughout the day on Tuesday in their new home. We have been able to talk to them via Skype and Vonage this week which has been really great! Dad took me on a tour of their room last night while on Skype. I don't see how families made it when their loved ones went on the mission field years ago with no email, phone, and REALLY slow mail, if any. It is so nice to know that I can pick up the phone or sign online and talk to them. Plus, we have email and blogs. We are SO fortunate!

Mom and Dad have started school although this week wasn't too difficult with orientation and a holiday for May Day. I am sure next week will be different once homework begins. They are definitely glad that they started learning Spanish before they left so they are able to talk to people already, even though their knowledge is really limited. Feel free to check in on their blog to see how they are doing and to see pictures of their new home in CR.

Well, we are actually going to be home this weekend! Saturday will be involve working in the yard (VERY MUCH NEEDED) and planting a small garden so we can have some fresh veggies this summer. I'll post pictures when they come in...

Heading out...

Well, the day has finally arrived. (Miriam's) Mom and Dad are heading down to Costa Rica this evening to begin their year of language training. We were able to spend a great weekend together at some friend's lake house in GA. What a fun time of making memories during our last weekend together as a family for a while.

Last weekend we were able to get together with Dad's brothers and sisters and their families. Dad is the baby of 10 children, so it was quite a fun time with all of the families. It has been a while since all of the kids were together but they all wanted to see Mom and Dad before they left.

This weekend was reserved just for our immediate family. Some friends of Mom and Dad offered to let us stay at their lake house. It was a wonderful place right on the lake with a great screened in porch. We ended up spending a lot of time out there, especially when the storms rolled in and there was a cool breeze. The husbands enjoyed throwing the football around and fishing while the girls just hung out and talked. It was nice to just be together.

Stephen, Miriam's brother, joined Mom and Dad on Sunday evening and then took them to the airport this afternoon. Since Stephen "inherited" the Toyota Previa mini van (commonly referred to as "the silver bullet" or "the Prev") from Mom and Dad, they asked him to take them and all of their luggage to the airport. They each can take 2 suitcases that weigh no more than 50 lbs. each plus their carry-ons. This small amount of luggage which includes their books and supplies for school and 1 year's worth of clothes plus a ton of other necessities!

With promises to call via Skype and Vonage and after a few tears, here we are...adjusting to the life of having parents who are missionaries and live in another country...and being thankful that it is them, and not us, who are going to Spanish class every day for the next year! Good luck with that Mom and Dad!

Here are a few pictures from the family weekend. The first is a picture of the immediate family - Dad, Mom, Miriam, Stephen, Rebecca, and Deborah.

Commissioning Day in VA

As many of you know, my (Miriam's) parents are moving to do full time mission work. They have been in training for the past 8 weeks in Virginia and were finally commissioned this past Wednesday. Our whole family, my brother and sisters and their husbands, were able to be together for the event.

The kids and spouses all came to our house on Tuesday night and then we travelled up to Richmond on Wednesday morning for the afternoon service and back to our house that evening. We were able to spend time together as a family which we don't take for granted anymore. Mom and Dad will be leaving at the end of April to move to Costa Rica for language school for one year and then move to Guatemala permanently. They will have furlough after a couple of years to come back to the States.

We as kids are SO excited for them but yet are sad because we will not get to spend as much time as we are used to together. Mike and I are planning on taking at least one trip a year down to CR and Guatemala but that is a lot fewer than we were taking to GA in the past. We know this is just part of the deal and will cope through Skype, Vonage, Blogs, and the other host of technology that helps people keep in touch. We are thankful that these things have been invented for us. Many families in the past had to rely on SLOW mail communication and expensive phone calls, if any!

To keep up with the Millers, visit their blog. Their link is under our Favorite Links section.

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