Fascinated

The kiddos have been super funny as they have experienced America for the first time in their lives.  Kate's last trip to these ole United States was when she was two years old, and Thomas was a whopping two months old the last time he saw American soil.  At that point, they couldn't comprehend the differences between Macedonia and America. They lived the last three years in a second culture, hearing a second language on a regular basis. Kate learned another language, went to Macedonian preschool, sang their songs, danced their dances and played their games.

Kate's last day in Macedonian preschool before we left.

Kate and Thomas knew mommy as the only Sunday school teacher they ever had, and their Sunday school class was, well, their bedroom.  They knew "church" as the time on Sundays when everyone piles into our house and daddy teaches them about Jesus while mommy wrangles all the kids in the next room.  Church, among TONS of other things, is different in America. In Macedonia, ketchup tastes different, pizza comes with an extra sauce, water often has bubbles in it, kids' meals don't exist, playgrounds are virtually non-existent, cheese is only white. In Macedonia, we eat a lot of cabbage and potatoes and grocery stores have only... food. The grocery store, along with everything else was within walking distance, and we walked everywhere. It was all they knew.  It was normal and comfortable.

To say they have been fascinated by some things in America would be an understatement.  The first little while we were here, they were wide-eyed everywhere we went. Some of their observations being:

• We go everywhere in a car. "People in America don't walk."
• "Grocery stores are huge."
• Walmart and Target blow them away!  "The carts are GIGANTIC!" And they all look the exact same.  Thomas always thinks we are in the Target by our house even if we are hours away. Poor guy always thinks home must be the next stop.
• Free refills had Kate flabbergasted! "You can drink as much as you want, and then go back for more!"  
• "Gas stations are like restaurants and mini-markets and grocery stores all with gas." My eldest thinks Sheetz is the coolest place on earth. Bless!
• "There are real firetrucks here." We have to slow down and wave at every firetruck we see.  Thomas is convinced policemen and firemen are the heroes of the world and they save us from ALL the bad guys! I love it!
• "Church is SO big! And we have teachers that sing and teachers that talk and teachers that play." They love going to "school" on Sundays.  

This is poor Thomas getting over jet-lag. He was passed out like this for hours while all his cousins ran around him wide-open.  

The kiddos with their Granna and Poppa after celebrating Christmas American style.

Kate and her grandma doing their favorite thing together--baking. 

Grandpa teaches Thomas all about the game of golf.

We are so thankful for this time for them to experience American culture and to spend precious time with family. They have lots of friends to play with right outside our door. There is Sunday school (aka SummitKids) to reinforce what mommy and daddy have been teaching them at home (LOVE it!). And they have fallen in love with Chick-Fil-A chicken (the playground may have something to do with it). :) You know, the important things in life. 
But Kate misses her Macedonian friends.  She said "Why does everyone at daddy's school and everyone at my school know about Jesus, but my friends in Macedonian don't know about Jesus?"  We explained that no one had told her friends in Macedonia yet and that is why God wanted us to live there.  She said, "We have to pray for them and go back and I will show them my new Bible and I will tell them about Jesus."  I love her heart, and I love that God is making her ready to get back 'home' to boldly tell others about the love of Jesus.

Kate with two of her best friends in Macedonia. Be praying for all those kiddos that Kate loves and misses so much!