This week we celebrated our 5th Cambodian Coronation Day. It was a delight to spend the morning and evening celebrating the crowning of three queens and two kings.

The day included cookie baking and decorating, crown making, face painting, and a coronation ceremony with entertainment provided. So glad to have a day to celebrate in October.

The first week in August we took a quick trip up to visit with my older brother, Sam, and his family in Goshen, NY. We had a great time visiting with them. Lots of cousin playing time. One morning we went to a horse cart racing museum. Becca was thrilled!

We also were able to visit with Martin – the friend who biked into Cambodia to visit us last January. He gave us a great tour of his parents’ dairy farm.

The weekend of July 20th we visited a supporting church on Long Island, NY. We had a great time connecting with the families there and enjoyed two different pool meals with families from the churches. Both meals included birthday cakes for me.

On the way to NY, we stopped by to visit with my grad school roommate, Ashley LeBlanc. We enjoyed catching up and the kids loved riding Mr. Orlando’s go-carts and swimming in the pool.

We also visited with Parke and Lynnelle Brown. Good to see our friends from Texas and meet their son, Henry.

We also got to visit with the Andrew Jensen family – no direct relations of ours. We enjoyed spending time with them.

My good friend, Rebekah Yamada, came up for a several hour visit. It was good to see her again and have a break from packing to go back to Cambodia.

I think that covers most of our extra visiting in the month of July. I spoke at a supporting church one evening at their ladies night out. The theme was from Ecclesiasties 3. Becca especially enjoyed playing the games.

And I think that sums up the month os July. Sometime Later I’ll post about our time at my parents and our last visits in August before we returned to Cambodia. And maybe someday I’ll have time to type up some reflections on the furlough experience.

On Monday, September 2nd, we started our new school year (after our very long break in the States). It ended up being a very rough starting week, as 4 of our kids ended up getting bad colds in varying degrees, which included fevers and very bad coughs. But….we plodded on. This week will complete our 6th week of school.

Becca has started the 4th grade. Isaiah started 2nd. Anna and Clara have started kindergarten together. Kindergarten has so far been the funnest class of the year. Both girls are doing well and it’s fun to have two students. Anna could probably go faster and Clara could wait to start – but the two even each other out nicely, and Clara really enjoys being included in school.

Ezra does his own thing during school – sometimes naps, sometimes wanders, sometimes snacks. Josh suggested he join kindergarten with the girls…

We were glad to get back to our Jarai church and friends. Last month Josh participated in a Jarai Bible School run by the Jarai.

We also had a visit from the CMA Cambodian field director.

Home schooling and taking care of Ezra pretty much takes up all my time now. It’s been encouraging to get back into routines after 6 months of moving around and changing schedules. I started Christ Church’s Bible Reading Challenge and am really enjoying #KeepThe Feast.

Twice in July we were able to visit with my Uncle Kevin and Aunt Susan. The first time the hosted us for a night as we were passing through and needing a place to stay. The second time we stayed a few nights with them on our way to a supporting church. My aunt and cousin took us to The Turkey Hill Experience. Our kids loves making their own ice cream commercials, testing iced tea, and testing ice cream.

We had a great time visiting and my aunt gave the kids lots of treasures. She also gave me several old pictures of my grandparents and great grandparents. It was a fun time for all. (The picture below is of my Great Grandma on my dad’s side and her mom.)

We also celebrated my birthday at their house. My aunt made a nice dinner and Becca did a special spoon play for me. It was a good week there.