New Babies

One really difficult thing about moving to India is that we will miss out on seeing our neice and nephews grow up. Ryan and I each have one sibling, and both of their families are having baby boys this summer. My brother, Alan, and his wife Charis have just welcomed William Roy into the world on Sunday, June 22nd. They live in Ft.Collins (near my parents) so we have had a great time this past week being with them. Their older son, Gregory, is almost 2 years old.
Ryan's sister, Cherie, and her husband, Chris, are expecting Micah Ryan to be born in the next few weeks. They live in Washington, but came down to Nampa to help us move so we were able to spend a lot of time with them and their daughter, Abigail, who is 18 mos. Unfortunately, we won't get to see Micah until he is quite a bit older. (Once again, I'll post pics as soon as I get them)

Time to catch up on posting!

These past two weeks have been a whirlwind! We've gone through most of our remaining belongings one more time, and we've accumulated a few more suitcases for our move. Today I'll be adding several posts and pictures so you can see what we've been up to!

In Kansas City

Yesterday we drove from Ft.Collins, CO to Kansas City to visit Ryan's parents. It is hot and humid here, so we are thankful for air conditioning! Tonight we went to an outdoor theater production of "Beauty and the Beast." We met some new friends, Rob and Cindy North - former missionaries to South Africa, and their boys, Quinn and Jordan. Once again we were amazed at how quickly our girls made new friends! The show was great, but the company was even better. The popcorn and fireflies made the night complete!

What a Small World!

Yesterday we had the privilege of meeting a wonderful couple! George and Mim Cook grew up in India as the children of missionaries. They met and married in the US, and never returned to India, but they have incredible memories of people and places. My family has known the Cooks for many years. My mom and uncle attended Bethany Bible College in California with their two sons, and one of their sons is currently on the pastoral staff at my parents' church. When talking with their son earlier this year, my parents found out that George Cook had attended Hebron School throughout his growing up years!
We had a wonderful time getting acquainted with George and Mim yesterday, and loved hearing them speak and sing in several different Indian languages. They shared with us a book about Hebron School that they received a couple of years ago. On one page there was a picture and a story about George as a young boy, and on another page was a picture of the apartment we are going to be moving into in a few weeks!
Mim shared her memories of traveling to India via boat, and about going to the Taj Mahal by moonlight as a young girl. It was really exciting to make such a connection with peple who love India!

Cousins, cousins everywhere!

Lauren and Brenna have had a great time meeting many of their cousins for the first time this week! There were several of my cousins, and my mom's cousin's kids, who have kids that are my girls' ages. They became fast friends, and it was difficult to say good-bye to brand-new friends! We miss all of you!

Bass Family Reunion

This week we are in Ouray, Colorado with my (Angie's) mom's family. It has been 12 years since the last reunion, so it is fun to see all of the cousins who are now grown and have families of their own. My grandma is quite proud that all of her children, and almost all of her grand and great grand children are here. The only ones who are missing are my brother and his family. They actually live here in Colorado, but they just welcomed their second son into the world on Sunday so they are home recuperating!
Ouray (pronounced "yer-AY") is one of the most beautiful towns I have ever seen. It is nestled in the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, and is surrounded by magnificent cliffs and waterfalls. Tomorrow we are planning to take our kids to the Hot Springs Pool in town. After that, we might stroll down the main street and look at some of the shops.

I don't know what to write...

These past week has been both wonderful and crazy at the same time. Last night was the first night in over two weeks that we have had an evening at home. It was great to just be together, and get some projects done. But we have really enjoyed getting together with good friends too!
On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we all attended (taught, led worship, etc) Intercultural Ministry's VBS. It was a great time to be with friends and teach all of the children a little more about what it means to live like Jesus. As always, my faith was strengthened just by being with the kids - they are so inspiring!
Today the girls went to VBS at College Church and then spent the afternoon with some friends. I was able to several things done around the house, and Addie was able to get her first full-length nap in a long time! We have two more "get-togethers" tonight, so it should be a great time. I think I'm going to go take a couple of Advil so I can really enjoy the evening!