Seven Years!!

That’s how long it’s been since packing up the family and leaving Wyoming, USA, to move to Indonesia! I know I keep saying this, but I just truly can’t believe how much time has passed!

Because today marks the seven year anniversary of us arriving on this crazy adventure in Indonesia,  I thought I would take the time to look back through the 20,000 photos, I kid you not!!, to find one family photo from each of the years we have been here.

Well, that was a complete failure BECAUSE, as I was looking through all the photos, on a flight from Bali to Kuala Lumpur, I just couldn't pick one from each of the years!  There were too many good ones and too many memories to pass up!

Before I post, I think around 40 photos, I will tell you that the only criteria I had, when picking out the photos, was that all six of us had to be in the picture.  Yah, so approximately only 40 out of 20,000 photos!!  I'm not sure what that means... but do enjoy. ;)  I know I did!  Even brought a few tears to the eyes... ;)

Another note:  I was pleasantly surprised to find pictures on my hard drive from 2014!  I didn’t think I had any because I didn’t think I had backed up my computer that was stolen back in August.  I probably didn’t back up that computer and what happened was I probably needed to make room on my computer for iTunes movies, so I moved the 2014 pics to the hard drive!  I am so pleased with myself!! ;)

Here we go...

2009: Just before the kids and I left the US.  Chris was already in Indonesia.

2010:  Arrived in Tembagapura 

2011: 

2012:

2013:

2014:

2015:

2016:

As you can see, the kids have grown up so much in the last seven years!  I too have grown up and have learned many things.  I have learned to rely on friends that have become family.  I've learned how to say goodbye sooooo many times!  Too many times actually...  Goodbye to places we have seen, friends that we have come to know well, who have become our forever family, and goodbye especially to our children.  I'm not sure it gets any easier putting them on a plane back to school, like we did today, but I have also learned how to accept it.  I guess it's all part of the process...

2017 is going to be an interesting year.  Marz will graduate from High School and return to the US for college.  Chris and I will send our baby to boarding school and become "empty nesters".  I will probably do more traveling than I have ever wanted, just so I can see my babies and I may become a little psycho at some point, so friends and family, bear with me. ;) But all in all, it will be good...

People keep asking us how much longer do we have here.  The truth of it is, we have no idea.  We would like to do a few more years in Indo, but we will leave it all in God's hands, because that's the best place to leave it.  He knows what's best for us and for our family.

So for now, we will keep riding the wave... keep trusting that what we are doing is right and good.

God bless you all! xo