Wednesday, July 09, 2014

Visiting Stebbs

I'm only a teeny, tiny bit behind on posting this page. Honestly, I forgot that I hadn't done it. So here it is!

On our way from the Azores to the USA, we stayed with my amazing friend from our assignment in Turkey: Sarah, her husband Ryan, and her boys. When I met her, we had 3 children between us. Today, we have 6! Doubled! Strong work!

William was my boys' first real friend. What is even more amazing to me is that they have remained buddies. They have forgotten a lot of people from our travels, but William continues to be in their memories and life, and I love that.

In addition, the story of how I met "Stebbs" as I call her, is one that illustrates the Lord's prominence beautifully. She found out she was moving to Turkey and was less than happy about it. She knew nothing about it, and the assignment came out of left field. At her local MOPs group in Texas, she expressed her concern about this huge move to the Middle East. Another woman there, Amy, has been an online friend of mine for some time through our own very similar infertility and adoption journeys. (She has boys one year apart through adoption and biological and then followed it up with one surprise girl -- very eerily similar!) Amy told Stebbs she knew another Christian woman moving to Turkey with a son about her son's age. She told Stebbs to email me. Stebbs did. And the rest was history. We were the best of buds even before we go to Incirlik. Having her in my life during those two years was truly straight from God.

The connections continue though. My friend Cambrie in the Azores is moving to Baltimore. Her husband is going to also be working at the Pentagon. So I connected the two of them and Cambrie is going to take over the rental on Stebbins' house! Small world!

While we were staying with this awesome family, we took a day to visit Mt. Vernon (Washington's boyhood home.)

Here's our gang: the three amigos in the front row. The babes and us in the back.

When Stebbs first moved to Baltimore, William was the same size as "Washy" the little boy pictured with George Washington. Time sure does change things!

Washington's home.

Isaac playing in the garden.

Exploring.

The gardens.

Checking out an old wagon.

This place is so beautiful.

William is a huge fun of the Air Force song. This guy played it for him, and he sang right along.

The types of things that JB takes pictures of!

Ditto!

And here are a couple pics of the kids at their home:

Hannah with Graham -- she is just six weeks younger than him.

The kids enjoying popsicles outside. Stebbs house always feels so American to me! I love it!

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