Logging (or blogging) a new journey...

It's been a long time since I last blogged. I've spent more time on Facebook and have kept in touch with many friends and family that way. However some family and friends are not on Facebook and also there are many friends on Facebook that I do not wish to announce some things to.

Anyway, we are embarking on a new journey. There is never a dull moment with us. When I look back over the 8 short years we've been married, soooo much has happened! It's been an incredible adventure! Moving to Ohio, adopting Otto and having Owen just 10 mos later, traveling to Guatemala numerous times including going to language school there, moving to Texas to do mission work in Mexico, traveling deep into Mexico to deliver water filters, are some of the highlights. Now we begin the planning stages of a new journey....

Aaron started school this fall toward a social science degree (history) in order to teach high school. We are planning to move back home to Michigan in May 2010 until Aaron finishes school and then move to wherever he finds a teaching job (maybe staying in MI, Lord willing). We are sooo excited about this decision for multiple reasons.

Traveling to Mexico has become increasingly dangerous by ourselves. It's much safer in groups. We've had a couple incidents and with the increased violence due to the drug cartel we had decided to change gears a bit. Instead of driving into Mexico ourselves to deliver water filters, we decided to visit churches here in the states that go to Mexico or other places in the world where clean water is scarce and show them how to make the filters. But then after further thought, we realized that we could do that anywhere and the reason we moved here was to travel into Mexico but now we weren't going to be doing that anymore. The Rio Grande Valley is not a place we would choose to live and raise our children otherwise. Aaron's parents have very unselfishly allowed us to occupy their cabin up north so we're going to camp out in their vacation cabin up north Michigan on Higgins Lake for the next couple years while Aaron finishes school. We are so excited for the many activities we can do with the kids that we have been unable to do here. I will miss the ocean and my friends and the kids' friends (that will of course be horribly sad to say good-bye), but am excited to be nearer to family and experience milder summers and beautiful autumns and yes snow! (although I'm sure after several months of snow, I'll not be too excited for it! LOL) All the while continuing to spread the word and knowledge of how to make these very cheap and very easy to make water filters that can change a family's life for up to 10 years!