ELIJAH TURNED SEVEN ON APRIL 21

Elijah Rides the Big Roller Coaster at Sea World!!

Elijah, our oldest grandchild, turned 7 years old on April 21. Here are some recent pictures of him. Seems impossible that he should be this old. He finishes first grade this week. He loves school and makes excellent grades. His summer project is to work on his very own blog page.

We are proud of you, Elijah, and love you very much.

Baba and Peepaw

END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

The end of the school year is fast approaching. Our kindergarten year will be completed on
June 9 with a trip to the zoo in Skopje on Thursday, June 8. What a special treat this will be for these children who have not been across town on a bus --- now they will go together to the zoo! The children asked Habibe (the school director and head teacher) last week if they could have school during the summer. They love coming to school. They are assured of a meal each day, a warm place to go in the cold wintertime, other children to play with, and so many new things to learn each day.

Habibe told me that she was so sad to see each class leave her, but that she found joy in knowing that for one year of these children's lives, they know they have been loved!

What a tribute to a great teacher. It is her legacy to each child. I am very privileged to know her.

Thank you, Habibe.

Shelia

WHAT A SURPRISE !!!

I surprised Habibe with a birthday party at our apartment. The biggest surprise was that her sister and family and her mother (who has been very ill with heart problems for the past 2 months) were all in the apartment to surprise her when Habibe and I returned from our regular walk on Sunday afternoon.

What a joy to celebrate the gift of life with a friend!

Shelia

A SPECIAL 16TH BIRTHDAY

Jehona is in the middle (in blue) and
Sara is on the far right in black


Jehona turned 16 years old last week. When we first came to Macedonia, she was 8 !! We were looking back at all the pictures we have made of Sara and Jehona over the years and remembering all that we have been through together.

In the first few years we were together, the Kosovo War happened. Jehona and Sara (who will be 18 in August) helped their parents, Arville & me to take food, clothing, and medicine to many families in Kosovo. They even blew up balloons and made animals out of them for children - and they were only children themselves. Now they are both beautiful young women. It has been our joy to be like their second parents (I guess we are old enough to be their grandparents!).