Family Time!

They sacrificed a great deal when we moved overseas.

Gone were many of the traditions established for years around holidays together.  No more weekend visits for birthdays or special occasions.  Instead, there's a gap at their table or around the tree on this side of the ocean. 

Before we left for Albania we understood our losses, but I don't think we really considered their losses.  So when we do have precious time in the States, we carve aside some special time with our families. It doesn't make up for missing Thanksgivings and Christmases, but still cram in plenty of time for telling stories, playing games, and eating well.

Over Independence Day we gathered for four nights and three days at a lake on the border of Kentucky and Tennessee.  It was special because we had stayed in the exact same house on this lake five years ago!

(Below) Ellie and Reni have a lot of people in and out of their lives, which makes their relationship with their cousins that much more special.

And their cousins are fantastic with them...

The weather was quite damp and overcast, so our family photos were quite casual.  If we could be outside, we were trying to get in as much lake time as possible!

The kids were fish.  By far, this has been the best year for time on the water -- they are much more independent, jumping in the water every chance they got.

Here's Reni's attempt at diving in...

Our last day the sun came out and it was gorgeous... until mid afternoon then it poured, but we enjoyed it while it lasted!  We made some great memories!