In the US of A

We have been gone from Cameroon for more than a month now! We are having an amazing time in Florida. The month of July is really a time of rest and relaxation for us before we start our road trip. We are so blessed as my folks live on the East coast of Florida, Jake's mum lives on the west coast of Florida and our next stop is my brother's in Destin, on the coast of the pan handle of Florida. So it is the perfect place to get some R&R. Since coming to the States we have just been overwhelmingly blessed by family, friends, and church. Sometimes in Cameroon I wonder if my kids are missing out on all the fun stuff that is going on in the other side of the world, but we are certainly making up for lost time. We have been to the zoo, beaches, pools, tubing, national parks, eating out all over, to name a few. Still on the list: deep sea fishing, legoland, four wheeling, zip lining, kayaking... we praise the Lord for such generous family and friends! God is good!

Things that have been awesome about being on the States so far:

~Electricity (all the time)

~Water (all the time)

~Hot showers (all the time)

~Not being stared at (all the time)

Church (even though I don't know ANY of the songs they are singing)

~Wearing shorts!!!

~Making a grocery list and getting EVERY single item on it

~Strawberries

~Play grounds

~Fountain drinks

~The speed of internet. No joke, I can get done in 10 minutes what would have taken me all afternoon in Cameroon.

Things that still seem a little weird:

~How fast food comes at a restaurant (and I'm not talking about fast food)

~How friendly people are in stores

~Light switches inside of the bathroom (I keep looking for it on the outside and it's not there!)

~People buying bottled water when the stuff out of the tap is soooo good

~Not hearing the rain from inside the house (I'm shocked when we open the door and it's teaming outside... the tin roofs in Cameroon get pretty loud)

~Remembering to give way to pedestrians (almost run over a few people in Walmart parking lot :{).

~How healthy and big pet dogs and cats look

~The amount of food EVERYWHERE (needless to say, we have all put on a few pounds!)

On the flight to the US... technically Jordan is still in her belt. The kids did amazing on the 9 hour flight, they loved their individual TV screens (something that was lacking on Ethiopia Air)

Riding the shuttle at Orlando airport

Fun at the zoo with my parents

A special 4th of July breakfast to celebrate Jake's B-day (at his mum's)

4th of July cook out with family and then an amazing fireworks display in the city of Largo

Jake having fun with the camera

The kids playing with their glow sticks

Jake sharing at a homeless outreach

Cocoa Beach

Anna Maria Island (Jordan examining some cool seaweed)

We are all getting a lovely tan! 

Fun with Grammie and cousins

Jake grilling with his mum

Treetop walk at Myakka State Park

Observation tower 75' tall

Gator! We also saw a deer and her fawn.

Jake found a tree frog

Boating and tubing with friends on Indian River