Our week so far!

Well it is already half way through our third week here in Arizona. Jenna has caught a cold and has ended up staying home yesterday and today. I think she is going to be well enough to go back to school tomorrow. Monday Papa Jim got the okay to go and play golf and pick up Emmalee. He is such a happy camper!! I have been working and looking around for cars. Not sure what I am going to end up with since I am on a tight budget.
Jenna has made some more friends at school and Tonya has another little girl for her to meet soon. She lives in the neighborhood. Jenna has a party filled weekend this weekend so she has lots of work to do, catching up on missed assignments and homework. We will get her through it. I don't think she ever expected so much work.
I have talked to James a few times this past week and he is having trouble with his cycle. (brommer) Hopefully with the help of his Dad he will have it running soon. I hope! I am looking forward to hearing about his first week back to school. I really miss not being there with him. I miss James so much. I know that Jenna does too. So James if you read this know we are thinking of you and love you to bits!

Happy Birthday Sabine!!!

We want to wish Sabine a very happy 14th birthday. We hope you have a wonderful day even though you have to go to school.

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Sabine

Happy Birthday to you!!

We love and miss you bunches!

Have a wonderful Day!

Love,

Jodie and Jenna

Happy Birthday Nadine!!

I want to wish my niece Nadine in Holland a very Happy Birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day and let you know we love and miss you bunches. Hope you got all you wanted for your birthday. Sorry that I am a bit late posting this. I hope you daddy reads my blog still and can show it to you.
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear Nadine
Happy Birthday to you!!

We love and miss you bunches!
Love,
Jenna and Jodie

Jenna's first week of school!!

Only one more day and Jenna has completed her first week of school here in America. She is finally getting the hang of it. Lots of homework and long days. She misses having a different schedule everyday and the opportunity to finish her homework in class. She has met a few kids but hasn't really gotten to know them outside of her classes. Everyone here has a different schedule so she doesn't have them in all her classes. So different from the school in Holland. But she has met some nice kids she says. Of course they can't compare to the ones she left behind. Plus the poor kid had to get shots yesterday. Apparently the shots in Holland are different here so she had to get 3 shots yesterday and has to go back in a month and get another one. She had to get a new Tetanus booster, Hepatitis B and Meningitis. She was very brave when those firemen came at her with 3 needles! Then she had to come home and finish her homework. She would have prefered playing with Papa Jim and Emmalee. Her room is coming together nicely. We picked up a tv for her tonight so she will be able to watch her own programs and avoid all the baseball games, and other sporting events that Papa Jim loves.
For all of you asking about her Mom (ME). I am doing okay. Just as homesick as she seems to be at times. I am working part-time now. I am going to start looking for a car this weekend and still looking for a more permanent job. I have talked to and seen a couple of my old friends here, too bad they live so far away. Still trying to get my head around the idea that this is going to be "home" and that is isn't going to include James until Christmas and then that is only for a few weeks. But I am hanging in there. If Jenna can do it so can I. Still working on those pictures I promised you... Maybe this weekend. Who knows.

Diamond Backs Baseball Game

Jenna went to a baseball game last night with her aunt Jill, uncle Rob and cousin Joshua. They had pretty good seats and they had a ball. The Diamond Backs lost to the Altanta Braves but they are still in first place in their league. Conner Jackson hit a foul ball right in front of them and the Golden Glover passed all the boys yelling for the ball and gave it to Jenna. She thought that was pretty special. She had a wonderful time at the game and is loving being around her aunt and uncle.
Yesterday we went to the orientation, which was really just letting us know what the school has to offer by means of extra activities and how their system works. We were able to walk around the campus and find all the classrooms and to find her locker and get it opened. Of course her locker is on of the high ones and she is going to have to stand on her toes to get it opened. I am not sure how much she going to use it. But it will be nice to have once she has to carry all her books around. She will get all her books on Monday. They hand them out in the class. She is going to be taking Drama (theater) as her fun class. She may get bored because she has the same classes every day until next semester which begins after Christmas. Lucky for her she will be done with school for the year at the end of May. She liked that idea.
Her reading is going good. I am so impressed with how well she is doing with it. For a kid who taught herself to read in English. All I can say is "WOW" !!! I think she reads better in English than she ever did in Dutch. She isn't happy that I am making her read a chapter a night but it is going to help her in the long run. Papa Jim is even impressed!
I don't think she is going to have any real problem at school at all. She has a super positive attitude and ready to go.

All registered for school

We got Jenna registered for school yesterday. She will be starting the 8th grade on monday. It is going to be so different for her. Tomorrow she will have her orientation and be shown around the school. She is really excited. Today she is going with a friend of ours named Jenna who is a coach for Cheerleaders. Jenna will be able to see if it something that she likes and if so she can start taking classes so she can tryout next year for Cheer. The plus she maybe able to meet some of the girls who will be going to her school.
Her room is almost ready and she is completely at home here. We went clothes shopping earlier because none of her summer clothes are appropriate for the school dress code. No spagetti straps or tank tops. She got some cute tshirts and a dress. She seems to be doing really well here. She has spent some time with Shauwna and they went skating yesterday. So she isn't that bored. Emmalee has Jenna wrapped around her finger and Jenna can't even retreat to her room without Emmalee following her to see her fish PO or to play with her music box. Not that Jenna minds much. Jenna has starting reading a book in English to get used to having to read everything in English and we have spoken very little Dutch. She says that it makes it easier for when she starts school. I will try to take some pictures of her room and of her new school and post them tomorrow.
Until then

Arrived Safe!

After lots of tears and hugs we said goodbye to all our friends and family and boarded the plane to Phoenix. It was one of the hardest things I have had to do in my life. Knowing that we can always go back is comforting.
I just want to thank all my friends for all the wonderful words and love. I missed you all before we left. Thank you all for keeping an eye out for James. I know he and his Dad will be okay but knowing that there are more people there for him makes it just a bit easier.
It is alot harder than I had expected but it is early days. Knowing that we are so far away and it is so definate makes it so scary.
Luckily we were welcomed with open arms and lots of love.
Thanks again for everything.
Jodie and Jenna