Photo of the Week - June 28, 2009

Family Family Family!

Mom, Dad, John, and Jill rolled into town on Saturday afternoon for a weekend visit. My brother, John, lives in Japan and is in the US for flight training. He took advantage of the time in the states to visit the fam in the Midwest. Great opportunity to have a summer cookout, tour the River City, and simply enjoy the company.

Cheers to family reunions!

Jada

Photo of the Week - June 21, 2009

Friends,

The start of summer means Steamboat in Peoria. The annual festival is best known for it's road race. The 15K has a killer hill that is run twice during the race. I'm maturing as an athlete. I am learning how to enjoy road races more and avoid all of the "pre-race jitters." Jeff was at the finish line to capture the final steps. It was a fun morning shared with lots of friends at the finish line. Jaci, Trish and I were all smiles after the race was over. I'm thankful for the health to keep running day after day and year after year.

Have a great week.

Jada

Photo of the Week - June 14, 2009

Friends,

What this week's photo lacks in quality (taken with my phone) it makes up for it with the story. On Thursday I took a short tour around Peoria with friends to see some highlights of the city. Early this Spring we completed a survey of favorite things in Peoria...restaurants, outdoor activity, architecture, etc. We then compiled the favorites for the tour. We were appreciating the architecture and details of St. Mary's Cathedral (prettiest church) in the photo. Some of the other highlights included Grand View Drive, the Gateway Building, Kelleher's, and dinner at Avanti's (Best restaurant with meals under $10).

Enjoy your friends.

Jada

Photo of the Week - June 7,2009

This Saturday night it was quite the international gathering in my back yard with representation from Malaysia, India, China, Indonesia, Korea, Puerto Rico, and Indiana. We had a lovely meal prepared by my friend, Edmund. After eating we played a round of Catch Phrase which was especially entertaining with an international party! It was a lovely evening and I enjoyed the cultural exchange.

Have a blessed week,
Jada

Photo of the Week - May 31, 2009

Friends,

I'm going to Brazil! I'll be taking two weeks of layoff this July from work. During the time off I'll travel to Brazil on a Mission Trip with my church. We will be participating in a variety of mission opportunities along the Amazon River. One of the interesting projects will be the installation of Water Filtration systems in homes for families to have clean water vs. straight river water for their supply. Four of us, Henry, Nathan, Tim and I, started our planning an prep this weekend. Visa applications are en route to the embassy for approval. Tickets are purchased. More details on the trip to come in the weeks ahead.

Have a great week.

Jada