Lucas' 3rd Birthday

On the 1st of February we celebrated Lucas' third birthday. He was excited to receive some gifts from my mom and a remote control car - but all he really asked for was chocolate. I also made sure that I informed him that as a three year old he could no longer act like a two year old.

End of the Semester

The big boys have completed another semester of national school. Their language ability continues to grow and we are thankful for that. In fact, the other day Josiah informed me that he knew more than I did. Caleb report card included a note from the teacher that said "your parents should be very proud of you". Josiah also did well, but his teacher marked down one of his scores for being a picky eater. I wonder where he gets that from?!

A Trip to Madrid

Last month the time came for us to make another required exit from this country. Instead of taking a boat ride we were granted permission to fly somewhere. After looking around we found that the cheapest place for 6 people to fly was to Madrid, Spain. It also worked out for Grandma Tricia and Grandpa to meet us there - which made this trip extra exciting. Maybe you came across a news story last month about a snow storm hitting Madrid. Well, we were there for it! Despite it taking 4 hours to pick up the grandparents from the airport (it should have taken less than an hour) the snow made the trip more fun for the boys. We didn't do any of the normal tourist things while we were there but we did make a trip to the zoo. The zoo was not very busy because of the snow which made it easier to keep up with the boys. The snow also gave the boys something to do between animals. As a side note you will notice in the pictures that Josiah has a large bandage on his forehead. About a week before our trip he was running into a building, tripped and fell head first into a marble step. Every boy needs a scar, right?

Christmas 2008

Matching pajamas - check!

Caleb started our morning by reading
the Christmas story.

This was the first thing that Lucas
opened and waited about 30 minutes
before he opened something else.

We bought the boys robes for Christmas -
Ted and I debated giving Josiah a newspaper
with his robe.

One of the things Caleb really hoped to
receive this Christmas was a sweater vest!
Thanks Nana.

Lots of colors, lots of noise, lots of lights - perfect.

To many of you it will seem a little late, but last Friday we had Micah circumcised. We meant to take Micah in well before now, but four boys, learning a foreign language, and everyday life kept getting in the way. Why am I sharing this with you? In this country circumcisions are not done right after birth, as a matter of fact most are circumcised sometime after the age of seven. Usually the celebration of this event ranks up there with a wedding. Boys wear a special costume on this day and their picture is forever displayed in the house. When I started to take a picture of the doctor signing Micah's circumcision certificate he called for the nurse to bring in the hat and sash. Now, we too can hang a picture of Micah in traditional circumcision garb.

Thanksgiving

We were blessed to able to spend Thanksgiving with friends/family. A family with a special connection was gracious enough to give us a whole turkey, along with some other treats, to help us celebrate the holiday. Micah celebrated his first Thanksgiving like a pro - he ate turkey, sweet potatoes, and yeast rolls until he was stuffed.

In the Midst of It

A picture of life with four kids - homeschooling,
toys, and diapers - but worship in the middle.

I admit it, sometimes caring for four small boys is overwhelming. Sometimes I do just want to be alone, to finish reading one sentence without being interrupted, to make dinner without an audience. Sometimes I actually want to stand tall and proud when someone asks me for the thousandth time "Having four kids is hard isn't it?" They are right I think for a second - I should get a badge or something. Sure there are times when it is difficult but at the same time my boys are not a burden that I bear. I often hear another question "How do you do it?", usually followed by "I could never do that". There are times when I want to think that I am doing something spectacular, but in the end I know that I will not succeed as a mom apart from the Lord's help. As I was working in the kitchen I noticed what you see in the picture above. I began to think about how totally different my day goes when I do not saturate my mind and heart with Him. I was going to clean off the table before I took the picture, but then it would not be reality. A good friend gave me this ipod and speakers as a gift and I keep it on most of the day. I listen to praise and worship music as I go about my day and it helps me be a better mom. I do not want to 'survive' this season of my life, I want to enjoy it, to thrive in it, to succeed by His definition - and I know that I will not do that unless I keep Him ever before me.