A car!

Alan's parent have been so gracious and generous to always let us borrow one of their cars whenever we needed it. But, with traveling and the kids involved in activities and doctors appointments we knew it would make things a little bit easier if we had our own car over the next five months. We had been praying and working on getting a car for over a month and had not heard anything for a long time. Then last week Alan and I were praying for a car one morning and about half an hour later we got a call from someone that could help us buy a used car. So, we all went to pick it up today! We were all excited. We are sooo incredibly thankful that the Lord provided us with a car. It is perfect for us.

Two wheels and one big step

Cameron is officially a bike rider and I do not know who is more excited and proud, him or me. I loved riding a bike and always have, but especially now in East Asia. There is so much to explore and it is free, good exercise. Cameron had training wheels on his bike for the past year. Last fall we took them off and practiced a lot, but then winter hit and we did not get outside as much. We practiced more in the spring and he was doing well, but then we came back to the States. Thankfully his Papa, Alan's dad, made sure he had a bike just his size (he actually got two just to make sure)and although it was tempting to hop onto Laura Cate's bike with training wheels, Cameron was outside almost everyday practicing. It helps to have a driveway without lots of cars and with grass to fall into (unlike our apartment complex). So, as of May 6, Cameron is cruising! Now he goes all around the yard and last week I took him on a date to a big park which had a big circular walkway to ride on and good grass to practice on. It was so much fun seeing him go! Now I can't wait to ride with him. Way to go, Cameron!!

School Days

Before we returned to the States one of our prayer requests was that Lord wou,d provide a preschool program that the kids could jump into even though it is towards the end of the year. We ended up finding an opening right across the street from our neighborhood. The kids go two days a week and the love it! The teachers love having the kids too and enjoy seeing them play together on the playground. One day at lunch I was asking Cameron about school and he said he missed his preschool in East Asia. I was intrigued by his comment, so I asked some more questions and what it boiled down to was he missed playing with his buddy, Cooper. Cameron is making new friends, but he still misses his old ones and is looking forward to be wing with them again. I miss my friends there too, but we know that this is where the Lord wants us right now and He is graciously providing fellowship while we are here.

A Great Book

I am not sure what to title this but I just felt like I needed to write. I typically write about things with our kids, but I just had to share about a book. I recently read (and almost finished before we left Asia) and HIGHLY recommend a book by an author named Peter Scazzero, titled Emotionally Healthy Spirituality It is basically about how you can not be spiritually mature if you are not emotionally healthy. I never thought about it before, but of course God the Father cares about our emotional health. Also, how we are emotionally effects every part of us, especially how we relate to God and how we grow in our relationship with the Lord. You have to read this book! It will challenge your view of yourself and help you to grow in all that God wants you to be.

I'm baack!

We are unexpectedly, but gratefully, in the States for the next six months. I think most people k ow by now that we are pregnant! Long awaited baby #3 is on it's way due August 31. So that makes me about twenty weeks along now. I know I should have blogged about this a long time ago, but the sweet little thing is no less loved and cherished! Due to different complications and concern about our medical care where we lived, we planned to return to the States around May 8th, when I would be 24 weeks because we thought I might be a high risk for having a premature baby. As things continued to change and i was put on strict bed rest we decided to leave as soon as possible. We had about a week to pack up and move our family halfway around the world to live in Birmingham with Alan's parents so that we could get the help we needed. I went to the doctor the day after we arrived and the doctor said everything looked great ands the baby was healthy. Both of my major health issues had pretty much changed or ceased to be a problem. So many people have been praying for us and it is evident the Lord, through His great mercy, was healing me. We are so incredibly thankful. I am still on limited activity but am so glad not to be on bed rest anymore and can enjoy spring in the States as I sit outside and write this.

We have all adjusted pretty well. The kids did well on the plane and after three days they starting sleeping through the night! Yesterday they slept until past 7:00 a.m., but today they were up around 6:15. Speaking of adjusting, one of the cutest things is that both Cameron and Laura Cate immediately take off their shoes when they enter the house (that is what we always do at home in East Asia) and Cameron noticed I still had my shoes on one day and wondered why I didn't take them off. Cameron also asked why he doesn't need a straw for his yogurt since we have them at home, but there the yogurt is more liquidy.

We are slowly trying to make a home and routine here and the kids have had some special fun times with their grandparents and cousins. I will have to post some more about that! everyone at our local church has been so helpful to provide anything we might need for the kids since we had to leave so quickly. They are such a blessing to us.

I am sure I will have lots of fun blog posts over the next several months. I am still jet lagging and need to go to bed!

Boy Scouts

For the past year and a half Alan has been privileged to help lead the Boy Scouts of American troop in our city.  Since we was an Eagle Scout he loves being able to do this and being a part of the boys lives. We know a lot of them and they are a privilege to lead.  Cameron has a while before he can participate, but every time Alan goes camping with the Scouts Cameron asks if he can go.  He was finally able to go this weekend and he was soooo excited.  We were excited for him to get to spend extra quality time with daddy, to be outside, to learn about camping and to be around some wonderful older boys that would be a good influence on him.  Cameron actually has been a little sick this week and came down with a fever yesterday and we really prayed for his fever to go away and for him to be able to go.  He felt better this morning and his fever was gone and Alan and Cameron were out the door at 7:45, packed and ready for an adventure!!  I already felt like a scout “mom” even though I did not do much. I tried to pack a few fun goodies, but I didn’t want to weigh Alan down (he was carrying most of Cameron’s things ).   I can’t wait for them to come back tomorrow afternoon and to tell me all about it.  I took a picture of them before they left, but am having trouble with my pictures…hopefully I can get it out soon. 

Meanwhile,  I have enjoyed being home and getting some fun  quality time in with just Laura Cate. 

Birthday Party

We attended a birthday party today for two friends of ours.  Our friends the Todd's always have a way of discovering fun things to do and they found a place in a mall that has a roller-skating rink. So, they had a roller-skating party for their two girls, Hailey and Madison.  I took Cameron and we had so much fun.  He did not know much about roller skates and had never heard of a roller-skating rink, but he tried it and loved it!  There were lots of kids who were skating for the first time and they did so well.  We had lots of fun! Happy birthday Hailey and Madison!!  We love yall :)

 

Cameron and Hailey

Cameron cruising!

Soccer Pictures

Cameron had soccer again last week and loved it!  He had a lot of fun doing the drills and especially enjoyed the game at the end.  We could tell he has improved since last year and now he is really focused on “going fast”.  Whenever we go outside he is always running to see how fast he can go. Now when we walk to and from pre-school he asks me to time him as he runs to see if he is getting faster :)

 

Cameron is in the group to the right of the boy on the left wearing yellow.  He almost scored  a few times!

Cameron and Laura Cate had just as much fun playing after practice.

 

Laura Cate kept calling Cameron’s name and tried to play with him during the drills and game.  Maybe one day she can play too.

Big Girl Beds

Last Monday as Alan was getting ready to go out of town on Wednesday I was thinking about what I needed to do before he left and I decided it would be a good time to transition Laura Cate from her crib to our bunk beds…yes, a little crazy, but I was ready to have more room in their bedroom.  So, after dinner Alan, Cameron, Laura Cate and I got out the screw drivers and started working.  Laura Cate was excited to sleep in a “big girl bed”, except that she kept trying to crawl up into Cameron’s bed.  It has been a pretty good transition. She still tries to get out of bed at night and once in a while she will get out of bed and ride around on her tricycle in their room, but we are patiently working on training her to stay in bed.  One night she came tip-toeing out and I was on the couch reading and Laura Cate came and sat down right next to me and snuggled and said, “I sit.”  Oh, it was a sweet moment, but I knew I had to get her back in bed and correct her for getting out of bed.  Of course the very next moment she was tip-toeing out again and this time she came to sit down at the kitchen table.  At least Alan was their to help me keep my sanity. Cameron and Laura Cate like to sleep together sometimes and it is so sweet to see them curled up together and talking to each other.  I am so thankful for such fun memories that they will have together!  Here are some cute pictures!!

Snug as a happy bug! She loves her blankets piled on top.  

Her big dog is called “Shadow” in honor of Alan’s parents new Golden Retriever that Laura Cate met last summer and LOVED!

 

We love having these bunk beds!

Unfortunately while Alan was away she decided to climb out of her pack n’ play where she naps. I was doing school with Cameron in the afternoon and we heard the door to our guestroom open where she naps, but sometimes she could reach it while in her  pack n’ play, so we didn’t think much about it.  We just figured she would eventually get fall asleep.  The next thing we know, over our shoulders is a cute little curly-blond hair girl walking towards us with the biggest smile, saying, “Hi, Cameron!”  Cameron and I were stunned to say the least. We had know idea she could climb out, so that next day she began sleeping on our guest room bed. 

A New Refrigerator?!

Since we got our refrigerator back on Saturday it has not been as cold as it should be therefore we were afraid to put much in it,  but God has been so good to us.  We continued to have friends bring us some meals and in two days two friends offered to give us an extra refrigerator that they each had!  One of the refrigerators ended needing to be repaired, so they decided not to give it to us, but the other one belongs to some dear friends, the Todds. They are moving into a new apartment. They landlord had a really nice (for here) big refrigerator already in the new apartment, but the Todds already have one, so they didn’t know what to do with it.  They knew we had been having problems, so they asked if we would like to “keep” it for several years for them.  The next day we got it delivered and I had my work cut out for me.  It was soo dirty and moldy, but nothing that hard work, warm water and baking soda cant take care of!  It took me all morning to clean, but now we have a wonderful new refrigerator that works great and it the biggest one we have ever owned and we could never have afforded one this nice. We are so thankful to the Lord for this wonderful blessing through our friends.   Here is a picture of it while I was cleaning.   After I finished cleaning it I had lunch with our helper and was talking to her.  She is moving apartments and I asked her if she needed any help.  Through our conversation I found out that she does not even own a refrigerator…just a little perspective that I needed to be reminded of what a gift this is :)

Soccer Season

First I have to let everyone know that we got our refrigerator back today…very exciting. So life can get back to normal maybe. 

Today was also Cameron’s first day of soccer this season. He played last year and loved it, but he was a little reluctant to go again. Alan asked him why and he said “ all we do is run around.” They do play lots of games and drills and the coaches make it fun, but it is true, there are lots of 4-5 year olds just running around out there! Nonetheless, Cameron had a great first day and of course he liked having his daddy as his coach.  Alan took Laura Cate and let me stay at home and rest today, but poor Alan. Laura Cate can be pretty clingy and she wouldn’t let him put her down, so he was running around, coaching the kids and carrying Laura Cate the entire time…what a SUPER DAD!! Alan, you are the best! Thankfully Laura Cate is little and holds on tight :) I was hoping to get pictures for yall, but Alan was a little busy, so maybe  next week we can put some on the blog. 

Good night!  Tomorrow is back to cooking ~

We’re Back!

We are finally back home after being away for about three weeks.  We had a rough re-entry back when we came home to a refrigerator that quick working while we were gone, therefore leaving us a freezer full of  smelly, moldy food and then Laura Cate had a strange high fever for 2.5 days, but she is all better now.  We are still waiting to get our refrigerator repaired. The repairman said several days, maybe a week, so after about three days I started calling and checking, but he said not to worry, it hasn’t been a week yet…easy to say when you are trying to feed a family everyday.  Thankfully we have great neighbors and I have food spread out in a few different refrigerators :)

The kids were so excited to be back home. We had a few (maybe more than a few) pajama days when Laura Cate was sick…it was kind of fun.  :) 

Cameron was supposed to start pre-school back this week, but I decided he would wait until his buddy, Cooper, got back next week.  Cooper, hurry back! Cameron misses you sooo much!