Easter

We had a wonderful day celebrating our risen savior. Somehow , this year, it really felt like a celebration. I am not sure if we did anything differently, but we enjoyed reading a lot about Easter, making resurrection cookies, and Alan did a great job of teaching about the Holy Week using Cameron's Playmobil castle and soldiers...the kids loved it! The kids woke up to "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" and it was so fun. We enjoyed attending a city-wide church service, which we have not had since Christmas. What a wonderful way to praise the Lord. We also did a fun little Easter Egg Hunt at a park nearby. The kids had a great time running through the grass and shrubs and were oblivious to the local people staring at them the entire time. It was sprinkling rain and a little chilly, but that didn't stop us! Thank you so much for visiting our blog!

Growing up

Laura Cate just turned three years old on March 24, William will be 8 months old on Friday, and Cameron, a wonderful six year old, has his first loose tooth. I almost cried when Cameron ran in excitedly wiggling his front tooth, telling me, "it's loose, it's loose!" Time sure has flown by. I have had my hands full the past several months as I dove into the, difficult, unclear waters of homeschooling. And now my baby boy (who is definitely not a baby anymore) is about to loose his first tooth. I will let you the the progress and story of the tooth! Thank you so much for visiting our blog!

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!