my experiment

let's see if this works!

Make a Smilebox postcard

I just want to get groceries...

Gabby's new favorite thing to do...stand on this stool and cook with me.










Our friend Bryce made the kids' newspaper hats...the things we do for fun around here!













The stud after he finished his first half marathon...yep right here in Africa. Don't let him be shy...he got 35th out of 300...










Gabby's new do...bangs :) Cut by her "language tutor". Kolby doesn't care for the camera much these days so it's hard to get a good pic of him!

Now the real reason for my post...

I gotta learn to check my calendar more often! This morning I got the kids out of the house early for a 30 minute walk, Gabby had room time while Kolby & I did a little preschool, I threw on some nicer looking clothes and brushed my hair, grabbed our stuff and jumped in the truck. I was trying to get to the grocery store and home before lunch. What was I thinking? The whole time I am driving there are red and white flags and pics of the Pres. all over the place. That should have been my first clue...actually my second. My first clue should have been the backed up traffic that I saw this morning while we were walking! Anyways, we arrived at the store I normally shop at to find NO PARKING (which actually isn't surprising since there really isn't much parking, but usually I can find somewhere to park)! I even drove around a couple times but it was too stressful with all the traffic and people and cars...that is when I remembered...uh, today is a holiday (don't ask me what holiday b/c I have no clue, all I know is it is nuts here during holidays and nearly IMPOSSIBLE to do anything fast or normal). Long story short, I tried another store (which is further away) and thought I could grab lunch in their "food court" and maybe the park would be open so the kids could play. Well, that didn't happen either b/c the traffic was at a stand still. Now, normally this would really send me over the edge...but today I felt this strong urge to just turn around and go home. The kids were doing so good just riding in the car (now for an hour) and listening to their music. When I pulled up outside our house my friend was coming around the corner. Today she didn't have any of her daughters with her so it made it easier to get my 2 kids in the house while chatting with her. I made us some coffee and we sat and talked for about 30 minutes. Another miracle, K & G just played and were having a good ol time (despite the fact that it was lunch time...this is a hard cultural hurdle to overcome! My friend and I's schedules with our children are SO DIFFERENT! It makes it really hard to get together). It gave us time to connect and catch up the best we can in our limited languages (well, she is way better in English than I am in Arabic). She told me that for some reason if she doesn't see me once a week she just has to come over and say hello b/c she "can't stand not seeing" me. When she left she practically skipped down the steps to the gate. It was so cute...how happy she gets when she gets out of her house with no kids and sits down to chat for such a short time! All this to say that after living here for almost a year (weird! it will be a year Dec. 27!) I am:
1) learning to hear the soft voice of the Lord again in the midst of what feels like maddness sometimes (I really felt like He told me to give up my own schedule today and turn around at that moment and go home),
2) becoming more and more at peace with not getting my own agenda done everyday, and
3) praying that the Lord would use me to bring joy to others...and that my friend would be drawn to me b/c of Him IN me.

Just now I've been interrupted by Kolby running into the room yelling, "Mommy, there is a bug in my room!"

This morning Kolby and I were reading, "What Do People Do All Day?" At the beginning of the book it asks, "What does your Daddy do?" Kolby's response: "Go to work." "What does your Mommy do?" Kolby's response: "Fix my toys."

During lunch today Gabby decided to build a tower made of cheese on the top of her sippy cup and then ever so gracefully shove it all in her mouth WHILE she attempted to take a drink.

Well, that's the Grogg update for today. :) By the way, I just learned that this week is a holiday celebrating the day the President was elected...yep, I said WEEK...they get a whole week off for this!

Where do they come up with this stuff?

I am sure everyone has some great conversations and stories that could be shared about what your kids have said...for real, I just can't believe how creative their little minds can be! Here is a conversation that has been going on in the Grogg house these days. There are many more but for some reason I can't find the time or energy to be a good blogger these days!

Jon: Who am I?
Kolby: The king.
Jon: Who is Mommy?
Kolby: The queen.
Jon: Who are you?
Kolby: The prince.
Jon: Who is Gabby?
Kolby: The farmer.

His true colors about his sister I guess! :)

Priceless Presents

Top 10 Priceless Presents given to me in the last several weeks:

1. Seeing your children run to their grandparents in the airport.
2. A mug signed by my priceless friends.
3. Two weeks of having family around.
4. Having the internet/phone at my fingertips again (uh, pure TORTURE when it's gone...hence why many of you haven't heard from me in 2 weeks).
5. The sea.
6. Sounds a little shallow but sorry, it's true...new things from America (from clothes to stuff for the kids to detoxes :) ).
7. RESTURANTS being opened after a LONG month of Ramadan.
8. Knowing we are loved and cared for by so many people.
9. Actually being able to rest when I am sick (thanks to Bruce, Lorie, and Jon).
10. Having a group of women here to do a bible study with.

For your entertainment...

Sunday morning, we went to the store to get some stuff b/c Bruce & Lorie (Jon's parents) arrive in about 4 hours! After walking around a pretty normal store for an hour (it's french and feels like super walmart minus some stuff) we pulled our truck up to our gated house to the sheep walking past our door. A nice little reminder that we get to experience some fun worlds.



I didn't want you to miss out on seeing our nice amazing truck again :) or Jon's true self...thanks to ALL of you who make it possible for us to have nice things here. Not a day goes by that we don't thank Jesus for you and acknowledge we are not alone in this adventure. We are keeping taps on Hurricane Ike from here also (via internet). Bruce and Lorie had to change their flight b/c the Houston airport was shut down. Weird to not be in America when stuff like hurricanes, etc. happen. I am sure if we were there we would constantly hear about it. Here we have to set aside time to hear about it. Thankfully like the song goes, "He's got the whole world in His hands." :) (currently a fav song of Kolby & Gabby).

Green means "Go"....

When we first arrived here our friends told us they taught their little boy to say, "Green means 'Go', red means 'stop', and yellow means 'HONK'!" Yesterday I learned just how tricky this whole yellow light thing can be! The kids and I were driving in our big bad truck and were at a stoplight. Here you pull up PAST the actual stop light (which is located on your left) and you are at the mercy of the cars behind you. They HONK at you when the light turns yellow (it goes from red to yellow to green). There was a taxi beside me so I was feeling all confident about pulling up past the light b/c I knew I could just follow the taxis lead...when he took off, I was taking off. All of a sudden there is lots of honking going on and the taxi takes off. So I take off...oops, they weren't honking at us. I thought for sure a taxi driver would know where the honking was actually coming from (since my children were super loud in the back I couldn't really tell, plus I am half deaf, just ask Jon)! So we both pulled out right in front of the cars turning from the other lane straight at us. Oh boy, I saw some hand signs that I haven't noticed before...well, the important thing is bshweya bshweya (slowly slowly) I am learning to drive right? It's a nice outlet...you have built up frustrations? Just jump in the car and let it ALL out! It's so great!!

Last weekend our friends' little guy turned one. For his party we went to a little amusement park called "Kat Kut". It's CRAZY! It felt like a night out in America or something. We have been there about 4 times now and each time I feel like a new person when I get home. This time was extra special b/c there were 7 little Americans having the time of their lives (okay except for little baby Kate who is only about a month old!). I actually am not sure if the parents enjoyed it more or the kiddos. Kolby and his buds got a chance to drive too. You just never know what to expect here. One day you go to an amusement park, the next day you are excited to actually find Christmas wrapping paper, and yet they are out of ground beef at the store??

I got all I need (in KY accent)

First some things about our funny groggies...

This morning Jon and Kolby took our friend and their dog to the Vet (b/c we have a car now and dogs aren't allowed in taxis!). Kolby keeps saying, "Thanks Daddy, for taking me to the doggy doctor!" The other night I was helping Kolby get ready for bed and out of the blue he says, "Mommy, you are too big to ride up top (the term he uses for riding on Jon's shoulders). But I am not b/c my Daddy has no hair." Ha! He's been cracking me up lately! Last Saturday he wanted to play pirate. So Jon made him this pirate get-up and a make-believe pirate ship on his bed. He holds his finger up like in the picture and says something like, "First I need a drink of milk!"



Then there is Gabby :) We made coconut macaroons together the other day. I finally caught her priceless "O" face on camera. She was a big helper...spilling stuff all over and putting her fingers in everything! Today we got to have some more mommy/daughter time while the men took the dog to the vet. She helped me clean the dirt off our slab of marble porch. Then we came inside and danced around the house doing some more cleaning and playing at the same time. Gabby loves to dance. Let's hope she has her Daddy's moves and not her Mom's :)

Lately I have been stressing myself out and I couldn't really figure out why. I tried to put it all into words the other night while I was talking to Jon. It really came down to figuring out who I am here in this place. Thankfully, Jesus provided my friend Veronica and I with some time to take a walk with the kids yesterday (in the heat of the day! what were we thinking?!). After chatting awhile we figured out we were both struggling with some of the same emotions. One being guilt. I remembered something I heard from our friend Phil when he and his wife visited this Spring. He said (well, what I heard him saying anyways!) was in order to truly be authentic you have to keep the gap closed between who you know you are and who people think you are. That is why I started this blog back then...in hopes of keeping this gap closed. I don't want my friends and family back in America to think I am something I am not. And when I feel like I haven't clearly communicated who I really am and what I am doing here then I allow myself to feel guilty...like shouldn't I be able to learn a new language, build relationships with nationals, have good relationships with Americans here, keep a clean house, never have dishes in the sink, stay on top of relationships back in America, grow in the Lord, take care of my husband and my 2 children, exercise & eat right, cook healthy meals, read books about parenting, get out of my house, and get 2 loads of laundry done a day (without a dryer)?? I mean, really, what is wrong with me??!! I guess I finally came to the conclusion I can't get all of these things done perfectly :) Are any of you surprised? :) I didn't think so!

Phil shared Hebrews 3:12-14 with us when he was talking about being authentic and also the importance of encouraging one another. Authenticity and encouragement are what help us choose Him over sin. I had never really put that together when reading these verses before. But now it makes perfect sense to me why I need other people and why I need to allow people to see the real me. It produces unity, harmony, and is praise to the Lord (Romans 15:7). And it helps me put aside my own fleshly desires & reactions (like grabbing the chocolate when the ants start coming in through my cabinets).

Jon used this verse to encourage me the other night. Maybe it can also encourage you today...leave the dishes in the sink, forget about the dirty floor and all the demands that come with raising small people...b/c when we know Jesus, we have everything we need already :)

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3

I am so thankful that what I need to be doing most of all is just knowing Jesus.

Kolby & candy video

The aftermath of the dinosaur pinata fun...our son knows just what to do with his abundance of candy!

The Moment Arrived!!

He pulled up and I swear I almost cried :) Wow, just think how great Heaven is going to be if I am this excited to have a car after being without for only 8 months! I had the courage to drive it to my friend Veronica's house (who lives about 2 minutes away) and around the block a couple times...I am hoping my need for freedom will overcome my fear of crazy African drivers! Thanks, Jon! Your hard work and commitment to wait for the right car reminds me why I married you. But now I can go get my own groceries! :)

Gabriella's first time in her car seat after 8 months. At first she was really excited about the whole situation, but then she started trying to get out (imagine that!). You can kind of see Kolby's head in the back row. He didn't want to pose for the "first car ride" picture! It is amazing how good it feels to get in a car and actually BUCKLE my children up in their car seats! When we take a taxi, Jon sits up front while the kids and I sit in back...no seat belts. Just Mommy hanging onto her babies and trying to not pay attention to how close we come to hitting other cars or pedestrians!



In the SAME day my multi-talented husband made the cake for our August Birthdays celebration...this is his second cake (the first one was an oreo ice cream cake with oreos that he bought in France!)...he decided to go along with the theme Susie and Veronica happened upon while making a pinata :) It was a dinosaur celebration for sure!







Kolby was able to build a special relationship with the dinosaur before he got smashed to bits. Today he is still telling me, "Mommy, I am sorry I had to hit the dinosaur, but he had candy inside!" Thanks Susie and Veronica for our dinosaur good times!








Kristie, Bryce & I's birthday party (poor Bryce got sick and had to miss his own party!) Jon wrote "Happy Prehistoric Birthday" on the cake with a picture of a dinosaur in case you can't see it!

So...I have really had birthday weekend! Who knew Jon would buy me a car for my 30th birthday :) Kidding. Thanks for all the phone calls, emails, and blog singings :) by the way!

I will let you know how learning to drive here goes!

The Waiting Game

At this VERY moment my fabulous husband and our language tutor are on their way to sign papers so we can have a CAR! My very American colors shine through whenever the subject of "car" comes up...to me it means independence, freedom, an easier way of doing things with 2 children (versus taking a hot taxi). Poor Jon has worked so hard at trying to get us a car for about 2 months straight. It's not as easy as it sounds. After finally FINDING a car we could actually afford and it be useful for our family, visitors, and friends, Jon went to the bank Friday morning only to hear, "We don't have that much money here." We live in a cash society now...so Jon was trying to take out all the cash we would need for our scary purchase (and thanks to Leanne's hard efforts and huge headaches we actually have the money in a bank account here). This morning he headed to the bank as early as possible. He text me to say they took him in the back with all the money, gave him a bag, and started dumping the bills in it. I wish I would have been there to take a picture! Can you just imagine Jon walking out of the bank, getting into a taxi, etc. all with a big ol' bag of money? The thought of it cracks me up (it will you too if you REALLY know Jon & money's relationship). Who knows if we will actually get the car today...or how long all this "paperwork" will take...but we are used to the waiting game now! Hopefully soon I can post a picture of FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!

Friends at Last..

Okay, well most days they are friends :) On this particular day Kolby decided it was okay to sit next to Gabby in our new chair from IKEA!! I think heaven is going to be like IKEA maybe :) Well, we are enjoying our new chair to say the least. And everyday we enjoy these 2 little faces. Tuesday we started having my language tutor's sister come be their teacher. So while I have arabic lessons they get a little of their own. Well, Gabby sleeps through most of it (due to her morning nap). Kolby seems to be okay with it so far. But today he said, "Mommy, I can't talk b/c I am sick." I think he was really saying, "What is wrong with me that this girl can't understand me?!!" I know, it's kind of sad...well, I know my Mom is thinking that :) but I think that Kolby will pick it up quick. The other day I asked him, "Are you all done?" He said, "You mean 'akahow', Mom?" (which means all done in Arabic). I didn't even know he knew that word!

Gabby's Going

This is the first night Gabby really took off walking!! She is such a ham. I happen to be reading to Kolby in the background so you can ignore that part :) I have been trying to get a video of Gabby walking on here for a good 2 weeks! She is much better at it now and is all over the place. Kolby and her still play their favorite little game...Kolby walks behind Gabby and when Gabby falls down, he falls down. Then they lay their and giggle for a couple seconds. They sometimes continue this pattern for a good 30 minutes which is music to my ears! It's hard sometimes to get them to play together. It seems like Kolby enjoys Gabby more now that she is mobile...but he does still close his bedroom door on her quite often :)

Taxis and beaches don't mix.

So Saturday morning some friends and I snagged a taxi and headed to the beach (30 minutes away, a new place none of us had been before so it was a fun adventure...well, everything is a new adventure around here for me...it was kind of our goodbye party for Jen who is heading back to America). This taxi driver was super nice and since Veronica has been here for 2 1/2 years she could speak to him really good--bonus for us that speak jack squat. He offered to come back and pick us up when we were ready to go home (side note: it is pretty rare from my 7 months of experience with taxi drivers to find one this great!). After tanning my nice bod :) (and we all know I only got a burn but Veronica showed us how to eat fresh oysters so it was worth it!) for 2 hours we were ready to head home. We trudged through the sand watching our taxi driver from a distance. I think the conversation between the four of us went a little like this, "Dude, I think our taxi is stuck in the sand." "Really? What IS he doing?" "Hmmm...yeah maybe he's stuck..." "Oh man, I think we are going to have to push him out!" "Oh yeah, he is so stuck." Okay, so we really TRIED to help the poor guy. He was probably sick of the 4 giggling Americans trying to push the car while he pushed on the gas. It's a lot harder to push a car while you are in the sand we found out. Thankfully some other nice guys with a 4 wheel drive whatever came to help BUT in the midst of it all I DID get to DRIVE the taxi! I mean really, who can say they have actually ever driven a taxi? I CAN! So what if I only drove it for about a foot but hey, I am proud! Poor nice taxi driver is probably still having nightmares.

Check out my Slide Show!

Trying to walk

She's trying. This little video was taken a couple weeks ago. She gets better everyday. I can't wait for her to walk b/c I am sick of her crawling around outside and getting ants on her! It's dangerous learning to walk around here with all the hard floors. Gabby is pretty tough though, lucky for her!

You'd think I would learn the first time!

A couple weeks ago my friend Veronica and her little girl Elianna came over for a baby pool party. To make the long story short, we got locked out of my house (Kolby is a quick one). Luckily Jon was close by and could come to our rescue. Since then I have tried to never step out the door without my keys in it. It must be something with me and pool parties...here I am having a great Thursday (I LOVE Thursdays b/c it is my only day with just me & the kids--no language, no house cleaner, no meetings)...thinking I have everything under control and feeling pretty proud of myself for completing 2 loads of laundry, walking to the little store by our house and getting more water, having dinner ready so we could eat right around 5:30 (b/c Jon had language at 6), and doing some fun stuff with the kids...Veronica and Ellie come over...and we went out to have a pool party. I didn't think about putting my keys in the door b/c Jon was inside. Oops. Jon decides to join us...after about 30 minutes Jon says, "You have the keys?" Thankfully, Jon had his cell phone. You might be thinking, "Couldn't you somehow break in?" Ha! Not here! You would not believe the security in this place! Not only are we surrounded by tall cement walls with locked doors, but our front and back doors have these huge super locks on them AND all of the windows have bars on them. We thought about trying to put monkey Kolby through the bars, but then the inside of the windows were also securely locked. We are thankful for friends who live close by and friends with cars at this point! And the nice locksmith that Jon actually talks too quite often to help him with language learning. :) No worries, we now have a hidden key...and my friend Erin just pointed out it's not so hidden when the whole world knows about it. Good point. I forgot to mention the oven was on...it was a crisy dinner tonight. :) (The photo is from this weekend when Jon decided he needed to have a pool party!!)

Just being kids

One of my favorite parts of the day is coming home to see what my kids are doing. Nothing out of the ordinary, just having fun being kids. Here is Kolby after he poured his own bowl of cheerios. Don't worry we didn't waste any of those bad boys - Cheerios are a hot item as they have to be imported! Gabby is all smiles no matter where she is, even when we stick her in the armoire for a while. Just playin', she wanted in there.

Therapy!!

Well, here I am doing something I keep telling myself I don't have time for! Which I don't but I decided after talking to some friends that maybe this stuff would be good therapy for me...a way to stay in touch with the people I love who live in America and a way for those people to know more about us (and the weird things that happen when living in another country). I decided I need my friends & fam to know about my life...not b/c they really need to know but I really NEED them to know. Somehow it makes the gap between my new life and my old life not feel so incredibly big. At least it feels big 6 months into living here in Africa...or maybe it's just the trash, cats, and dogs that are blurring my vision...At any rate I am going to give it a try! Here I am with my ball of fun...at Gabriella's first birthday party.