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 :)