A Sunday Morning Message from Gabby

This is the song in Gabby's heart this Sunday morning :) Actually I think it was inspired from the sparkly heart on her shirt that I can see her rubbing as she sings to her audience in the TV...

Swinging alone & haircuts...check.

On Thursday Kolby learned how to swing! I think he has been "swinging" for a long time alone but something just clicked and he was swinging so high!! His whole face was one big smile. This is what he said to me, "Mommy! I learned how to swing! God just gave me a push and then I just started pumping my legs and doing it all by myself! Daddy is going to be so proud of me!"
Kyler's first hair cut! Ok, so I really didn't want to cut it but it was making him mad (hair hanging in his eyes)...I took the first cut and handed the scissors off to Angie b/c she is braver than I...and does a better job! Before pic.
After pic. Well he started to get a little impatient so we just had to be done...but its really cute and he looks super grown up now. (There you go, Leanne!)
Angie cut Gabby Girl's hair too...just a trim.

Angie w/ the kids before our Arabic class on Thursday...after the fun haircuts and swinging. We are totally enjoying having our "Angie" back!

In Bed

Well today I have been in bed almost all day w/ this darn cold turned into something living in my sinuses. Jon was so good to stay home today so I could try to get better before our busy week begins tomorrow. So since I am in bed, what better time to catch up on some blogs. I posted an update on each of the three little people that occupy most of my time. I also finished reading "Three Cups of Tea"...uh so good. Thanks Mickey for bringing it for us to read...a year ago! I am pretty sure I cried through at least half of it. If anyone is looking for a good down to earth reality story ab the Muslim world this is a great book to read. It's about Greg Mortenson's journey of starting schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan...w/ an incredible message of promoting peace. Ok, must close my eyes before they pop out of my head. Look at me blogging.

Kolby, almost 6 1/2 yrs old

This little boy has a vivid memory and imagination. Therefore, I think sometimes living overseas away from his family is hardest on him. He remembers last Christmas w/ Nana & Papa and Grandma & Grandpa and longs for traditions to stay the same. He had a hard holiday season...but when Nana sent this magical packet of fake snow in the mail he was thrilled! He missed the snow and even though he loves seeing pictures and hearing stories of his cousins in the snow I know it's hard for him to not be apart of it.

One morning I woke up to find this letter on the table. He wrote it after having a hard night of missing his friends and family in America. I had my computer hooked up to the TV and thought it would be fun to just have a slideshow of pictures running so the kids could play and watch. Seems like right after I did that I had to go help Kyler, Gabby went to play in her room, and Jon had to answer the gate (and was having difficulty figuring out what the man wanted) so Kolby was left alone to watch the pictures. All of a sudden I am coming downstairs and he is coming upstairs just sobbing. Broke my heart. He was crying b/c he just missed everyone so much. He's so tender. Nothing makes me want to pack my bags more than that...not even political unrest. This is what his letter said the next day, "Dear Dad and Gabby and Mom and Kyler, I will take you to America." To say the least, he is looking forward to a visit this summer.
One afternoon out w/ Daddy just walking around I think...and Jon captured this of Kolby. He still loves to curl up in small spaces and could watch for hours what is going on around him.
And yes, he wears this Halloween shirt at least once a week :) This is the big carrot he and Jon bought at the market one afternoon.
Angie has returned!! She came back at the beginning of Feb...and Kolby is back in action w/ some one on one time kindergarten instead of constant interruption kindergarten that he was having w/ me everyday. She took these 2 photos of him during school time. The top one cracks me up. He draws a picture and then journals ab it everyday. He seems to have some little thing happening in his mind this day w/ the car and his "dog" Harley sitting on his journal. The photo below is of Kolby's first day back to kindergarten w/ Angie. He got all dressed up for her :)

Gabriella, the almost 4 year old (in 4 months)

Gabby, put some clothes on! It's winter! Everyday I have to tell this girl to put on some pants or tights or socks...or clothes. She loves to wear summer clothes all year. What she really loves to do is run around in her underwear!
Jon took Kolby and Gabby to this little park the other week after Gabby had a nasty battle w/ the flu for 5 days. She was so happy to get out of the house and start eating again. I am sure she lost at least 10 lbs.
This is one of my favorite pictures of Gabby from Jan. She is growing up (too fast) into such a pretty little girl. Her facial expressions just kill me sometimes...I wish I could capture them all on camera.
Gabby and Ellie had a tea party this week (Kyler joined in on the fun too...his first tea party :) ).
Sipping water and eating toast. Such joy! Gabby adores her friend Ellie. She is very lucky to have a little girl her age, who is an American, live next door! They get along so good (most of the time). Gabby talks about her and prays for her when she's not around. It makes my heart so happy that she has a friend like that.

Kyler, 17 months

Here is our ornery little third child. If ever you were to forget he was in the room, don't worry...he will remind you that he's there and ready for everyone to look at him!
Kyler and Alex, best buds, 5 months apart, playing in Gabby's kitchen like sweet little boys should :)
Kyler and Alex at the local amusement park playing in a car together (you know the kind you can put quarters in and it goes back and forth and honks)...oh great fun! I think Kyler kept trying to sit on top of Alex so he could hog the steering wheel.

Kyler started walking at the beginning of Jan...and by the end he's getting his groove on and loves to walk around carrying our cell phones or vonage phone as he tells whoever is listening about his day. (The background noise on the video of Kyler dancing is Gabby just talking to herself while she plays! No lie!)

Spoke to soon...

Just kidding don't listen to me! Seeing updates now about demands for the president to resign...so we will continue to watch and pray...and stay at home :)

Riots Update

Well so much for how I usually find myself saying we moved to one of the safest countries :) But I guess we are still very safe! Today is the day the city is supposed to be completely shut down (the threat of no water or electricity did not come to pass THANK YOU, LORD!). After a speech from the President last night we are all feeling extremely hopeful though. We even ventured out of our house...okay so we walked down the street to Veronica's and the boys went to look for some lunch just out of curiosity really. They weren't able to find shwarmas but did find chipotees and several opened hanuts (little stores). So we were celebrating w/ take out and playing outside this morning. The guys did say they saw several burned things and many broken brick pieces up and down streets. From what we have heard from friends, online, and TV it sounds like people are, for the most part, happy w/ the talk that staple food items (bread, sugar, eggs) will be cut down in price; more freedom of speech; no more censorship of the internet; and the president won't run for another term (after having ruled for 23 years). Today is pivotal...to see if he will follow through. We are continuing to pray for peace, both political and in the hearts of people. We are rejoicing that things seem to be calming down...and will see what tonight brings. Still have not heard officially that the curfew is lifted. I feel like I am handling all this pretty well :) I have been most thankful for friends and family...here and across the ocean. The group of Americans we have here has been wonderful...seems like again we are all working together like the Body should. We have also been encouraged w/ prayers, phone calls, and emails from all of you in America! I have been reminding myself of a verse I memorized the first year I lived in Phoenix when I did a bible study w/ my Mil...Ps 56:3-4, "When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" Okay, except they can shut off our power and water...but hey, we were ready w/ every bucket and pan in our house filled to the rim!

Kyler is walking

Just yesterday out of the blue Kyler started taking 10 or more steps!! I am so happy! He will be 16 months in a few days (1/11) and I have been begging him to walk (well mostly my back is begging!). The funniest part is how motivated he is when his big bro and sis are cheering him on. They were SO excited for him and yelled, clapped, jumped around, danced...he was all smiles and kept walking to them over and over. Love that about having older siblings. Its so funny for me since I am the baby of 3 siblings. I can see myself in Kyler. "HEY EVERYONE LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME! AREN'T I CUTE AND FUNNY AND PRECIOUS?!" I have some videos of Kyler (and tons of other things) but for some reason I can't get anything to upload so videos will have to wait till I figure out the problem..

Engagement Party, Part 1

We kicked off our New Year here with our language teacher/good friend's engagement party...here she is waiting for her man to come!
Here he comes to claim his woman! He enters with his whole family and they are carrying gifts for the couple. There is lots of noise and its high energy! Our friend met her fiance through the American Embassy. A match made in heaven no lie. They both speak fluent English and though they are from here...much of the time I swear they are Americans. We could not be more thrilled for her to have been blessed w/ him. He has lived in America, works for the American Embassy and even lived w/ a pastor's family while in the states. And yes, don't be confused...this is only the engagement party!

Oh I have so many fun videos from this...so I have to figure out what is wrong w/ my blog or camera so I can upload them. More to come!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

15 months

Kyler, 15 months
Gabby, 15 months

So sad I don't even have pics of Kolby at 15 months...well I do but not digital and not here. Back in the day when I had film :) All those pics must be in America somewhere...I hope.

Just wanted to see them together so we could laugh at how similar Kyler and Gabby look!