Happy 1st Birthday, Kyler

The Birthday boy opening his gifts yesterday after lunch...
With 2 older siblings it was hard for him to get at his presents however....thanks for the guitar, Grandma...and for the airplane, Nana....
and for the car, Grandpa! Kyler can eat apples like this now! Its so nice! If he's fussing all I have to do is peel that kid an apple and he's happy for 30 minutes. He's trying to get his sixth tooth in.
We got him this little music "station" at Toys R Us in France. He loves it! As does Kolby and Gabby. Looks like my camera is still set on American time...it really is Sept 11! oops.
Getting ready to celebrate with gluten, dairy and egg free banana cake with our friends at Veronica's house...thanks Nana, for supplying the party supplies! Kyler was ALL smiles for his big day!

Kyler's birthday week

September started out hot here...Kyler found joy in the hose while Jon was watering the grass one night. It was funny b/c Gabby and Kolby just watched him, scared to get to close b/c they didn't know what he would do! He was crazy, spraying himself in the face and anyone who would dare to walk close by.
On Friday we headed to Marsielle, France for a visa trip. Oh darn :) I know I know I'm spoiled. I forget how cool our life is sometimes. We get a little distracted by the stress of it all. But when we sit back and try to de-stress we again realize what a huge opportunity we have to see the world right now. The first day was bad b/c we tried to go to Toys R Us and IKEA. We did make some purchases which of course I am super excited about...but again, it was stressful. The rest of the time in France we just took walks and did some hiking. A much better way to slow down and enjoy seeing new sights. Here our the kids at the beginning of a little hike we took.
Kolby snagged the camera on this walk and took about a "milk-ee-an" photos (K's word for "a lot").
Jon's a crazy man and has spent several visa trips running up this CRAZY hill to see this Catholic church...he told me it was just "a little walk"! Yea right! A little walk straight up for a long time!! But of course he was right, the view at the top was worth it and the building itself was pretty cool. Gabby somehow twisted her ankle the day before so it made it a little tricky...
So on the way down the hill while I took pics here is my hero to the rescue...almost one year old strapped to the back, pushing the 3 year old and then carrying her (along with the heavy backpack) down yet another flight of stairs! Oh it was pretty funny!! I will have to put all these photos on kodakgallery.com b/c they are pretty sweet.

Elijah & Brittney

Gabby has finally fallen in love with reading. It seems like Kolby was born with this love. But Gabby, not so much. Not until recently has she started asking for me to read to her ALL the time. I'm used to this question with Kolby, but it's new for me with her. And its so different with her b/c she wants to read different things then Kolby...you know, like girl books! Love it! I get to read princess books and Strawberry Shortcake. Also she REACTS to everything in the book. Kolby will sit for hours silently while I read and read (I had no idea he ever heard a word I read until I figured out he was practically memorizing everything). She laughs, points out everything, asks a million questions, and names each of the characters ("This is Gabby, this is "Tolby", this is "tyler", this is Ellie). She is for sure a verbal processor like her mother!

She is a big fan of the "Beginners Bible" that we received from a friend a month ago when they moved back to America (that is also where the fabulous Strawberry Shortcake book came from). We were reading "Chariot of Fire" (from 1 Kings 19; 2 Kings 2) the other day. When we got to the part about Elijah being taken up to Heaven in a fiery chariot Gabby shouts out, "That little boy going back to America, Mommy?!!! Like Brittney does? To see her mommy & daddy & sister?" It made me laugh so hard. The poor thing associates anyone that has to go away with going to America. Bless her little heart! Our kids are troopers. They have had to say many goodbyes this year already. Its amazing to me how at such a young age they can remember people they love so well. So if you have been one of our beloved guests...just know you are still being talked about weekly, maybe daily!

Brittney was our last victim. She endured 5 weeks of me & my children bossing her around! Thanks to her Kolby is getting really good at reading, Kyler has hope to lead a normal life despite allergies (we are getting in good with a great doctor thanks to her and her fam!), and Gabby only likes to wear braids now. (Brittney, those earrings are hot don't deny it! I know you ACCIDENTALLY left your pair here...right?!? Miss your positive attitude around here!)

Thanks, Momma

I've been trying to finish this entry for days...so the info is a couple days off..

Today during nap time Kolby actually fell asleep (b/c we went swimming in an awesome pool this morning thanks to our friends Zack & Corrie!). I went in to check on him and he looked cold so I covered him up with a blanket. He opened his eyes, smiled sweetly, and said, "Thanks, Momma," then closed his eyes and fell back to sleep.

I realized at that moment of sweetness that no matter how many pep talks I give myself during the day, I continue to let my stress get the better of me. Kolby, you are so sweet. Naturally, you tend to be more sweet than mean. It seems like your un-sweetness is only learned from us, a response to our stress. Upon waking, for 2 seconds, you sweetly smile and use your manners?! But other times, during the day, your un-sweetness emerges somehow. You are so sensitive. No matter how hard I try you can sense my emotions...even if I am conquering the bad ones. I'm sorry I don't enjoy you more. You are so creative and go on and on with make believe stories. You are still into pirates and spooky ghosts. 99% of the time you are the "King of Golden" and at least once a day you bring up how we should only worship God and not golden idols. I rarely have to entertain Kyler b/c you are so into him. Yesterday in the car you were pretending to eat his hands and feet, all the while slobbering all over him and yourself. He was cracking up. Whenever he nears the steps you say, "Mom! Kyler is going to fall off the steps!" or "Mom, Kyler is trying to climb the stairs!" You have also really progressed with your mad reading skills. I can't believe in just a month or so WE will start Kindergarten! I never would have thought I would get to be a teacher...and it's even better that I get to be a teacher to you. Lots of new for me and you, buddy.
You teach me everyday. We noticed a few days ago that you have a tooth growing up behind your baby teeth (on the bottom). At breakfast you were asking me what would happen with your teeth. I said that maybe you would have to have a baby tooth pulled out by the dentist. You replied, "Let's just pray about that. God will heal my teeth." Faith like a five year old.

Kolby, thanks for having grace for your parents as we learn to parent. You are our best oldest child :). I love you and hope you will always know that...despite the stresses we face everyday with you either sensing them or getting the bad end of the deal. You really are such a good little boy. And this video cracks me up! I know it looks a little abusive...but I swear Kyler was laughing so hard I had to get the camera instead of telling you to stop hitting him in the face!!

Poor Kyler...

Here's our cuddly little bubble boy...we let him out every once in awhile to swim in Veronica's new pool. :) We are going to talk to a Doctor in the states (thanks, Shannon!) about his allergies and eczema so these are the pictures we took for her. He is balding because he itches his head all the time (you can kind of see it on the sides of his head and in the back). Despite his itchiness, he is super sweet and loves to cuddle with his Mommy. I appreciate every good day we get when he's not having a horrible reaction to who knows what. I started making "thankful" lists every morning. Kolby and Gabby do it with me sometimes (they are thankful for interesting things to say the least...my favorite so far is the morning Kolby wrote "Mom" on the white board all by himself). Even though Kyler is just A LITTLE sick, compared to tons of other sick children, my heart just breaks for him to be completely healed. I can't imagine what other parents have had to go through. For sure a new level of faith for me. 1 Thess 5:16-18 are my new focus for this summer, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." How can I pray today? What brings me joy? What am I thankful for? With these questions running through my head I feel like I can endure the heat of the summer, life's unexpected interruptions, and the unanswered questions with Kyler...well at least for this day!

Bye Bye Mick

About 2 weeks ago Gabby's beloved blue pack n play sheet, in which she so lovingly named "Mick", was wounded and just couldn't recover. This pack n play sheet was SO thin that Gabby stuck her little feet right threw it one day during nap time. She was so sad. She called for me and said, "Mommy! Mick is hurt!" Mick made it about another week...it was totally shredded. The other day after her nap she drug what was left of Mick behind her down the stairs and announced, "Mick is broken. I will throw him away." She walked right over to the trash can and threw it away. I was shocked. And sad. Although she has now replaced her blue Mick with a pink one she continues to talk about her "blue Mick". Today while we were switching out laundry she asked, "Blue Mick dirty?" Again I had to tell her that she threw it away b/c it was broken. She said, "Oh yeah."

Here's the Mick story:
When we moved into our new home last May we also moved Gabby into her big girl bed. I kept a pink box full of pack n play sheets in her room. Not too soon after putting the pack n play away she found the pink box and got out that particular sheet. We found her laying on her bed with it sucking her thumb. Up to this point I wondered if she sucked her thumb at night but hadn't seen her doing it all the time. I had seen her several times sleeping in the pack n play with this one blue sheet and her arm was suck all the way underneath it. She just really loved the feel of it I think. So at the age of 2, Gabby started carrying this blue sheet around and sucking her thumb. When we saw friends they would say, "When did Gabby start sucking her thumb?!" I could never quite understand what she was calling it. Jon is the one that figured out she had named it "Mick". So for a good year Mick has been her companion and comfort. When she is sad or tired she gets Mick and likes to cover herself up with it, having her feet stick in the corners and pull her shirt up (or take all her clothes of sometimes!) so it can be as close to her as possible. It's actually been a huge blessing b/c it has helped with the traveling between countries. She loves it so much I was actually sad for her when she threw it away. But I'm proud of her for being such a big girl. There were no tears and it was all her idea. I can tell she misses Mick, but she is being so strong about it. I am sure soon pink Mick will look and feel like blue Mick!

Gabriella turned 3

I wish I could call about 20 people right now...have a heart to heart, reconnect, and be encouraged just by hearing what is going on in your lives...but this blog will have to do. Our days seem to fill up and calling the people we love for some reason winds up on the "tomorrow" list...there have been too many tomorrows. So here is the short version!

After our quick visa run to France, my mom spent 2 weeks with us. Thanks, Nana. (She endured losing her luggage and arrived back in America a whole day late.) The kids have good memories of you being here and spending so much time with them. They had a sleep over (in our "basement" where Nana slept), received lots of special gifts (thanks to everyone who sent us stuff!!), Gabby had her potty party (she pretty much was totally potty trained in 24 hours and I never have to ask her to go, she just does it all herself), we celebrated her third bday with Nana and sugar cookies, and we did things like decorate Easter eggs. Kolby and Marty (his stuffed zebra that he left for Nana to take care of after our visit home this winter) were reunited...precious. Kyler got his first tooth (at 8 1/2 months). As of 2 days ago he has 2 bottom teeth.

While Nana was here we continued to try everything we could think of to get rid of this crazy rash that has been on Kyler's face since Justin & Ashley were here! It has come and gone, but mostly it hangs out on his face around his mouth...until my mom came, then it started to spread. I finally realized it must be a food allergy (rash, vomitting, wheezing which I have blamed on him getting broncilitis 2 months ago). So I stopped feeding him and it cleared up. But then it came back after a visit to a restaurant. I put off going to get his blood taken (which is usually the "prescription" from the doctor when he is sick) but after mom left I took him in. Four days later I was sitting in the doctor's office while she went, "Oooh, oh, oh no, this isn't good..." WHAT? So poor little Kyler is allergic to wheat, eggs, peanuts, and milk!! I was also totally unaware that he would get sick from those things being in my breast milk. So yes, I am giving up wheat, eggs, peanuts, and milk products for a week and praying it works. That is all I can focus on for now. A week at a time. I just want him to get better...I can do anything for a time. My hope is that this will work and I can keep breastfeeding until he's a year old (the formula is about $20 a can that I would have to buy for him). It's day 3 and I am adjusting slowly. No birthday cake (but I could eat the frosting!!), no baby shower goodies the other night, no crackers or bread or yogurt or shwarmas...whew, it's a little overwhelming but I feel like everyone is being really supportive and helpful. My friend Veronica even got online for me and also found sheep cheese, pasta, rice flour, and rice cakes for me at the store!

Yesterday was Gabby's actual birthday. We had our little princess friends over. They all dressed up, made crowns, ate pink cupcakes, and had a dance party. I was planning on reading a story about how much God loves them out of this really cool Bible my cousin Becky gave us (The Jesus Storybook Bible) and dance with Gabby to "Amazed"...but it seemed a little crazy so I just went with the flow. It was lots of fun to have the little girls and moms here to help us celebrate! However, it was a little distressing to her big brother. So last night Kolby couldn't sleep and he came downstairs while Jon, Angie and I were watching a movie. While I was putting him back in bed this was our conversation:

K: Mom, we need to talk about some stuff.
me: What honey?
K: Why are you guys watching a movie and I am not?
me: B/c we don't go to bed until 10 and you go to bed at 8.
K: Can you remember some things for my birthday party?
me: Sure, what?
K: I don't want Gabby to come. And I don't want you to make it so rough on me.
me: Well how do you want your party to be?
K: Soft and gentle.

I think all day we had been saying things about how rough it was to watch your sister get to have a special day, open gifts, etc. and he was really processing that. These are the big things that help us grow, right? He told Jon he doesn't like big crowds or noisy people too!

Okay, the first picture is of Kolby and the tree he climbed on our visa trip to France (we just had one day there so we played at parks and Jon took the kids hiking while I had some alone time during Kyler's morning nap...very nice!). No lie, he climbed to the very top of that tree. I couldn't even look.

The second pic is of Jon and the kids having a snack while playing at a park in France.

3rd, Nana and the kids having their sleepover. Thanks Nana!!! We had a great time with you! And we read that book you gave them about every night. Tonight I missed a page accidentally and Kolby reminded me that I skipped a part...and he knew the exact part.

4th, Gabby super excited about blowing out candles and hearing the happy bday song sung for her.

5th, our little princesses. Maisy, Ellie, Kate, Julia, and Gabriella. Gabby is so blessed to have so many little girls to play with.

Okay, long blog. Please pray for Kyler to be totally healed of his food allergies. The doctor says maybe in 2 or 3 years he could grow out of them. And if you have a kid with any of these allergies...I would love to hear what you do! I am so clueless!