Good gifts this month

Six weeks and counting for baby Kyler's arrival. Kolby and Gabby love touching my belly, kissing it, and talking to it. It's pretty cute how excited Kolby is to have a brother. My "baby to do" list is pretty big, but I have been blessed with some extra time this week to get stuff done. That feels good. Gabby is now in her big girl bed but has developed some new habits :) like sucking her thumb and carrying the pack n play sheets around everywhere! No one has ever seen her suck her thumb outside the pack n play...but now she is doing it all the time. She likes to ask Jon and I to hold her like a baby and rock her. Oh man! This should be fun for her when the real baby arrives...
Our quick run to France...Jon practiced taking care of both kids on the flight while I sat across the aisle in bliss! He did a great job by the way. We are practicing for the long flight to America. My job will be easy compared to his I think. I guess it depends on Kyler's personality...

Kyler likes coffee :) Waiting for our flight home from Lyon.Okay, and so does Gabby! I swear she steals my cup often and this is what happens...she seriously drinks it all.
Kolby enjoying his beverage of choice...with his new friend Marty. We visited Toys R Us in Lyon...a WHOLE new world for them! I'm sure Kolby has been there before but he didn't remember, Gabby has never been there...and we were pretty overwhelmed ourselves. What a treat! Toys R Us, McDonalds, Starbucks, a mall, and our favorite mode of transportation--subways, metros, and lots of walking. It was a refreshing time to just be together and enjoy life a little.
Gabs lounging at Starbucks...it's hard to believe how grown up both our kids seem some days. We were trying to enjoy how easy it is to travel just the 4 of us right now. They are such experienced little travelers that it makes our trips pretty enjoyable (for the most part!).
A baby shower for our friend Susie...who is due next Saturday. We are all pacing around waiting...and praying she has her little girl before Ramadan starts...but there is a big chance both of us will give birth during Ramadan. Veronica is due in Feb. with a BOY! So our girls (Gabby and Ellie) are 6 months apart and our boys will be about 5 months apart. We have had a great support system through friends here...so thankful for that this summer being huge pregnant, 2 kids, the heat, and no car! I have had to rely on our friends for LOTS of help!! Thanks, friends!!
Jon bowling on a Friday night with friends.
Kool-aid popsicles with Daddy outside one day while playing in the sand box and baby pool.

This morning I am reading Philippians 4...being reminded by Paul that my contentment and reliance on Christ should not be based on my circumstances. Of course, this summer has been a roller coaster for us it seems like. Kicked it off with moving to a new place (harder than it sounded back then!), our mode of transportation stuck in the shop for 2 months, an off or on internet...just to name a few things that sent us spinning a couple times. It has been serious work to not lose my mind most days...just ask Jon! Poor guy. But now that we have our truck back (as of Friday) and our internet back (as of Friday too), it's amazing to me how my stress level has dropped and my contentment level has went up. Maybe I failed the contentment test this summer :) or maybe I have grown. I hope I have grown....at any rate, my stomach has! But I hate that my contentment relies so heavily on what is going right around here and what is going wrong.

These verses also grabbed me, written by Paul:
"I have received FULL payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:18-19

The song in my heart this morning...we've received full payment this summer...from prayers, words of encouragement, packages, pictures, letters, phone calls, emails...all fragrant offerings!! Everything we needed to help us survive. May God meet all YOUR needs also...thinking of you this morning, family & friends!

And now a performance from Gabby...imitating Alex the Lion in Madagascar II.

Video of K & G on Jon's Bday

Waiting for Daddy's birthday cookie to be done in the oven...oh so fun! :)

Jon's Birthday and then some...

The kids were so excited to help Jon celebrate his 31st birthday! It was pretty entertaining! They were super giddy and excited the whole day. We made pizza (with pepperoni yeah!!) and a pizookie...all Jon's request. Kolby made him this "pirate ship" for his birthday too.
Jon built the kids a sand box in our back yard! It's heavenly (as long as the ants aren't going crazy)! They will play forever in it...unless it gets too hot which it has been recently so they usually play in the mornings. This was the first morning of play, a Sunday morning. Jon and I sipped coffee while the kids went to town.
A package from Grandma...July 4th plates which Kolby requested to use...and yummy muffin mix...
Gabby sportin' her new shades and flip flops from Gma! Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!! It was a great package!

His Great Love

Yesterday morning started by reading Psalm 107. The theme that stuck out for me was God's continued, delayed deliverance...it's never too late to cry out to Him, He's ready to save, and waiting for us to ask. THEN give thanks (v 1, 8, 15, 21). His acts of saving (v 9, 14, 16, 20, 29, 30, 41) in this psalm ended up being exactly what I needed for the day. And in the end...it really IS thankfulness that automatically flows out of my heart. Whew. "For great is Your love, higher than the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies." (Psalm 108:4)

My friend Veronica and I got up early to walk. I hurried and showered so I could be ready before the kids got up at 7 since Jon now leaves at 7:30 everyday for his language class. Kolby would be going with Kristie and her boys to VBS at 8:20. Kristie ended up being sick so we worked up a plan. Veronica would take Gabby, I would take their truck (our truck has now been in the shop for a month) with the boys to VBS from 9 to 1, and Kristie could get some rest. So by 8 we are walking out the door to Veronica's. I tell Kolby to go potty before we head out for the day. He goes to the bathroom (at V's house) and locks the door...yep...and then he can't get the door unlocked. Funny thing about the doors around here...you can't really break in :) Bars on the windows; the hinges to the door are on the inside with Kolby. Kolby starts FREAKING out...Veronica herds the girls to the other room while Justin and I stand there trying to figure out what the heck to do. It's so hard to think when your child is seriously in distress! Justin is trying to put the screwdriver in the lock and keeps pushing out the key. Kolby keeps trying to put the key back in and screaming louder saying he needs a new key...Justin goes to try and find something else and I am trying to talk to Kolby through the key hole. My first thought is "I will call Jon 800 times if I have too and he will come with an axe and break down this door!" My second thought is "Jesus, PLEASE, help me get Kolby out!" I'm starting to panic now...probably 5 minutes has gone by really. No lie, in that moment Kolby just gets hacked and takes the key and throws it under the door. It slides right by my hand, I grab it and unlock the door from the outside. (Wow! What a novel idea! One neither Justin or I could think of!!) Thankfully, by 8:30 Kolby and I were on the road to VBS calm and happy. All I could think about was Psalm 107...and I told Kolby that Jesus gave him the wisdom to throw the key under the door...that made him feel so proud and immediately he calmed down (funny, after VBS I tried to give him some cough medicine and he said he didn't need it b/c God was going to heal him!!). The 30 minute drive to VBS consisted of me telling God thank you over and over for helping us get out of little situations.

I'm convinced Jesus helped Kolby throw the key under the door :) Seems like we need help out of tons of little situations around here these days...waiting for a taxi in the heat, finding someone that speaks English at just the most frustrating time, a friendly offer from a friend to help, knowledge to deal with whatever comes up...whatever it is, God has seriously dug us out of some holes! Always faithful..."Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men..." (Psalm 107:8)

If you want to experience part of our life...

It's 10:30 p.m. Shouldn't I be in bed? Of course there are no fireworks to watch here, so why stay awake? I just took 3 short videos. It's a good reason to stay awake. Go ahead, turn up your computer, the volume is about that loud at my house right now, and enjoy the wedding music from our neighbor's house.


This is me standing in the dark in our living room. Our house is dark, everyone (but me) is asleep upstairs.


This is when I am standing in our kitchen. If I were to go upstairs and take a video, it would sound the same...even with our fans and air conditioners running. Please note, all our windows and doors are closed tightly! But now I will walk out the kitchen door onto our balcony so you can get a close up on the action. Unfortunately the first time I hit the wrong button on the camera so you don't get to see the arrival of the bride...which consisted of a long line of cars waiting outside the driveway, honking like crazy. But this will still give you a good taste.



This wedding party will be kickin' till around 2 or 3 a.m...hopefully I will be asleep by then. Not sure though! Inshallah (if the Lord wills)!!!

I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag

Little Miss Sparkles in her outfit from Nana, hand-me-down heeled sandals from cousin Jayden, and painted toes thanks to Imen (our sitter for when I am in language class.)

Mr. Happy Pants after his second trip to the barber! He did great and was really excited...he just didn't want to have his picture taken.

This is what Kolby does during Gabby's naptimes...he's always building something. Today he built "the United States tower".

Kolby's friend Amelia called to say hello today. He was so funny...he walked around talking to her and pacing back and forth. This was his first sentence, "Hi Amelia! I am the super hero. What are you?"

America's birthday cake...complete with marshmellow stars, skittles, and a cake mix!


July 4th takes on a whole other meaning for me now that we are living overseas. It's weird to think that our kids won't learn to say the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the National Anthem unless we teach them. Thanks to Nat & my mom we have some fun July 4th things to help us celebrate...stars (which are actually becoming part of our bedroom decor), napkins, candles, and cute clothes for the kids. Kolby has been so excited to put on his July 4th t-shirt. He wanted to get dressed right away this morning. Yesterday we practiced singing Happy Birthday dear America while the kids took turns blowing out the July 4th candle...so this morning we made a birthday cake (trying to use the oven before it gets blazing hot). Jon recited the Pledge with them at breakfast too. Oh the little things that seem so so familiar...but might never feel as familiar for our children. Thankfully they have been super excited about the whole thing. I think it helps when we try to make a big deal about it. I'm trying to remember that I need to really explain American holidays to the kids. It's easy to just keep it all inside my head in the midst of busyness. So I described to Kolby what we used to do while living in America for July 4th and what his cousins might be doing today to celebrate along with him. I'm proud to be an American living in a different country. My prayer is someday my kids will be too. That they will see how the Lord has blessed us as Americans, and be excited to bless others because of it.

Three cheers for America!! Getting ready to sing Happy Birthday with our friends!

GRASS

Above are the before shots of our yard, taken 2 1/2 months ago. Lots of dirt, glass, over grown stuff, trash...then Jon got ahold of it :)





For over a month, Jon has been diligently watering our grass 3 times a day to get it to grow. His dedication paid off. On Sunday the yard dudes came and cut the grass. What a huge difference...well, for us it is a huge difference. Already Kolby and Gabby were out running around in it and climbing the trees. Good thing Jon is so disciplined...he never complained once about how much time it takes to water grass 3 times a day! Amazing what helps make our house a home.

By the way, yesterday Kolby told us that when he looks out over his balcony he can either see the city or the "stinkin' trash".