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!

Funny things...

The last 2 days the kids have been cracking me up with some of the things they have said. I wish I could remember them all...but these are the ones I can remember.

Today I asked Kolby to do something (can't remember what it was but I know I asked him to do something like wash his hands or put something away). It's the first time he's ever used this word on me!

Me: Kolby, it's time to...

Kolby: I will IMMEDIATELY after I do this...(with a fierce look in his eye, like "Wait patiently, Mother, I am working on it!'")

Coming back from our visa trip we were having breakfast in the airport. Gabby points to the "painted" lady sitting beside us (I think she is not used to make up since her mother never wears it!)...
Gabby: "Look at that little girl (an old woman), she has purple eyes! (eyeshadow)"

And then again when we went to buy a pack of gum, Gabby points right at this older man and says, "Look at that little boy, he...."

Kolby is on this kick where he only likes a FEW people. He likes me (yeah I made the list!), Kyler, Marty (yes, the stuffed animal Marty that lives in America with Nana from the Madagascar movie), and Taylor (his cousin). When you ask him why he likes these people he says, "B/c they all smell like cookies," or "B/c they taste like jello."

Our last day with Justin & Ashley we did some sight-seeing...the kids were happy to pose among the ruins this day. From their good moods you can see how much they LOVE Justin & Ashley!

The Justin and Ashleys of the World

Couples like these don't show up at your door very often. Justin and Ashley have been living in our "guest basement" for the last five weeks. They have seen us in the best of times and definitely in the worst! As we were reminiscing about our time together today we were laughing about how Kolby meet them at the airport in his spiderman pants and pirate shirt. Having been married for only a year, this couple jumped right into our lives, and let me be cheesy, our hearts too, right away. They have learned most of the little quirks each of our children have and they have chosen to love & invest in them despite their "childish ways". Priceless. Tomorrow morning they will leave us and fly back to America. We will leave and fly to France for a 2 day visa renewal. Jon & I are both glad it happened this way, b/c our kids are going to be asking non-stop, "Where's Justin? Where's Ashley?" And they know I won't go on adventures with them like they do! It takes special people to do what these 2 have done in 5 weeks...capture the hearts of our children. I am pretty sure Justin is Gabby's first crush (Ashley is probably ready to have her husband all to herself)! These are the times when living overseas are the hardest and the best. Relationships are formed in an extra special way here for some reason. But the down side is all the goodbyes. Reminds me of good ol' Garth..."I could have missed the pain but I'd have had to miss the dance."

Justin & Ashley, it's been a good dance! Worth every minute :) There aren't many people in the world like you!! Thank you, thank you for sharing your lives with us. Have a great trip home...and then to KS!

"Married"

Today Gabby decided she didn't need to take a nap but played nicely in her room (thank goodness for me!). When I went to get her, this is what I found...she told me she was playing "Married". That actually means she was pretending to be Mary. Props she uses to help her play "Married": her blue "Mick" (a pack n play sheet we never leave home without), her baby crib that Grandpa Bruce made, and her naked baby whom she refers to as Baby Jesus.