Two Birthdays in One

Noah's birthday was Saturday, September 21, and for weeks he was counting down the days until he would be FOUR years old.  We made plans for shopping for a birthday gift, what meals we would have, and how we would celebrate his special day.  But all those plans were derailed when Mommy went into the hospital on Wednesday before his birthday with acute appendicitis.  Friday night, while Mommy was still in the hospital, Noah announced his decision:  He would not be four until Mommy was home and could make his "black" (dirt) cake and we could all celebrate together.  Daddy wasn't sure if Noah would be disappointed with no celebration at all on his birthday, so he got up early to hang the birthday banners on the window and Noah's chair.  But when Noah came downstairs, he asked, "What's that for?"

In answer to Noah's prayers, Mommy got to come home on the afternoon of his birthday.  But she still wasn't strong enough to make his cake for a while.  A week after her surgery, she got clearance from the doctor to resume normal activity and was ready to make Noah's cake for Friday night.  Friday morning, Mommy, Noah, and Emma went to the store to get the necessary spade and rake for the dirt cake.  One of the last stops they made was at Red Ribbon bakery, where Noah spied an apparently irresistible chocolate cake.  It didn't take much convincing to get a tired Mommy to acquiesce and buy a cake instead of making one herself.  So, after all the trouble and the fuss and the waiting for Mommy to be well enough to make the cake, so that Noah could finally be four, we celebrated Friday night with a store-bought cake.  But Noah couldn't have been prouder, sporting his Birthday Boy t-shirt, drinking from his smiley-face cup through a Happy Birthday musical straw, with confetti and the banners on the chair and the wall.  It was just what he wanted - a time to celebrate HIM.  He opened one gift on Friday night, a headlamp, which will no doubt get lots of use in the under-stairs storage he's claimed as a clubhouse of sorts. 

 
The festivities continued Saturday morning, when Noah (still sporting his Birthday Boy shirt) was greeted by balloons in the stairwell.  We had banana-chocolate chip muffins for breakfast, at Noah's request.  Then, since we hadn't been able to do the birthday shopping yet, we all piled into the car and went to the toy store so that Noah could pick out his own gift - a remote-control Lightning McQueen.  The plan was to come back to the house for a birthday dinner of tortillas, but with the day of shopping and the Manila traffic, we ended up at a restaurant instead.  So the birthday was stretched out over one more day and Sunday evening we had a full Mexican spread, and his brothers gave him their gift of a new Bible.  This was especially appropriate on this birthday -- on Friday we actually celebrated two birthdays for Noah . . .

Friday evening, as Mommy was heating up dinner (which had been brought in so that Mommy didn't have to cook as she recovered from surgery), she overheard the boys talking in the carport.  She went into the living room to listen a little closer, and realized that sure enough, they were praying.  Aden was leading a beautiful sinner's prayer, which Noah and Wiley were repeating together.  Soon there was great celebrating - in the carport and in heaven - as Noah shared that he had asked Jesus into his heart, and in his words, "Now I have two friends - one is God and the other is Jesus."  Aden and Wiley immediately began discipling Noah, warning him about the devil's schemes, tying together stories throughout the Bible, and finishing by telling him how Satan would be thrown into the lake of fire (an especially exciting point for Noah).  Every birthday is special, but these are certainly two birthdays we will never forget.  

Skipping (Mile)Stones

The last eleven months have flown by and Emma is almost ONE!  And there is very little on this blog to show how big she's really getting.  We knew she was growing and accomplishing a lot through all those months of transition, and each milestone she accomplished was applauded and cheered . . . but we just haven't taken the time to document it properly.  Now that we're settling in, it's time to take a look back and see how far she's come.

6 months: First bites of solid food (April)

7 months: Sitting proud and tall (May)

8 months: Spitting was a favorite trick (June)

8 months: The army crawl (July)

9 months: Signing "more" (July)

9 months: First sleep in her own crib (July)

10 months: Feeding herself in a high chair (August)

9 months: First swim (July)

10 months: Pulling up (August)

10 months: Crawling (August)

11 months: Waving (September)

Playing Favorites

Emma and Daddy have had a special bond since Day One.  Emma loves to snuggle with Daddy, and giggles with glee when he comes home each day - if she could, she would leap into his arms.

Cuddling with Daddy on Day One

But from bedtime to breakfast, Emma is a Mama's Girl.  She'll let Daddy take her and hold her or rock her, but all the while watches for Mommy to enter the room.  Last night, Emma woke up after being asleep for only an hour or two.  She seemed unable to settle on her own, so Mommy picked her up to help her; then Emma's pacifier fell out.  Daddy was close by and picked it up and gave it back to her.  When he did, Emma reached for him, and he gladly took her in his arms.  Emma settled for a moment, then began looking around for Mommy, until she spied her sitting on the bed a few feet away.  Then she realized her mistake - Mommy was out of reach.  So she turned her head, spit out her pacifier where Mommy would have to get up to fetch it, and watched her plan unfold.  As soon as Mommy retrieved the pacifier and returned it to her, Emma knew Mommy was right where she wanted her.  She delightfully reached out to Mommy's arms and easily reeled her in with a grin and a cuddle.

Rained In

When school was cancelled yesterday on account of the weather, for the second Monday in a row, Mommy knew it would be a high-energy day with great potential for cabin fever and its ensuing chaos.  She wasn't up for all the cleanup that outdoor play would require, so burning off extra energy outside wasn't really a good option.  But she put some rocks and paint in the car port and let the boys use their energy creatively, working together.  Since Emma had woken up early from her nap, it was too much to coordinate the painting, the boys, the baby, and a camera, so we didn't get any pictures of the artists in action, but we were all pleased with the final product.

When the rock painting was finished, as usual after a painting project, there was paint leftover on the palette that Mommy hated to see go to waste.  This time most of the leftover paint was red, so she mixed in a little white and took advantage of the opportunity to get Emma involved.  With all the months of transition, we never managed to get Emma's infant hand prints, and finally at ten months today was the day.  Emma didn't enjoy the experience too much, but Mommy was happy with the result, and Wiley was able to get a picture of the process for us.

We had no idea that the rain would continue for at least another 24 hours, and school would be cancelled again . . . and we are sure to have more days like this one in our future.  We're thankful to be on high ground during all the flooding, and thankful for memories we can make along the way. 

See Wiley Read. Read, Wiley, Read.

Used book stores seem to have a magnetic pull for us, no matter what country we are in.  So on Saturday when we set out furniture-hunting for our new house, we were lured into two bookstores.  Perhaps one of our best finds of the day was a collection of Dick and Jane stories in great condition.  We picked it up, knowing that with Wiley starting kindergarten next week we'd soon have a new reader on our hands.

As it turned out, Wiley couldn't wait until next week to catch up with his big brother, who is reading chapter books by the dozen.  Tuesday morning as Mommy was working around the house she saw Aden reading a large volume of Richard Scarry stories.  As she passed Aden, she saw that Wiley also noticed him, and she saw a hungry look of competitive determination in his eye.  Just a few minutes later, Wiley had found the volume of Dick and Jane stories and said to Mommy, "I'm going to go read this now."  "Do you want me to help you?" Mommy asked.  "Yeah."  With minimal coaching, Wiley amazingly began to read, deliberately sounding out each word.  Within an hour, he had cruised through the first thirty pages.  Here is a glimpse into his first discoveries as he unlocked the door to the world of reading . . .

Proud Papa Moments -- Soccer Camp

Since soccer is one of Daddy's favorite sports, the Faith Academy summer soccer camp became one of the more highly anticipated events since arriving in the Philippines.  Aden and Wiley were both of age to participate in the week long event, and were ready to showcase their skills despite never having played any sort of organized game.  Playing with Daddy in the yard (or on the tennis court in South Africa) and watching games on television was surely all the training needed. Or, so they thought.

Wiley "Messi", sizing up the competition

The boys showed up to the field, full of excitement and confidence.  And then they saw the other kids and realized this may be harder than they thought. Refusing to be intimidated, Wiley boldly decided to keep the homemade name tag that he had taped onto the back of his shirt.  It said, "Messi," referring to the Argentine/Barcelona star who is the reigning World Player of the Year for the last four years, and happens to be Daddy's favorite player.  Atta Boy!!

The camp was a fundraiser for the school's soccer teams, so the coach and players were the instructors.  They grouped the kids by their age and level (whether they had ever played before).  They had rotating 'stations' where the kids would learn different skills like passing, shooting, heading, and dribbling.   At the end of each day, they held scrimmages to test their newly honed skills.  It was a great process for the boys to learn that there is more to soccer than just chasing the ball and kicking it (although that is still the general idea for the most part).

On the last day of the camp, they divided the kids up into teams and held a mini-tournament.  Aden and Wiley always got to be on the same team, which was helpful.  By the end of the week, Wiley was so tired (although he would never admit it) that he did well to last through the entire match.  Aden, however,  quickly set himself up as the "man of the match" in his team's 8-1 victory, where he scored 7 of the goals.  His crafty, left-footed shots were a force to be reckoned with.  He was quite proud of himself and by now brimming with confidence. 

In a final match to see which team would win the tournament, the boys' team was up against the team that had went undefeated throughout, mostly because of a kid that had ran circles around the defenses and scored goals with ease.  I don't remember what the final score was, but the favored team won, and as expected, the kid on the other team scored goal after goal until they asked him to play goalie for awhile in a sort of "run rule" type of move.  This helped the score not to grow higher on both sides as he was equally good at stopping shots.  I think Aden ended up with one more goal to bring his tournament total up to 8.  The camp ended with a big free-for-all game that saw all the kids against the coaches with about 25 balls in play at the same time.  It was a fun week.

So what was the "proud papa moment?"

One of Aden's Eight Goals

Was it Wiley not being afraid to keep his homemade "Messi" nametag on, despite the possibility of being teased about it (and some kids did laugh, although mostly because of the comparison in stature - Leo Messi is one of the smallest players on the field at 5'7" and Wiley was probably the smallest kid at the camp)?  Yes, this was a proud papa moment.

Was it Aden scoring goal after goal in his first opportunity to ever play in a competitive setting with kids his age?  Yes, this was a very proud pap moment. 

Was it just watching his two boys getting a chance to learn and play the game that he loves?  Yes, this was also a very proud papa moment.

The ultimate "proud papa moment" though had to be after the final game was over and Aden and Wiley's team had lost by a large margin to a very dominant team/kid.  Aden went to the kid that had scored so many goals against them and told him how well he had played, and that he was the best player on the field. 
 Aden is such a great sport, despite being very competitive while he plays.  We have seen it not only at soccer camp, but also as he plays board games or sports at home with his family.  Win or lose, he always has such a positive attitude.   What a gift!

Soccer camp has inspired the boys to want to participate in the 'parent-coached' soccer league that takes place each fall in the community.  The boys are convinced that Daddy and Mommy will be the coaches.  Stay tuned and see what happens. 

Family Fun Night - Aggravation

Our weekly "Family Fun Night" is usually on Friday nights when we have Mommy's homemade pizza and choose something fun we can all do together.  Sometimes this is watching a video, or a bowling tournament with a tennis ball and empty plastic bottles that we have collected, or maybe just reading extra books together for bedtime stories.  One of the more common things we do though is play a game together.
We have played several different games, but easily the most popular is the 1960's game of Aggravation. Do you remember this 'retro' game that can be played by up to six players, with the object being to get your four marbles around the board from Base to Home without being 'aggravated' by another player who lands on your marble in the process and sends your marble back to Base?  Well, it is making a comeback (at least in our house).

Noah usually doesn't make it through the whole game, as someone almost always has to start rolling on his behalf and moving his marbles for him.  He is still sad when he loses and happy when he wins, but the process doesn't hold his attention. You can't blame him though.  It says right on the box that it is for Ages 6 and Up.  Noah just shows us why it is correct to not be for Ages 3 and Up.
Everyone else plays the whole game and enjoys it, but Wiley is by far the most competitive about it.  He has rightfully earned the title of "Aggravation Champion," and will even flash a "trying to be humble, but I am only 5 years old and can't hold it in" kind of grin when you refer to him that way.  He knows he is good and is quite proud of it.  It could be the way he can convince you not to 'aggravate' his marble this time, but most likely it is the hours of practice he puts into it as he develops and figures out his best strategies and tactics.  How does he do this? 

He plays the game over and over through the week, whether anyone is willing to play with him or not.  Some times, Aden will play against him or even Daddy.  When nobody wants to play though, he just plays against himself, and himself, and himself, and himself, and himself. Yes, he plays as all six players and won't stop until each color has safely made it from Base to Home.  He likes to announce the winner and placing of each marble color as he goes.  He is so intense and competitive about it that by the time Family Fun Night rolls around again, the rest of us are basically just playing for 2nd place.

So, who needs the electronic gaming systems out there, when you have the timeless classics like Aggravation?  I think Pit might be ready to make its debut next.  

Evening the Score

After losing his sixth tooth last night, Aden was pretty proud that he met his goal - losing two teeth in each of three countries:  South Africa, the US, and now the Philippines. 

Aden's Toothless Smile

We didn't keep up with the blog on our Home Assignment, so we missed posting that he lost one tooth in Oklahoma and one in Tennessee.  In Tennessee, we were in our hotel room getting ready for church one Sunday morning when the boys were wrestling around on the bed.  When we saw blood on the sheets, apparently coming from Aden's mouth, we realized that Wiley had knocked out tooth #4.

Tooth #5 came out on our newly established tradition of Family Fun Night last Friday.  Aden was somewhat disappointed that the whole family no longer crowded into the bathroom to watch the Tooth-Pulling, but it certainly made the FFN a memorable one. 

With tooth #6, Aden is already making plans for what he will buy as he saves up his Philippine pesos, and Mommy is trying to plan meals that don't require much chewing!

Overheard (IV)

It's been a while...so long that this edition of "overheard" is rather overdue, covering three countries:  South Africa, various states in the US, and the Philippines.

Noah:  Obviously remembering the baboon/vervet monkey incidents from South Africa, heard some roosters crowing outside our house in the Philippines and asked with great concern, "Can roosters open doors?"

N:  I think that's where the Colts play.
W:  No, that's Taco Bell.
N:  Daddy, I spotted Taco Bell!

Mommy:  What will we eat for dinner tonight?
Daddy:  Who (are you asking)?  Me?
Mommy:  Anybody
Noah:  Are we going to eat somebody?

Mommy:  That's mine.
Noah:  Mine who?

Noah, perfecting the art of optimism:
"These are the coolest potties I've ever seen!"  (stainless steel, industrial style at a rest stop)
"This has been a great day!" (after throwing up and moping around feeling sick all morning, then riding in the car for a few hours and finally perking up a little at a rest stop)
"Wow!  This is a wonderful highway!" (as we entered road construction and went down to one lane)

Aden:  Finally I got a winter birthday card!  (When asked for further clarification he said that meant he got a card that had been out in the snow and ice long enough to be cold.)

Aden:  I need something really lunch-y today.  I'm really hungry.

Noah (playing basketball up and down the living room):  Tied up!  That was amazing-grace!
Mommy:  Oh, Noah, you're something else!
Noah:  I'm not someone else.  I'm Noah.

Noah (receiving 2 Oreos for dessert):  God gave us Christmas, again!

Noah (as we drove through the hills of Missouri):  What is this called?
Mommy:  The Ozarks.
Noah:  The Noah's-Arks?

Aden (in a hotel along the way):  This is so cool!  If we wake up early in the morning we can just crawl to the end of the bed, look out the window, and watch the road and say "This is so special."  ... (then, almost interrupting his own sentence) Look!  A semi!

Daddy:  Don't pick your nose.
Noah:  Daddy, but there's boogers in there!

Noah:  I love you with all my heart.  And I love you with all my wings when I kiss you.

Noah (at Christmas time), upon seeing a 'veiled' Mommy in one of her wedding photos:  Was Mommy a shepherd?

Emma's drool

Wiley (discussing what the boys should get Emma for Christmas):  I'm getting Emma a burp rag!

At Christmas time, in the midst of transition, we didn't do a lot of decorating.  To make do, Mommy put a bunch of dry twigs in a jar and tied red and green bows on them, calling it our "Christmas tree."  The boys were less than impressed, so finally she borrowed a small, pre-lit, pre-decorated tree from Auntie Linda Braaten.  When Noah came down and saw the "transformed" tree, he declared, "Now when I get next to it I need to sing "Hark the Herald Angels!"  Apparently Mommy's efforts  resembled Charlie Brown's more than she had intended. 

Wiley (after walking home from the store in the rain):  I'm as wet as a giraffe in the rain!

Aden (pointing to his left eye):  This eye is still a little bit sleepy.

At a local restaurant, Aden's food came last; while he was waiting, his friends offered him some of their food.  Later, Aden explained to Mommy:  Everybody else just offered me their germs before my food came. 

Wiley:  If I don't drink another cup (of milk) I'm gonna be thin and very small.  (Perhaps that's his interpretation of our comments that milk will help him grow big and strong.) 

Noah, in a panic:  There's a rat in our crack!  (The "crack" referred to the track for the trellidoor.) 
Mommy:  What?!
Noah:  Maybe it's just a ladybug.  (Later, we realized it was a gecko.)

Mommy (watching Noah play outside):  Noah, where are your shoes?
Noah:  Uh . . . maybe it's a sock day.

Wiley (playing "park"):  The porcupine just rolled over onto its feet.  It was just digging a hole in the ground with its pines. 

Wiley (with hopefulness):  Next Thanksgiving, can we dress up like turkeys? 

Noah (about the reflectors on his bicycle helmet):  The flashlights are for when it's dark.
Wiley:  They're not flashlights, they're headlights. 

Noah:  Wiley, can you nibble the football so that I can kick it?  (I think he wanted Wiley to set it up and hold it for him.) 

Wiley (watching Emma, lying on her back and moving her arms and legs):  She looks like a turned-over bug.
A couple weeks later . . .
Wiley:  Watch out.  There's a turned-over bug.  It looks like a baby. 

Random Question from Wiley:  Who remembers when Daddy was cleaning up dust in Papua New Guinea?

Noah (in the midst of play):  An ant!
Wiley:  Get a shoe!
Mommy (taking a look):  He's a big ant, isn't he?
Wiley:  It's not a he, it's a she.  . . . (after killing the ant) I want to go in the back.  Seeing an ant reminds me of outside.




Aden:  Mommy, are people born in Alaska?
Mommy:  Yes.
Aden:  But they don't have hospitals in Alaska, do they?
Mommy:  They do.
Aden:  Well, then I'm going to Alaska some day.  It sounds like it's safe. 

Daddy, to Aden (while Emma was crying in the backseat):  Why don't you sing to her, Aden?
Aden:  I can't.  She's hungry. 

Wiley to Noah (going to fetch Flags Book):  Noah, I'm going to get the best book ever . . .

Playing church

The boys really enjoy playing "church."  One day, it was Wiley's turn to be the pastor.  He told two stories that day - the story of Adam and Eve, which ended this way:  . . . And God made them leave the garden.  And the animals were very sad. 
. . . and also the story of Noah's Ark, which included this little-known segment:  . . . And the dove brought back an olive branch.  And Noah fed it to the cow. 

Wiley (fishing for something under the bed):  Noah can't reach it because his arms are only three years old.

Wiley (closely examining Baby Emma):  She has a booger in her nose that's shaped like a rocket!

Mommy:  Do you know what comes after 999?
Aden (in a very matter-of-fact tone):  Five hundred ninety eleven.

Noah (About Emma's pj's that said "LOVE"):  Emma's shirt says, "Give her a hug."

Mommy (seeing the boys carrying their chairs through the house):  What are you doing?
Aden:  We're going out front.
Mommy:  For what?
Wiley:  For speeches. 
(Apparently Aden's speech also required a remote-control car and a homemade stoplight.)

Aden (defending why he could not stop watching the television):  My eyes stick to whatever I like, and whenever I'm done they stick to whatever else. 

Our next destination...

Grandma Karen with boys watching our plane be loaded

We had a good time seeing friends and family, and even had fun on our 'Adventures in (an) Odyssey,' traveling around the US.   There was a new adventure awaiting us though, and we were ready to begin a new chapter once again.  This time it was off to Asia, to live and work in the Philippines. 

Emma waiting for our plane from Chicago to Seoul

We left from Columbus on April 23, with stops in Chicago and Seoul (South Korea).  As always, the boys were excited to be on an airplane (and in airports) again.  Emma was a little more of a challenge than when we left Africa, because she has become more mobile, restless and awake since then.   However, she proved that she can be as good of a traveler as her brothers and did well on the long flight across the ocean. 







We arrived into Manila late at night, and everyone was tired.  It was also extremely hot and humid after the cool days we had been experiencing in the US leading up to this day.  All of our luggage made it, and we found our way to the pick up area where new friends were waiting for us.  After a quick stop for a snack for some of the hungry travelers, we arrived to our new 'temporary' house around 2am.  We were able to sleep (with the assistance of the air conditioner in our bedroom) and all got the rest our bodies were craving by that time.

 From that point, we started looking forward to exploring a new culture and country.  Everyone has been very friendly and helpful to us.  The climate may be our biggest adjustment, after living in the mountains of PNG and then the elevated city of Johannesburg.  Heat and humidity were only experienced on our visits to the coast.   The tourism slogan here is "It is More Fun in the Philippines," so maybe the climate won't matter.  Let the adventure begin....  

Adventures in an Odyssey - Heading South and Aden Turns Seven!!

From Illinois, we ventured southwest to warmer weather.  It took two days of driving through Illinois, Missouri, and Oklahoma before arriving at our final destination in Bethany, OK.  It was a pretty uneventful trip, but the boys liked seeing all of the cars and of course the excitement of staying in a hotel (and watching cars on the highway from the window). 
We would be basing out of Bethany for the next six weeks, so it was a welcome sight to us all when we arrived at our new "home" and could start unpacking suitcases.  Since Daddy was from here, we had many friends and family that we were able to spend time with.  The house was just two blocks from Southern Nazarene University, so we could easily walk down to the campus for activities.  Since the house was owned by Bethany First, we had access to their facilities which include a gym and library.  It was a great place to call home for awhile.
We traveled on most weekends for services or just to see family.  One of the boy's favorite trips was a long weekend down to Houston to visit Uncle Tom, Aunt Andrea, Seth and Corey. It was a long drive, but well worth it.  Corey and Aden are just two days apart in age.  This happened to be the weekend of their birthday.  They were both turning 7 years old.  Since Corey already had a birthday party planned, we were able to piggy back Aden's with that.  The theme was Nerf, and every kid invited was told to bring their Nerf guns for a big combat.

The yard was filled with items to hide behind.  The rules were set.  All fathers and smaller kids would defend the fort while the birthday party kids would try to overtake it.  With about 15 kids in the battle, the nerf bullets were flying.  It was a lot of fun, and we were thankful that Aden was able to have his birthday celebrated with so many other kids his age.  There was cake, ice cream and gifts of course. The day after the party was his actual birth DAY, so we couldn't just hang around.  We all went to the Science Museum to see the dinosaurs, and exhibits on how things work.  We ended it with dinner at Five Guys and some more ice cream and cake (and presents).  I think he enjoyed it.  We look forward to going back to Houston next time we are home.  Maybe we can make it to the Space Museum this time.  For now, it was back in the Odyssey to head back north to Oklahoma. 

Adventures in an Odyssey - Six Nights, Six Beds

From Indy, we drove to Rockford, Illinois, where Daddy and Mommy spoke in the first of many deputation services.  We spent two nights in Rockford, and then spent the next six nights in six different beds.  Monday, Mommy called our cousins in Chicago and we joined Brian and Beth Stipp's clan, with 9 kids under one roof in a small house in the "barrio."  The kids bundled up and played outside, and then joined Isaac in homeschooling before we left for Rossville the next day.  We spent that night with Great Grandma Stipp.  She had a home-cooked meal ready for us, and the next morning she charmed Emma into a delightful belly laugh.  We all had a good visit with Great Grandpa Stipp as well; unfortunately, our  camera broke that morning and we didn't get any pictures of our time with him.  From there, we drove up to Bourbonnais, where we were hosted by Mike and Nancy Pyle.  We managed to squeeze into their spare bedroom and also were able to visit with Uncle Lane and Aunt Janelle Fosnaugh and catch up on our journeys.  (When we last saw the Fosnaughs, we were on our way to Africa and they had just been appointed to Haiti.)  We took a self-guided tour of the new Student Rec Center at Olivet, and then drove to Wheaton, where we spent the night with Tim and Bethany Radcliffe in their one-bedroom apartment.  We were sad to have missed their wedding last year, so it was nice to visit with them in their home while we were in Illinois.  Their apartment is right next to train tracks, and all evening the boys watched for the trains, announcing them as soon as they heard their wheels on the tracks, and running to the window to watch the cars go by.  We somehow managed to find sleeping space and everyone got a good night's sleep.

Finally, on Friday, we drove to Great Uncle Mike and Great Aunt Karen's house in Normal. We were able to spread out a little more there, and stayed three nights with them.  The boys stopped dead in their tracks when Uncle Mike brought out a Rubbermaid tub full of old Matchbox cars.  Before we left, every car was raced down the track the boys received for Christmas, and the "Rat Car" was found to be the fastest.  On Saturday, we took the boys to the Children's Museum in Normal, and they went again two more times with Uncle Mike and Aunt Karen before we left on Monday!  We shared with their church in Eureka on Saturday night and again Sunday morning.  It is always fun seeing family and friends, but it was time again to hit the road for another adventure in (an) Odyssey.

Christmas in Transition (Part III)

We traveled to Indy on New Year's Day, where we celebrated Christmas with Mommy's family.  It was a blessing to have the time with family, and the boys really enjoyed getting to know their cousins.  We were able to stay with them for about ten days, until it was time to pack up and move on again, on to Illinois.

These days, no gathering with friends is complete without the Shark Poem (from Aden's school concert).  This time, they were joined by their cousin Nolan, who jumped right in line without missing a beat. 

Gathered by the fire to open gifts

A few of our favorite things . . .

                                      a tiger mask                              color-changing African animals shirts

                                        a new watch                                            a safari vest

 . . . and our favorite little girls . . .

Enjoying time throughout the day . . .

 

                       Peeking out from Grandma's arms          Stretching to reach the table to color

                         Making music for Emma . . .

. . . and for anyone who will listen

Post-Sunday School fun