A Day of Splashing!

At first, Abigail jumped right in the puddles, practically leading the way ...

But then she decided to stand off on the side and just watch brothers play. Big Brother #1 thought this was a bad idea. He decided to make little sister splash.

I told him to stop, and he took off running again.

 



Running right by little sister and making a point to get her wet.

She deicded to give this whole puddle thing another try.

 



The boys became a bit frustrated that she was moving so fast and that they couldn't splash her. So they decided to work together to try to hold her in one spot.

 

Here you witness Big Brother #1 holding her still while Big Brother #2 does as many fast splashes as possible.

 



After trying to hold her in place and actually pushing her over and soaking her and Abigail starting to scream, I told the boy to leave their little sister alone and to instead find something else to play with. They did. They decided to lay in the puddle. (Yes, I know this is dirty, and yes, I told them to get up, but it took awhile for the instruction to register within their brain recesses.)

 



Here they are basically not laying in the water, but still coming close. And of course, there is little sister, observingand barking unintelligible answers from the sideline.

Not laying down. But sitting down. Isaac kept saying to me: "Look Mom. The water makes my shirt dark green."

I had to stand by the front of the puddle, where cars can sometimes go zipping down. People would slow down and have a good look at my three little sweeties passing time on a rainy day.

These two little boys are the very best of friends. They do everything together. And they really get along pretty well nearly all of the time.

 

Time to go home folks.

 

One more quick belly lay down before we went.

Some giggle time.

 

Walking back to the house.

I still am in awe that I have been entrusted with all three of tehse precious lives to raise. I feel so incredibly lucky, every single day, to be the mother of Isaac, Sidge, and Abigail.

Puddles & pools & piles of poop

Today was one of those days. One of those days that had my in-laws not been here, I'm not sure how I would have survived it as a mother.

I put Abigail down for a second attempt at a morning nap this morning and left all three of my tykes in the charge of Grampa and Grama. I returned to a very not-happy Abigail who thought me leaving was a terrible idea. And she never did take that morning nap.

So I decided to take the three kiddos to play in the puddles. We had a grand ol' time, as you can see from the picture above, snapped as they are returning from their adventures.

We headed from there out to the pool where Abigail tumbled head first into the water. I was right there to get her out. But not right there to prevent the huge knot that the pool step left on her noggin'.

As Abigail was distraught, we decided to head inside. On the way, Sidge cut open his knee on part of the old diving board. Thank goodness Grampa was there to scoop up a very sad Sidge, while I was still dealing with a very sad Abigail.

Bandaid on Sidge's knee, we had just started admiring the huge knot on Abigail's head, when she took a dive and hit the other side of her head on the corner of the hallway wall. Not kidding. I really couldn't make this stuff up.

There were other small smatterings of delightful stories I could share, but the conclusion of the day summarized it best. JB and I took all three kiddos upstairs to take a bath. I poured all the toys into the tub and stripped Abigail down and dumped her in the water. Only to discover that she had a poopy diaper which had now been nearly entirely deposited in the tub. (Should I say Oh Crap?)

So onto Plan B. JB took the boys to the small shower in our bedroom's bath and hosed them down while I attempted to hose down Abigail. Later, of course, it would be time to bleach the tub and all the toys. Big sigh ...

Oh and that's not the end of it. The last event of the night? Scooping up dog poopy in the backyard. I shoulda left it for the next day as I ended up stepping right in.

(Should I say Oh Crap again.)

So thankful Grampa and Grama were here to help ease the difficulties of the day. 3 on 3 is way better than 1 on 3 any day.

Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon standing by actor despite his despicable actions

Send an email to Nickelodeon president Cyma Zarghami now, urging the children's television network to fire Jason Biggs today!

This was too important for me not to share. Living overseas, isolates you in many ways. When I returned hom with my children for a visit earlier this year, I was amazed at the shows ... the commercials! I don't want my children watching these things.

Nickelodeon, the kids' TV channel, apparently sees no problem with directing children to the Twitter feed of one of its voiceover stars, Jason Biggs.It would be difficult to describe Biggs' tweets as anything other than the worst sort of human depravity.

(You can see them here, but be warned, they are very offensive. I really wouldn't go and read them unless you really want to be absolutely sickened.)

Nickelodeon hired Jason Biggs as a voice actor on their new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show and is promoting his Twitter account to the children who follow them. But a growing number of concerned parents and outraged citizens are attempting to stop Biggs in his tracks by calling on Nickelodeon to fire him for his disgusting tweets.

Nickelodeon is encouraging children, especially the young boys likely to be fans of this show, to see Biggs' vile tweets on a daily basis.

So far, Nickelodeon has remained silent on Jason Biggs future employment.

TAKE ACTION: Send an email to Nickelodeon president Cyma Zarghami now, urging the children's television network to fire Jason Biggs today!

Cow Jam (Part III of III)

So the third part of our day trip with Dad and Mom K. isn't so much of a part as much as it is an event. With two times as many cows on the island as there are people, we'd been warned about cow jams. Cows use the roads to move from place to place in nearly all circumstances. This shuts down the road, makes it quite smelly, and leave poop everywhere! We got stuck in one of these the other day. See for yourself!

 

 

If you are new ...

... to my blog and our story, you may want to take a moment (or many moments), to read about where this blog was born from. While it has morphed into much more, it was originally designed to keep our family and friends up-to-date on our painful journey to the miracle of parenthood. In other words: our infertility journey.

You can jump over to my infertility blog and watch a video by my friend Linda Jones which details our five year journey to parenthood. You can also read past entries in an easier-to-follow format detailing our daily walk through our wait for children.

And to those of you who are still waiting, please know I am here with you. I am thinking of you. I am praying for you. Do not hesitate, as many of you have, to reach out to me via email (wendi@wendikitsteiner.com) if you need to get support, encouragement, or share your grief.

Here is a video that ministered to me during those years. I hope it ministers to you to:

Wes King: Thought You'd Be Here By Now

I never knew that silence could make me so deaf

I never knew that I could miss someone I'd never met

Miss someone I haven't met ... YET!

A Day Trip (Part II of III)

In case you missed it, here is a link to Part I of our Day trip around the island with JB's parents. And here are some pictures of Point II: the town of Biscoitos.

 

A beautiful natural swimming hole was the main destination in this part of the trip.

 

John and his Dad
 

My two little men

 

 

Abigail with her grandparents
 

We tried to get a picture of all three kids ... but it was way too bright for Abigail and she refused to look up.

 

We tried a different angle, but Sidge tried to put his arm around her ...

 

... and hit his elbow on one of the sharp rocks. Pictures are done dude.

 

So we broke away from photos and went for a snack at the little cafe. Isaac cracked me up here, trying to see if there are in fact any raisins missing that he needs to look closer for.
 

 My boys looking out over the water -- love this snap.

Abigail wishing she could get in on the action.

 

 My amazing father and mother-in-law. They are definitely my Mom and Dad too, and I am so blessed to have such wonderful Godly grandparents for my children.

Some Mom Humor

I think I am out of my league

I'm a jock. I have no concept of style outside of "sporty." I don't shop. Not for myself. I just special order the clothes I need. So you can imagine my concern when Abigail brought me these items this morning to put on (yes including two different shoes). I think I am in BIG trouble. (Thanks for the skirt Casey. Way to feed the monster.)

Friday Funnies

Sidge was keeping me company while I was trying on some new shirts from Target Online. He was wearing some shorts and underwear but was bear-chested.
Me: "Do you like my shirt, Sidge?" I asked him, modelling one of the new buys.
Sidge: "I do."
Me: "Thanks."
Sidge: "Do you like my shorts and underwear, Mommy?"
*****
There is a little "reading nook" in the waiting room of "Daddy's Clinic". We will often sit down and read a few books if JB is taking longer-than-expcted to get freed up for lunch. The other day, I realized that I have no recollection of what we have read while waiting as later that day, the following conversation took place:
Sidge: "That scared me out of my shorts."
Me: "Where did you learn to say that from?"
Sidge: "From Isaac."
Me: "Isaac, where did you learn that from?"
Isaac: "From a book you read me at Daddy's Clinic."
*****
Sidge has figured out a way to stop Grampa from tickling him. When Grampa comes into the room saying, "I'm a monster, I am going to tickle you," Sidge says, "Wait! Stop! I'm just like you! I'm a monster too!" Then he pauses as if being in deep thought and says, "How 'bout ... Let's go tickle ... Isaac!"
*****
Sidge borrowed daddy's squirt bottle (which he uses to wet the boys' head when he gives haircuts.) I told him he could borrow it, but he couldn't squirt people.
Sidge: (looking at Grampa, trying to figure out what he could squirt that was acceptable:) "What should I do Grampa?"
Grampa: "Well, why don't you just mess around a bit."
Sidge: "Okay. But, ummm ... what should I mess around with?"
*****
Me: "Abigail is taking a nap Sidge. You can either stay in the upstairs living room and be quiet or you can come downstairs with me."
Sidge: "I will come down with you and be loud."
*****
While Grampa was holding Sidge at the hardware store:
Sidge: "Grampa, what are these things on your neck?"
JB: "Those are wrinkles."
Grampa: "You get those when you're old Sidge."
Sidge (to Grampa): "Are you old?!"
*****
I love how Sidge says instructions. He says: "Destructions." When he opened the new lego toy he picked out he said, "Oh. We need to find the destructions." When it comes to legos and three-year-olds, destructions might be the best way to describe them.
*****
When I asked the boys what they wanted to be for Halloween, Sidge told me, "I want to be Mader. No Lighning. No. I want to be Mader and Lighning mixed together."
*****
I knew it was coming. Espcially when you are a blonde mother who rarely shaves her legs. While holding Sidge yesterday and reading a book he said, "Why are your legs spiky Mom?"
*****
The boys are getting used to having a Grampa who drinks coffee every day. Sidge told me, "I like juice in my coffee."

Why did it take me 34 years ...

... to discover maternity shirts for my 6'3" frame?

 

A shirt that actually covers my hips and doesn't ride up is no small miracle.

 

Please excuse the maternity-like photo here of me in the mirror. I did not have the energy to explain to my in-laws why I wanted a picture of myself or how to use the camera. And JB was not home. Also please ecxuse the big spot on my shirt. I imagine those are gooey kiddy fingers of some sort, but I am not able to define what the goo actually is more than a few minutes after the goo is transferred.

 

I did a post many moons ago about where I find clothes being such a tall woman. It is not uncommon for me to be stopped in the grocery store or at the post office by the father of a tall teenager. Or by a tall woman herself. There question is always the same. "Can you please tell me where you get your clothes?"

 

Good question! You can get answers to that question by reading my past post, but please know that I will be editing it slightly to add one very important thing that I never thought of prior to getting pregnant myself.

 

Maternity shirts.

 

Not I am not talking about the "blowsy" shirts. I am talking about long and lean shirts designed to stretch out over your belly. Joni bought a few of these for me when I was pregnant. I bought a few for myself. And after I had Sidge and Abigail, I stopped wearing most of my maternity clothes, but these long and lean shirts were still a favorite of mine. I realized that that was because they have the extra length to cover my entire torso! (Not a small feat!)

 

Not sure I could have brought myself to buy maternity clothes during my infertility journey. But if you do it online, it isn't really like you are actually shopping for maternity clothes. Just think of it is as a department for a few more inches on the bottom of the shirts.

 

Of course this doesn't help with sleeve length (a problem for me too). And we won't even get me started on the fact that these shirts don't help my 37.5 inch inseam find pants anywhere. Too bad. But it does help me out in the too-short in the torso department.

 

If you have a teenage daughter who wants to be "cool-like-the-rest-of-the-world" but is long in the torso and constantly trying to wear shirts that don't fit right, this may be a great idea for you to look into. I especially like Target and Old Navy's selection as being easy to shop online and easy on the pocketbook as well.

 

Enjoy wearing clothes that fit. I know I am.

Forgiveness revisted

After my post the other day on forgiveness, a friend sent a link to this song about forgiveness. It was incredibly powerful, and I just wanted to share it on my blog.

This is for you Casey!

I love being a mom. I loved raising two boys together. I love having my totally unexpected little girl. But I have a few rules when it comes to motherhood -- whether it be boys or girls. And these rules go contrary to what most of my friends believe. One of those is my friend Casey. She and I like to give each other a hard time about my rules (and her lack thereof.)

 

So, without further ado ... these are rules that my husband echoes. Our rules include:

1. Babies who cannot walk, should not be forced to wear shoes -- unless you are taking a quick picture for posterity purposes.
2. No piece of a baby's attire should cost more than your first automobile. (Or if I'm being quite honest, it shouldn't cost more than a gallon of gas, either.)
3. If I don't wear a designer label, they shouldn't either.
4. Hand-me-downs and gifts are always acceptable and override rules 2 & 3.
5. Little girls should not wear bows that are bigger than the size of their head either in diameter or radius. Posterity purposes must be very strong to overcome this established rule.
6. Bows worn on little girls' heads are never allowed especially if they: (a) leave huge elastic marks; (b) cause aforementioned girl child to cry or try to pull the bow off; (c) are present prior to having any or very little hair.
7. Sweater vests and pink shirts on male children are not legal under any circumstances.
8. Prior to a child walking, onesies are perfectly acceptable attire and should be utilized to maximum potential. Especially when more than one baby is present at a time. This saves time and money both in diaper changing and laundry. (Comments like: "Do your boys ever wear pants?" should be ignored whole-heartedly.)
9. Pajamas are completely overrated. Kids can go to sleep in whatever they like, whatever they are comfortable in, and whatever they are wearing before bedtime.
10. Once a little boy wears underwear, underwear should be covered by shorts whenever possible. However, clothing on upper-half of body is completely optional. When referring to the female gender, the same rules apply. (Comments like: "Does Abigail ever wear a shirt?" should be laughed off easily.)

And now that the rules have been well-documented, I wanted to especially pay attention to the bow rules discussed in numbers 5 and 6 above. This bow, pictured on Abigail below, is legal. It is of appropriate size, and it is used to hold actual hair -- not bald heads. (And, I happen to think it is pretty darn cute.)



 

Shoes: $1 at thrift store / Dress: 75% at BX = $2.50 / Bow: 0.25 for pack of 4 on sale after Easter. Total outfit cost: $3.57. 

 

A view from the backside of the outfit. (By the way, Isaac's entire outfit was $2.00. Shirt was 75% off at BX. Shorts were hand-me-downs from cousin Nate. Total outfit cost in picture: $5.57.

Church and State Debate

I recently read this article: School Under Fire For Allowing Churches to Feed Football Team and was interested to see what those of you who read my blog think about this. In the article, a Chattanooga, TN football coach is under fire for allowing churches to provide meals to players.

"The Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter to the school and are demanding the school system launch an investigation into allegations that Coach Mariakis allowed local churches to prepare pre-game meals for his football team. They also allege that the coach prayed with his team, used Bible verses in motivational speeches and on team shirts and participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes."

Both in Turkey and in the Azores, when we first came to the Base, there was a welcome briefing held at the chapel. Individuals are not forced to attend. They are not forced to eat. But the Chapel sponsors the meal, and the Chaplain prays before the meal.

I learned, as a teacher, a great difference between the deep South (aka "The Bible Belt") and schools in Minnesota. When I was in Kentucky, prayer was regularly performed before ball games, meals, and most school events. But in Minnesota, I was told when they hired me that praying at any point was completely against the rules.

(I was also told by a coworker that going to church was, "a bit old-fashioned, don't you think?") but that's another story.

I respect the separation of church and state. I would not want any religion forced onto my children or myself, and if Christianity can be, then another religion could be. However, I have two issues with this story. And let me preface this was saying I am not a lawyer (I know I have a few lawyers who read my blog) so feel free to politely correct me if I am wrong.

1. The first issue is that I cannot see how allowing a church to provide meals for individuals is not okay. I would imagine that if any group wanted to provide meals for children, it would be welcome at a school. You have many students who cannot afford to eat well in public schools, and I think any community would welcome meals for young men before a football game. As the churches youth group pastor was quoted as saying, “It would be interesting to see what part of the Constitution we violated by simply offering a meal to fellow Americans. These are kids from our area that we do love and we do care about.”

2. If local churches are taking turns giving meals, and another religious organization wanted to provide the meals, they should be allowed to do so. I believe the problem stems from the fact that they are in the deep south, where there is not as much diversity of religion. And therefore the free meals have to cease because of a lack of diversity.

3. The article says that a "local individual" voiced the complaint. However, I'd be interested to hear who this local individual is. If none of the athletes are concerned and none of the parents are concerned, is it something to be concerned with? And if a player voiced concern, I would imagine he'd have every right to not attend the meal.

Love to hear from you on this story! And as always, please be respectful and kind when voicing how you feel. I feel this is a place to be educated from each other, not blast each other for different ideas, and my readers almost always do a great job discussing as such!

Dear Stay-at-home-mom

Dear Stay-at-Home Mom

Posted by Jim_Daly on Aug 8, 2012 11:16:22 AM 
                          

You’ll never convince me that anybody works harder than a mother. Parenting is a joy-filled experience, of course, but it also requires a tremendous amount of effort. The legendary writer, John Steinbeck, once put it quite succinctly. “It takes courage,” he wrote, “to raise children.”

On the lighter side, the comedian Bill Cosby has always been deft at reminding us to not take ourselves too seriously. “No matter how calmly you try to referee,” he once said, “parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking about the kids. Their behavior is always normal.”

With that as a backdrop, I want to share with you an incredibly perceptive letter that’s addressed to all stay-at-home moms. Circumstances might not permit you to be in that category, but I hope you’ll read along all the same. It was penned by a gentleman named Trevin Wax. He’s the managing editor of the Gospel Project as part of LifeWay Christian Resources.

When you’re done reading, I hope you’ll let me know how it struck you.

**

Dear Stay-at-Home Mom,

You are a gift of God to your husband and your kids.

But you don’t always feel that way, do you?

There’s a low-level feeling of guilt that creeps into your heart from time to time. Sometimes it bubbles over into tears, usually on lonely, difficult days.

You scan blogs and read books about being a good mom. You find some helpful tidbits here and there, often from women who are grandmothers now. Women you can learn from but who seem to have forgotten the struggle. They seem to have it all together.

In your heart, you want to be the kind of mom who trains up kids to make a difference for the kingdom. You know it’s an honor to be entrusted with these kids. You know you’ve only got one shot. You want to be the mom who teaches them the Bible, models how to pray, and trains them up in the fear of the Lord.

But most of the time you feel like you’re barely holding it all together.

Your house cleaning can’t keep up with your kids’ mess-making.

The kids embarrass you by acting up right when your guests arrive.

Your husband doesn’t get just how worn out you are by the end of the day.

You come to the end of your patience. You lose your temper. Then you feel worse.

The last thing you consider yourself to be is a “good mom.” And you think to yourself, It’ll be a miracle if my kids turn out okay.

And – surprisingly – that’s right where God wants to meet you. The place where you admit your powerlessness and your need for Him.

It’s only by God’s grace that any kid grows up to be a force for the kingdom.

You see, there are no perfect kids and no perfect mothers. No matter what you read in blogs, see in magazines, and learn in books. There are sinful kids and sinful moms and dads.

And the only thing greater than both is the grace of God. The God who says “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The God who loves to forgive, to transform, and empower.

God loves you – not because you are a good mother but just because you are His precious child.

God loves you – not because you’ve mastered all the skills of parenting but because He has.

It’s divine grace that will transform your parenting – not guilt.

It’s grace that will keep you going and serving and scrubbing when you’re exhausted and worn out.

It’s grace that will conquer your feelings of inadequacy and remind you of God’s love for you in Christ.

It’s grace that goes for the heart of your kids, not just their behavior.

God has demonstrated the fullness of His love for you through the cross of His Son, even while you were still a sinner.

He has promised you His presence.

He has spoken His approval over you in Christ.

He is the perfect Father who delights in you as a daughter.

Find in Him your Treasure and Joy. Be to others what He is to you.

So walk in freedom. Let Him hold you together when everything seems to be falling apart.

Bask in His unfailing love for you. And rest in His promise of power.

Let Scrubby try it

 

When will a mother learn? I have bought my children different kinds of the Gerber Graduates whenever I have seen a sale, since Isaac was little. Now and then. Thinking it was an easy thing to "have on hand." But they very rarely eat them. Very rarely appear to like them.

But I am a sucker for a sale, and they were having a huge sale on boxes of: Rice & Turkey in Gravy with green beans and carrots at the Commissary. So I bought a case of six of them.

Two nights ago, JB got home from work late, and I decided to make the kids' dinner. I pulled out three of these, heated them for the suggested 30 seconds in the microwave, and brought them outside. (We've been eating dinner outside anytime it is not raining.) And I served them with a side of yogurt and grapes.

All the kids sucked down the yogurt. Sucked down the grapes. But when it came time to eat the meals I had bought on sale, JB couldn't help but just crack up as he narrated the event. Firstly, there was Abigail who literally spit out the food at the moment it touched her lips. Abigail will eat almost anything so this was not a good sign. In fact, I tried to trick her -- giving her bites of yogurt but then switching to a bit of the Gerber food. But she would not be fooled. She started watching what I put on the spoon very carefully and pushing away the Gerber foods before they got near her and then opening up her mouth wide for the yogurt.

Then came Sidge. He, too, will try anything, and he did try both the vegetables and the chicken. His body started moving into spasms of full body shivers. This was the point that JB lost it and could no longer control his laughter.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said as he turned his head to try to prevent the kids from seeing him laugh.

"Just say it."

"Say what?"

"What you are thinking," I mumbled as another unsuccessful bite of carrots was pushed away by Abigail, and Isaac, our pickiest eater started gagging upon even smelling the food.

"I'm not thinking anything," JB replied, the laughter now unable to be hidden, even from the kids. "Okay. I am. I'm just wondering when you are going to give up on these things?"

I rolled my eyes. "Right now. I won't buy them again."

"The kids hate them every time you get them."

"No," I said. "That's not true. There's been a few kinds that they've ... tolerated."

"I betcha Scrubs wouldn't even eat these," he said.

"Yes he would," I said, and utterly defeated by the lack of success, stood up and picked each of the kids' trays. "That's it," I said. "No one has to eat these."

I saw the relief spread across my boys' faces and was instantly flashed back to my own childhood. A childhood in which my father, the main cook in our family, never threw away food. Except that one time. The night he tried to make fried okra. My brother and I watched, in absolute horror, as he brought out what looked like a bowl full of green snot and put it on the dining room table. We looked at each other. At my dad. At the snot. We knew my Dad well enough to know he never let food go to waste. The spoon dug into the bowl, he pulled it into the air. Snot. Long strands of thick, green ... oh ... please ... no .... eating that seemed to much to ask of anyone

And thank goodness it was. I still remember my dad shocking us both and saying, "We can't eat this. I have to throw it away. I can't believe I am saying this, but this is just too gross for me," he declared.

Praise the Lord for okra miracles.

And now my boys were breathing that same collective sigh of relief that my younger brother and I had breathed at the kitchen table in our mobile home so many years ago.

I walked over to Scrubs' food bowl. "We'll let Scrubby feast like a king tonight."

I walked over to his food dish and dumped all three of the meals into his bowl. "Enjoy your three dollar dinner doggie," I said to Scrubs and watched, with relief, as he scarfed it down happily.

And I suppose that's who will be eating the other three meals. At least it won't completely go to waste.

Lesson learned.

Better late than never.

A Day Trip (Part I of III)

We decided to take Grampa and Grama on a half day tour of two of our favorite spots on the island. The first stop? A duck lake in the middle of the island -- which, while halfway to the other side of Terceira, is probably only about 30-40 minutes from our house. (What's even better is that we can all fit in the van if I squeeze between the boys in the backseat -- meaning we only need to take one car. Nice!) Check out some of the pictures from this part of our day:

 

I love this picture. Look at Sidge studying the map with his hands on his hips. Man he reminds me of his Daddy here.

 



Abigail has really been warming up to Grampa and Grama, but she is still sticking close to Grampa when Daddy and Mommy aren't around. Here she is feeding ducks with Grampa. (She actually tried to throw bread in and nearly made it in the water a few times. She continues to amaze us by how much she undderstands her world. She didn't try to eat the food one time. It was as if she instantly got the reason we were there.)

 



 Look at this flower. JB and his Dad haven't had time to research it online yet and figure out what it is. If you know, let us know. None of us had seen it before.

 

Here I am throwing the first few pieces of bread in the water to lure the dozens of ducks to our site. Isaac had no interest in feeding, but Sidge got quite into it.

 



While Sidge and I fed ducks, Isaac played hide and seek with Grama. He has REALLY warmed up to the grandpaernts this visit. We have really seen him come out of his shy shell during the last year of his life, and he now will easily choose the grandparents on an even playing field with Dad and Mom.

What amazes me about this tiny island is how different the landscape can be within just a few miles. Truly, this part of the island feels exactly like the pacific northwest. Rainy. Big trees. Sun blockage. It's breathtaking. Truly.

 



These views show how different the landscape is from our home on the water.

 



Sidge and I making the day of a few ducks. Am I the only one who deals with guilt when I feed ducks? There are always a few who dominate the feeding! Oh and we had to laugh at the one lone rooster who approached us on land to get in on the goods.

 



 A little blurry but just a delightful shot of Isaac playing hide and seek with Grama.

 

Look at the grass and moss on this stone table! This view reminds me of what Narnia might look like after the winter ends.

 



So amazingly beautiful. Isn't God an incredible artist?

 

 Probably one of my favorite picutres of Isaac ... ever. Taken by Grama. He often edits his smiles -- holding back his laughter as if it is a bad thing. When he genuinely lets it out, our hearts just melt.

Abigail taking a walk (and many falls) on the red clay.

Stay tuned for pictures from the second half of our trip in another post!

Base Life

It's been three months since we left our life in Turkey. I feel like I am now qualified to make some observations about Base life. I, obviously, don't know it like people who live on Base. I probably head up to the Base about two days per week. I have found that perspective is a very interesting thing. Because we are coming from Turkey, I am judging everything by that standard. My friends who have moved here from the States are judging things based on the States. And that's a mighty different judgment system. Here are how things compare to Turkey from my perspective:

• Commissary (base grocery store) is definitely smaller but quite adequate, and in general, the workers seem a lot nicer and laid back that they were at Incirlik. In Turkey, they scrutinized my coupons like their life depended on it. Here, they haven't returned a single one to me for "problems." They give the boys cookies (although Isaac doesn't like cookies -- go figure!) and they have a really nice little "restaurant" in the Commissary where you can get sandwiches from the deli made or hot sandwiches wrapped and ready to go. We've often sat down and just eaten lunch right in the grocey store. Way cool! Before going to visit JB at work which we usually do once a week, I usually stop by there. I pick up an 87 cent lunchable for the kids, a hot sandwich for JB and me, and we eat lunch for about $7-8 in his office together. In addition, they have volunteers who actually tape coupons to products in the store for people to use. How awesome is that?
• BX (Base Kmart) does not stand up quite as well to Turkish standards. It's oddly shaped for one -- not the typical square that most stores are. It's also a little dark, and the toy section is just plain pitiful! The people are very nice, the sale racks are very good, and there are a ton of GENERIC BRANDS of products which we never had offered in Turkey. I really like that. Oh and did I mention there is a tractor that the boys can sit on? They love that.
• Church is now going strong here. We waited to start until the September 2nd Contemporary Service was launched. That was yesterday. It is held in the fellowship hall, and I really, really enjoyed it. There were probably about 30-40 people there, and the worship was really done well. In addition, there is a Sunday school class for the boys. They hold the gospel service at the same time in the sanctuary so that the kids from both services can be mixed together for Sunday School. Brilliant! There is currently not a nursery, but I am hopeful I can find a few other parents to help alleviate that fact.
• Restaurants on Base include: a "Club" type of restaurant at the TORC (Top of the Rock club). The Base truly is set on a huge rock (or hill?), and from this spot, you can see some beautiful views of our neighboring landscape. I've only eaten here once. The food was very good though, and offers an opportunity for an American-style evening out. However, on the island, there is enough different type of food options off-Base that I don't think this is as much of a necessity as it was in Turkey. In Turkey, your only option off-Base was Turkish. Here, you can get nearly any kind of food at local restaurants. There is also a Subway on Base and a litte fast-food type grill (Oceanview Grill) in addition to a coffee shop (Cafe Bean).  
• Fast Food does not exist on the island unless you count Subway or Oceanview Grill on Base. In Turkey, the two malls offered fast food options American and Turkish style. But here, there is nothing. Other than the two burger and fries meals I had at the Base grill, I have not eaten any fast food in probably five months. Awesome!
• The View: from the Base is .... amazing! It is right on the water. Breathtaking. However, what I do not like about Base housing is that it is technically off-Base. It's a strange set-up. You have to go out the gate to enter Base housing, and while secured with a gate, outside individuals could easily enter. It's a little awkward to me.
• Other perks: I haven't been to the Base gym or Bowling Alley yet, but the AFRC (Airman and Family Readiness Center) is amazing -- and very accessible. It has a computer room and snack area and children's play area and coupon area. I love it! In addition there is a Base pool that looks very similar to the one in Turkey, and the very cool Stormy's which is a play area set up in the Fitness Center. I really can't believe Turkey didn't have something like this. It's an area that parents can go with their kids and let them play inside -- for when the weather is bad. And it's open nearly all day every day. The Thrift Store is not nearly as good as the one in Turkey. But the library is really wonderful here and story time is a very fun event.
• Security is NOTHING like Turkey as you can imagine. Getting on and off Base or getting guests a pass is a BREEZE!
• The Clinic where JB works holds a lot of similarities to the Clinic in Turkey. But now that we are no longer there, I feel free to write this. There was ONE woman in Turkey who was fairly high up the administration chain, who made the life of everyone who worked at the Clinic in Turkey absolutely miserable. I never wrote about that on the Blog while JB worked there. But now I'll say it. She was a nice woman if you ran into her out of the Clinic. But in the Clinic, it was a different story. Here ... that woman doesn't exist. And it's as if you can feel her absence is a tangible way. JB is given the freedom that he is supposed to have as a doctor. Because the military is losing doctors at a rapid pace, they have been attempting to offer things that will entice them to stay. One of those is supposed to be the ability to organize their clinic schedule in a way that works best for them. However, in Turkey, aforementioned woman prevented that upon every turn. Here, not so much. JB is given the ability to run things the way that works best for him. And because the Base is much smaller, when he takes phone call, the calls are significantly lighter. In addition, in Turkey, aforementioned woman would want them to bring patients in when the Clinic was closed. Here, when he takes phone call he either has them wait until the Clinic opens, treats over the phone, or directs them to the island hospital (which is pretty consistent with Turkish standards -- or even a bit less.)
• MOPs does not exist on Base. But I am helping to start it up. Our first meeting is on this coming Thursday. Your prayers are appreciated! We have no idea how many women to expect, but we are excited to see the Lord leading this ministry. MOPs is an outreach. It is a way to reach the unchurched. And I am really blessed to be able to be the Coordinator of MOPs this year -- something I never  saw myself doing.

Okay, so that's all I can think of right now. Other questions? Things you can think of?

Thanks Aunt Danielle!

Dear Aunt Danielle,

Thank you so much for my new a-dor-uble bathing suit. It may not look like i like it very much but that is only because my mom thought she would avoid wasting a swim diaper on me since i had just done a poopy, and she put me in the suit without a diaper, and i didn't poop, but i did pee, thus the towel i am standing on to help clean up the pee and so i didn't want to take a picture but i really did like the swimsuit but i was just a little bit embarrassed that i pee-peed on the floor and i think this is a run-on sentence so i will say good bye now but thank you because it is one cute suit and i hope to see you at Christmas.

Good bye and i love you and Uncle Matt a lot!

Nose Art

 

 

or my kids' nose art. Same difference.

Such a Girl!

Boys I know. Girls ... not so much. What do I do with this little lady? Today, in the toy section at the BX, she walked up the baby dolls, repeatedly making the sign for please and trying to hold the dolls which were strapped into boxes.

 

She brings us shoes and skirts and shirts and hats constantly, asking us to put them on her. An example? Here she is with the bloomers that are supposed to go under this dress. She insisted on wearing them on her head.

 

I am constantly amazed at how different this little lady is from my boys. JB and I often look at each other and say something like, "She doesn't seem real." We just cannot believe how different our life is from the one we imagined after our fourth failed IVF. I hope my story continues to inspire. Not that God always answers our prayers the way we hope. But that he answers our prayers in ways we never could have imagined.

To those of you still waiting ... keep the faith.