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I have so many great stories; I just hope I can remember them all to write down! One I've been saving for a while concerns my eldest and his way of adjusting to life in the U.S. (and recognition at every place he goes). See, when we go to places to share, the people there are expecting us and know who we are, even if we have never met them. So, I'm starting to think that Joshua thinks he's famous and that that is actually normal. I guess for him it is! Anyway, about a month ago we were at this club in Boston. The people there were really interested in our family and had prepared for us before we even got there. The kids there had put up welcome signs for all my boys. We had several meals with the people there and everyone knew each of us by name. Sunday morning rolls around and the leader wants to introduce us as a family to everyone there. Of course, at the time he gets ready to call us to the front, Micah is pitching a fit to get down from Daddy's arms. So, we walk up to the front with all 3 boys in tow, just hoping they're not going to totally embarrass us in front of the whole world. Daddy is holding Micah (who is still squirming to get down) and I strategically placed myself in between the two older boys so they don't decide to tie into a fight. Everyone claps for us when we walk up and about a minute later, Joshua decides it's time for a bow. With a flourish, mind you, he bows his head to the audience as if he's just performed some great musical piece and they're applauding him for his accomplishment. I have no idea what was going through his head, but he amused quite a few people that morning. Of course, while the leader is waxing eloquent about how beautiful of a family we are, Luke is trying to lay down on the floor and Micah is doing his best to get on the floor himself. Daddy finally let him get down, but had the death grip on him so he wouldn't run off. Joshua decides to turn around the try to smell the flowers that are on the table behind us, while I'm whispering to Luke to get up off the floor. Luke finally stands up only to start looking at the lights and squinting for a few seconds then popping his eyes open really big. I missed that, but was told later by other amused friends. Daddy and I were just doing all we could to hold on to them and hope that it was going to be over soon as everyone looked on at our beautiful family. The whole situation was only like 5-7 minutes, but we sure were glad to get out of the spotlight! I guess if they wanted to see us as a normal family, then they certainly were fulfilled in that. :o)
So many stories, so little time to write about them! Right now we are in New England and are enjoying time with Aunt Stacey and the Grandfriends (a new term coined by Luke). We did take a road trip to Niagara Falls last week, but I'll have to write about that after I download my pictures. :o) For now, I have a great Joshua story...
We were at this club in Vermont on Sunday morning for their regular meeting time. The two youngest and more rambunctious of my children were already in the nursery, but Joshua was sitting with us waiting for the bigger children to be dismissed for their own time together. So, the guy leading at the time sort of introduces and welcomes Daddy and I as well as Grandmother & Grandfather. Joshua looked up at his daddy and asked if the guy just didn't see him or something because Joshua didn't understand why he had introduced the 4 of us and not Joshua. We thought that was kind of cute, right?
Later, after the meeting we had a potluck lunch before we got on the road. The announcer guy came to sit down on the other side of Daddy so he could chat for a little bit while we all ate. Joshua saw him, got out of his chair, walked around the end of the table, and sidled up beside the guy. Then Joshua proceeded to ask the guy why he hadn't introduced Joshua when he very clearly was introducing our family to everyone. Joshua asked the guy if he just hadn't seen him sitting there with the rest of us. :o) The guy kind of stammered and tried to figure out how to answer this 18 year old in a 5 year old's body. Finally he said that it was actually someone else's job to introduce us to everyone. So, later Joshua actually went and found THAT guy and asked him the same question. I don't know what he said to Joshua, but I'm sure neither man will ever underestimate small children again. At least not mine. ;o)
Would you like to know my number one tip for traveling with small kids? Don't do it unless you absolutely have to. :o) Oh the stories I have from our marathon trip home. I'll start with the week that we spent in a different country from where we were living. We flew there (through another country) and had planned to be there a week. The 2nd night we were there Luke started throwing up. We hoped it would pass quickly and that he would get over it. But he didn't. He kept throwing up about every 3 hours that next day. Then the 2nd night it was every hour. He kept on throughout the next day and by that time he had gotten really pale and his eyes looked sunken in. When he wasn't throwing up, he was asleep. So I was with him pretty much 24/7 while Daddy and the other two boys were occupied during the days. The the 3rd night we had and American doctor friend check him out again, (he'd been monitoring Luke along the way), and he said it was probably time to head to the hospital. Now, keep in mind that we're in a country where we don't really speak the language at all. Thankfully, a friend who does speak it went with Daddy and Luke to the hospital. They went through the emergency room and it took almost 3 hours before there were admitted to a room and got an IV in Luke's body. Finally he stopped throwing up! They said that he just had a virus, a highly contagious one at that. But the Lord totally protected the rest of our family from ever getting it. Thanks to all of you who were praying for us during that time! We are so thankful that the virus didn't spread. Luke was in the hospital over night and through the next afternoon. But when he got back to the place where we were staying, he looked SO much better! He was still very, very weak and couldn't really eat anything for a while, but he wasn't losing anything anymore and was on the mend. I'm glad that we decided to take him to the hospital when we did because he may have gotten too dehydrated if we had waited. We're also thankful for the great care he got in the hospital he went to. The hospitals where we had been living are not exactly of that caliber, so we're not really sure what we would have done if we had been in our overseas home. Thankfully we've never had to face that experience. Just being where we were with Luke so sick was scary enough. That's the sickest any of my kids has ever been. But the Lord's hand was on us and taking care of us through it all. He used many special people to see to our needs during that week. And thankfully Luke was okay by the time we needed to fly back to the U.S. He still wasn't eating much, but that's not really a problem on the airplane. It took him a full week before he was really ready to eat anything substantial. I think it took him longer than that just to get over the trauma of all that happened to him.
So, that was the week before we flew back to the U.S. We entered the 13 hour flight with high hopes that all throw up was over. Well... Luke was finished, but the other two, not so much. The flight itself wasn't that bad really because we each had our own little tv screen with good choices of things to watch. They even had Preschool Disney shows on there for Joshua and Luke, so it was all good. Until Joshua threw up. It was totally unexpected and not so pretty. I will spare the goriest of details and just say that the flight attendants were extremely gracious in helping us. After that we kept a watchful eye on Joshua and just started praying that he didn't have what Luke had. We go through the rest of the flight and everything seemed fine until it was time for the plane to land in the U.S. By this time, it's obvious to say that everyone was ready to get off the plane and that we were all pretty tired. So, as the plane was skidding down the runway, I was sitting on one side trying my best to keep Micah in his seat belt. Joshua was turning green, so Daddy was hovering over him with the barf bag in hand. And poor Luke had just had enough and was literally yelling at the top of his lungs that he had to go pee-pee. Daddy and I were both trying our best to calm Luke down and get him to stop screaming, but we already had our hands full and the whole situation was rather difficult. I'm sure we were quite the show for those around us, who were more than anxious to remove themselves from our presence. Poor Joshua did throw up again, but we were prepared, so it wasn't too bad. Once the plane landed, Daddy took Luke back to the restroom as I started gathering everything, keeping a watchful eye on Joshua to make sure he wasn't going to lose it again. Finally, everyone else is off the plane, and we're just sitting there waiting for Luke and Daddy. As they walk up, Micah totally, and completely unexpectedly, throws up everywhere. He had just had a big breakfast not 1 hour before, so it was very, very ugly. It was just a huge mess. Joshua coat was toast (he was not wearing it). At least it didn't get on the rest of our coats (remember that eventually we were to land in OK City where it was freezing). We finally get ourselves and our carry-ons off the plane and get out into the hallway where I'm doing everything I can to not burst into tears. It was quite the harrowing experience. We made it to a bathroom where we could get ourselves cleaned up a little bit better. Then after we went through customs, we actually had to pick up our luggage, so we were able to stash the throw-up nasty stuff (sealed in Ziploc bags) in the suitcase top pocket as well as replenish our extra-set-of-clothes for the carry on. It turned out that the boys did not have what Luke had, their sickness must have just been travel-induced. We are so grateful for that!
We did get to visit with a dear friend in that first U.S. airport. She brought us chicken nuggets which pretty much only Daddy and I could eat by that point. But it was great to see her, even in our crazy circumstances. We made it into OKC that night around midnight, then drove on to our home about 2 hours away. By the time we got to our home, after having slept the whole way in the van, the boys were quite alive and full of energy. We got to bed that morning around 5 am. Then ensued the week of family jet lag. Someone asked us how we were doing with jet lag and we said we didn't know because were dealing with our childrens' jet lag more than our own. We were all sleeping through the night completely within our first week, though, and never more happy to do so!
So much more has happened since we got home, but that will have to wait for another blog post... I'll do my best to get you caught up on everything!
Wow. I know it's been TOO long since I posted. We have traveled the world since the last time I wrote (literally). Even now we are on the road for a few more days until we finally make it back to OK on Thursday. So many things have happened that I don't even know where to start writing! I've had several posts floating around in my head for weeks now. I'll try to sort through all that's happened and pull out the good stuff for you. :o) In the meantime, here is our current schedule...
Feb 21 - Mar 11: Driving through TX, LA, AR to visit family and share with folks
Mar 16 - Apr 4: Flying to New England to visit more family and share with more folks
Apr 5 - 10: Family conference in VA
We have some little things after that, but those are the biggest trips for now. We purposefully tried to plan all our U.S. travels at the beginning of our stay so that we could do our best to stay put during the summer when the baby is born. We're also hoping that the boys might be able to play tee-ball. But we'll see how all that works out.
At any rate, we've had a great time seeing family in several different states and catching up with friends along the way. Thanks to everyone who has hosted us and fed us and driven to meet up with us so far. Our boys have met so many new people that it's hard for them to keep everyone straight. Luke has mentioned that he's ready to go back to our OK home, but Joshua and Micah are just excited about all the new friends they're making. They're all doing well considering all the major transition that they've been through in the last month. It sure seems like we've been back in the U.S. for longer than a month. Since this is our 3rd time to come back to the U.S. from living overseas, Daddy and I have kind of fallen into a two-different-worlds groove. Our U.S. life is one life and our overseas life is another. When we're in one place the other place just seems so far removed from us, but both places feel completely normal to us now. It's kind of weird and hard to explain. But for our boys, it's different, I believe. This is the first time they're really experiencing the U.S. life from an age where they can actually remember things. I guess that as long as we, their parents, are constant for them, it doesn't really matter that everything else around them is totally different in their lives. Lately it's even different from day to day as we're traveling to so many different places with them. Kids are so adaptable, though. They amaze me. Several times when we're leaving people's homes or leaving certain places, then Joshua has asked if we'll ever see those people again. He's so used to people coming and going in and out of his life that it's actually not that strange to meet someone new, make friends and play with them for a few hours, then never see them again. Such is the life of our children. They're certainly experiencing lots of fun new things!
I know that I've been post-less for some time now. We're moving into survival mode as we prepare to head back to the U.S. I have been feeling better overall, not as queasy ALL the time. But I'm still resting a lot, taking naps when I can. I go back next week for another ultrasound so we can see if the blood clot is still there. The best news around here is that my mother-in-law is arriving tomorrow! She is going to help us survive and pack up our house in the next 3 weeks. Please be praying for her to stay healthy, international travel can really take a lot out of a person. The boys are beside themselves that she is coming tomorrow as well. Of course, they think she's just coming to play with them. We will all be vying for her attention, I'm sure.
In the meantime, the boys are still the boys, whether we have to pack up our whole house and move to another country (again) or not. Micah is still the cutest thing ever. He's now 18 months old (as of yesterday) and is talking up a storm. He'll repeat pretty much anything he hears us say, in any language. He knows all our friend's names and calls them when they come over. And he's totally using sentences! He has talked sooner and better than his brothers did at this age, for sure. Joshua and Luke are finishing up the last of the kindergarten curriculum today, actually. We will do some other kindergarten things once we get settled in the U.S., but we've worked through our curriculum book and are able to finish it here. I'm really glad! Emotion is high at times around here because they sense the transition. Of course, that just translates to excitement and hyperactivity for them and struggle with patience for us. You can be remembering us as we continue to parent through this major family transition. There have already been some challenging days.
But, we are all excited to return to the States and see our family and friends again. The other day we had lots of boxes and bags out in the hallway as we were trying to clean out the room where Grandmother is going to sleep. Luke came out and said, "Are we going to America right now?!" He was pretty pumped. And though our holidays were somewhat tiring for Mommy & Daddy, the boys had a blast. :o) I'll include a few recent pictures below for your viewing pleasure.
This was from when we studied jewels. They made "jewel" necklaces and crowns. 
This comes from leaving him in his bed for too long before we go in to get him out. :o) He started undressing himself!
This is the first time I've officially written a post about being pregnant again (for real this time, no April Fools!), but I thought it was time to catch everyone up to speed on what's been going on. I'm 10 weeks today and I have been so much sicker with this pregnancy than with my previous 3. Some would claim that means I'm having a girl this time, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. Not that I wouldn't love to have a girl, but, you know, I'm 0 for 3 in that department, so another boy would be just fine at this point. :o) Anyway, last week I went for an ultrasound at this little medical clinic near my house. I can get ultrasounds here for less than $10, so I thought it was worth going to hear the heartbeat and making sure everything seemed normal. Originally, I wasn't even planning to see a doctor for any prenatal stuff because I'll be in the States by the time I'm 15 weeks along. I didn't see a doctor until at least 7 months along with the others, so why go now? ;o) Anyway, the ultrasounds have always been a good check-up for me, especially since they're so cheap. So, Daddy and I go, and the technician and nurse are talking to each other in the local language (which we don't speak very well at all), but basically not really telling us anything because they don't speak any English. This is a normal experience for us, so we didn't think anything of it. We were glad to only see one little baby in there, and to hear his/her heartbeat. Being the 4th baby, we kind of know how to look at ultrasounds. :o) After it's over they take us back downstairs to the front desk where they whisper something to the girl at the desk who speaks "some" English. She proceeds to tell us, "There is a problem. Your womb is too tight and you may lose the baby. You should see your doctor as soon as possible." That was all she could say, basically, so that's the information we left with. Oh my. Needless to say, we were a little disconcerted at this news. So we went home and Daddy started to translate the ultrasound report (using Google translator) to see exactly what the problem was. Local medical professionals here tend to overreact or exaggerate about things at times, so we weren't totally freaked out, but we did want to find out what was going on. Once we had the translation, we found out that I have a blood clot on my placenta, which does happen to some women. It often works itself out by the 20th week. However, it does mean that I have had some internal bleeding for some reason. We've contacted my midwife as well as an American doctor here and they both told me that the best thing I can do at this point is just rest and take it easy as much as possible. I've had to quit exercising and I can't lift anything heavy. This unfortunately means that I can't pick up Micah who is currently pushing 30 lbs at 17 months old. That has been difficult, to say the least, but we're doing our best with it. Getting him to climb up on stools to get into his bed is the hardest thing. And when I just need him to do something, I basically have to talk him into it because I can't just pick him and take him where I want him to go. Okay, maybe that's the hardest thing. I've tried to spend a lot of time just sitting near him on the floor so I can hold him and be close to him, so I don't think he feels stranded or anything like that. In fact, he'll walk up to me and pat the floor and say "down" so I'll come down to him now. Very cute. I have been trying to rest as much as I can in this household. :o) I'm usually able to take a little nap/rest in the mornings after Micah goes down for his nap while Joshua and Luke play together. They can "usually" last for about 30 minutes without needing direct supervision. I rest on the couch so I can hear them in the kitchen. Then in the afternoons I get 30 minutes to an hour long nap when Luke and Micah are both down for their rest times and Joshua is playing his computer learning games. Sometimes I have to lay down for another 10-15 minutes in the evenings just from being worn out by the day. But, all of that to say, I think I'm getting my rest in, so I feel good about that. Now if I could just stop feeling queasy, then this would all be so much easier to handle. I'm pretty much eating ALL day long, but I'm still almost constantly queasy. Most of the time I can keep going with my day, but it does cause me to have to lay down from time to time, which is frustrating when I need to be doing something else. However, I'm just thankful for this little one growing inside me right now. If I have to put up with queasiness and resting all day long, then he/she is worth it. I might forget that from time to time, but ultimately the Lord brings my perspective back to the right place eventually. Please keep praying that the baby and I will be healthy and that this blood clot will clear up quickly. I'm due for another ultrasound in 3 weeks to monitor it. As time gets closer to our departure (at the end of January), it will be harder and harder to rest as we're packing up our whole house. I'm going to do my best!
This was taken our first morning as we walked down to the Falls, about a 10 minute walk from our hotel. It was so beautiful! 
The boys were trying on silly hats in the gift shop while we waited for the shuttle to take us downtown.
One of the boys favorite things about going to Niagara was that we ate at the Rainforest Cafe' for lunch. They loved it! It was stinking expensive, but the boys had a great time nonetheless. It made for a great memory.
I took this picture from our hotel window. One of my favorite things about the trip was our view from the hotel. It was absolutely magnificent.
