Easter Bonnets ... in August?

Ok, so they aren't wearing "bonnets" - but I made a promise way back around Easter time to send pictures of the gang in their Easter outfits. I don't normally tend to dress the kids in matching or coordinating outfits, but do indulge on two occasions:

1. When we are traveling through airports (it makes it so much easier to find everyone quickly and identifies us as a group); and
2. Easter (It is easy, amazingly cheap, and fun to find brightly colored cloth in the market, then take it to the tailor and have it made into a bunch of matching and cute outfits.)

So.... Here are this year's Easter dresses, and shirts for the boys. It only took me 4 months to stop, plan and coordinate these photos. And it is a good thing I did it now - Rebekah and Anna have already outgrown their dresses!

Nadia ... she's still in that "I have to have a goofy smile if I'm forced to smile" stage... She is looking forward to the beginning of the school year, as she has missed her best friend Zeina over the summer. She has quite courageously stepped out and asked to play softball with the big kids at Sahel Academy. She's not the least bit afraid of the ball in the outfield and has actually had a couple of decent hits!"

Victoria ... who is now back to full health and eating like a horse to proove it. She's our little adventurer, who didn't want to stop swinging to pose for a picture. She has also informed us that she is going to play the saxophone when she grows up!

Jonathan ... He's just too cute for words right now. One of my friends made the comment that perhaps we mothers find our little boys so irresistable because we see such wonderful glimpses of our husbands in them.

Rebekah ... who is growing up daily, right in front of our eyes. She's cooking meals for us, organizing the rest of the gang to clean the house, wanting to hang out with Mama and the ladies, starting to sew, and quite a competent "little mama" for Elsie. Elsie ... too, is growing like a weed and learning new things each day. She has now taken her first two steps and then fell, so has decided for the moment that she prefers crawling. She's often the most difficult to find after church - no telling which friend has kidnapped her!

Anna ... my sweet and lovely homebody. It has been fun to watch her blossom this year, thanks to a wonderful teacher at Ecole Alliance who was able to encourage both confidence and independance. We also think she's going to surpass her two older sisters in height in the not too distant future. I'm looking forward to taking her out for breakfast this Saturday - she doesn't always insist on being heard, so I'm looking forward to some time with just her, to hear more of what is going on in that mind of hers.

Brendan ... Are we ready for our soon-to-be teenager? They grow up so fast. I'm proud of the young man he is becoming and I love his patience and wonderful attitude with his younger siblings as well as the younger children in the neighborhood and our missionary community. We are starting to see the makings of a wonderful and attentive daddy.... someday.... in the VERY distant future!

Sweet Success

Newsflash

Brendan has passed his French Exams. Can you tell he is delighted? or, maybe relieved is a better word. Needless to say, he's glad to have this hurdle behind him and is looking forward to beginning school at Sahel Academy - Tuesday, August 14, 2007 at 7:25 a.m.

(And isn't he cute in his nice and cool new haircut?)

Brendan's disclaimer - "Make sure you tell them that Dad MADE me pose like this."

"For such a time as this..."

I think I mentioned before that I'm now teaching the Ladies' Bible study at church once a month. This is the type of opportunity for which I've been praying and it is a fun and challenging way for me to get to know the ladies in our church a little better.

Right now, I'm in the process of working my way through the book of Job, and I've found it terribly interesting. I've read the book before. Last term, as I was writing/translating/ developing the Sheep Tales script for the story of Job, I studied through it, too. So this is my third time through and God has been showing me some "unexpected" things. After much prayer, I decided to share some of these "unexpected" things I believe the Holy Spirit has been teaching me.

How well do you remember the history of Job? He is described as a man, irreproachable and just (not meaning perfect or without sin, but that he lived in such a manner that other men had no reason to accuse him of wrongdoing); a man who respected the authority of God to order the events and happenings of his life, it is written that he "feared God," and kept himself far from evil deeds. He was incredibly wealthy and a bit of a celebrity, well-known throughtout the lands east of Palestine. One other characteristic that is clearly evident is that he is loathe to offend God: in thought, in deed, by his actions or his lack of actions. This can be clearly seen in that he continually interceded for his children - in case they had purposefully or accidentally offended the Lord, and when his wife advised him to "curse God and die," he called her a foolish woman or a "woman lacking good sense."

What does it mean - to offend God? Synonyms for that word "offend" include: insult, scorn, refuse to honor, trespass, transgress, provoke, affront, outrage... Psalm 10.3b-4 describes the man who has no fear of offending God: "He... reviles the Lord. In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God."

Job is not at all like this. God himself describes Job one of a kind: "blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."

As I have been studying this remarkable man, I was surprised to find one particular "expected" description missing, at least during the beginning chapters of the book. He is not described as a man of faith... Yet, I have always considered him a man of tenacious faith who clung to God even when he felt completely forsaken.

What happens to Job? At the suggestion of God, Satan - the "Accuser," targets Job for an enormous, severe, concentrated and vicious attack. Incredible, right? This attack only comes after God points Job out to Satan. This begs the question why - but I don't find an answer except that God is God and He does know best. As I look at all the suffering in the world, that is not an answer that satisfies me; but I do know that God is righteous, just, holy, gracious, loving and merciful - so I still have to trust.

More specifically, how is Job attacked? First, he loses his herds of cattle, donkeys, sheep and camel as well as all of the shepherds employed to care for them. Then, all ten of his children who were gathered together for a celebration are killed when a desert storm destroys the home where they were staying.

Job's response are the well-known words: "Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."

But Job's testing continues. What happens next? Job himself is struck, from the top of his head to the bottoms of his feet, by a terrible and painful skin disease. His wife, then comes to accuse him and follows up by encouraging (or provoking) him to violate his conscience and sin by cursing - offending - God. I've already mentioned his response to his wife.

Yet his trials continue... Job's three friends come, in theory, to comfort him. Instead they begin to blame, to demand repentence and to debate with him as to why all of this misfortune has befallen him. Reading through Job's responses to these men, I have been overwhelmed by the depth of his suffering, his frustration and his bitterness. He never once contests whether God has the right to do as He wishes to, with and for Job- after all, Job is His creation. But Job longs for death; I think it is safe to say that at that moment, Job no longer wants to be one of those creations. It was in reading through Job 10 the other day that the Holy Spirit showed me a connection, however, with another passage of Scripture:

"Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit. But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind... Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me. If only I had never come into being, or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave! Are not my few days almost over? Turn away from me so I can have a moment's joy before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and deep shadow, to the land of deepest night, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness."

As I read this, I thought, "Job clearly sees the sovereignty of God, but is not seeing it through trusting eyes of faith." Then, as I reread the bold-faced phrase above, emphasizing the word "this" I thought, "Now where have I heard something like that before?"

I thought immediately of another Old Testament figure in the Bible - a beautiful young woman named Esther. Who was Esther? She was a young Jewish maiden who, because of her beauty (within and without) became the favorite wife in the royal harem of Xerxes, king of Persia. Esther won his love and favor; he thought of her with tenderness, but he did not know her ethnic background. His prime minister, Haman, fiercely hated the Jews and so concocted a plan to destroy them. Esther's uncle came to her to present the plight of her people, asking her to intervene on their behalf because of her position with the king.

At first she resisted, to which her uncle replied: "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" The end of the story? Esther does intervene on behalf of her people, saying "...Go, gather all the Jews... Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." Esther is granted the king's favor, and her people were saved. But can you see the connection?

"But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind." -Job's words.

"And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" -Esther's uncle's words.

The this refers to challenging, difficult and heart-breaking circumstances for both people. Job, like Esther, was born and placed exactly as he was because he was God's man to face this particular circumstance. Esther found, in the encouragement of her uncle, the faith to seek God's favor, but then to act. Job, at this particular point in the book, is paralysed by his lack of confidence in God's goodness despite all that has happened around him.

And you? Are you facing circumstances in your life that paralyse you? What this is staring you in the face? I just faced one - Victoria was very sick as I was preparing this particular study - she had both malaria and typhoid and was not improving with oral medications, which, of course, meant hospitalization. As we headed back to the clinic, however, after praying with Tim and another friend, I chose to take my study materials with me and to continue preparing, trusting that God would touch her little body and that I would be able to teach that study. Borrowing the words from a popular movie, I was "preparing my fields for rain," trusting God to take care of the situation. That was a "Wow!" moment for me. I trusted God to provide in a very specific way and then chose to act and saw Him respond. It didn't all play out the way I had expected, but I could not doubt the evidence of His hand.

In the life of Job, by the end of this testing, I do believe he had become a man of faith - not in spite of, but because of, as a result of "this:" these circumstances that were so difficult, so painful, so hard. He came to know the Lord in a deeper way than most people will during their lifetimes - God spoke to him out of the storm. God showed himself more mighty and more powerful than Satan - that when a man chooses God, inspite of our frailities, our lack of belief and faith, and our tendancies to doubt, nothing can snatch him out of the hand of the Father. Could it be that God loved Job so much - therefore He allowed "this?"

If you are anything like me, you might be thinking, "Ummm... I'm not so sure I want God to love me like that?" But as I seek to know God, I have to ask myself who God really is. I cannot confound God with my ideas concocted in my head of who I think He is. I cannot make God fit into an image or a mold that I myself have made. "When I let my preconceived ideas fall away, I can then leave a properly clean slate open, ready to welcome suprising newness..." I am open to the truths that God wants to teach me. (Quote from the preface to Job in Bonne nouvelle pour toi, a modern day French translation of the Bible.)

Without knowing all the reasons, perhaps without knowing any reason, I can trust that all He does in my life has a goal of drawing me into a closer relationship with Him, is for the purpose of knowing and trusting Him more intimately. If I acknowledge that He has the right, then I must choose to trust Him and place my confidence in Him and the results He chooses.

In light of this, the following words take on a deeper meaning for me: "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His suffering, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things..."

Yet ANOTHER trip to the zoo.

The zoo (or Musée, as we usually call it) is a favorite place for our children. It isn't like a zoo in the States - it is small and the animals don't receive the care they would in the Western world. But it does have some unique features...

A trip to the Musée is pretty much a standard "touristy" thing we do when we have visitors. When a young man, passing through Niamey for his college internship, decided he'd enjoy a trip to the zoo, our gang was delighted. Here is a sampling of photos from their outing.

This lion is keeping a really close eye on Jonathan ... so is Tim!

Here, Brendan is counting up how many lizards he thinks he'd have to catch to feed this owl, an owl several times larger than Silver, his pet owl.

No need for a petting zoo when you can reach your hands right into the cage to love on some of the animals...

Here, we see that Jonathan escaped from the stroller to take his turn petting the little gazelle.

Posed in front of some of the fossil dinosaur bones that have been discovered in Niger sections of the Sahara Desert. We all enjoyed this exhibit more before they enclosed it. Then, you could walk right up next to the dinosaur fossils. Now, you can only look from a distance.

Tori and Anna gazing at a another grazer...

One highlight of each trip is when they call the hippo up out of her pool to feed her for you - amazing and scary as you gaze down into that ENORMOUS mouth. I'm always thankful that I'm up here and not down there...

Brendan took this one - otters are his favorite animals. It is cute, fun animal to watch.

Mr. Brenson posed with the girls by the civet cat exhibit.

Last, but not least, on a hot & humid Niger summer day, there is the obligatory Coke at the zoo buvette. Too bad the waitress dumped a coke all over Nadia; but, as you can see, she's still smiling!

And there you have it, another fun-filled morning at the zoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thankful for Victoria

It really isn't any fun when one of the kids is sick, especially when they get really sick. That is always something I struggle with, living in Niger. Sure, I know kids get sick where ever it is that they live, but that doesn't make it any less scary...

Last night and this morning, Tori was one very sick little girl. She is doing much better tonight, as we've been able to get the necessary medications into her little body - we are treating her for malaria and typhoid.

And right now, we are so thankful:

• For adequate medical care available 24/7 less than a 10 minute drive from our house.
• A doctor who knows our family, cares about our children and does the best she can with what she has to work with.
• The rest of our gang, who is genuinely concerned when one of their siblings does get sick and who do a great job, pitching in to help whenever and where ever it is needed.
• Friends and family we can call and/or write - who pray faithfully and fervently for our kids when they are sick.
• For our sweet, stubborn and headstrong, determined, and very often just plain 'ole ornery Victoria! Tim says of all the kids, Tori is the most like her mama. Most of the time... that just drives me crazy! However, throughout the day today, as I watched how hard she worked to start "getting better," I'm in awe of who this little one is becoming, and I am thanking God for this wonderful little masterpiece He has loaned us for a time named Victoria.

  

The Real Hidalgo (???)

SANDSTORMS!!

They ARE impressive.

Remember watching the movie Hidalgo? The scene where the man rides the horse, furiously gallopping to escape a huge sandstorm? Until I moved to Niger, I thought that sort of representation of a sandstorm was hugely exaggerated... except that we've had two sandstorms just this season (so far) that have looked remarkably like that scene from the movie. In fact, this picture was taken just yesterday morning...

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...Ok, we know, this is supposed to be a blog page, not a "blague" (If you don't get it, check out the meaning of "blague" in French), so here are a few pictures we really took, still in their unaltered form, as the sandstorm moved in yesterday. What was super cool was that the storm moved in from the north, so we were able to sit on our terrace where the house sheltered us from the worst of the sand, dust and wind - and experience it as the storm moved right over and around us. What was super incredible is that the men working on cementing the 2nd floor and roof of the house they are building in the concession next to us continued to work right through the storm. The first two pics were taken yesterday morning. The third was taken as a storm rolled in off the desert from the east over one of the Niamey markets. Amazing, aren't they?

(photo by Brian Trutwin)

PS Richelle cannot take much credit for this blog entry - she was only the executor. Tim was the creative inspiration.

Elsie Mae and the French Fry

Elsie is not terribly interested in solid foods.

And, she'll be 10 months old on July 12th.

Sure, she eats applesauce, mashed bananas and mangoes, yogurt...

occasionally she'll let me get a few bites of pasta or rice into her mouth...

But other than that, she still prefers milk.

Unless...

... you hand her a french fry. She REALLY likes french fries. Is that a crazy "first food" for a baby? YUMMY!

Wonderful Heritage

A few weeks back, Richelle and her mom were chatting on Yahoo Messenger, and Mom mentioned that she had been working on Nana & Pop-pop's photo albums. She had also scanned several photos, which she has since passed along to us through Yahoo's photo sharing. It has been so much fun sharing these photos with our children and with our African friends. Honoring your parents and grandparents is an important part of the culture here; the fact that our parents and grandparents support us wholeheartedly in this ministry helps in building bridges.

We can't wait until we are home later this year- Everyone is looking forward to a trip to S. Illinois to visit Nana and Pop-pop... Unfortunately, it will probably be too cold to sit on the porch swing, drink coffee and visit, but we treasure each opportunity we have to see them and to let our children meet and/or get to know them better.

Enjoy the photos-

Nana with her sisters.

Nana as a young teen.

"Mama, she's beautiful!" was Rebekah's response.

Pop in uniform. Brendan found this photo very impressive.

Their wedding picture. Victoria says that Nana's hair looks long

just like hers, " 'cept not white."

Home after their honeymoon. This is Anna's and Richelle's favorite picture because they look so happy.

Jonathan liked this one of their growing family with

Mom and Aunt Donna.

It was the baby that caught his attention.

After several opportunities to go "bird huntin'" with Pop-pop,

this was Tim's perferred photo.

Any guesses who the baby is in this picture?

Nadia knew right away - it is Richelle.

Nana and Pop-pop are on either side;

Grandma Stewart is holding her.

Their 50th wedding anniversary.

What an example for the rest of us!

And Brendan was there - so was Rebekah, although she hadn't made her offical appearance yet.

This is Richelle's other favorite, taken Mother's Day, May 2004.

Pop-pop is so handsome and Nana is still beautiful as ever!

This is the most recent picture we have of them, taken with Nana's sister, Aunt Marge just this past April. We could never thank them enough for their faithful prayers and support. Even though we are so far away and can't get back to see them often, they are often in our thoughts and prayers, too.

What are you wearing today?

Colossians 3 is one of my new favorite chapters in the Bible - last Saturday I taught a Bible study on it to the ladies' group at church - and I still don't feel like I've begun to explore the depth of this chapter.

We studied vs 12-14, but I focused in particular on vs 12:

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."

As women, we are often concerned with what we wear and pay significant attention to how we dress ourselves when we go out, especially if we are out on a date with our husbands, going to church, attending some sort of function, etc. The same is true for women here - most times when they leave the home, they are dressed to the hilt. They spend quite a bit of time preparing and clothing themselves... even if it is just to run to the post office, pick something up at the "grocery" store, stop in for a doctor's appointment. A single outfit might cost more than a week's wages. Yhey wear perfectly coordinated heels that would throw my back out for a week if I tried to walk in them, and a beautiful scarf/head covering that ties the whole ensemble together. I built off of this cultural bridge to give these mostly illiterate ladies a way to remember the verse and this prinicple: just as we pay much attention to our physical clothing and our physical appearance when we are out in public, God commands us to make our spiritual "clothing" a top priority.

An interesting note about the command to "clothe yourself" - it has a sense where in the beginning, just like an infant, we need someone to first clothe us, but as we grow, it is something we learn to do ourselves. First we need help physically/mechanically. Then we need help learning how to match things together in a pleasing combination. Finally, we need help selecting what is appropriate for the occasion. \one of the commentators I read said that in the original language this verb “clothe yourself” includes that same progression.

When I get dressed, the first thing that goes on are my undergarments... spiritually, the first thing I need to put on is patience. An underlying and predetermined attitude of long-suffering and forbearance, regardless of what others do and say, will go a long way in empowering Biblical reactions and responses to others and to the Lord throughout the day. Thus, that attitude needs to under-gird and support - all of the time.

Secondly, I put on my clothes. Clothing is the first thing others notice, especially from a distance and before getting close enough to really see details. Does it match? Is it pleasing to the eye? Is it neat? Is it loud? Is it expensive? Is it timeless and classy? Is it faddish?... etc. And, like it or not, we often make judgments based on this very first thing we see. If I'm walking down the street with a couple of my children and notice a group of guys dressed in their baggy, droopy pants with bandannas tied on their arms and shaved heads, I'm inclined to keep my distance. Spiritually, compassion is like our "outfit." Compassionate love and generosity demonstrated tangibly to people by being available to serve regardless of cost in time and effort, accepting of not typically welcomed, etc. - those are all things that people can see clearly from a distance and help them to decide if they want to approach more closely, or if they want to cross to the other side of the street.

After putting on my clothes, I tend to fix my hair. Here, women braid or pull up their hair and then put on a scarf or head covering. Wearing a head covering says many things - that you are submissive to your husband, that you respect the office and position of those around you, that you are concerned about the reputation of whom you serve, that you are modest, that you respect and appreciate the W. African culture... Spiritually, covering the head can be an outward sign of inward humility, recognizing our position relative to both God and others.

Right before I walk out the door, I put on my shoes. My shoes “carry” me when I approach other people or move near them to interact with them. And as I move into closer contact, I occasionally step on others' toes - most of the time on accident. Sometimes inevitable contact will occur. The shoes I'm wearing affect my walk, or how I approach - do they lead to a "strut" that says, "Hey, look at me?" Do they cause a swagger that indicates pride and self-centeredness? Are they big and clumsy, making it easier to smash someone else's foot (or the flowers in their garden)? Are they running shoes so that I can keep moving fast and never stop to give someone the time of day? Or could they be spike heels that painfully stab others when I'm not careful where I'm going? My spiritual shoes, I compared to kindness in all my dealings with others - regardless of how they interact with me. When I respond with kindness, I am recognizing the value God places on each life. I must determine to be kind if I want to serve as a channel of His kindness and grace in the lives of others. An attitude of kindness can also protect me when I respond to the actions and words of others towards me. Here, if I forget to put my shoes on and run out to the door, I end up with burnt feet because the sand gets so hot. It is easy to get burnt by others in this world in which we live. But when I remember those shoes of kindness, I see others similar to the way God looks at them - sinners, fallen people in need of grace, just like me.

Finally, the last thing that I must remember to put on as I leave my house is a smile. I can get preoccupied with my business and forget that as people near, a smile - or the lack thereof - encourages or discourages any final approach. That smile, I compared to the spiritual characteristic of gentleness. In French, this same word is translated "sweetness." It can also be "mildness" or "a desire to humble oneself and to serve so that others can be lifted up." It is a "lack of resistance while maintaining an attitude of confident trust" as God changes us and works in us. It is a teachable spirit that does not bristle at criticism (constructive or otherwise) but accepts and then seeks to change becoming more like the Savior in that change. I know when I look to initiate interaction with someone else, I look for the person (clerk at the grocery check out, line at the bank, taxi driver I flag down, person on the bench I might choose at church, etc.) with the smile that touches not just their mouth, but their eyes too. In a world where power and might are thought to be the only way to "achieve," gentleness is a sweet, cooling breeze that brings refreshment to all who feel it. Of all the characteristics described in vs 12, this is the one I find the most compelling... 

It is what "I want to be when I grow up."

When I remember that my true life is hidden with Christ (vs 3), that Christ in me is my hope, and that this world is fleeting - what is it, the extra effort needed to properly, spiritually, clothe myself, as God instructs me to? A proverb I recently heard for the very first time:

More flies are drawn to a single drop of honey than to an entire barrel full of vinegar.

It is easy to treat the people we brush shoulders with in life as "flies" - buzzing irritating nuisances interrupting the things that I have on my agenda. They are brushed away because as dirty disease carrying creatures, they might ruin my testimony or sully my image. Flies are to be avoided, swatted or ignored as they go about their business. Subconsciously, is that how I think of others? Even if it is not blatantly, how often does my choice (or lack) of action communicate that sort of disrespect where I treat people like flies? True, in some ways, compared to God’s holiness we are like flies. Any value in us comes only from the value that God has placed upon us and His image in us, certainly not on anything inherent within. 

The fact that God has placed a value on each person makes us infinitely more valuable than I can comprehend. God asks that I attract and draw others towards me, towards the Light he has placed within me, not that I avoid, ignore, brush away, repel or mortally injure. 

People's souls are His priority. 

In how I spiritually dress myself, have I made them my priority? 

Have I set my mind on things above, or am I focused on the things of this world?

(photo by Jan Thompson)

Here's NADIA -

Technically, she is Nadia Monique Wright. Born in Midland, MI - in the midst of a snowstorm (I was actually starting to panic that Grandma wasn't going to make it to the house to watch the others before Tim and I would really need to leave for the hospital...) I had to save her for last to introduce her, because keeping up with her social schedule requires about 6 calendars. 

Nadia demonstrates the truth of the proverb that if you want to have many friends, you must first show yourself friendly!

Nadia just seems to make friends everywhere we go. 

When we leave, people ask when Nadia can come back. 

Now, I understand that here, part of this is because Nadia is also a "local" name just like "Halima," "Aisha," and "Ibrahim," but there is more to it. It also happens when we are home in the States or visiting with expats. She gets more birthday invitations than any kid could possibly attend. Nadia loves people and people know that as soon as they meet her. She is interested in them and likes to talk with them and share about things that she loves. I've learned so much from

her - and it all seems to come so naturally to her.

She is also fabulous with little ones, chooses to walk away from an argument rather than insist on her own way (well, unless the argument is with one of her sisters), very responsible and often a perfectionist. She adores animals, in particular her kitty - Night. Now, if we could just get her to speak in an inside voice, especially in the car... She gets her loudness from her dad!

These pictures of Nadia were taken when she went to visit a friend of hers who lives out in the bush - and both girls had an awesome time playing with the kittens. They are now busy plotting and planning for a second trip, in which Nadia brings a few of her sisters along with her.

Introducing our very own "Jon-boy"

I remember when Brendan was just a little tyke - Jonathan looks a lot like him. People would always warn us, "Beware, those terrible twos - they are coming!"

 

With Brendan, however, we quickly renamed them "The Terribly Terrific Twos," as we found that a particularly delightful age. It wasn't until we started having little girls that we began to experience why others referred to that two-year old time as "terrible,..." although personally, I love that moment when a kid first actually says "NO!" because they finally realize they have a choice.

With our Jonathan, we are once again enjoying "The Terribly Terrific Twos." Now, that is not to say that Jonathan is a perfect child... but he is

soooooooo

much

fun

...as we are sure you can tell from these pictures.

He loves to play with cars and trucks. He also likes his dinosaurs - sometimes they are eating the girls' baby dolls... other times they are the mama and daddy dinosaur taking care of all the baby dinosaurs.

He also "tags along" at school and even though he mostly refuses to talk (although he does sing quite understandably in his sleep.... hmmmmm), he already has several of his phonics sounds down quite well.

 

He's a fish in the water and a dare-devil diver - putting on a show as he jumps and twirls from the diving board, amusing all who take a few minutes to watch.

But best of all, he is a sweet, affectionate and alert little boy who loves to be right there in the middle of whatever is going on around the house.

And just like almost every other little boy - he loves and lives to eat!

So yes, once again and with another little boy, we are finding the twos to be much more terrific than terrible. Maybe it is because our boys take after their daddy while the girls take after their mama??? 

Or maybe it is because it is just too easy to forget whatever was the problem as it is so easy to get lost in the mischevious smile and beautiful blue eyes of our young'un!

Hope you enjoy some of the many faces of our very own "Jon-boy!"