Micah & Blair

Blessings

2011-06-29T03:05:00.004+07:00

Elli is 19 months old

She is all kid, no baby :(

Elli is learning new words every day and speaking in sentences.

Grandma did Elli's 18 month photo shoot in the tub.

Oh how the Lord blesses us! We have had a bumpy road adjusting to our new stage in life. God, in His great faithfulness, gives hope every step of the way. Sometimes the hope comes through God's word ringing in our heads. Sometimes we get a glimpse of hope in how God continues to provide for our every need. Sometimes it comes as we see a small part of how God uses the good, bad, and the ugly for our good and His glory. He is truly carrying us through this life! Our hard times are not getting lighter, nor are they near over, but we hold tightly to the promises of our Great God!

Next Saturday we will be moving into our new town home!! It is a small step up, but up nonetheless. We are all excited about our new home!

Next weekend we have an opportunity to get away and debrief. Micah and I are really looking forward to this time. We are not quite sure how to sum up the last two years of our lives. This weekend is designed to help us vent and debrief our over seas experience. Pray with us that this would be a fruitful and refueling time.

A day to celebrate!

2011-05-18T08:49:00.002+07:00

Micah finished his last exam of the semester today! Woo Hoo!!

We have been really looking forward to this break! We miss daddy!

This is funny because Lydia would never think to climb the fence. But her 1 year old sister started climbing as if it were meant to be climbed.

Elli couldn't make it all the way up, but Lydia figured it out quickly.

Elli has really grown fond of mud. She loves mud and puddles and getting dirty. Lydia and I stay as far away as possible.

Easter, cookies, and the girls

2011-05-02T05:19:00.005+07:00

Happy Easter!

Lydia seems to have really grasped the concept that Jesus died on the cross. She brings it up quite regularly. When it does come up Micah and I say, "Yes He did, and then He rose again! He was only dead three days." She would argue, "No, He died on the cross."

And then we were leaving church on Easter and getting buckled in the car when Lydia said, "Jesus is Alive!" She couldn't hear it from us, but when her Sunday School teacher explained it to her it was as good as gold. I am so grateful for the body of Christ!

Lydia and Elli have grown quite affectionate with one another. It is precious and comical at times.

Lydia helped me make cookies. She experimented with the flour to see and feel and smell what it is like.

Elli was only interested in the Cheez-its.

Just the girls!

A bit here and there

2011-04-15T21:00:00.008+07:00

Meet Bailey! She is the little one I get to babysit during the week.

Lydia cooking for us

Elli longing to have a hat like Lydia

Nana came to visit so I could go to a Women's conference. It was wonderful!!!

Elli still thinks all the baby stuff is for her

Last weekend we went to Savannah for my cousin Haelie's wedding

Lydia loved it! She thought Haelie was a princess.

Elli did not love it. She was ready to be home.

Lydia got to dance with the Bride

She played dress up at the photo booth

And made her way around the room

Elli finally joined in and had a good time!

We are tired! We leave today to go to Carrollton, GA for King's Chapel's Missions Conference. We are so excited to see our dear friends there. I trust is will be a refueling time! I pray our family will be able to rest there!

March Madness :)

2011-03-31T08:34:00.003+07:00

Warm sunny days outside! There isn't anything like it.

With our recent cold rainy days inside we have had a couple of movie parties.

My girls make everything fun! Well, when they are not making it hard. :)

We have a 5 month old little girl with us everyday. She has added to our excitement. Lydia has grown up so much having another baby around. She is so helpful. Elli can be jealous, but she is so sweet and loving to Bailey, the baby. Micah is busy busy with school and work. So it is nice that the three girls keep me busy.

2011-03-14T23:53:00.004+07:00

We have been enjoying being outside as spring approaches!

Thanks nanny for our little table! It allows us to have meals together outside!

This is Elli's new trick.

We had a fun spend the night party this weekend with our dear friends!

Stephen and Amy and their two girls Caileigh and Emma

We are settling in here and meeting new people. Micah and I both have jobs! Praise God! I am watching a precious 4 month old little girl here in our home. God is so gracious in giving us the desires of our hearts!

We have a yard! Woo hoo!

2011-02-25T10:20:00.002+07:00

Lydia and Elli are so excited to be able to go outside everyday and play in the grass and dirt.

Well, Lydia likes to tell Elli how to play. I think she enjoys that more than actually playing sometimes.

Micah's parents came last weekend and brightened our week!

Elli literally wallows in the grass and dirt. She loves it!

We had some friends over on Tuesday. Elliot is a three year old boy. He taught Lydia and Elli how to dig! Now they spend most of their outside time filling their toys with dirt. Elliot also found a worm while he was digging in our little yard. Now Lydia is reluctant to walk on the dirt, because she does not want to step on the worms. I explained that God made the worms to live in the ground. It is their home. They are safe under the ground. She still couldn't bring herself to walk on the dirt. :)

I tried a new salsa recipe that is not my favorite, but Elli loves it! Tonight, I was clearing the table and when I returned to the table Elli had the salsa bowl and was eating salsa by the spoonful.

Finally some pictures!

2011-02-15T02:35:00.004+07:00

My mom had a Big Birthday last week! To celebrate, Grandma and Grandpa came to our house for the weekend!

What a treat!

I walked in on the girls cuddling together. Elli had her head resting on the pillow. They were so cute!

Elli has really gotten into rearranging things. Lately its the panty hose.

This day everything she could carry went in this pile. Is this a developmental stage??

P.S. Thanks Grandma for the oh-so-cute bedding.

We made it to Charlotte

2011-02-03T02:01:00.002+07:00

Micah started school this week. We are still settling into our apartment. We haven't gotten around to taking any pictures. Maybe soon!

This has been a hard transition. We are tired, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Emotional weariness is taking the lead right now for me. We are trusting the Lord for sweet friends here in our new city and new church.

Micah is loving classes so far! He comes home excited and talking about all he experienced. He is meeting great people and sitting under great teaching. His joy and excitement is really getting me through this time.

Hudson Thomas!

2011-01-07T05:27:00.002+07:00

He is nine days old!

Last Tuesday we spent the day at the hospital waiting on Hudson's arrival. Micah's sister gave birth to a beautiful baby boy at 7pm. We are enjoying our time with family as we all get to know our newest addition.

Next week we move to Charlotte!

It was a White Christmas in Georgia!

2010-12-28T06:22:00.003+07:00

Merry Christmas

Stockings!

Lydia and Elli helped pass out gifts at Grandma's.

Uncle Zach and the girls with their new back packs

Daddy snuggles

The treats just kept coming

Christmas is over.

Now it is time for baby Hudson to arrive! We are in LaGrange waiting for Micah's sister to deliver our first nephew.

It has been a while...

2010-12-12T00:29:00.003+07:00

Here are some pics from the past two weeks.

Lydia and Elli rediscovering grass on Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving naps!

Cookie Baking Day at Grandma's

Lydia enjoyed being the cookie tester.

I looked over and found Lydia making an art project out of her snack.

Playing in the leaves at Nana and Gramp's house!

Good morning snuggles with Nana and Gramps!

We're Home!

2010-11-24T18:34:00.004+07:00

Final good byes

Baby Euan!

Euan had to say good bye to his little girlfriends. :(

Sad good byes

Farewells at the airport.

We had a warm farewell! We will surely miss our friends here!

Lydia really enjoyed the movie selection on the plane.

Traveling with tired little ones is challenging. Not to mention the other challenges that come with traveling. We experienced many trying times, but WE MADE IT!

Socks and shoes and sweaters.

We are trying to recover from jet lag, but Lydia and Elli are slowing the process a bit. They would rather sleep all day and play and eat all night.

Lydia wanted to pick out her own clothes the first day. This outfit lasted about 5 minutes. Then she came running because she was so cold. Now she lets me pick out her clothes. :)

Monday was tough for the girls. They slept A LOT!

We toted Lydia to lunch, to Target, to Verizon Wireless, and then back home. She managed to sleep the whole time.

Elli woke up to play every now and then. We are loving our time and Grandma and Grandpa's!!

2010-11-18T16:02:00.007+07:00

We went to Caitlyn's house for the last time the other night. The girls played together before we went to dinner.

Elli tried to play too.

We are really going to miss our friends here! :(

Here are Lydia and Elli soaking up one last go on their "car" before we pack it up. It will be hard for them to go four days without it. HA

Some sweet friends to me for a farewell dinner.

Yep, they are sweet AND silly.

Yesterday we went to a beautiful waterfall!

We could play in the water at the bottom of the waterfall.

Elli was so excited. She was ready to jump in and explore.

We didn't think to bring swim suits, oops.

Lydia was not so daring. She sat quietly with our friends while Micah and Elli enjoyed the cold water and slippery rocks.

My friend invited us to her hometown! We spent time with her family and ate YUMMY food! They brought us to this waterfall and gave us a wonderful day!

Micah could have stayed all day and night here. He was in his element. :)

A glimpse of the girls at play.

One more week...

2010-11-16T09:15:00.006+07:00

We are busy with farewells these days.

Hilla took us out for a farewell dinner.

Last week we went to the butterfly park!

Lydia thought the butterflies were bugs. Well, they are bugs, but pretty bugs. She was not too excited about them being so close. The caged and cased animals were much more appealing to her. :)

Elli didn't seem to mind the "bugs" so much.

We celebrated Elli's 1st birthday on Saturday! I did not do a good job of taking pictures.... We have more pictures on the way. Hopefully we will get even more pictures from our friends who attended.

The 'Decorate your own party hat' station.

And here we are many hours later after we cleaned up. All very tired. :)

We only have 5 days left here. There is a lot to think about during this time: packing, saying good byes, reuniting with our family at home, oh and traveling across the world with a 1 year old and an almost 3 year old... We would appreciate your prayers!!!

The Joys of Life...

2010-11-07T20:40:00.006+07:00

Last week Elli ate a bit too much for breakfast. On the way to church she threw up. I mean like kid throw up, all over her clothes, her hair, her carseat... you get the picture.

I managed to strip her down and give her a sink bath before the service started. I washed her dress in the sink as well. And the carseat... well, I attempted to detail clean it with baby wipes. It was a good thing we arrived at church early. While I was running here and there cleaning up the mess, Elli got away and wandered the church in the nude.

I did happen to have an extra outfit for Elli. :)

Case, Ezra, and Lydia

Micah snapped a picture of Lydia and Elli waiting for mommy... as they so often do!

The view from the elevator of where we are currently living.

Today we were able to eat lunch with sweet friends we have not seen in a while!

It was wonderful to be together again. Lydia has not stopped talking about playing with Aina since.

We survived a stomach bug

2010-10-29T14:58:00.002+07:00

We successfully passed a stomach virus around our little household. It wasn't a fun week, but we are all on the mend. I really struggled with being down this week. We have such little time left here, every moment is so precious. "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

Just another morning... :)

2010-10-26T09:32:00.004+07:00

Sipping on 3-in-1 coffee while sitting with my husband before he hurries off to work... and of course "Annie" playing in the background.

Sigh! I love mornings!

Yesterday Micah did not hurry off. We sat and talked the whole morning. Then we took the girls to the mall to eat and play on the playground.

Lydia is turning into a little lady.

Here they are bathed, fed, milked, and just waiting for bedtime. :)

Yes, Lydia's hair dries like that.

One more month

2010-10-23T14:56:00.003+07:00

Lydia has Elli trained well. Lydia says, "Elli, push me!"

Why is the bathroom such a fascinating place for little ones?

They will find any excuse to be in the bathroom. "Mommy, I need to wash my hands." "Mommy, I need to brush my teeth." " Mommy, the pee pee is coming." "Mommy, I need to get in the blath now."

But the worst of all is when they are quiet. Those are the times they are really having fun in the 'blathroom'.

Lydia is getting to that wonderful age of picking out what she wears. Oh, here we go...

I am really enjoying and savoring this time. We have one more month until our whole world is going to change. I talk to the girls about it almost daily. We talk about how they will need to wear jackets at the play ground. How the car seats and seat belts will not burn you, but rather they will be cold. How we will need to wear socks everyday. How we cannot go swimming until summer. Lydia tells me what she wants to take on the airplane.

She also likes to tell me all the things she will do when we get home. She says, "When I go to America, I am going to paint with Grandma." "When I go to America, Nana will give me two suckers." "I will hold baby Hudson, because he cannot walk... he's too little." (Actually he is still in Aunt Dre's tummy. We are still working on how to get that one across.)

Some more pictures from our weekend trip

2010-10-13T18:16:00.003+07:00

Here we are walking around town. :)

And walking around town some more. :)

And FOOD! Wow!

So much yummy food!

These were oh so yummy!!

And Chicken Rice Balls!!! Micah and I almost finished the plate by ourselves..

So we left lunch and went to dessert. Cendol! I can't tell you how happy cendol makes me!

Elli was just as excited about all the good food.

Here is most of the crew.

Just the guys, including baby Euan.

I tell you, it was the most delightful weekend!

The most delightful weekend...

2010-10-12T09:02:00.003+07:00

Lydia and mommy playing with shapes. I'm sure daddy could think of something else besides flowers, but my girly brain is limited. Lydia did the flowers by her left hand.

Lydia's turn. Or "Leah's turn!" as she would say.

We went away with our cell group this weekend. It was truly delightful. We ate really yummy food and a lot of it. We walked the small town, saw some historical sights, rode a river boat, played games, and enjoyed the company of our sweet friends. It was blissfully wonderful!

Baby Naomi is growing up!

These are the largest tombstones I have ever seen.

What a look?? :)

Everyone loves a good tickle

2010-10-04T14:07:00.000+07:00

Elli playing with a basket

2010-10-03T16:34:00.001+07:00

Why do we spend so much on toys? House hold items are almost always the toy of choice.

Some left over September pics.

2010-09-28T13:20:00.002+07:00

Fun at the mall!

Banana Leaf. Yum!

A more recent photo of the fam.

Nadi, we miss you!!

Myrddin and Elli. This picture says it well. They have such a special relationship.

It's so nice to have these girls in our lives!

Elli and her basket. She carries it around. She plays peek-a-boo with herself. It is entertaining to watch her entertain herself.

Saying good bye

2010-09-18T13:33:00.004+07:00

Lydia is taking up photography.

Sometimes she gets us all in the frame. :)

Above is one of our daily hot milo breaks. This will be our last hot milo break for a while. :(

The friends we are living with are packing for a visit home. Packing can be fun when you include music...

and dancing!

Before they left we had a Chuck marathon. We purchased the seasons on iTunes, so we can watch as we please.

After long days of preparing to leave, the ten of us get in our jammies and crowd around the computer.

So fun!

The good-bye part was not so fun. We love our dear friends!

Playing on the playground!

2010-09-14T11:49:00.001+07:00

It's September! Time flies when you are having fun.

2010-09-02T10:07:00.002+07:00

Lydia and her love for pets.

This one can explain itself.

Lydia in a moment of sweet affection for her sister.

Lydia got a hold of the camera and started taking pictures of herself. This one turned out pretty good.

We have our computer back!

2010-08-31T16:25:00.003+07:00

My mom sent this beautiful antique gown with a matching slip for Elli. I played dress up with the girls. :) Lydia is wearing the slip and Elli is wearing the gown.

Oops! Here are the pics that did not show up on the last post.

2010-08-25T09:07:00.002+07:00

Raewyn and Lydia

Lydia showing off her 'two pony tails like Raewyn'.

Lydia and Elli playing piano at church with Michelle.

Michelle is so sweet with our girls. She holds Elli almost every Sunday during the service. She knows how to sooth Elli to sleep so that she naps quietly during the sermon. I am so grateful for my friend Michelle!

A few pics...

2010-08-20T13:53:00.004+07:00

Raewyn and Lydia

Lydia proud of her "Two poney tails, like Raewyn".

Lydia and Elli playing the piano at church with Michelle.

Our computer is sick :(

2010-08-18T10:05:00.002+07:00

We sent our computer to the computer doctor. No pics until it recovers.

Elli's walking is getting better... she is looking less zombie-like. However, she continues to bump her head several times a day. The bumps and bruises don't slow her down. She is determined to walk. She can now climb stairs. She hasn't learned the art of climbing down. She prefers rolling down to add to her collection of bumps and bruises. Sigh. I keep reminding myself it's just a stage. Lydia is in a stage of her own. She is in the tell mommy how it is stage. I am humbled by my children. Who knew parenting would be so hard? Well, I guess all of you grandparents knew. :) Thank you! Thank you for parenting us. Thank you for your patience even now with us in our arrogance. My pride is being humbled. Full time job is a good word for it. But it is the most joyful and rewarding job there is!!

Compare Lydia and Elli

2010-08-14T09:12:00.007+07:00

Lydia

(Those fat roles cannot even compare to Elli's rolly polly tummy!)

Elli

Lydia

Elli

Lydia

Elli

Friends

2010-08-10T09:08:00.003+07:00

Last weekend we went to baby Naomi's 1st Birthday party. Here is Caitlyn and Lydia at the birthday party. Our little babies are turning into beautiful little girls.

Ian and Darlene's guinea pigs have become precious friends. Elli taunts them regularly. Lydia plays the responsible big sister role and says, "No no Elli". Well, most of the time it is more like the bossy big sister role.

Raewyn! Our sweet friend. One of those friends you love so much you can't help but fight. Here Raewyn is trying to teach the girls how to play gently on the piano... no banging required.

It's hard to tell, but Elli is walking here. Her face lights up each time. You can just tell she is so proud of herself. :)

Elli is walking!!!

2010-08-02T07:06:00.002+07:00

The girls

2010-07-29T07:37:00.002+07:00

The girls!

My sweet girls! Loving being sisters!

Elli is on the brink of walking.

Photos from our week

2010-07-12T08:31:00.003+07:00

At the pool!

I tried to capture our nightly tucking in ordeal. Elli joining us for prayers and kisses has become a highlight.

Lydia is pretty particular about her kisses. They must be on the lips. Elli protests almost every time. Sisterly love.

Sunday morning before we left for church. Lydia picked out her shoes.... and was pretty proud of herself. Although her face here doesn't show it. :)

Nana sent these dresses. They are great little t-shirt dresses. Thanks Nana!

Elephants!

2010-07-07T16:31:00.004+07:00

We recently went to the Elephant Conservation Camp.

They take in stray elephants that are causing problems in the crops as well as wounded elephants that have been attacked or trapped by hunters for their tusks.

We got to watch the elephants get their daily bath in the river and then feed them lunch. They had big bins of watermelon, papaya, and bananas. Lydia did much better this time. Our last encounter with elephants Lydia cried. She says she loves elephants and she has fond memories of meeting them. But actually being with them is another story.

This was a couple of weeks ago at cell group. During the World Cup we have been doing our Bible Study quickly so we can watch the 10pm game together! This time Elli lead Andrew and Lydia in her own game.

What a busy couple of weeks!

2010-06-28T19:06:00.005+07:00

We are beginning to slow down. Above is a Lydia's sticker project. I was the subject. I just let her put as many stickers on me as she wanted because it gave her something to do so Micah and I could talk and reconnect after 3 weeks of go go go.

Sharon and Yong Yi had their baby boy Euan!

Elli and Lydia are loving sisterhood.

some videos

2010-06-09T23:25:00.003+07:00

I walked in on Elli cracking herself up. She was doing this for some time before I went to get the camera.

Elli has two teeth now! And she is pulling up. She seems to be following the time line of her sister. If she continues on Lydia's path, Elli will be walking in July. We shall see. I guess I have adventurous kids. They are just not content to sit still.

Our internet has been out for almost a month!

2010-06-03T09:09:00.007+07:00

Well, we have lots of catching up to do.

Nana sent lots of goodies!

Thank you Nana!

Recently we went to a parade.

We were all hot and sweaty, but had a blast.

Well, Lydia decided she does not like fire works. Other than that we had a great time.

Last week we took a trip to Phuket! SO FUN!

There is something so delightful about waking up in a hotel. Here are the girls in our good morning cuddle mode.

We were able to get the pool and beach experience!

Lydia found beautiful flowers and passed them out.

Elephants came around to visit. Our little elephant lover was scared. She cried when the elephant came close. Our friend Laura got a big wet kiss from the elephant. It was pretty funny.

One night we ate at a nice restaurant overlooking the waves crashing against the rocks below.

It was the ideal atmosphere!

Meet Laura! She is staying with us for a while. We are so glad to have her!

Last Friday we went on a hike with our cell group.

None of us knew what we were getting in to.

This hike was more like a climb.

Normally I would never post pictures like this. I was beyond exhaustion. My shirt was dripping with sweat.

But this one had to be documented. I can't believe we did it!

We made it to the top!

And after a total of 5 hours, we made it back down again.

This pic doesn't really say it all. Elli is trying really hard to pull up. I am still trying to catch it on camera.

They are growing up so fast...

2010-05-03T09:17:00.004+07:00

We have started rice cereal. Elli is a champ. She is not the typical spit everything that goes in out kinda' kid.

And crawling? Not quite, but she is so close!

Lydia has decided she can go number 1 and 2 in the big girl potty. She still will only sit on the potty when she feels like it, but we are making progress. Well, I should say she is making progress. I have not done any potty training besides having her a little potty around in case she gets interested.

BATH TIME!

2010-04-30T17:01:00.002+07:00

So it may be inappropriate to post my naked babies, but they are so cute. They both love 'blath' time... as Lydia would say.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy GrAmPs!

2010-04-27T18:22:00.003+07:00

Just to say hello

2010-04-26T10:52:00.003+07:00

Elli says, "Hi!"

Lydia says, "Cheese!"

Someone taught Lydia the "Peace" sign, but she continues to call it "Cheese".

Guess what we did today...

2010-04-17T20:29:00.005+07:00

We took a walk in the kampung (a small village)...

We saw a monkey...

a chained up monkey...

We saw a chicken...

We played in a river...

We exfoliated our feet on some coarse sand...

We cooked and ate yummy food...

And Lydia got to play with the 'big kids'!

What an awesome day!

Chili's

2010-04-17T07:23:00.005+07:00

Last weekend we took our friends to Chili's to give them an authentic American meal! YUM!

And of course we walked around the mall and enjoyed all of the kid allurements.

Elli is getting pretty determined to sit up.

She can reach and pick up toys off the ground.

New Stuff!

2010-04-05T09:38:00.002+07:00

Look what I found! An 'I love my Nana' bib! We do love our Nana! :)

Photo shoot with my girls!

Our neighbors came over last week with gifts! They are clearing out some of Haly's old toys. We got a doll house, a xylophone, a keyboard that you blow to make noise, a small persons chair, and some other little toys. They also gave us this traditional Korean costume. This is worn during times of celebration like Chinese New Year.

Haly tried it on to show us how it is supposed to look.

Lydia has been enjoying her new musical instruments.

Girls at play

2010-03-31T19:20:00.001+07:00

Elli is 4 months!

2010-03-28T22:12:00.004+07:00

They really do change your life!

2010-03-15T11:18:00.003+07:00

I have a confession to make...

I have taken up Coke. Not even Diet Coke, but fully loaded Coke! My continuous lack of sleep has me hunting for other caffeine sources to add to my daily coffee intake. Lydia has entered into the "I want to sleep in mommy's bed" phase. We (Micah helps A LOT) wake up 1 t o 3 times a night to put her back in HER bed. Sigh! Lydia has also learned that mommy likes "cuddles". Now she will crawl up in my lap or lay down next to me and say "cuddle". She makes my heart melt.

And Elli is learning how to give us a piece of her mind.

Oh the joys of little ones!

Guess who is rolling over?

2010-03-10T13:08:00.002+07:00

Some recent pics

2010-03-05T18:21:00.004+07:00

Elli in her "Send me to Grandma's" shirt.

More batik!

A friend from college was in town last week.

It was so nice to see her!

Isn't this a cool pool! The side is made of glass. Like an aquarium.

Nap time!

2010-02-26T09:10:00.004+07:00

Elli has gotten quite talkative. Last night she talked through daddy's Dr. Seuss reading.

This morning Elli's talking continued. Notice Lydia's sagging jammies. :)

I love these girls!

3 month comparison

2010-02-21T20:03:00.004+07:00

"Aaahhh, what's that?"

Lydia at 3 1/2 months

Elli at 3 1/2 months

Bird Park

2010-02-19T07:45:00.006+07:00

We were a little sad to miss seeing Georgia covered in a blanket of white... but we are grateful to be surrounded by a different beauty of creation!!

This week we took a trip to the bird park.

It was pretty amazing!

We even fed the parrots.

We got to hold baby chicks.

Check out the eagle in the top right corner. I felt warm fuzzies of patriotism when I saw our national bird all the way across the world.

Challenges of cooking in Asia

2010-02-08T11:18:00.002+07:00

UUUGGGHH! I am so grossed out! I give up! The past three times I have cooked...

1. I opened the meat the same day I bought it. And it smelled rotten.

2. I washed the cabbage and found worms. Red, shiny, worms flopping about under the running water.

3. I rinsed the rice and let it soak. Then I found little dead black bugs mixed in with the washed rice.

Am I doing something wrong. I have never found bugs in food this much! And that's not to mention the on going battle of keeping ants out of the cabinets. It is robbing me of an appetite.

Elli and Lydia

2010-02-05T09:38:00.002+07:00

Umi has been coming to our house weekly since Elli was born to help me around the house. She has grown fond of our girls. She can make them both cackle almost instantly. It's amazing. We are so grateful for Umi!

Today Lydia sat on the couch with our photo album. She pointed to a picture of Gramps and said, "See, Mamps. Say Grr, Grr, Mamps." Ha! She is having a conversations with herself that we have with her often. She can say green, great, gray, etc. But Meemaw and Mamps are what comes out for Grandma and Gramps. We are not giving up. We still have our 'grrr-and-ma' and 'grrr-amps' lessons each day. :)

Happy Chinese New Year

2010-02-03T22:06:00.004+07:00

Lydia and Ezra playing with their baby dolls. :) I took the girls to my friend Rachel's house to play with her three kids.

Elli photo shoot... again. This is Elli's default look. She wears it often.

But when she can get some eye contact her cheeks fill up with smiles.

Go Braves! Ashleigh gave this Braves outfit to Lydia. And now we have two mini Braves fans. :)

Mom and Karen, Elli is already working on her Queen Elizabeth wave. She will be ready for the pontoon boat in no time. :)

We met up with some friends at the mall to play... and so I could get a hair cut. By the way there is no such thing as a trim here. I have now tried to get a "trim" three times. And each time I walk out saying "This is the shortest my hair has ever been." And each time it has been true. At least I am not pregnant and hormonal this time. It's just hair. :)

My dear friend Darlene!

Did you notice Lydia is not in the picture above with all the other kiddos? She thought running away sounded more fun.

And of course... there were little driving toys beckoning her attention.

You can see a glimpse of the red lanterns behind Lydia. The malls are completely decorated for Chinese New Year. We hear the Chinese New Year song over and over everywhere we go. It's nice, because I still don't understand what they are saying. I like trying to pin point words as the jingle repeats itself time and time again. And I don't know any form of Chinese, so as you can imagine this challenge is not easily attainable.

Chinese New Year falls on February 14th this year, Valentine's Day. And you can't go wrong with red. Red is a significant color for both Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day. Many of our friends will go home for 1 to 2 weeks to celebrate Chinese New Year with their extended families. This holiday is significant in Chinese culture. The traditions tied to Chinese New Year are quite numerous. I have barely scratched the surface in my understanding them.

Aina's Birthday Party!

2010-01-28T13:30:00.004+07:00

Sunday evening we went to our friend Aina's 1st Birthday party.

Isn't she so cute!

It has been hard to blog lately. My "me" time is limited. But we have managed to get a few pictures. Above is Elli and her ever growing rolls.

And Lydia playing dress Elli up in stickers.

For some reason the sound of the chip bag made Elli laugh. It was quite cute.

Elli has begun to talk. Or at least try. You can't tell so much in this video, but when she catches eye contact she smiles and coo's. It just lights up the room!

Sad goodbyes...

2010-01-19T13:41:00.003+07:00

We had a wonderful time this past three weeks having family around. It was pretty jammed packed. We were able to do things around the city we don't normally have time or money to do. A big thank you to those who gave us extra spending money for Christmas! We even took a short trip to a near by port for a couple of nights! Of course we were all spoiled by Micah's parents. All four of us are still recovering from loosing Nana and Gramps.

Lydia has officially decided she loves little girls! This is a little girl at an outdoor market we stopped at. Lydia is not afraid to just run up and put her arms around any little girl.

Here is another little girl we met at a playground in the mall. It's like they are all her best friend. I thought it was all little people. But I have noticed she is quiet and reserved and kind of like a deer in headlights around little boys. Today we went to McDonald's to play with my friend's twin 2 year old boys. Lydia did not know what to do. And then a little girl walks in and she lights up and runs to her as if they are long lost friends.

Elli is smiling and laughing! She keeps us bright eyed.

We went to the Craft Complex. This is really one of my favorite places in this country!

Gramps and Elli sat and watched me do Batik.

I just love it! It's so fun! Happy Birthday daddy! This one is on it's way to you.

It's hard to keep this girl out of the driver's seat.

Life jumped back to normal this week. We have been in an upheaval since November. Adding a new member to our family, Thailand, Lydia's Birthday, Christmas holiday hoop-la, and then family visits. We love the chaos of all those things, but it makes us appreciate our little routine.

ZOO Trip

2010-01-11T10:44:00.002+07:00

Our attempt at a family photo. It's hard to get us all awake and happy and together to get a photo.

We went back to the zoo when we had time to go in and have a look around.

We saw snakes

Hippos

The ugliest pigs ever! The smell was worse! This really gave me a different perspective of the parable of the Prodigal Son.

Giraffes

And Elephants!!

We also saw some pretty crazy looking birds and rhinos and zebras and lions and bears and turtles, etc.

Family time!

2010-01-05T10:17:00.007+07:00

Elli is giving us sweet smiles now!

Nana, Gramps, and Auntie Dre are here!

We have been busy visiting and wondering around town. These two girls are not lacking attention for sure! :)

Lydia is a kisser. She still gives Elli hugs and kisses quite regularly.

New stroller and baby doll from Auntie Dre. And new shoes from Nana.

We have been spending a good bit of time in the car. Traffic is part of life here.

Gramps and Elli.

More smiles.

Family hug right after Lydia woke up.

Swimming on New Years Day.

More kisses.

New Years Day we went to a mall that had a some rides just Lydia's size.

Well, and daddy's.

Nana and Lydia

Micah's cousin Jill made the girls these dresses. So cute!

We are so glad Auntie Dre was able to come! It has been nice having her around.

Nana and Gramps bought Elli this play area.

And Lydia got new Legos,

a basketball goal,

and a tent! Not to mention all of the clothes!

Yesterday we visited the Refugee school Micah is teaching at.

Samuel (center), is our friend from Church. He is also teaching at the school.

Jeanette (far left), is one of the ladies in charge. Here heart for this community is very encouraging. The Lord has brought her through a lot of hurt and bitterness. And now she stands in forgiveness and loves lavishly those she once hated.

Here is an outdoor shot of the school.

Some zoo photos. We did not actually go in the zoo this time. We had some extra time before dinner and just stopped by for a few minutes.

Samuel and Lydia. Samuel is studying at a University here. He is originally from Botswana.

We also visited a cave, China town, and central market.

Andrea flies out tomorrow. But we still have Nana and Gramps for a couple of weeks!

More Birthday and Full Moon pics!!

2009-12-31T09:39:00.005+07:00

These are the pictures our sweet friend Sharon took at Lydia's party.

Merry Christmas from Asia!!

2009-12-26T19:04:00.006+07:00

Christmas photos before church on Christmas Eve

Sweet sisters!

Christmas surprises awaiting dawn

Lydia came into our bedroom at 8 a.m. letting us know it is time to get up.

We had a shockingly large Christmas thanks to our wonderful family and friends. This picture is just Lydia's stuff minus the right side of the couch.

Lydia and daddy in their new Crocs

The day after Christmas we went with our cell group to have a time of games and celebrating with a group of kids that one couple from our cell group tutors each week. Elli and I weren't much help, but everyone else joined in the fun.

It was a blessing to see the kids. I am so encouraged by the servant hearts of our friends here.

Back to Christmas...

We got to Skype my family and join in on the annual story time. My cousin Holly tells the Polar Express story each Christmas Eve. This year we got to enjoy it on our Christmas morning!

Cookie Baking Day! Plus Fat Baby Photo Shoot!

2009-12-24T16:25:00.002+07:00

Wednesday we spent the day at Darlene's baking away.

We made all sorts of yummy Christmas goodies. The kids loved helping.

And of course we decorated some of them.

I don't know if you can tell, but there were some real works of art. Lydia liked eating the cookies better than making them.

Micah and I tried to capture Elli's rolls on camera.

Her growing body makes us laugh often. Only at this age can four chins and arm pit fat look so cute!

Elli will be 6 weeks old on Christmas Day!

At her one month check up she weighed 10 lbs 8 oz.

Here is Elli wearing Lydia's first Christmas dress. It's a bit snug on this little rolly polly.

Tonight is Christmas Eve!! We are heading to church to have a nice dinner (turkey, stuffing, and deserts galore!) and enjoy a drama and gospel presentation. Missing our families during this time of year is painful to say the least. However, we are so grateful to have our brothers and sisters in Christ here to celebrate with us!

HaPpY bIrThDaY LyDiA!!!

2009-12-16T15:52:00.004+07:00

Sunday we celebrated Lydia's 2nd Birthday! Above she is wearing a new dress and her new dress up shoes (on the wrong feet)!

Sunday evening we had some friends over to swim and eat pizza.

Many families are out of town during this time of year due to school being out. And several of Lydia's friends from church have been sick. So we had a mostly grown-up crowd. There were two of Lydia's friends and three little babies.

But Lydia seems to have no problem with age difference. She has more fun playing with the adults that then kids sometimes. :) Above is Ka Hing. He and his wife Ju Li are in our cell group and go to our church. Ka Hing is a big kid!! So much fun!

And this is our friend Phyli. She is wonderful with our girls!

This is BK throwing Lydia in the air and Yong Yi to the right enjoying Elli. These guys head up our Bible Studies every Friday night. They are a blessing to be around and to have in our lives!

Kristy found the perfect dress for Lydia...

It has elephants on it and a little purse. She found it in Thailand!

Lydia enjoyed her chocolate birthday cake for a few minutes and then put it down when she spotted an orange. Who else would turn down chocolate cake for an orange??

Our cell group also helped us celebrate Elli's Full Moon. It is a Chinese tradition to celebrate the life of a child when the baby reaches one month. They brought red eggs and tortoise shells. The red eggs are hard boiled eggs died red, which signifies life and happiness. The tortoise shells have a jelly/cakey outer shell molded in a turtle shell mold with green bean sweet paste inside. They symbolize long life.

It was a special day all around! Sharon, our professional photographer friend took some pics at the party. We don't have those quite yet, but I thought these could hold you over.

Trip to Thailand

2009-12-14T13:11:00.005+07:00

We went to Thailand last week.

We were able to visit some friends that are living in Thailand.

It is so refreshing to see the Lord's hand at work. We live by His promises that He is working in this world and in each of His children, but to see it is a real blessing.

We could nearly walk everywhere we needed to go. That was nice. However, I did step into a pretty nasty puddle that contained many unidentifiable smells and colors. I just threw those shoes away!

Lydia did not sleep much during our nights in Thailand. She was too excited to see new people and a new place.

But one afternoon she crashed hard while we were out and about. She slept in Micah's arms until we walked back to the church to lay her down.

Our little sleeping beauties slept the afternoon away and gave us time to get to know some of the local Thai's that are serving full time at the church.

Lydia also fell asleep on our flight home. I have not been able to hold Lydia like this since... well a long time! It was such a treat to cradle her in my arms for two hours!

Last week my Nanny and my mom had surgery. It is hard being away from them during times like these. They both are home now and have begun the healing process. I am so grateful they are well!

Yesterday was Lydia's birthday! We had a wonderful day!!! We will post pics soon!!

Christmas is here!

2009-12-07T18:37:00.004+07:00

Well, I had my first Christmas cry today. I think the reality of being a grown up is setting in.

I am getting more and more impressed with my mom. I have these wonderful memories of doing Christmas stuff. Decorating the tree was delightfully memorable! The fire was going, cinnamon apple cider on the stove filled the whole house with yummy holiday scents, Christmas tunes going in the background, and every nook and cranny had Christmas all over it. The tree was the last thing to complete the holiday decor. And my mom always pre did all the hard work of getting the tree up and lights on. We got to come in and sing and dance as we hung ornaments.

Well, I'm not so good. I mean, I know I am new at it and I can only get better. But it is hard being so far from family and feeling like I am not able to make Christmas special for my family. It will be a truly special Christmas, I am confident of that. But in my weaker moments I feel quite inadequate and realize how much I miss our families.

We do have our Christmas tree up and many holiday festivities to look forward to!

It is amazing to see the Christmas hoopla that takes place here in Asia. This country may be only 9% Christian, but it is 100% commercialized. The malls are beautifully decorated and jolly Christmas songs are going non-stop. It is nice to have some familiarity!

Our Girls!

2009-12-02T16:32:00.003+07:00

This past Saturday one of the Refugee schools held a fair to help raise money.

Micah, Lydia and Ray went to support the school... and play! I stayed home with Elli to get a much needed nap!

Lydia won some prizes from games and also walked away with a tummy full of yummy food and sweets!

Caitlyn (left) and Lydia (right of our Lydia)

Sunday after church we had two birthday parties to attend. Lydia is so cute with her friends.

And this is our friend Ezra!

Elli is still just laying around looking cute... most of the time. She has started a pattern of staying up for long periods in the evening with a tummy ache.

I don't know what it is about this little munchkin, but something about her reminds me of baby pictures of her Uncle Zach.

She has out grown two new born outfits. We still have two packs of new born diapers. I hope she can hold off on the growing just a bit so we can use those precious diapers.

Lydia is oh so cute, BUT she is definitely a two year old. Well almost. She has really started putting up a fight with us. It takes all of our energy to keep up with these two girls.

Here is Lydia playing in Daddy's office.

We have had a pretty heavy few days. I am feeling particularly leaky eyed. I have been told by many to expect that after giving birth. Lydia's chronic 'do the opposite of what we want her to do' is emotionally wearing, especially with a chronic lack of sleep. And this week we had a friend from church pass away. She had a car accident last week and never stabilized enough for needed surgery. She had a disorder from birth that caused her bones to be very fragile. She has been in a wheelchair her whole life. Her name was Carol. Micah and I have vivid memories at the forefront of our minds of Carol entertaining Lydia during church. We were not very close to Carol, but it is still devastating that our sister is no longer us.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-27T17:31:00.004+07:00

Marilyn Monroe?? Nope, just Lydia playing in the wind.

Elli ready to go!

Well, this week was much more busy than we had anticipated. We have been dancing with the embassy trying to get all of our paperwork in to get Elli's documents completed. Micah and Lydia went to the computer lab to print out paperwork. Lydia was occupied by the mouse and the screen saver. She's such a computer girl!

Elli is growing fast. She is thickening up well.

Her newborn clothes finally fit!

Lydia is a really good big sister. She has learned the art of sticking her finger in Elli's mouth so Elli can suck.

Lydia does better when mommy and daddy don't overreact to her approaching the baby. She really likes playing with Elli. We tend to be concerned with Lydia's excitement leading to her being harsh with Elli. But she has yet to hurt her little sister. She really cares about Elli. It is so sweet to witness.

Lydia is growing up fast too! She got a Pooh book bag from a friend of ours from church. She looks so grown up carrying around her own entertainment.

This is a common flower here. Micah took this picture in front of Phil and Barb's house. We just love these flowers!

One day this week Micah and I took a nap while the girls were napping. We woke up to a bird chirping unusually close. I pulled the curtain back and found a little bird on our window seal.

Elli's growing cheeks!

Thanksgiving at Phil and Barb's! After dinner we sang some hymns together.

And then we did a turkey craft!

Louisa and Nadi helped Lydia paint hers.

We sure do miss our families!! But we are so grateful to have our friends here to celebrate Thanksgiving with us!

Daddy bonding!

2009-11-19T13:34:00.003+07:00

Micah lights up when he has his girls in his arms. They have had some good bonding time this week with Micah being home more.

This is a very common scene. One arm to hold Elli. And the other to keep Lydia off of Elli.

My mom sent some of Lydia's newborn clothes. It is so special to see Elli in Lydia's clothes. I didn't expect that to be sentimental for me, but it definitely is.

Roy and Kristy brought us dinner Tuesday night. They also brought Elli some mittens, Lydia some new sunglasses and hair bows, and me a Jello No Bake Cheese Cake mix! I don't have an oven, so my baking cravings have had to go deprived.

We are so grateful for our friends here! Our team and our cell group and our friends from church have been wonderful! We feel so loved and cared for. Thank you!!!

Learning to be sisters

2009-11-17T16:22:00.003+07:00

Lydia has done really well playing by herself. The other day she put on every piece of jewelry she owns.

I thought it was so cute I did a photo shoot.

She is so serious. Getting them on just right is important to her.

She has also taken advantage of our being tied up with Elli. Yesterday Lydia was too quiet. I went hunting and found her in the bathroom putting her toothpaste on her legs like lotion. HA! What a mess.

And this is what Elli does. She is a lazy girl right now. She did stay awake for almost two hours today. And has slept non stop the rest of the day. I had forgotten how sleepy the little ones are.

We are home!

2009-11-16T14:48:00.002+07:00

Elli and I were both doing so well that both of our doctors discharged us the morning after she was born. By noon we were out the door on our way home.

Lydia is still doing quite well adjusting to having a sister. She is a kisser. Giving baby Elli kisses is one of her favorite things to do right now. And if you will notice, she only accepts kisses on the lips.

When we arrived home I had presents, flowers, and food waiting for me! Micah bought an oil scent burner for me that is beautiful and smells amazing! He had our friend Kristy come and light all the candles as we were on our way home. She also made hummus and falafel and had pita and fresh veggies out for us! I was overwhelmed! I felt so loved!!

Micah is enjoying Elli's sweet cuddles. He is paralyzed when she is in her arms.

They could just sit like this for hours.

Lydia is a bundle of energy. She keeps us on our toes. We are grateful for her excitement. She keeps us smiling.

Elli is doing great. Mostly just sleeping. But looking oh so cute is everything she does.

She is a sucker! She seems to enjoy sucking more than Lydia. Lydia never cared for a pacifier or any of her fingers.

Elli is here!!! Happy Birthday Elli!

2009-11-13T21:28:00.004+07:00

Thursday night we checked in to the hospital. And the waiting began.

Yatta yatta yatta... and then today at 2:34 p.m. out popped Elli!

She is perfect! She weighs 7lbs. She is a quiet peaceful angel. She barely cried at birth. This world is cold and bright and shocking. But she took it like a champ.

She opened her eyes almost immediately and took it all in.

Micah was amazing!

He was my support. Last time we had moms and dads and grandmothers and siblings to help Micah carry the load. This time he played superman and did amazing! After a significant lack of sleep and many hours of running on adrenaline, this is what you look like. :)

Roy and Kristy brought Lydia to the hospital to see her new baby sister.

We received a package in the mail that they also brought to the hospital. Before Lydia met Elli we sat and opened the package together. It had a book and a card from her friend Caileigh from Georgia! How special! We couldn't have planned that better.

And then in came Elli. No longer in mommy's tummy.

I think she got it!

She was pretty excited. She couldn't wait to get her hands on Elli.

We are going to have to be on guard with our big sister helper around. She is ready to carry Elli around and care for her all by herself.

Dad steps in and lays down the law. We have to be gentle with our little Elli.

So sweet! My family!

The hospital has these little mini hospital gowns for the babies. They are so cute, so little.

Now Micah and Lydia are home resting. They will return to Elli and I in the morning. Elli is lying next to me asleep. Quiet and pleasant! Rest is what is next on the agenda.