As you can probably imagine, the reason I am not great at blogging often is because I am kept quite busy with two rambunctious little boys! I wanted to take this blog and give you a more personal update on our family.
Zeke is 4 going on 14. He is such a sponge in asking so many questions and learning new things all of the time. I have actually stopped simplifying explanations for him so much because he is understanding SO much! His questions range from things about the skeletal structure and muscles, to spiritual questions about sin and who God is. He goes to a preschool program 3 days a week where he is learning his numbers and letters. I have discovered through him learning to write his name that we have certainly developed his large motor skills, but the fine motor skills need some work! Yes, I know he's only 4, but I forget sometimes! He still enjoys cars, trucks, tanks...well, basically anything that moves! He and his daddy love doing internet searches on super cars and talking about how each car is unique. He has several friends from school that he loves to play with and comes home from school each day with tons of stories of adventures had on the playground. At our language center our students love to sit and talk with him because his language skills are so good that he actually helps them out with language practice! It is such a joy for us to watch him interact with local people and finding unique ways to connect.
Ethan is a really fun little guy who loves to be silly and laugh all the time. He is very affectionate and loves to sit and cuddle with Scott and I. He has tried to cuddle with his brother, but that hasn't worked out as he hoped! He seems to be very sensitive to those around him and is quick to apologize when he accidentally hurts someone. In the last month or so his language skills have boomed. About a month ago we noticed he was way more willing to mimic us and then a couple of weeks ago he started suddenly using tons more words on his own initiative. His favorite method of communication is still to grab us by the hand and bring us to the thing he is trying to show us or wants us to get for him. One of my favorite things with him is when we are playing around and tickling him and try to stop and he looks at us as and says "more, more!" A funny characteristic with him is that he is very slow to wake up. I usually push his bedroom door open in the mornings to rouse him, but he enjoys laying still for awhile and just watching life from his crib until he finally stands up and tells us "up." It makes me wonder often about what the teen years are going to look like with him! He almost always has a car in his hands and loves also to play with anything his brother has. He's quite the risk taker in watching for his brother to look away and then promptly running away with the toy that Zeke previously had!
Our kids are such a joy in our lives and we try and remember how these times while they are young, although tough and often exhausting, are fleeting. We are also excited to be awaiting our newest addition, baby #3, coming this July. This little one will be born in the states as we come back for a time of rest and reconnection. Scott and I are also doing well. We have had quite a bit of sickness rip through our home in the last 2 months, but are happy to all currently be healthy! I am doing my best to balance life and rest as my body works doubly hard to support the growing person inside of me. We are looking forward to our time in the states next year, but try hard to stay focused on where God has us right now. It will definitely be hard to leave our teammates and friends behind for an entire year, but as we have learned, this is a life full of transition and goodbyes. We trust in God for our strength through it all. So our 2012 is shaping up well so far with some exciting things already happening and more to come through the spring. God is teaching us so much about ourselves and about Him, and we are so grateful to be on this journey:-)
Zeke is 4 going on 14. He is such a sponge in asking so many questions and learning new things all of the time. I have actually stopped simplifying explanations for him so much because he is understanding SO much! His questions range from things about the skeletal structure and muscles, to spiritual questions about sin and who God is. He goes to a preschool program 3 days a week where he is learning his numbers and letters. I have discovered through him learning to write his name that we have certainly developed his large motor skills, but the fine motor skills need some work! Yes, I know he's only 4, but I forget sometimes! He still enjoys cars, trucks, tanks...well, basically anything that moves! He and his daddy love doing internet searches on super cars and talking about how each car is unique. He has several friends from school that he loves to play with and comes home from school each day with tons of stories of adventures had on the playground. At our language center our students love to sit and talk with him because his language skills are so good that he actually helps them out with language practice! It is such a joy for us to watch him interact with local people and finding unique ways to connect.
