2014 September - December

Todd helps out a baseball team at a elementary school near our house.  It is the only school that as a baseball program!  The closest team happens to be a few hours away in a town where our people group is.  Elijah got to join this team and Todd helped coach the team from our city.  The kids don't get to play games very often and even though Elijah was younger than everyone by two years, he was welcomed to participate.  Both Todd and Elijah loved it.  

Fall and Spring semester the kids attended a Art class where they got to do a lot of fun things.  

The kids taught some of our neighbors how to play baseball.

Evangelia turned 8 and we had a Frozen Birthday Party.  The kids made their own pizzas, did a scavenger hunt to the lyrics of the songs from Frozen, played some other games, had Elsa cake and watched Frozen.

We hosted Thanksgiving again this year with some friends.  The kids had their Thankful trees and during the month leading up to Thanksgiving wrote what they were thankful for.  We made Barbie some Thanksgiving food out of salt dough and the kids dressed up as Indians and a Pilgrim. 

Can't believe it has been 4 years since Ian entered our family.

                         

                       

We started off the Advent Season with our Jesse Tree, praying for people groups, and lighting the Advent candles.  The kids got a great surprise in the middle of the month when Aunt Kara and Uncle Josh came to visit us.  The kids got a indoor/outdoor basketball goal to help them during the winter months when they can't play outside.

I never expected to take this long of a break.  At one point I was locked out of this blog but for some reason today I was able to get on it again.  In the last week during a prayer time I was reminded of blogging and so here I am again.  

I looked at the date of my last post, almost two year ago.  A lot has happened in these two years. Last year was probably the most difficult one we've experienced and while it isn't as difficult as it was there are still many of the same challenges we are facing, but in some ways it is a tiny bit easier. 

One thing that hasn't stopped is the constant hellos and goodbyes.  I guess I wasn't prepared for this when we left our home country over 8 years ago.  I don't think you can prepare yourself until you've experience it.  The mother in me wants to shield my children from the heart ache that is caused from loving people and seeing them come and go.  But I have realized I just can't do that.  I can help them grieve but I can't prevent the loss of friendships they have and will continue to experience.  As they are 9,7 and 6 years old, I don't want their hearts to be hardened from this pain.  They've said goodbye to more people than I had at their age.  Most people won't ever say goodbye this many times in their lives. 

The longer we live overseas the further we feel out of touch with our home culture, yet the longer we in live in the culture we are we still do not fit in.  Almost every time we walk out our door we are called "the foreigners".  Even if we speak the language we still have white faces. It isn't easy being in a place where we don't fit in in either culture.  But I am reminded that this world is not our home.  I am also reminded that one day there will be no more pain, no more sorrow and it makes me long for that day.

I meet with a few moms weekly to pray over our families and one thing we prayed for this week was that the Father would give our kids more good friendships with their peers and other adults, we refer to them as "uncles" and "aunts" who can speak into the lives.  And even in the difficulties that come with being third culture kids, we want them to see Jesus and see what He has done for us and the people we are living among.  We want them to hold on tightly to Him and never walk away from Him.  So in the pain of losing yet another best friend, we can see Him faithful in bringing another one.  Or we can see Him be gentle when we wait for another friend.  They can see the difficulties that come with living in another culture and yet see how the Father wants these people to know Him.  When one kid is constantly criticized for having long hair or when I am always asked why one kid doesn't look like the rest of the family, they can know Jesus as accepting and loving and the source of their identity.  They are not defined by what they can do or look like but what God says about them. 

June Highlights

 Ev got her ears pierced.

 We enjoyed shaved ice!

 My mom came to stay with us for a large part of June, so the kids got lots of time with Lao Lao.

The kids participated in Tulsa library's Summer Reading program.  

 We played with water guns and the sprinkler in the back yard.

 Went to a large playground near our neighborhood.

 Some of our special friends came to visit us.

We drove to Kansas. 

 We went to Lego Land in Kansas City.

 We visited with special friends of ours who live in Lawrence.

 We hung out at my grandpa's place.

 The kids love Deanna Rose Farmstead so much that we went back again.

 We ate at the Peach Wave with another friend.

The kids took swimming lesson and did great.

 Found all kinds of places to play baseball.  

 Made new friends.

 I got to catch up with an long time friend.

My grandpa came out to watch the kids at their swim lessons.

And the kids went to a friend's birthday party at the Purple Glaze. 

Baseball Season

The last day in May was the kids last games of the Spring Season.  Hobs and Ian started off the morning playing their last T-Ball game.  Then 30 minutes after Hobs and Ev's coach pitch team played their final game of their tournament and they ended up walking away with 2nd place trophies.  Hobs also got the very last game ball, it was pretty special, he got the first and last game balls of the season.

A couple weeks after both teams had team parties where they got more trophies and medals.

The boys with their main coach.

 Coach pitch team at Bounce U

Then at the end of June, Ev and Hobs were picked from their Coach Pitch team to participate in an All Star team.  Ev was the only girl on our team and it was coached by the kids coach during regular season.  They ended up getting 3rd place.  We realized it was the Little League World Series, Oklahoma Championship when we arrived.  Kids had so much fun playing in a few more games.  All of their grandparents were there and Aunt Kara and Uncle Josh came out to watch them.  

So it ended up being a great season of baseball for all 3 kids this time in America.  They had great teams, had lots of fun and got to make memories that will last them three more years until they can do this again in 2018!