i always say i can't believe how big the kids are getting. sometimes i think it...and other times i feel it...deep in my heart...this sudden burst of pride and unbelief at how grown up and amazing my kids are!
i had one of those moments the other day while i watched abby ride away on her new bike.
i spend my life training and raising my kids to be independent and strong in who God made them to be, but somehow when i see them succeeding at it, there's an incredible mix of emotions...loss coupled with gain...sadness mixed with pride...
and now that i know that feeling first hand...i couldn't live without it!
today we had a bbq at some friends' house...they live in a house with a yard (a yard!??...what is THAT?!)...cj is almost two years old...and when i stood him in the grass (granted it was a sight for ALL of us) to run and play...he seriously froze with fear...i had to carry him everywhere...abby got bit by a mosquito...tears flowed...it took a cold compress to relieve the "pain"...what in the WORLD!??!! i didn't think it was possible to raise pansies in MONGOLIA...but apparently we are defying the odds!! :]they've become apartment dwellers in a land where...most of the year...no being smaller than a goat can withstand the cold and sustain life! they are surrounded by cement walls and never see bugs...we have GOT to move out to the countryside...and FAST! :]
hard to believe...but abby turned four this week.she popped out of bed friday morning and said, "i'm a FOUR-year-old now...just look at how TALL i am!" what a magical moment...went to bed a three-year-old...woke up to a whole new world of four-dome!!!we celebrated with a couple other missionary families...seven kids running like MAD around our little apartment...it was GREAT!! i'm so thankful that we've gotten to know these guys!i didn't get many pictures...but we'll remember the fun for awhile! :]
i'm so proud of this girl...she has had to deal with a lot for her three years...and when i see her speaking in mongolian...i BEAM with pride...here she is singing Jesus loves me...then there's CJ...ever since the weather has warmed up a little...he's taken it upon himself to start a "car greeter" ministry...i've never seen so many smiling faces in mongolian traffic...here he is again...(sorry...couldn't get it into one video)...notice the "thumbs up" at the end...
so i'd been feeling a little sorry for myself lately...(here's a shocker...i DO that from time to time)wishing for a greener spring...less concrete...more friends...the courage to talk in order to MAKE new friends...more than two warm days in a row...a "fear-free" pre-school for my little girl to make friends and learn mongolian...the list, unfortunately, could probably go on and on.i guess i didn't realize it...but all this staying inside the apartment had sort of turned me inward...then yesterday, something amazing happened....i went out! :]i took the kids and some bubbles, went outside, and within minutes had the whole NEIGHBORHOOD of kids surrounding me while i recreated the lawrence welk show in our courtyard (it's all thanks to my grandma i know anything ABOUT that world of musical wonder). i talked with parents...watched abby look for ants and tell "secrets" with some newfound friends...tried to keep cj from stealing a ball from one of HIS newfound friends...it was just the affirmation i needed...my family is not "deprived" because of being here...we are blessed with so many opportunities BY being here...-abby can sing every word of "Jesus loves me" in mongolian...and not many three-year-olds start sentences with "remember when we were in the gobi desert..."-cj can bring a smile to a whole playground of somber faces with his psychotically happy laughter...-i can blow bubbles...and watch precious, wonder-filled eyes as they try to catch them...
i LOVE being a part of the living, breathing world of mongolia...even if some days it may seem like the hardest thing on earth...
sunday was "international" mom and children's day...the lock-down really hasn't been lifted...but i think caution was thrown to the wind for celebration...there were kids EVERYWHERE!! and once we all had a little taste of freedom...i think there was an unspoken, unanimous decision that small risks to our physical health are necessary for the benefit of our MENTAL health! we're still being very careful...keeping hands out of mouths as much as possible...and there's a serious wash-down upon "re-entry"...but we just can NOT stay locked in all summer long! please continue to pray for our kids health and safety, but we are so thankful to be getting a little fresh air.there have been a few really warm, beautiful days the last few weeks...so here are some shots of one of our warm-weather-ventures to the countryside for a picnic...
