news bits

Saturday night and not a lot to report.  But I do have some phone pics so here goes...

The kids and I are heading into our final week here in Asia before we move Stateside for the spring semester.  It's a big big transition.  Only Julianna has any true solid memory of America.  Lydia was 3 when we left.... I'm mostly convinced that her 'memories' are actually just re-countings of stories she has been told and pictures she has seen.  Isaac, well he wasn't even 2 when we left.  And neither John Paul nor Luke has ever been to the States! 

Plenty of new experiences on the horizon for everybody! 

Luke spent most of the week either in my arms or at my knees clamoring to be picked up.  It was less enjoyable than it sounds.  But in his defense he's been fighting a cold, and apparently that's reason enough to spend your days in Mommy's arms.  He successfully transferred the germs to me and now I'm the one who doesn't feel so hot.  Oh well.  If the rest of us can stay relatively healthy we'll call it a win. 

(photo by Isaac... hence the weird angle and my missing head... but I like it anyways)

Wednesday morning I took the boys to a carnival at a local preschool.  The highlight for John Paul and Isaac was the face painting. 

It was a lot of fun for these boys. 

And these two... Lydia and Isaac constantly side by side these days.  I love hearing them play.  Tonight Julianna is at a friend's house so Lydia moved into Isaac's bedroom.  John Paul moved out and is sleeping in Julianna's bed.  Musical beds here tonight :)  [John Paul naps in Julianna's bed about half the time and he thinks it is a BIG treat so he was an easy sell on the bed switch for the evening.]

Lydia and Isaac were so precious 'whispering' in the dark bedroom this evening.  Their plan is to wake up in the morning and 'whisper' some more before the rest of the house knows they are awake. 

Matt is online buying a few survival items for the big flight.  I realized that with my ancient computer's yucky battery (which lasts about 45 minutes, tops) I was seriously weak in the electronic entertainment department.  He just bought two MP3 players (ten dollars each) and the plan is to load them up with some audio books and new Adventures in Odyssey to help the time pass.  Our long flight is overnight (local time here) so I'm moderately hopeful that we'll see lots of shut eye from the littlest travelers. 

And I am NOT flying totally on my own with them.  God graciously provided two girls (Americans, recent college grads, friends of friends) who were traveling to the States at about the same time as we were hoping to travel.  We've never met, but they were willing to serve our family by traveling with us (no small sacrifice, let me tell you!) and booked flights together, so they will be on my first two flights.  Once we land in Washington D.C. we'll part ways, but MY DAD WILL BE THERE TO MEET US!!  So on the final leg it'll be me and Dad and the exhausted troops.