So Long Ordinary

We found Duke, our beloved oaf-dog, this morning. I have no idea where he was all night in -3 degree weather. He seems worn out and was covered in frost but other than that he's fine. Praise God! We were all really upset thinking we'd lost him. He's now safely locked in the kennel until we can fix our fence better. Stupid dog. We love him and we're glad to see him...but we're also really mad at him. That's what you get for getting so attached to a mangy mutt.

It's amazing to me to realize that 2008 is nearly over. It has been such a crazy, full year. Actually, though it has been such an insane year, I'm a little saddened to say good-bye to 2008. It was a good year, if not the busiest of my life! As I see things settling down, I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing our next year won't be nearly so tumultuous. But the adventurer in me is also greatly disappointed...I'm hoping 2009 will bring a few fun trips at least. I am NOT disappointed that we have no huge international moves on the horizon...but I'm also already looking for a little adventure :-) I know it. I'm a glutton for punishment. Anyway, 2008 was good and full. Here's a look at what happened in 2008 January 2008 : This was a very busy month for us. Still in Shell, Ecuador, we enjoyed lots of visitors. Sean's family came and we had a blast at Casa del Suizo in the jungle as well as a quick trip to Otavalo in the Andes mountains. We renewed our pas...

So, I haven't been very regular in my blogging. Honestly, its all I can do to get myself dressed each day. My normal routine is pretty much shot - I'm still trying to figure out what a day should look like now that I have three little ones at home! Paige is doing really well. She's changed so much in the past two weeks! I can't believe how big she is already. In fact, she's starting to get chunky. Just precious! She likes to keep me up late at night, but she's actually pretty good about sleeping once she does settle down. We love our little Paige. Life goes on! I may not blog about it much, though :-) Most days are pretty much a repeat of the day before. That's okay, though. It's nice to have some predictability after such a crazy year! This January, I'll be going back to school and finishing up (finally) my Bachelor's Degree. One. More. Semester. So, if you don't hear much from me in 2009, you know why! Any spare time I find will ...

We're very sad this evening. Our dog, Duke, has disappeared. He's been escaping from the yard a lot lately and, though we've tried very hard to fix the holes, he just finds a way to push on through. He's such a brute, even at just 6 months old, that he can shove his way through just about anything we try to patch our wire fence. We're hoping he'll still show up but it isn't like him to be gone for so long. Let's hope he just found a deer to track and is safe and sound in his dog house when we wake up in the morning. Please pray that we get our dog back! It isn't so much for us, but our girls love him and they've had to say good-bye to so many pets in their lifetime that it just seems very unfair for them to lose their favorite dog. Okay, Sean and I are pretty down about the whole thing too....

What a wonderful time we've had. It is such an amazing gift to just be able to celebrate with family (that lives nearby) this year. It was truly a great Christmas. On top of that, it has snowed a ton lately and even snowed on Christmas Day! Our first White Christmas in a long time...so awesome! Brooklyn and Madison are discovering the joys of sledding, building snowmen, making snow angels, and throwing snowballs. And now, we're all exhausted and ready to go to bed :-) Merry Christmas to all of you. We love you!

My two older girls have had a big week too! All of a sudden, life in our little red house is very, very different. The transition to a family of five has gone pretty well. We've tried to do some special things this week and anytime Paige is napping, we older gals cuddle up and read books or play together...or we all take well-deserved naps! On several occasions, I have had three needy girls on my lap! It isn't easy. In fact, more often than not it's just plain messy. But I wouldn't have it any other way. We're a complete and happy family right now - though the screaming and crying that goes on around here may convince you otherwise. * wink*wink* Making a mess....I mean, making Christmas cookies! And eating them is just as messy... Mmmmmm...... I "caught" my girls reading to each other for entertainment while I was busy with new baby. These two have found they have much more in common now that they are both big sisters. Things don't always look...

Paige Abigail, Four Days Old Brooklyn holding Baby Sister. Three girls. (Do we have our hands full or what?!) Oh, what a week it has been! I must confess I'm tired. Newborn babies are hard work. As are two-year-olds. And five-year-olds. But it has been a good week. A wonderful, beautiful, messy, bonding, figuring-out-life-together kind of week. Paige is doing terrifically. She's changed so much already! She's breastfeeding really well and seems to be very well-adjusted to life out here in the cold, snowy world. Our nights and days are slowly being readjusted. I always forget how little sleep I can go on until I have a newborn at home :-) Stay tuned for a post on what the big sisters have been up to this week!

She's here! Paige Abigail was born at 1:51 p.m. Sunday, December 14. She weighed 8 lbs 9.5 oz. and was 20 3/4 inches long. Her entrance into the world went very well and we couldn't be more pleased. We got to bring Paige home Monday morning. Since then, we've been taking it easy and getting to know one another. Brooklyn loves her new baby sister and would stare at her all day if we'd let her! Maddie is warming up to the idea of this strange little person taking over the household and she really loves to give the baby kisses. Both of our older girls are being great helpers and they can't wait until Paige is old enough to play with them :-) It's hard to believe we are now a family of five! We feel like such blessed parents with our three beautiful girls. Aaaahhhh....these are wonderful days full of precious baby mewlings, new baby smells, tender kisses on brand-new cheeks, and...sleepless nights! Gratefully, the house still feels restful today and I am high eno...

I haven't done one of these in a while... Stick a fork in me. I'm done. Seriously. I'm tired, big, and, well, done being pregnant. Unfortunately, we do still have a while to go. I fully expect to go early, since I always do - but my babies haven't come any earlier than a week and a half or so. This week I'll be 38 weeks...anytime would be fine for me! The crib is set up, the clothes are washed, the tiny Christmas dress is waiting...all we lack is our precious baby girl. It's supposed to snow. I'm so into that. Last night, Sean built a fire in our kiva outside. We spent a while outside, all four of us, cuddling next to the fire (and the dog). It's just so fun out there! I know we'll get lots of use out of that little spot in our backyard. Can you say s'mores? Our home is festive, warm, and Christmas-y. Love it. I'm so glad I get to be a stay-at-home mom. Want to give to a truly worthy cause? I came across this blog and it rocked my world....

It isn't so easy to accept - completely - this new idea of Christmas, is it? Or am I the only one driving myself crazy?! Now I'm second-guessing every little thing I do, say, or buy. God is certainly working on me :-) But I think it bears saying right now that this idea of spending less on gifts and more time worshiping Jesus is NOT about guilt. Please don't feel guilty every time you spend money on gifts for your family or loved ones this Christmas season. I am NOT endorsing the removal of presents from beneath the tree. All I'm saying is this - why not keep it a little smaller this year? This year, we're limiting how many gifts we give our girls and we're thinking long and hard about what they would enjoy the most, rather than buying every pink thing we see. Why not start creating some new traditions? I love the idea of taking the whole family along to serve others! I know that a couple of years as a kid, my parents and I helped serve holiday meals to the n...

Yesterday was our last official day with MAF. So, it's over. Our missionary career is, at least for now, a thing of the past. How bittersweet. I can tell you that in all honesty we really loved MAF and we loved being missionaries. We were even good at it (at least to those on the outside looking in - we always felt under-certified for the job, which I think is normal and probably healthy). God brought us back home and out of that life before we ever expected Him to. So, yes, saying good-bye to all that has been a hard road to travel. Hardest decision of our lives. We hope and pray that someday, God will give us the privilege of returning to the foreign mission field if only for a short-term visit. Missions, as well as international travel is in our blood now. I don't think we're done with our overseas adventures though I have no idea what they'll look like in the future. It's one of those "just trust God" things and I have this sense that He'll w...