King of the World!

Nathan says... "I'm the King of the World !!! At least I was on Saturday :)" ....

Saturday was a fun filled day for the Bull family! Gary and I were treated to a day of free babysitting by Auntie Em and Nena while we enjoyed a movie, lunch without a toddler, and our big Wal-Mart stock up trip. It was such a blessing for us to have time just the two of us! Thank you so much Auntie Em and Nena for making it happen for us! And as you'll see below it doesn't look like Nathan had too bad of a time either :)

Swinging with Nena
Playing with Auntie Do Do
My little unconventional slider :)

Photo shoot with our Nate man...

Well, here's the past few days in pictures. I've chopped more, mixed more, sauteed more, eaten more, visited more and shopped more than I ever planned to, but it's been fun and we're enjoying the last days of furlough as a family of three :) Hope you enjoy the new pictures... sorry some of them are super duper clear... I'll be ready to have my laptop back (I've been using Gary's and it's a different software than I'm used to). Hope you had a great Christmas and continue to enjoy the holidays with your families!

This is what ensued when we tried for a photo op before present opening... the waterworks began... oh the drama!

Let the presents begin :)

Nathan's new "rocket" book from Nana (affectionately now called Nena) and Papa! Hopefully the novelty will not have worn off so much that it will still be a great diversion on the plane ride home :)

What is it with kids and glasses? These new cool sunglasses are from our Auntie Em (now affectionately... and I do mean affectionately called "Do Do" and yes as in a Do Do bird... don't ask how or why... we have no idea :)

Who needs a sippy cup when I have this cool new kids Starbucks cup from Auntie Do Do :)

Nena and Papa scored big with the new remote control car!

Awww... come on Mom... it's not that late... a few Pez never hurt anybody :)

Nathan's photo shoot with his Nena... man do I love this kid... he so keeps me laughing :)

My best moment!

I had so many great moments today! After being cooped up at my mom and dad's for a few days (just taking care of household things and Nathan while Gary recovered from a really bad cold) I ventured out on my own today.

I was able to take a nap this morning thanks to Papa who made sure Nathan didn't cause any permanent damage to the house :) then I got to go shopping at my favorite children's consignment shop. I have said so many times to my young mommy friends here... be so thankful for hand-me-downs and second hand clothing because when you live in a third world country those two things are pretty much non-existent. Clothing and baby items are used until there is no use left in them and so passing them on seems a little pointless :) So today I stocked up at the winter clearance section and got to spend a little alone time.

Then we had a great lunch from our favorite pizza place here in the metroplex and I went out again, searching for all those special ingredients we still lacked for Christmas dinner. The beauty in that grocery trip lay in the fact that everything I needed was contained with the four walls of the one grocery store I chose to go to... no multiple trips... no market runs... it was really a treat. A drive-thru run on Starbucks for my sweet husband who had given me the freedom to go out on my own completed the day.

Great moments huh? I thought so too, until I got home. And at that point I decided my best moment of the day by far was watching my precious son and his Papa play outside together. It wasn't the tricycle riding or spinning around in circles that touched me so... it was the jumping. You see Nathan has entered the little boy jumping phase in full swing these days and today it meant jumping from a rock wall on the side of my parents driveway into his Papa's arms. There wasn't a moments hesitation, not a care in the world, not an ounce of fear in the face or eyes of my child, just pure unadulterated trust. What a precious thing to watch their relationship grow, to listen to him call after his Papa, to watch him trust him with everything... definitely my best moment :)

Solicited Advice PLEASE....

Okay my state-side mommies... I have a quick question for you. This will be short and sweet as we're in the middle of bedtime, but I was looking online today to try and figure out which baby swing is going to be worth carting back to Cochabamba and I'm a little overwhelmed with the many types and different feedbacks. So I need some feedback from anyone who has had a good, bad, or otherwise experience with a baby swing recently and the name of the swing so I can get started on buying one to take back with us. I have a small travel one that I used briefly with Nathan, but it only worked well up to a certain weight and then it was almost like I had to swing it myself to get it to go. Ideally I would love one that I could plug up and beyond that I'm not to picky. Thanks for the input! I'll try and update something a little more interesting later this week. Gary's got the flu and we're back at my parents, so I'm staying busy taking care of my three boys :) Please pray that Nathan and I and the rest of my family can stay healthy, it is after all the Christmas season that I've been looking forward to all year... it would be just like Satan to rain on my parade wouldn't it? Well, I refuse to let him... but prayer coverage would be much appreciated too :) God bless you alll and MEEEEERRRY Christmas!

The Wonder of it all...

Well, the Bulls are back on the road again :) headed back to the promised land we like to call Texas :) We've been in Arkansas for almost a month now and have gotten to visit old friends and both sides of our families. We have so enjoyed ourselves! Nathan has gotten reacquainted with cousins, friends, grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles and so many others that at times I think it has been a little overwhelming for him. But he's taking it in stride and has maintained his crazy selfness that we love so much about him :)

This afternoon we were able to attend a Christmas program at my cousin's church in Jonesboro, lots of singing, lots of lights, and to Nathan's delight... drummers. In Bolivia we are so "blessed" with parades of all shapes and sizes all year long :) I say "blessed" because at times they can be the road block between you and where you're headed, but when you see Nathan playing the drums on his daddy's head as they walk up and down the street, it's definitely a true "blessed" (not the sarcastic "blessed" that really means a little annoyed :) that you feel.

As I sat in the sanctuary watching the program unfold, I looked over at my precious son and was truly overcome. I know that so many times I have heard others talk about the wonder of a child... that look that comes over their faces... that stillness in their little, usually very active bodies... and the awe in their eyes as they experience something truly wonderful for them. I've heard it a million times, but tonight I experienced it... tonight I saw it in the face of my son and let me tell you... it was beautiful. The glow of the Christmas lights on his sweet little face, the amazement of the drummer boy coming down the center aisle just feet away from him, and his little arm wrapped tight around my neck, all filled my heart and spirit. He sat transfixed, taking it all in, and I was overcome with emotion (Gary will tell you it's the hormones :) but I promise it's just "emotion") as I watched my precious two-year old amazed.

I think of how many times in the years to come I may be privileged enough to experience something through his eyes, seeing it for the first time or in a new way. I look forward to the days, the moments that I'll get to experience our God through my son's eyes. How amazing it will be to see the wonder in his eyes, his heart, and his spirit as he comes to know the living Lord, experience Him in His fullness and know Him even in a way that though I may get to see through his eyes... will be unique to him... just between him and his creator :)

Back Home...

I knew when we boarded the plane over a month ago now that the holidays would be one of my most treasured times and memories of this year's furlough. I knew that gathering with family and loved ones, catching up, sharing meals, old stories and new times together would fill my plate in such a special way. And my heart is full!

Not living close to family and loved ones has to be the biggest challenges that we have faced over the past two years. It's a sacrifice we were aware of as we left... but one that I don't think I was truly prepared for. Yet, it's a reality of our life and our work. I was reading about friends who recently celebrated the birth of their second son, but there were no grandparents there to snap photos, to hold the new grandson or love on the mommy and daddy. She talks about how the experience still had its specialness in that there was an intimacy for their family unit, she, her husband and their first son. But I can imagine there were hard moments too of longing for their families to be there as well.

Gary and I were so blessed to have family and loved ones surrounding us at the birth of Nathan, but since then have missed out on the joys of watching him spend special times with those we love from back home. There is definitely an intimacy that our family shares because of the time that our little unit gets to be together far from home... but those weekend trips to Grandma's don't happen for us, the birthday wishes happen over a computer microphone or web cam.

I know that in moments of weakness I yeah yeah about not having the physical things that I have access to here in the states, especially as a mommy. But the reality is that being so far from home has only further taught me that there is nothing in this world more valuable than those that we love. I will treasure the memory of watching my son play with his grandparents and aunts and uncles long after the things we take back with us are used up or outgrown. And that was what I treasured this year, and stored away in my heart just as Jesus' mother Mary did so many years ago.

Yet, in the midst of turkey eating and game playing I was surprised again (as I have been many many times this trip home). God has a special way of whispering in our ears doesn't He? This time He whispered to my heart... reminding of how blessed we are by all who surround us and work alongside us in Bolivia. It was such a treat to be back home for Thanksgiving, and I know it will be just as special to be here for Christmas. But I was reminded of one thing that differed this year from last... an excitement.

Here in the states since we are so blessed to be able to see family and celebrate the holidays with our traditions and activities on a yearly basis, it seems like the excitement, the novelty has worn off a little. Last year I can remember us ladies sitting around dividing up the Thanksgiving meal... who would go searching for that can of cranberry sauce in the import stores, who would try their hand at their first homemade pie crusts, who would tackle the job of the turkey, and so on. It was a challenge, it was an adventure and we all took it together. As young first time mommies on the mission field we had so much fun figuring out how to make it work. Thanksgiving lunch was at our house, complete with extra baby monitors so that we could put little ones to sleep and play games all afternoon. There was a camaraderie as we sat and sang hymns in English together, alongside our Christmas tree clad in all its glory and smelling the wonderful smells from home.

I missed that electricity this year. Last year I was surrounded and blessed by a different sense of "family". God has an amazing way of meeting our needs doesn't He? This year my needs for family have been met ten fold and I will forever be grateful... but even in the times that we are far from them in miles, He fills our needs in our teammates, friends and Christian family in Cochabamba. It shouldn't surprise me that He's so amazing at fulfilling the needs of this daughter whom He created... but it continually does, and with every gift that He gives, my gratitude and humility grow and deepen. That the God of the heavens would take the time to meet my needs continues to amaze me. I pray that your holiday was full... full of life, full of love, and full of "family" (whatever that may have looked like this year for you :)

Fun in a box...

Since being home we've worked hard not to go crazy buying toys and such for our most favorite little boy, and I have to say I'm pretty proud of us as we've done a pretty good job so far. And true to form it wouldn't have mattered how many toys we bought for Nathan because the entertainment of the hour (and I do mean hour... since he played with Papa and Auntie Em for a few hours) was this big fun box. I wish I could tell you all how much fun it is for Nathan, and what a blessing it is for me, to see Nathan playing with my family! God knew exactly what he was doing in creating family, and I'm so thankful for this time home to share with them!

Dip in the pool...

Needless to say, it's not exactly pool season here in the states... especially when a cold front blows through. But apparently that didn't mean much to Nathan a few days ago as we were passing through Ft. Worth. We wrapped up our time in Brownwood after visiting our supporting congregation there (and what a blessing our time was!) and stopped through to see Nana, Papa and Auntie Em, do a few loads of laundry and pack up to hit the road to AR.

And here's how the story goes... Nathan was playing outside with his daddy and Papa and riding his most favorite tricycle on loan :) From what I can gather from eye witnesses... i.e. Papa and Gary... one of the wheels of the trike hit a wet patch right at the edge of the pool and the rest was history. All I know is I walked outside to a water logged son who we had to strip and get warm really fast :(

For those who know Nathan well you can attest to the fact that I do not have the world's most cuddly child, but that night I got some good cuddle time as I held him, wrapped in towels, blankets and whatever else we needed to warm him up as we watched his beloved Dora for about half an hour. All in all not as traumatic as it could have been. Nathan is a good little dog paddler and kept his head above water pretty good and daddy made a quick rescue, but look at my poor little winter swimmer...

From the desk of Nathan Bull...

Well to all my blogging fans out there... my mommy has been a total slacker as far as keeping you guys informed of all the fun things we're getting to do while we're here visiting my Nana and Papa's house! So I thought I'd take the wheel for a little while and let you know first hand how much fun I am having here in Texas! Mommy and Daddy are adjusting to being "home" and I think they're doing a pretty good job so far :) I'm sure Mommy will tell you more about all that later, but I wanted to show you some new pictures of the fun things I've gotten to do since we got here... so here's my past two weeks... take a look -

This is a new family picture that we took our last Sunday in Cochabamba before Mommy and I got on the plane to come "home."

I wanted to make sure that everyone knew that my blankie made it safe and sound to Texas with me... what would I do without blankie?

This is my new favorite toy at Nana and Papa's house... did you know this is the same piano that my mommy and Auntie Em played on when they were little? Pretty cool I think!

And this is the so so so cool tricycle that one of my mommy's friends from Harding, Miss Jennifer, is letting us borrow while we're here. I ride it everywhere... and I mean everywhere, inside, outside, and all around, I'm so glad that I got to borrow it while we're here visiting! Thank you Miss Jennifer and Susie!

The first week we were here it was warm enough to play in the pool and my Papa was my water playing buddy! I learned really quickly that if I stood at the back door and said "water" really pathetic like... he would come and take me outside to play! That Papa of mine is so much fun and definitely a great play buddy!

One of my mommy's best friends in the world came to visit us from Chicago (I'm guessing that's pretty far away because it seemed like a big deal to mommy that she came so far to see us :) Jen and I played and played together and she brought me some really cool birthday presents too... so she must think I'm pretty special.

We got to be here for my Auntie Em's birthday (who by the way is one of my new favorite people in the world!) and these pictures are of mommy lighting the candles, me helping Auntie Em blow them out, and just fun times with Auntie Em.
This was my first real Halloween and it was super fun! My Nana bought me a Superman outfit (that she says I can wear as my Pjs too!) and so I got to be a superhero :) I got to show my great Grannie Sterne my outfit when she came over for dinner and then we went to Starbucks to see Auntie Em who had to work :( But then we went trick-or-treating on my Nana and Papa's street and I have to say I think I did pretty good! I said please and thank-you at every house and even shared some of candy with other people (and one puppy dog :) along the way!

Today we got to do one of the coolest things yet! Mommy wasn't feeling good this morning... but Daddy and Nana decided we could brave the zoo by ourselves and it was so so so much fun!!! We got to see zebras, tigers, and gorillas... but my favorite part was getting to feed the fishes and the birds. There was a place where you could buy these sticks with birdseed on them and then go and feed the birds! It was the best part of the zoo and my daddy got some great pictures of our fun time! Besides all the fun things we're getting to do, we're getting to hang out with Nana, Papa and Auntie Em and that has been so good for me, Mommy and Daddy! Mommy is making her habitual Wal-Mart runs (and occasionally dragging me along for the "fun"). I'm sure she'll tell you all about her fun times soon... but for now I'm going to go to bed... my two-year old body has finally adjusted to the slight time change and mommy and daddy say we're headed to Brownwood tomorrow so I better get a good night's sleep. Thanks for taking time to look at all my fun pictures and for praying for us while we travel! Night-Night.

A new experience...

There seem to be quite a few new experiences these days in the world of a first time (about to be second time) mommy, missionary, wife, furlough traveling woman. And although I know you all love (or at least tolerate really well :) hearing about the craziness that is Nathan... tonight the new experience was just for me as a person... as a child of God.

Nathan and I made it to my parents house safe and sound yesterday... exhausted, but safe and sound. We were so blessed every step of the way to have people sitting around us, in line around us, and in the general vicinity of us that were kid friendly. Meaning, they didn't look at me as if I was putting them out by traveling alone with my two year old, and most of them were so happy to talk to Nathan, high five Nathan, blow kisses to Nathan, and anything else that would keep him entertained, so yes... very blessed was I!

However, the new experience happened tonight at church. I blogged earlier about the anticipation of being able to be a "normal" participant in church for a few months and also how I was looking forward to worshipping in my "heart language" again, but I truly had no idea what lay ahead. As I sat there in what felt like a true multitude I felt a little schizophrenic... mind you, I'm pretty sure I'm not a diagnosed schizo, nor have I ever recognized those tendencies in myself :) But tonight standing with Nathan in my arms and worshipping I was so overwhelmed... I can't even think of words to truly explain it.

My mind was bouncing around like the ball in a pinball machine trying to understand what it was truly feeling. If I had to explain it in image form it was as if there were all these me's... each one feeling something so so so different. The first me was so enjoying the true privilege of being able to worship in English, among brothers and sisters and without any true work responsibilities at the same time. The second me could not help but want to run up front and try and "help" (alright alright I said "help"... not lecture :) everyone understand what a true gift they have been given in being a part of a body that it able to worship freely together every week... I just wanted to "help" everyone understand what they've been given and not to view it as a chore but a true gift. The third me was aching for our teammates who have yet to come home on furlough... wishing that they could have been standing right beside me, singing praises to the God who has carried us through the past two years. And the fourth me ached for our Bolivian brothers and sisters... I imagined what my sister Leticia would think and feel sitting beside me. Leticia and her family worshipped in Cochabamba for years all by themselves. They on so many occasions have expressed to us as a team what it means to their family to have the fellowship of our families and the new church body in Cochabamba. So my heart could only imagine what she would have felt sitting among her American brothers and sisters of such a great multitude... hearing their many many voices raised in praise to the God she has worshipped for years, whether alone or with a body of believers.

As I held Nathan and he clapped his hands in praise as we sang the tears ran down my face. I am blessed. There is not one Laura who wins out over them all, but a melding of them each... and while there is such a mixture of joy, guilt, responsibility, and longing... they together result in an individual who will treasure these next few months of being blessed by her brothers and sisters stateside, while remembering in her heart that her Christian family is not bound by geography, or genealogy, but only by the blood of Christ that covers us all. What a new experience it was to be so so so full of so many different emotions, but it is each of those emotions that make me who I am, that explain better the journey God has brought me on, and the path that I and our family continue down. God bless and Good night... more stories from the road to come :)

Will the packing never end?

Please know that the photos to follow (the first two at least) were in no way posed, prompted or elicited. Just my precious two year old showing what I think all of us are feeling inside about what it takes to furlough pack for a growing two year old (never knowing what size he'll be in next week) and a pregnant mommy (never knowing what size she'll be in next week)... so hope you enjoy :)

Can someone please tell my mommy that enough is enough already?

I'm starting to worry about this woman!!!

What photo shoot is complete without a new picture of Daddy and me? And this one's even better because Daddy let me play with his basketball!

The verdict is in...

Well, we went, we saw... we conquered!!! And it looks like Nathan is going to have to work on his sharing skills, as he'll soon be sharing all his old clothes with a new little BROTHER! I am so excited! I really wanted another little boy, for us as parents because we love the one we already have and for Nathan since they will be so close in age, to have a little brother to go through life with.

Thank you so much to everyone for all your prayers! I didn't have a chance to down orange juice on the way (long story about an impromptu ultrasound visit to another doctor) but apparently Starbucks coffee works wonders too (thanks to Aunt Emily who keeps us stocked!).

Now my only job to finish in the next few days is looking back through Nathan's baby clothes to see what we lack. I know we'll be bringing back lots of onesies (since the maid at our homestay stretched out all his baby onesies handwashing them in our first months here... I think Nathan could probably still fit in some of them if we really tried :) Good night and God bless you all, my friends and loved ones... and my two little boys :)

Unruly even in the womb...

Okay, so we went, we saw, we did not conquer :) We have a beautiful healthy neuter of a baby, who was sitting so pretty, but so low that nothing could be seen. This child is testing mommy's patience even in the womb :)

Now normally this would not be a big deal... we'd wait 'til next month and try again, but oh yeah... we're leaving on Monday. And you see... an ultrasound here that just cost me a whopping $15 would not be such a steal in the states!

So we're going to give it another try tomorrow. I know it sounds a little petty and impatient, but please be praying that the baby's decided to reposition itself so that we can know what we're carrying before heading home. It would be really nice to prepare... to know whether to pick up just a few new blue onesies... or quite a few pink ones to start a new collection.

(Funny side note... Nathan went into the ultrasound with us and apparently thinks that the uterus on the ultrasound resembles the cave on his Little Einsteins DVD... so for almost 5 minutes all this kiddo said was cave... cave... cave... oh my goodness, the things they associate)

Fickle Fickle Laura

Yesterday I was singing Bolivia's praises as I walked out of the beauty salon with one of my American friends. For less than $10 I walked out with a fresh manicure, pedicure and haircut. Now tell me that isn't something to sing about!!! It was a good morning of relaxation and fellowship and I was grateful to be in a place that allowed all that fun at such a low price...

Fast forward to this morning. We all got around and had a relaxing morning at home just the three of us, continuing to pack and get organized... but also anticipating our Dr.'s appointment at lunchtime. You see today was the day... the day of truth, the day of finding out if Nathan's going to be a big brother to a sissy or a bubba.

But as happens in this life, I was disappointed. Our radiologist had an emergency and could not make our appointment. Reality check, this could happen anywhere, I am fully aware of that. There were even times that it happened with our doc in the states. Emergencies happen in the medical world. But for some reason today I could not get past the blaming the disappointment on Bolivia. Cause it's definitely the country's fault as a whole that I do not know at this very second whether I am carrying a boy or a girl, right? Well it made perfect sense to me in my hormonal frustration standing outside his office. And at that moment I was so thankful my voice of reason (and no, not Jiminy Cricket) was standing beside me with our son, reminding me that everything is okay, will be okay, and is not Bolivia's fault.

What a fickle fickle woman I am... and how redeeming our God is. After the fog from the frustration cleared and I remembered what our radiologist suggested I do... I was able to run down the street to a local hospital and make an appointment with him for later today. Regardless of how it turns out, whether we get in or not, whether this little peanut cooperates and shows us what "it" is... I, Laura Elizabeth Bull, do solemnly swear to remain calm, collected, non-tearful, and non-blaming of Bolivia :)

The reality of going home…

I am a slow processor… not as in challenged, but as in I tend to put off processing those things which will be hard to face until they stare right back at me… challenging me to step around them or simply face them. One of the things that I have been side-stepping for awhile now is the fact that in going home, there will be things that have happened that we will have to face, have to process, and have to grieve.

Gary and I have experienced what seems like to us, a great deal of loss in our two families over the past two years. It is truly hard in the moment to grieve, so far from your loved ones. It’s hard for the loss to be truly real. But in going home, there will be one less place at the table, one less Christmas gift to prepare, one less voice heard, and that is the reality that I think I have so carefully tried to avoid.

But none the less (as happens with reality) here I sit, staring face to face the reality that loss has happened. Inevitably we will go to visit graves, we will have conversations, we will shed tears and deep in my heart I know that in the end it will be healing. But my heart in this moment says, can’t I stay with my head stuck in the sand for just a moment longer? I pray that Gary and I both have the strength to process for ourselves, but also to be the support for our families that they will need as they relive their losses with us once again. We always covet your prayers, and as we travel, prayers will be needed on so many levels, this being the one closest to my heart tonight.

Countdown...

And the countdown continues…of course the primary countdown is counting the days until we get to see family and friends… but the secondary countdown, well it’s a countdown of the days until we are able to pick up Sonic at the drop of a hat… run through the drive-thru at Taco Bell (or Bueno, which ever sounds better at the moment)… go to our favorite consignment shops for Nathan hand me downs… run to Wal-Mart at midnight (just because we can)… and partake of that beautiful glory we like to call Starbucks.

It will be a glorious time for the Bulls and we are sooooo looking forward to it. There is something comforting about being able to take Nathan to a park where I won’t worry with his every step if he’s going to fall and cut himself on broken glass left behind, being able to go and walk in stores or a mall with a feeling of security that you just don’t find here, and most importantly being able to worship with those we love and cherish… in English. I cannot express how my heart is looking forward to singing those precious songs that comfort our souls and hearing a sermon without translating in your brain every other word spoken.

I know I sound dramatic, but I had no idea what a sacrifice that would be in giving up worshipping in English on a weekly basis with a large body of believers. It’s a sacrifice that’s been so worth it and I wouldn’t go back for a second, but it makes our homecoming that much sweeter, the promise of worshipping our Almighty God in our native tongue… can’t wait to see you all, hug your necks, hear your stories of the past few years, and enter into the presence of God together! God bless!

I love my Dust Buster!

Seriously, how did mommies make it before the amazing invention of the Dust Buster? In the packing of all our most precious items to be brought to Bolivia with us, I made the decision (for better or worse) to leave all electronic appliances. Let me just tell you that as Nathan became mobile, more and more active, and more and more messy I was kicking myself that I did not bring a Dust Buster.

When my family made the trek to Bolivia last year to celebrate Nathan's first birthday my mom packed a treasured Christmas present of a Dust Buster for her daughter and I have never been so excited to be reunited with one of my most favorite and valued appliances!!! She also packed my Crock-Pot (seriously what was I thinking when I didn't bring these two marvels?) and we have enjoyed many a Sunday lunch from the Crock-Pot. They both use a fairly large transformer to be used (about the size of half of a normal shoe box), but it is so so worth it to lose counter space!

This morning as I was dust busting crushed cereal from the carpet... another blog post in and of itself... I was remembering how blessed we are to live in the age we do... and how blessed I am to have a mom that's willing to give up valuable luggage space to bring her daughter treasures from afar :)

Confessions of the borderline obsessive compulsive :)

For those who know me well, and I mean really well, they can tell you that I occasionally have some obsessive compulsive tendancies. It's not something that's across the board (you can ask Gary about that... although some days as far as house cleaning goes he probably wishes it was :) but none the less there are a few little quirks to Laura Bull.

One of those comes in the form of eating habits... and not just any eating, but candy eating. When enjoying the num-nums (you gotta love Nathanisms) of Skittles or M&Ms I am known for eating like colors together. You see the correct way to eat these yummy treats is in pairs, as in two hard candy shells at a time, but not a green and a red, or a brown and a blue, no... all pairs must be eaten in like colors. It makes a little more sense in the context of Skittles since the colors do actually indicate different flavors... but I am fully aware that there is no logical explanation for the M&M eating. I am proud to say however that I have recently been able to move past the craziness just enough to partake of these two candies at the movies (dark movie theater = the inability to see the colors being eaten and we cannot have cross pollination regardless of environmental situations).

This morning I Nathan was munching on some yummy M&Ms and at one point to speed up the distribution process I put a handful on the seat of a chair for him to have easy access to (in my defense, it was a little handful as they were the mini M&Ms). I wasn't paying attention at first, but I started to noticing something very interesting, the M&Ms were disappearing in colors... first the greens... next the blues... then the yellows, followed by the reds and then leaving the browns. How seriously funny is that? My child is just barely two and already crazy like his mommy. I guess I should be thankful that at least we now know he's not color blind :) and that he can apparently group like colors together, but I still think it's a little quirky and reminds me even more clearly that this precious little man is definitely mine, and for that I am so thankful :)

Happy Birthday Nathan!

Well... it's official, my baby boy is now two years old! It's amazing how he's changed in the past two years, during our time here in Bolivia. He and I went to visit the language institute where we studied Spanish upon our arrival. They remembered the culture shocked new mom with baby in tow (only 4 months old) and were so excited and surprised to see us. I realized in that moment, in seeing Nathan through their eyes, just how much my little man had grown up! It's hard sometimes when you're living the changes with your children on a daily basis to realize how drastic they are, but being back in that place reminded me of the little baby that he used to be, and the little boy that he is now and continues to become. He has blessed my life so richly and I'm learning better everyday what it means to be his mommy, and to try to be the best mommy that I can especially for him and who he is as a person.

We celebrated his special day with the team and had cake and balloons and all kinds of fun new presents. His Papa, Nana, Auntie Em, and Great-grandmother all sent him new books and goodies from the states and our teammates showered him with great new toys. We decided to pool the birthday present money coming from Mommy and Daddy into one gift and get a good tricycle for him to have for the years to come. He's still trying to get the hang of the pedalling thing, but I think he's really enjoying it! Thank you to all who thought of Nathan, prayed for him, and sent him special wishes on his special day!

Nathan's special rocket cake... for those Little Einstein fans out there, you'll recognize Rocket and appreciate the work that mommy had to go through to help a Bolivian cake maker to understand why this particular rocket was so special to the birthday boy :) but overall I think they did a great job with just a coloring book cover to work from!

Eating yummy cake with Michaela!

Don't you know Dad... this is fun and all, but I still haven't figured out how to pedal this thing, so I'm not really sure where you want me to take her :)

Little Boys

I finally got around to finding the camera, the cable, the laptop, the power supply, and having internet yesterday... which to answer your looming question of what this has to do with anything... allowed me download all the pictures on the digital camera from the last, oh let's say, three months or so. Scary I know! So in the purging process, I found these pictures of Nathan that I hadn't had a chance to share with you faithful friends and family who follow our blog. I was trying to think of a post for them, and then realized that basically they are all summed up in the fact that I have a little boy who is ALL boy! So enjoy and know that Nathan is so excited to come home and visit everyone and show you all just how much of a true boy he really is :)

(Mommy? Who's Mommy? I've got a new best friend and his name is DADDY!)

There is nothing in this life that can't be solved, or at least survived, when I'm wearing my so cool rain boots... see?

Since Mom and Dad moved us to an apartment (man I wish they would make up their minds about where they want to live!) we had to give away Lucy. I loved playing with Lucy, and giving her hugs, but I know that she is having fun in her new home with her new family!

This is what happens when I try to tell Lucy how to do things... or when I have something that she wants really bad... she tries to take it from me and that does not make me happy... I have no idea where she learned that from?!