Loved on...

So if you remember right, and haven't slept since then (as my mom likes to say :) we had a super fun birthday week this past year for Nathan... but as my birthday rolled around I was not expecting a birthday week... just some fun time with friends, a date with my hubby, and the excuse to eat some fun birthday sweets (although I don't really wait for an excuse to eat sweets :). It all started on Friday night before my birthday when I got to go out to a super fun (and long, since in Bolivian style we waited almost an hour for our food) dinner with these beautiful women! God has blessed me tremendously with their friendships and it was a truly wonderful way to kick-off the birthday festivities :)

After dinner we tried to get a good picture, but Cochabambinos don't really do all that great at digital photography... but at least we remember what a fun night it was :) with Angie, Beth, Julie, Denise, and Carolina (hiding on the back row :)

Saturday was filled with a birthday lunch with my hubby, a movie, and a midnight serenade from the ladies at church... we were sitting in the living room watching tv and we heard sweet voices from outside on the street... so we went to the balcony and there below were a group of women from church singing beautiful songs about birthdayness... what a fun surprise :) after they finished their musical debut, they came up for hot chocolate and cake... it was a great memory made!

They made their exit around 2 in the morning and the next day was a craziness of activity... it started with a ladies ministry meeting before church (at 8:30) where we ate yummy strawberry birthday cake thanks to Julie (b/c it's never too early in the day to eat birthday cake :) then we had church service and a church members meeting afterwards... around 3:00 we headed down to the lake to eat a late lunch with a family from church who wanted to take me out for my birthday, and around 6:30 we made it back home... talk about a long day (not just for me, but for my boys :) but they did great and it was a fun time!

At our late lunch, Gary and the boys took a boat ride around the lake :)

And if you know me well, you know that my love language is gift giving... I love giving gifts, getting gifts, and planning gifts :) My friends and family here pulled out all the stops in speaking my love language to me this year... wanna see? :)

Beautiful earrings made by Renata, one of our sisters here at church.

Look at this precious picture frame (made from recycled newspaper) of the ladies at church... on the back they all signed it and wrote sweet messages to me... talk about a treasure huh?

My sweet friend Beth thought a birthday present that I wouldn't have to pack up might be better this year :) so a cheese cake showed up at my house in her hands, and talk about yummy! I joked with her that I may not have to pack it in my luggage, but it definitely got packed onto my backside :)

You can't go wrong with yummy lotion and chocolate from Carolina... and this picture would've included the yummy chocolate cookies that she made too... but they got eaten too fast for a picture :)
Sweet Sonia (our househelp) is always so precious to bring me flowers on my birthday... and this year was no exception... I had forgotten just how much I love fresh sunflowers!
These beauties are a combination of flowers from my sweet hubby, Jenny (our househelp) and teammates... aren't they lovely?

And this picture shows one of the most thoughtful gifts I think I've ever received... my sweet friend Angie put together this package for me... a sweet necklace made from 5 Bs. (a story for just her and I), pictures of special memories (get togethers, coffee dates, baby showers, and birthday parties), and do you see all those sweet notes? She put together tons and tons of notes, things that she's learned about me and from me and special memories we've made over the past few years... all I have to say is, talk about feeling treasured! This is one of those gifts that I will remember, value and treasure for years and years to come!

Katie knew that you can't go wrong with Cadbury eggs for birthday presents for Laura :)

A special birthday package from Mom and Dad filled with fun magazines, yummy candy, kool-aid and Ranch dressing!

And Denise knew that you can never have enough yummy lotion or coffee cups in this house :)

To all my friends and family who wrote, called, or spent time with me face to face, thank you for all that you did to make this birthday such a special one. You made me feel treasured beyond compare! It's my last that I will spend here in this place that we've made home and it was a wonderful memory that I will carry with me wherever I go!

The cream in our oreo...

I always said that the middle child was the cream in the oreo... I just never expected to have one :) I didn't plan to have three children, two or four, even numbers that could be paired off, but never an odd number like three. And yet again, God giggles at me, his daughter for telling him what I will not do :) and this time I'm so so so thankful, because the product is my precious son Grant Thomas. Grant, you came into our lives' two years ago and you opened my heart in a whole new way. You have shown me what it means to be completely overwhelmed with love for my children... to love you up with snuggles, tackles, and tickle wars. You love so fiercely and it shows me so much of who you are. You are a passionate little boy and sometimes that gets you into serious trouble, but I'm praying that God will take that passion he placed within you and use it for his kingdom. You are growing into a precious little boy and I know one day you will be an amazing man! May God bless you my precious second born, and may you always know how much I treasure you, who you are, and all that you have taught me about this life, and about myself! Happy Birthday Grant Thomas... I love you more than my next breath!

Fun in the sun :)

So while all of our friends and family in the states are enjoying snow and bundling up, we're enjoying some fun in the sun :) These past few weeks have been the Carnaval (South American Mardi Gras... except even more pagan) season for Bolivia. The streets are filled with water guns, water balloons, buckets of water being thrown at people passing by (are you seeing a theme here? :) and lots of partying. Today we went to the annual parade called Corso de Corsos. Each year in Cochabamba groups (from civic groups to military groups) dress up and march in the parade. The night before the Corso people set up bleachers and seats and Cochabambinos come and buy their seats for the next morning.

This year our sweet secretary Gabi invited us to come and watch the parade from the balconey of her family's apartment on the parade route! It worked out perfect since that way we could come and go as we wanted to and we were up and away from all the water gun shooting, water balloon throwing, and foam spraying. So instead of looking like these poor people, we looked like this :)
This is Gabisito, Gabriela's son who is such a great friend to our boys! While at the parage we saw groups dressed up like almost anything you can think of... The Simpsons...

Avatar...
The Trojans...

Mario Brothers...

(These guys had the right idea... carry a big barrel of water in the back of your float and arm yourself with some big buckets... game on!)

Chinese Dragons...And more traditional Bolivian culture...

Bolivian peach season is in full swing :)

Dressed up as traditional Bolivian bread.
It's been such an experience for our boys to grow up in two cultures so different and distinct. Mornings like today will be memories made that they will carry with them back to the states :)

Ruh-Roh

Who knew that following in the footsteps of his big brother would start so soon? :)

My sweet Joshua...

This sweet little stud muffin turned three months old today...

Oh my goodness how time flies!