True Encouragement...

The other day found be back in our bedroom folding clothes (does laundry never end? with three boys, I'm thinking the answer is no :). Grant and Nathan were playing up front in their playroom and having a great time. Amidst the giggles and activity that I heard, Nathan said to Grant, "Great shot Grant, great shot!" It wasn't a flippant remark, or one made in passing. The words that my oldest spoke to his little brother came from the bottom of his big heart. You could hear the pride and excitement in his voice... he was truly rejoicing with his brother over a great achievement! Granted, that achievement was throwing a ball into the light fixture above his head... but that's a story for another day :) back to my point...

Nathan reminded me that day of the beauty of encouragement. In that moment of joy, he rejoiced with his brother. Here is Grant a roly poly two year old who adores his big brother... follows him around the house just looking for chances to interact with him, play with him, and be with him. Nathan will probably never understand what those simple words meant to his brother that day. And I started thinking to myself how that true joy that Nathan expressed over Grant's victory has become a lost art in today's world... I see the loss within myself and even at times within Christ's body.

It's hard isn't it? There are times when I've found it hard to truly rejoice in the victories of my fellow man... to see someone else "getting ahead" or being "blessed" and not struggle with envy or disappointment that it wasn't me. My sweet son taught me that day that Paul's words in Thessalonians are attainable... "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up." I want to be a sister in Christ who truly rejoices with every fiber of my being with my friends, family, and even acquaintances when wonderful things happen in their lives'. I want that rejoicing to be pure, to come without a twinge of envy, resentment, or selfishness... to be the friend doing cartwheels in the aisle, jumping up and down in excitement, and praising God for the wonderful things that my brothers and sisters are able to do in this life, and the great blessings they experience. Oh may God continue to work on the selfishness in my human heart, and teach me through my children what it means to rejoice with and encourage those around me with faith like a child!

Content...

(Warning to all readers... let the processing begin...) This past Wednesday Joshua and I made it safely back to Cochabamba. We had a whirlwind stateside trip of business and pleasure :) Can I just say as a sidenote that my little boy is the best traveler ever? Not having flown before, and not using carseats here, you never know how your kids are going to react, but he did awesome! It was his first stamp in his passport :) his first flight (6 to be exact) and his first time meeting so many friends and family!

While our trip was great and so needed, I'm having some problems upon our return... what I'm finding is that since the trip was so short, I wasn't given enought time to be tired of stateside life. Usually after furlough I'm ready to head back here to our own home, our slower pace of life, and our work as a family. Even though I was missing my hubby and boys like crazy, I'm finding that I the trip wasn't long enough for me to miss Bolivia.

It's a hard thing living between two cultures. Wow, that's an understatement... and so this last week or so I've really struggled with being content back here in my Bolivian home. It's taken some intentional thinking, giving thanks for the things I do love about my life here, and visits with some dear friends (who understand the struggle of balancing two cultures and being content in whichever one you find yourself) to help me fight the funk.

I know that our time is limited here, that this year is going to fly by. But I don't want to take comfort in that fact. I want to soak up our last year here. I want to savor every moment, every memory, and every opportunity. As Gary will tell you (according to all the personality testing we've done in the course of our married life) I, Laura Bull, am an advancer. Which as I understand it, means that I am a person who likes forward motion, planning and completing the task. This limbo land of not moving forward (b/c we're still too far out from our move date) is killing me. I want to be packing stuff, selling stuff, pitching stuff, finding a house stateside for us, applying for grad schools (for Gary... I am most definitely NOT going back to school), finding jobs to support ourselves while Gary's in school... oh and the list goes on.

But that desire to be in forward motion can rob today of its joy, its memories, and its value in my life. I'm trying daily to remember Paul's words of wisdom about being content in any situation, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation", but can I confess that I'm struggling to put them into practice?

Little pieces of me...

Tomorrow night I'll board a plane with Joshua in my arms. Nathan and Grant will be here at home, getting ready for bed with their daddy, and carrying a piece of my heart with them (whether they realize it or not).

Being a mommy is the most humbling experience by far that this life has brought my way... it has taught me so much about life, myself, and my heart. Did you know that the heart can be shared? It's not divided, not torn, but shared between my three sons... and since two of them will be staying here for two weeks holding down the fort with their daddy, pieces of my heart will stay here with them. It will be a long two weeks away from them, and yet I know it will fly by...

I will miss their giggles, their hugs, their kisses, their spontaneous Mommy, I love you's, their sweet faces beside our bed in the morning, their sticky faces, chubby hands, and basically all that is them... and as I sing their bedtime songs tonight, I will hug them a little tighter, hold them a little longer, and pray over them a little stronger, that they will always know, that no matter where I am, they hold pieces of my heart!

Father's Day #1 2010

One of the fun perks of living in another country is celebrating holidays in your current country and in your home country. This past week we celebrated the bolivian Father's Day. Nathan's school had a Father's Day party (you should see four year old Bolivians dancing "Singing in the rain" with their daddies... arms out, elbows back, thumbs up, knees bent, head back, tongue out and all :).

Then on Sunday the Sunday school teachers at church put together a little program for the fathers of the congregation. It was super sweet... a song about how the kiddos want to be like their daddies. Nathan was game for dressing up, Grant... not so much :) My boys have such a great daddy! Gary has taught me so much about being a parent just by example. He is intentional about parenting our boys, teaching them how to be men of God and for that I am so grateful! He has a great balance of teaching and fun :) these boys LOVE tackle, tickle, and wrestle time with their daddy! And thank goodness for the daddy with three little boys, because this mommy just doesn't have it within her to be all that three little boys need in the rough-house department :)

Gary, thank you for being not only the man of my dreams, but the amazing man in my daily life, loving our boys, sacrificing for them, and teaching them Godly ways. I am so very blessed to be on this journey of parenting our boys with you!

Nathan all dressed and ready to go :)

Grant... trying to figure out, "What is it exactly I'm supposed to be doing?"
Even the girls got in on the dress-up (Michaela and Jubilee and then Carmen and her daughter Paula)

This is what happens when you try to catch a picture of two crazy little four year olds at the same time... the back of Nathan's head...
Now the back of Mateo's head...
Well, no smiles, but at least they're both facing forward :)

Feliz Dia del Padre!

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!