Re-entry :)

No, this post won't be about our cultural re-entry, although those posts will come soon enough :) this post is my official re-entry into blogland. I think I've been avoiding this place since I'm so so so behind, but I'm not going to let that deter me... I'm not going to attempt to cover the lost ground... but I'm going to pick up from today going forward and see where that leads us :)

Today finds us stateside on furlough, in Perryville, AR visiting Gary's family. As my husband was getting in some good late night fishing with his brother, I was here at his mother's house bathing our stinky boys :) Mind you our boys are finding new aspects of their relationship as brothers daily, but for this moment in time my heart was absolutely overwhelmed as I walked back into the bathroom to find this...


What you have to know is that this sweet moment was initiated by my usually tackling, squashing or sitting on big brother youngest child Grant... these are the moments you savor, the ones you store up in your heart as you dream of these two little men growing up together to be men who will love each other as brothers and lead our family in the way God guides them... I can't wait to see it unfold :)

Wuv, twue wuv...

One of the blessings of being on a team of missionaries is watching our children grow up together. This morning was no exception... as we sat in the car on the way to lunch I heard Nathan say to Jubilee, "Juji, I love you." to which Jubilee replied, "Okay, do you want to marry me?" It was all I could do not to laugh out loud, but their sweet little sentiments were no laughing matter to them :) Thank goodness we've got a few years before we have to think about marrying off either one of them!

(And by the way, speaking of children, we're working on our third :) thus the silence on the blog. I'm always an awful blogger my first trimester... so let the 13 week mark come next week and the blogging resume :) Hope to see so many of you soon as we leave Tuesday to come back home on furlough... Please be praying over our travel, that they boys will be amazing, and that everyone who is seated around us on our flights, our flight attendants, airline employees, and immigration employees will all be kid friendly. This we've learned makes all the difference in the world!)

My new fashion icon...

Nathan's on spring break this week since his new school is on a North American calendar. So we decided to celebrate the start of spring break by going to the movies. Nathan apparently has a future in weather casting as you can see that he decided to wear his boots too the movie theater in case of flash flooding... what a mess this son of mine :)

Sense of humor...

Disclaimer... since comments have been coming in as to the picture below... just know as you read that I as a mother would NEVER post pictures of my child eating poop. Now that I've got you hooked... read on in peace :)

So as you can see below, Gary and I had a wonderful getaway a few weeks ago... but ever since our return I feel like it's been one thing after another... sick kids, change in schedules, more sick kids, moody mommy, apartment building without water, and more sick kids. Now normally this would throw me over the edge, an emotional vomitting session would ensue and it would be downhill from there. While there have been moments of teetering (on the edge of craziness :) I realized in the midst of the nutzoness that I have matured at least a little bit because after the events of this morning I could still laugh (a sign of maturity or insanity I'm not sure... but I'm gonna go with maturity :) Allow me to share...

About 6:30 Grant decided it was time to start his day (which by the way is much earlier than usual, this sick kid stuff is for the birds!). I went in, gave him his milk and snoogled him while he drank. We then moved to the playroom where we started our morning counting numbers with Baby Einstein (thank you thank you producers of this wonderful thing that is Baby Einstein and our friends Thomas and Will who sent us a new one!). I changed his diaper in the playroom (we have stashes of diaper changing supplies all over the house) and left him for 30 seconds TOPS to air out (meaning without diaper). I then went to the kitchen to dispose of said diaper and fill the sink for my morning load of dish washing (after washing my hands of course)... return to the playroom to find (yep, you guessed it) poop. Not just on the floor (thank goodness we have a rug over the carpet), not just on the toy he was playing with (don't tell Nathan it was his magna doodle), but of course... all over him. Because seriously, who doesn't love to smear their own poop all over themselves I ask you? :)

After the poop incident got cleaned up and put in the past, I was working back in the office for a few minutes. I head up to the front of the apartment to check on the boys (boys b/c now Nathan is awake to add to the craziness of the Bull boys) and I find this sweet dirt face... NOT poop face!

Yeah, that's dirt. Apparently Grant thought a great conclusion to his breakfast would be the potted plant up front. So so so gross. And as if I didn't know that, my little three year old commentator came out of the playroom with his own... EEEEWWWWWW, GROOOOOOOSS! Yeah, thanks Nathan, we got it :) But amidst cleaning off my baby for the umpteenth time this morning, I actually laughed and smiled... oh the adventures of little boys! Anybody want mine? :)

Uyuni and the salt flats

One of the perks to being an overseas missionary is the living abroad part. Gary and I haven't been able to travel as much as I think we would like to, since little ones in tow tends to cut down on the fun factor of travel. But last week we were blessed to have Trish offer to watch the kids at night so that we could head out just us... sorry, I was trying to remember the last time that happened :) It was hard since it was my first overnight away from Grant, but the boys did great and it was so worth it in the long run. We took a bus and a train to a little town called Uyuni in the South part of Bolivia and enjoyed a few days away marveling at one of God's most splendid creations. He really is creative that God of ours! Hope you enjoy our pictures... and if you ever have the chance... GO! It's so amazing!

The sun was amazingly bright! We got to see the process of producing the salt.

Llamas and some random animal made of salt.

This museum is made of salt... all the way down to the bricks... look closely.

At the edge of the salt flats because of the rain there was a beautiful reflection on the salt flats. (The mounds are mounds of salt that they scoop up to allow it to dry out before hauling it off for production.)

Our travel buddies the Washingtons! If you have to travel by bus and plane, they're the ones to do it with for sure :)

There is a hotel (out of service) that is on the salt flats and out back there is this sign... I know, crazy huh? Leave it to our husbands to see a photo op in the situation :)
In the middle of the salt flats is an island made of coral and 1000 year old cacti... it's amazing and from there you get a view of the dry part of the salt flats.

When you hike the island and get to the top there is a designated place to leave "sacrifices" to Pachamama (or Mother Earth). It's amazing what we find on a daily basis that shows us how much people here and everywhere need the Lord.

The dry salt flats. There is an amazing pattern of hexagons and pentagons that forms when the salt is dry... our God is such a creative Creator.

And the ever famous optical illusion photos :)

At the end of the tour you head back into town and drive past the train cemetery... allow me honor of translating :)

Roughly translated: "Such is life... This train needs a mechanic with experience... URGENT!"

"Please don't paint."

Hope you enjoyed your tour :) If you get the hankerin' come on day, we'll go back again!