lessons learned.

In the big scheme of life, a month doesn't seem like a significant amount of time.  But depending on the events that make it up, 31 days can have a profound effect on a person.  In the last 31 days, I've been pregnant with two babies, endured a c-section, welcomed two new babies to this world, increased our family to 6, and embarked on a new adventure like nothing we've ever done before.  And along the way, there were bound to be lessons learned.  Below are just a few of the things that I've noted as lessons learned.

• Having twins does not mean that the work is doubled.  You can go ahead and multiply the work by 25, and that'll be more accurate!  
• People say boys are bad to "spray" while changing a diaper.  I argue that while girls don't exactly "spray," they can make a mean "puddle!'
• Grown men WILL use a hairdryer to dry the remains of the previously mentioned "spray" and proceed to wear the soiled shirt out in public!  True story!
• I do not recognize my body anymore.  I study it every time I take a shower and wonder when the body I've had for 33 years will be returned.  
• Leaving the house with four kids should be an olympic event.  Our current time record is 2 hours, and even then, we are often late for wherever we are going.

• Changing the diaper of a baby girl in front of a six-year-old boy will evoke a string questions that you may or may not be prepared to answer!
• My day planner looks more like this these days.  I keep up with milk, diapers, and poop.  Be jealous!

• Sleep is under-rated.  Maybe a full night's rest will return one day... along with my pre-pregnancy body!  
• Putting a newborn in a tub of warm water is one of the most amazing sights.  I can almost envision them in utero... pure joy for them.

• Projectile vomiting is a real talent!  Note to self:  Always be careful where you aim a baby's mouth.  
• Apparently in Thailand, twins are considered a wonderful thing, but if you have a girl AND a boy, they will always respond with, "You are very lucky!" Sometimes at 3 AM, I don't think  the word "lucky" crosses their daddy's mind! 
• Trying to dress a baby is like trying to thread a wet lasagna noodle through the eye of a needle--- Impossible!  There should be classes for this.

(The above outfits are actually the 'easiest outfits' we own.  They are compliments of my friend, Kyrsten!  Check out her Etsy Store.)

• NICU nurses are some of the most wonderful people in the world.  

• Post-partum hormones are... interesting!  Unexplainable tears, anyone?
• People in India told us we should hire live-in help for the babies.  Maybe they were on to something!
• When Thai people question me about the twins' genders, they most often ask, "Boy or Woman?"  I have a hard time referring to my infant daughter as a "woman."  It makes me laugh every time. 

And last but not least:

• After admiring our new family of 6, a taxi driver asked Jason "if the factory was closed," to which we both quickly responded, "YES, SIR!  This 'baby factory' is most definitely closed!"  Sleep deprivation, postpartum hormones, showers of urine, and projectile vomiting have sealed the deal!  But I'm cherishing every minute I get with these four beautiful gifts that have made me a Mama!

six years.

In honor of your sixth birthday with love-

On January 14, 2008, she laid you in my arms.  Her words were, "He's not my baby.  I've always thought of him as your baby and I was carrying him for you."  And a lump swelled up in my throat.  I knew that she had just laid one of the greatest treasures I'd ever possess in my arms and it was the most unselfish act I had ever witnessed.



That night is as vivid as something that occurred five minutes ago, but somehow SIX YEARS have passed.   And that little 7 lb 11 oz, blonde haired, green-eyed baby has brought more joy that we could have imagined.



This morning you proudly announced that the greatest thing about being six is "that it takes two hands to show [my] number."  Somehow growing up is way more exciting to a boy than to his mama.  Every year you add a number, I praise God that you are growing and changing, but I am also reminded how quickly the time is passing and how important it is that I make an impression on your heart NOW, rather than later!



So as you begin this sixth year of your life, I pray BIG things for you.  And even though I know we will fail you a million times as parents in the next 365 days, we trust that God's grace is BIGGER and that He will change you for the better, despite our imperfections!



Lord, we thank you for Max, for choosing us to love him, guide him, and mold him in these impressionable years.  We pray that your grace would abound as we seek to make the right choices in parenting and as we daily fail and start anew.  We ask that you would continue to draw his heart towards Yours.  We pray that you make his sin abundantly clear to him and that You show him his need for a Savior as only You can do.  Help Jason and I to plant seeds of You in his heart so that the fruits of Your Spirit will be evident in His life.  As this world attempts to draw him in , Lord, it is our desire that he would turn towards the only hope that is available to us- You.



Happiest Birthday, Max!

Love,
Mama and Daddy

six on saturday.

I missed 'five on friday' by just a few hours, so we'll just go ahead and rename this post 'six on saturday.'  Just thought I'd use this post to update everyone on life.

1.  We are still in Thailand.  But last week, our crew grew by three adults when my mom and dad and Jason's mom arrived!  It's been over a year since we've seen my dad or Jason' mom, so all three of them were a welcomed sight!  Jason's dad will join the fun in a little over a week.  We could not be more thrilled to have everyone here, especially Jack and Max!

2.  Unfortunately, planning their trip dates was a bit of a guessing game (as babies like to decide when they want to be born!)  So while we wait, Jason is enjoying showing them around Bangkok.  The boys and I tag along when we aren't in the middle of homeschooling or when there isn't much walking required.  Yours truly isn't much on physical activity these days!  In the last week, they've seen an insane amount of markets and malls, taken a large variety of transportation modes, tried some fun street food, and taken part in our favorite activity- the Thai foot massage!  Hopefully the waiting passes quickly and they enjoy their time in Thailand.

3.  So when are these babies coming?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Their due date is March 10, but that's very unlikely.  The doctor would like to see them make it to 37 weeks, which would occur around February 17th.  As for now, we are just waiting, hoping they pack on the pounds while they continue to bake, and praying that they are born healthy!

4.  Did I mention that we are having a girl and a boy?  We would have been happy with any combination of genders, but we're pretty excited about the idea of one of each!  The new little guy should be right at home with two big brothers, and this little girl will be a fun new addition to a house full of males!  

5.  We had a virtual baby shower last week, via Skype!  Jason's mom's church was so gracious to bless us with a shower.  Prior to their generosity, we were minimally prepared for the birth of babies, but after their outpouring, we are fully prepared to dress and care for the twins.  Thank you so much, Bethel Baptist Church!  We could not be more thankful for your kindness!

6.  And last, I leave you with the ever exciting self photo (taken about two weeks ago.)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  Looks like some of the world is finally starting to thaw out and enjoy some sunshine!

five on friday.

1.  Sorry for the radio silence on the blog... We've been busy settling in to life in Bangkok!  Despite the recent protests that are occurring in the city, we are loving our time here.  Great temperatures, fun outings for our boys, and the fact that we've eaten everything from beef to pork to shrimp this week make the days fun and enjoyable!  We're keeping busy while we wait on these babies.

(Not to worry... we are staying clear of any areas where the crazy crowds are located!)

2.  While we wait for our family to increase, these babies are busy growing and growing and GROWING!  Some days I'm not sure how much more space I have.  So this week, I sort of retired the idea of pants and turned my attention towards dresses.  I found a new dress for a great price at the market the other day.  AND I wore it.  Much to my surprise while googling the real cost of that particular "dress," I learned that I had in fact spent the day out in Bangkok wearing a "nightgown!"  Pregnancy has brought out the Fashionista in me!  I'll try to save my nightgowns for bedtime in the future.

3.  In other odd happenings, Jason went running this week as he does each morning.  And he returned with two bags of fried chicken.  Would you call that an oxymoron?  Thailand's street food lures Jason in every time!  But we did have a great lunch.

4.  We celebrated a birthday this week.  Max hit the big SIX!  The most exciting thing about that is that "now [he] can use two hands to tell his number!"  He enjoyed his day at Toys 'R Us choosing a gift, playing at a huge play area, and dinner at McDonald's.  I have all intentions of posting his birthday blog very soon... at least before he turns 7!

5.  Today Max rounded out his birthday week with his own "fashion faux pas."  He spent the entire day with his shorts on backwards.... not because he didn't know, but because he was just too lazy to make the swap!  The Marlins are going to spend the weekend brushing up on fashion, how to tell the difference in a dress and a nightgown, and how to get the most out of your daily exercise regiment!  Happy Weekend, friends!

about that age.

He's about that age.

You know.

The one where he prefers the likes of Iron Man 3 and Duck Dynasty with his daddy, but he'll still settle in for an episode of Diego if it just happens to be on.



The one where he'll attempt the manliest of chores around the house, but he'll still let you read a book aloud to him any time you're willing.



The one where he wants to pick out his own clothes, but he still doesn't know that there is such a thing as coordinating colors or fashion.



The one where he'd rather be throwing a ball with his daddy, but he just can't resist the call of a playground that is made for a boy half his size.



The one where his 'toys' consists of things such as iPads, but he'll spend hours in a toy store looking for the perfect toy that'll probably just find a home on a shelf.



The one where he'll quickly shut the door if he thinks you might have seen his naked "cheeks," but he'll still ask you life's uncomfortable questions like, "how will those babies come out of your stomach?"



The one where he still kisses you on the lips at bedtime, but you walk away every night wondering if that was the last.



And I'm about that age.

The one where I want to cheer him into a new phase of life with air horns and pompoms, but I'd rather stop the clock so that he doesn't EVER grow up!

Thankful this morning that he's only ABOUT that age... and I've still got to time to treasures all of his life's questions, his kisses at bedtime, and the innocence that still consumes his little heart!

christmas in the sand. 2013

It's been 7 days since Christmas, and I'm still smiling about it.  It seems like the past few years I've carried expectations of how I wanted Christmas to go, and I've walked away from it at the end disappointed because things didn't go exactly as  I planned.

But this year was so different.  I didn't have any plans, no expectations... except for one.  I wanted to see presents laid out in the sand and watch the boys open gifts in a place that they'd probably never open them again- the beaches of Thailand!

And that's what happened.  We woke up on Christmas Eve, later than usual because we'd been traveling the day before.  The weather was beautiful- sun shining, ocean breeze blowing, and the sound of waves beating repeatedly against the shore.  We spent the morning having breakfast, relaxing, and just enjoying time together.  After lunch, the boys were anxious to head to the beach, and it seemed like the perfect time to load up all their presents and have our Christmas.

You can't have Christmas without a tree, so we carried a small tree with us from India and Jack was our official planter of the tree!





Once the tree was ready, the boys hit the water.











Jason and I took advantage of the down time and relaxed in some beach chairs.





Once they were tired and the thrill of the waves was over, they found a seat while we set up the gifts.



The natives got very restless in those few minutes!



Finally, it was time.  We made them close their eyes...



Count to three...



And turn around to see this year's spread!



They were pretty happy with all that came their way!









Jack's big present this year was a surprise... and iPad mini!  With all the traveling we do, Jack's outdated iPod just wasn't up-to-par anymore.  This boy has the most grateful heart!  He cannot open gifts (even the simplest of things) without "ooh-ing and aah-ing" and gasping at each item!  It makes my heart happy to see his joy in receiving!







Max was equally excited to open his big gift... a Nintendo 3DS!  He's been using Jack's hand-me-down that is barely hanging on.  I think their technological needs have all been met for a while!







They got a heap of stuff, but the stockings are always a hit.  They can't seem to dig into them fast enough.





When it was over, we loaded it all up and headed back to our hotel where they could really open everything up and play.



It was perfect- everything about it.





I hope it's a memory these boys hang on to for quite a while!



It's definitely going down as one of my favorite Christmases EVER!  Merry Christmas, Jack and Max!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Let me introduce you to the main character of this year's Christmas- this guy...

He's such a trooper for my crazy ideas!  He didn't sign up to drag a more than 50 lb. suitcase across sand.  He's not much on laying out blankets, organizing gifts, or setting things up exactly like I instruct!  But he was priceless.  I love his servant's heart and that he did it all with that cute smile you see above!  Maybe next year, I won't be 7.5 months pregnant, and I can resume my role, Jason!  Thank you for making Christmas 2013 happen!