Happy birthday to my babies!

I'm such a bad blogger.  I always forget to post updates on how things are going.  I guess I should attempt to schedule some posts, that way I don't look at the dashboard every morning and think, hmmm its been awhile since I posted!  :) 

Anyhow.  Cait's birthday was Friday- she's 4 now!  So big!  Jacob's birthday is this coming Saturday, and he will be 6.   We decided this year to have one party, at home, since its probably the last year that we can really get away with having the same party for both of them.  We had a slight crisis (our renters are moving out and the company held our rent check with no notice this month), so we made a pinata, instead of buying on.  It turned out cute!  They are pretty easy to make, just mix up some flour and water into a thick paste, get some newspaper strips wet with it, and stick it on a balloon.  :)  (ok, so there's a little more to it, but that's the short version)!

Don't you just love the look on Caitlynn's face, in the first pic with me and Jacob?  :D  I didn't realize she'd done that until I uploaded the pictures.  All in all, it was a great day today.  I got alot of sewing done before the party, most of my Strawberry Shortcake rag quilt is put together.  Now, I have to finish the last strip, and then sew all the strips together, and fringe it all.   I will try to post pictures of that. 

Its the time of year that makes me want to craft... FALL!!  It has started cooling down sooo much in the last week.  We have had our A/C off since yesterday afternoon, and it didn't get too hot, finally.  With our electric bill being over 500,000 won (for the month of August), we are grateful that it is going to be our last ridiculously high bill.  Ayaka and I spent an hour and a half downstairs at the market, talking with a Korean couple that spoke English, learning some of their customs and also that we shouldn't use our Korean dryer!  :P  It seems that it is partly why our electric bill is so high. 

Anyhow, back to crafting.. Blogland has had so many creative posts and tutorials that I'm going insane trying to figure out which ones I can do!  :)  First on my agenda is to make 3 burp cloths, 3 stuffed balls, and a tooth fairy pillow. The cloths and balls are for baby showers I am going to this next week, and the tooth fairy pillow is for Jacob, who is currently working on his 2nd loose tooth!  Who knows, maybe I could sell them, too (the pillow, that is, not Jacob's teeth)!  There seem to be an awful lot of wives around here who are making and selling things.  :) 

We are so blessed to be living over here, it has definitely been a great experience so far!  While a friend and I were out last week, I actually asked a Korean lady if she spoke English (I asked in Korean), and she understood me and answered me!!  I was so excited.. lol..

In other news, our first week of school went great!  We are moving right along, and doing well with our new schedule.  It had a couple of kinks in it, just because of when payday fell (I had to go to Yongsan to get some last minute birthday stuff, and its a 2.5 hour trip there, and another 2.5 hours back, so we were gone all day), and then the next day Jon was home sleeping for an hour or two after CQ and then at the TMC (troop medical center) for xrays of his wrist.  Friday, they sent Jon to Yongsan, to the 121 hospital on base to see an orthopedic doc, because his staphoid bone is broken in half.  He will be having surgery on the 28th to place a pin in it, because not only is it broken, but one half of it is twisted and up away from where it should be. 

Whew.  I think that's about all I can type for now.  Oh, James has all 4 molars coming in at once.. Makes for a cheery household, don't ya think??  :O     Other than that, life is great!  :D

Long overdue pictures

So, here are some pictures that we have taken since we left Fort Hood in early February.  Lots of laughter, silliness, snow... We are currently waiting for Daddy to finalize an apartment over in Korea.  The updated amendment to our orders is already being processed, which is what we are waiting for in order to get a flight.  EEEk!   Starting to get excited!

In other news, little J has finally gotten his first tooth!  It took its own sweet time to come through- about a  month total.  (I was wondering about it- he will be 8 months old in 9 days- the other 2 got their teeth alot younger).  Miss C has been having alot of problems with her attitude lately- she actually broke down into hysterical screaming at Walmart today.  First time she has ever done ANYTHING like this.  I think that the Daddy seperation is wearing on her.  (She freaked out because she was in Grandma's cart, not mine, and since she was talking ugly to my mom, she couldn't get out of the cart.  Plus, in her defense, it was naptime, and we should have waited to go, but we had a deadline to get some stuff and drop it off at the church). 
Big J has been doing awesome with his school- his reading is coming along nicely, and he is starting to read words whenever we go out somewhere.  His math drove me crazy all last week, learning the difference between counting by 5's and by 10's!!  We shall not go there again.. lol.   Picture me with my hair all frazzled and my head in my hands.  Plus, has anyone ever come up with a good way to teach sight words?  I was explaining how to pronounce the word 'to', since he said 'toe'.  But then, how would you explain the words too, and two?  This homeschooling thing has stretched my imagination farther than I ever expected it to.  I love how I get to learn right along with him- even if its only a creative definition.  :)

Oh, and tonight at dinner, little J signed 'more' to me!  It was so cute!  He has started to screech at the table each time we eat, when the food doesn't get shoveled in fast enough, or if its something he doesn't like.  So, he screeched, and I scooped up some of my zucchini, and showed him (for the 80 millionth time) the sign for 'more'.  I said it, signed it, and he looked me dead in the eye and slapped his fingers together in just the same way I have been showing him.  :D  So proud! 

Ok, now that my proud mommy moment is over... on to the serious stuff. Ok, I lied- I just found out my best friend is having a girl!!!   Ahhh!  I am soooo going shopping tomorrow!  So cool!  Many blessings and prayers going up for them. 

Anyhow.  Lately, I have been struggling with trying to slow our lives down, get used to not going somewhere all the time, eating healthier, keeping my temper when we are all stuck inside by the weather for days on end, keeping up reading my Bible, working out... the list goes on.  I have realized that nothing is more important (after my relationship with God, then my husband) than spending precious time with my kids.  i have been making a much bigger effort to just plop down on the floor and play.

I don't have any eloquent words that will make this sound perfect.  I'm not perfect.  I lose my temper, holler at the kids, get frustrated when I have to explain things over and over (and over).  Daily, I wish I would have done things better.  And I am noticing, that each day, I am doing a tiny bit better at holding my calm, or playing with each kid.  And I give all the credit to God.  Lately I have been praying much more, and at many more times during the day.  Only he can give me the strength, patience and knowledge to get through the day He has given me.  :)

Things are going to be changing around here... so hang on for the ride!