UPDATE: I had to stop partway through the post after Alli started crying, so now it's the evening and everyone is out for the night.
Let's see...it's been almost 6 months since my last post. With 3 kids and a busy schedule, it's been easier to post quickly on Facebook than on our blog, so please "friend" us there if you want to keep up with us more regularly.
Here's my Facebook album with pictures of our Life in Thailand.
I'll pick up from where I left off and see how far we get.
Allison
So, yeah...Alli was born on April 20. =P She's now 6 months and is growing and developing so well. We're so thankful to God for blessing us with a beautiful daughter and that she (and I) have gone 6 months without getting sick, even with all the boys in our family (including David) enduring several bouts of colds, flus, and stomach viruses.
I don't know why it is, but girls do truly develop faster than boys. Or maybe it's because she was born drug-free. =P She had reflux as a newborn, so we had to always keep her upright. I usually kept her in the baby carrier. We also put her to sleep on her tummy because she just hated being on her back. Because of that, she started trying to crawl at 4 months. Now at 6 months, she's quite the crawler. She's also pulling up to stand and cruising when given the opportunity! We've had to resort to using the mattress pad that Eli usually sleeps on as her playmat. I think she's the most active and loudest of the 3. The whole family's enjoying her so much.
Ian and Eli run downstairs every morning to play with her before school. Ian is a great older brother who plays gently with her and helps me watch her when I'm busy with other tasks. Eli adores her and is learning how to play nicely with her and trying not to smother her with his hugs and body.
Here's my Facebook album with pictures of Allison.
My Mom
David started his official first day of work at ZOE on May 1st. Thankfully, my mom was still here at that time, as I adjusted to our new life of 5. She was an enormous help and blessing as she helped with cooking, cleaning, and caring for the boys. She stayed from March through the end of May during the hottest time of year and when the air quality is the worst. While I was sad to see her go, I was glad that she was able to get some rest with a stopover in Korea for a week on her way back to the States. Her health took a slight beating during her stay here, but all her numbers went back to normal after returning to the States. It was also challenging, but nice to try caring for the family on my own.
And here's my Facebook album of my Mom in Thailand.
David
After about 6 months of language study and settling in, David began his first official day of work at ZOE in May. His first assignment was to attend a 5-day self-defense training course with ZOE's Child Rescue Team. They spent all day learning techniques and sparring with each other in a room without air conditioning, only fans. Needless to say, it was an intense first week. Here are some photos from the training:
Missionaries David, Greg, and Rob (on the ground) with the trainer:
Missionary Sam:
His next project was to host a team of 12 interns from The Master's College, which happens to be affiliated with the seminary David graduated from. They were here for 6 weeks working on various projects for all the different ZOE departments, from sewing curtains, school outreaches, manual labor projects, to activities with the children at ZOE. Ian had a blast going to ZOE with David every Saturday to play with the kids and the interns. I think it was reminiscent for him of our lives in the States with our church family, having the attention of so many to play and talk with. He talked and asked about the interns daily during their time here. Here are some shots of the team:
The team at an outreach:
What a treat for Ian to be able to celebrate his birthday with the team:
One of Ian's buddies, Phill:
One of the interns is a photographer (Emma Leigh Photography), and she generously offered to take some family photos for us before she left. Here are some of my favorites.
In addition to hosting the Master's team, David also worked on developing protocols for areas of his responsibility and also counseled with individuals who work on the field for ZOE to assist with child rescue investigations.
He hasn't been able to continue his language studies with his new work schedule, but he does get to practice and hear Thai more often now that he works amongst Thai staff and the children.
Ian
After moving to a new country and beginning half-day kindergarten at the start of his school's 2nd quarter, Ian finished off the year at the beginning of June. Looking back, he accomplished so much. He learned to write his uppercase and lowercase letters, practiced adding his numbers, made new friends, studied Thai once a week, and learned to work through emotional setbacks on a daily basis...all while adjusting to a new life in a foreign country. We couldn't have been prouder of him as he finished off the school year. One of our greatest concerns in our move was how our sensitive Ian would handle the move to Thailand, but by God's grace and through all your prayers, it ended up being one of our least concerns.
In particular, he enjoyed attending a Christian school where he was surrounded by peers, older students, and teachers who knew about Jesus, sang about Jesus at weekly chapel, and shared prayer requests and praises regularly.
He continues to entertain, endear, and exhaust us with his many questions. Every day, he's learning how to respond graciously to his rambunctious little brother who seeks his attention by taking away his toys and smothering him. One of his great accomplishments is being able to play games like Candyland without throwing a fit whenever he gets sent back to the start or loses. He's still working through trying to use his words to express his discontent in the classroom, rather than immediately breaking down in tears. This still happens in 1st grade, but not as frequently. He's also learning to do his best to participate rather than quit even though the newness or difficulty of an activity causes sensory overload and great anxiety. Most importantly though, he continues to process his daily life's experiences in the context of something greater than himself. We continue to pray for a deeper understanding of who Jesus is to him personally as we try to highlight the Lord's presence and hand in every aspect of our lives, each and every day.
Here are some photos of Ian:
Playdate with his fellow Korean friend John, whose older sisters must've influenced his Kpop look:
Last day of school:
Graduation:
What his teacher wrote about him:
Celebrating his 6th birthday in Thailand:
Eli
Our very active Eli finished his school term at his bilingual school in early March and attended a summer program from March to April, which is summer in Thailand. His 2nd year of preschool began mid-May. He loves attending school until 12pm every day, continuing to charm the entire staff and enjoying play with his Thai friends.
The adjustment to being a middle child wasn't as rough for him as our initial move here, mostly because he now has words to express himself, rather than screams and physical tantrums. But the transition hasn't been without difficulty. He's definitely in need of attention from us all.
His great accomplishments have been potty training (yipee!), willingness to feed himself (he's still working through this), and knowing/writing his letters and all their sounds. He continues to challenge us with obsessive-compulsive tendencies, throwing tantrums when we don't have time to wait for him to do things "his way." However, now we've worked through most of the issues and now have the tools to address his heart and behavior as he tries to balance independence and obedience.
He continues to delight us every day with his uncanny ability to learn choreographed dances and routines from his favorite shows. He's moved on from The Wiggles and now loves to do Power Ranger poses, but he still loves Yo Gabba Gabba and Imagination Movers. He has a lot of personality and brings us great joy with his affectionate hugs and kisses.
Here are some photos of our crazy Eli:
In his uniform:
He loves dressing up, but it's so hot!
Music & Movement:
Summer camp fun:
Initially, we didn't anticipate putting Eli in school when we arrived. But his preschool has been a tremendous help and support for us during our transition. We're so thankful for the dedicated and caring staff. We feel like we're sending him to family every day.
The adjustment to caring for the family after my mom left has been hard, but not as crazy as I anticipated. Thank you God! If I prepare a day's schedule at least the day before, it's actually quite manageable. The problem is taking the time to prepare. Most of my days revolve around meal preparations, cleanup, errands, and just trying to enjoy the family in the midst of it all. I took a break from Thai lessons beginning in April and started up again after I returned from the States.
Ok, this post was quite a marathon. The next one will be about our return to the States for our first visit back. Thanks for reading if you made it this far!
