Contentment

Something that I have been trying to grasp is being content.  Being content with whatever my circumstances are.  At times I do well with this and then at other times I am frustrated with the way things are going or wish things were different or so on and so forth.  So lately,  with Mike out of the house for the majority of the day and me home alone with the three kids, I found myself at first trying to run and do whatever I could to keep ourselves busy and not go crazy, but in the middle of last week, I realized that I needed to just accept the fact of how things were and find contentment in it all.  Yes, I am a mother of three boys, and yes, I am in a foreign city away from family, and even though at times it is not fun, this is how it is.  So, since I have come to terms with it, things have been going much better.  I have been trying to spend more time with my neighbors and learn this silly language, instead of running from here to there spending time with all my "western"  friends.  So tonight we went downstairs and hung out with all the "ladies".  I wish I could have had a picture of it.  Here I am surrounded by about 8 women, 7 of which have their heads covered.  They are all speaking Arabic and I am trying my best to follow, but mostly just catch words here and there.  Then there is a wedding across the street from us, so we all gather to the sidewalk to watch.  They way they do weddings here is that the groom and his family (I think, if I understood right) comes to the brides house and they play all this loud music and he goes up to get her and then they come back out together and his parents are dancing in front of them as they parade off to the car and then the whole entourage is off to the reception.  I just had to wonder what it would look like from and outsiders perspective to see this white girl in the midst of all these arabs.  Although one of my neighbor's daughters are pretty fair skinned, so maybe as long as I don't open my mouth I will fit in.  (well, except for the fact that I don't have my head  covered).  Anyway, it was a good night and I am finding more contentment these days!  Praise the Lord!

Our Crazy Life

The other day Mike and I met some friends at a nearby Burger King where there is a great place for the kids to play and run around.  It the same one that I walked to with the three kids a week or so ago.  I can't remember if I wrote about it or not.  I am sure it was quite the site though.  So this time as we were walking home Mike and I were laughing about how silly we all looked.  We have this small umbrella stroller, you know the kind that folds up pretty small.  Caleb usually sits in it first and then Judah gets on his lap, and off we go.  For some reason this night we had a lot of people looking at us and laughing or making comments.  I need to get a picture of it.

Anyway, not much else going on here that I can think of to write.  I have lots of pics to post.  I have been bad about keeping up.  Our  6th year anniversary has passed, Caleb's 4th birthday passed, Judah is all potty trained, and Mason has started eating solids. Oh, and I finished recovering my couches.  Amazing these little chapters of life that just pass so quickly.  Anyway, enough of my rambling, let me get the pics posted.

Caleb and Judah sitting in our kitchen window playing ball with some of the neighbor boys.

Here is Rock Star Judah at our friends house, at a "play date" 

Caleb turns 4!  (No, I didn't buy the cake from Safeway, I made it but just asked for a box at the store)

Mike and I on our anniversary!  Our friends volunteered to watch the kids so we could go out!

Our sitting room after.  (I still need to get up curtains)

Our sitting room before.

Happy 60th Mom!!! (You look amazing!)

It is hard to believe that my mom will be 60 today!  I sure wish that I could be there to celebrate with you and hope that you have a wonderful day!  You are and have been an amazing mother and it is only now that I am a mother myself that I realize the sacrifice and all that you did for us as kids!  One of the things I am so thankful for is how you have always given of yourself.  You spent so many late nights up sewing or baking for something special for us, and you taught us how to give to others!  Everyone who knows you is blessed that they do, and I am lucky to be able to call you my mom!  I love you!!!!!

Being Thankful

Recently we have been going through a bit of a hard time financially. (As I imagine many others are as well)  It has been a stretching time for us and one that we are definitely learning from.  I won't go into details, but through it will just say that it has reminded me to be thankful.  It has been easy to look and see that the grass is greener on the other side and wish that I were on that other side.  Actually there have been days that I have been dwelling on this fact.  Looking on facebook or hearing about what others are getting to do and starting to feel sorry for myself.  "Poor me!"  Then one day I was thinking, in my neighborhood there was one family on one side of me who kept there yard nice and neat and everything always seemed in order, but if I looked the other way there was the house that was not kept up too well.  Weeds were growing, an old abandoned car sat in the driveway, and the house just didn't look inviting.  So I thought to myself, "The grass can be greener on the other side, but it just depends on which way you are looking"  I need to remember that although times may be stretching for us right now, many people are worse off.  Funny because in one of my previous posts I wrote about this and how I am so lucky to have been born where I was and on and on, but how quickly I can forget.  So, I am reminded once again to look at how blessed I really am.  I have three beautiful healthy kids,  I have a wonderful husband that loves me and would do anything for me, that I trust and don't have to worry about.  I have a house filled with peace (well, other then the naughty little kids running around that I have to shout at from time to time)  I imagine that I could go on and on and think of SO many things that I have to be thankful about, but soon those naughty little boys are going to be up, so I better get going.  :-)  

I have two funny stories to share before I wrap this up.  The other day when I was home alone with the kids I was sitting and listening to myself and thought it would be funny if I just wrote down what I was saying at any 10 minute interval.  So here is a small sample, "Don't put your finger in baby's ear!  Don't put your finger in baby's mouth!  Stop!  Get down!  Be nice!  Be gentle!  Boys play nice together!  Don't hit your brother!  You need to share!  Do you need to go to time out? Don't say stinky boy or yucky boy! Judah get out of the bathroom!  Caleb don't throw your food on the floor!  Mason, what's the matter?  Don't cry. "   (actually that is probably more like 1 minute. :-)

Which brings me to my other story.  As you can see, it is always nice to get out of the house.  The boys do much better when they are out and can play with others.  Mike has taken an English teaching job for the summer to make some extra money, so I am at home alone with the kids for a big part of the day.  The other day he left and I gave him all the cash I had for him to be able to pay his taxi and bus fare, then about crazy time when I was SO ready to get out of the house my friend Victoria called and said they were going to "Burger King"  would we like to join.  Oh my goodness I would LOVE to, but just one problem, I need to borrow some money when we get there.  Of course my lovely friend Victoria said this was not a problem.  Great!  Hmmmm.....now how do we get there?  Burger King is not too far from our house, walking would take anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes (for an adult walking alone), by taxi it would maybe only cost about 70 cents.  So I searched the house for any money we might have....pockets, backpacks, Caleb's stuff, the change jar that used to have some change in it, nothing.....Hmmm, I could knock on the neighbors door and ask to borrow some.  They surely wouldn't mind, but I just borrowed eggs the other day.  I thought of backing out, but had already opened my big mouth to my boys who were jumping up and down and had their shoes on ready to go see their friends, and knew at this point if I told them we weren't going I would be dealing with crying the whole rest of the night.  So, I thought, "we'll walk.  It won't be that bad.  I have a stroller, a carrier and Caleb can ride his scooter.  No problem!"  So off we go, about 10 minutes into it and Judah is sitting on Caleb's lap in the stroller, I have the scooter perched on top of the stroller, and Mason is asleep with his head dangling back as I push the stroller uphill to Burger King.  We were quite the scene, and everyone was staring as they drove past. Oh dear, one of those moments where the "grass seems greener"  ANYWHERE!  We made it and had a great time though!

So, if you feel like that grass does some greener on the other side, remember to look the other way and see the brown grass or the weeds, or better yet, as the old hymn says "turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and Grace"  Thank you Lord for your Grace!  "I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart, I will enter His courts with praise, I will say this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice for He has made me glad"