Trunk or Treat Take One

 Getting some candy

 Little Bo Peep

 The soccer player

 She held this balloon and her bucket and walked around by herself almost the entire time.  It was so funny!

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Grandma helping out.

We went trunk or treating this past Sunday at the church where my Mom works and I am currently subbing.  Our church has trunk or treat this upcoming Sunday so we are going to be candied out pretty soon!   The kids had SO much fun.  Tinzley was so funny at first because she would take the candy, say "tank u", and then hand the candy right back.  After about 5 or 6 cars she realized she got to keep the candy in her bucket and then she was off.  She just kept grabbing the candy out of the same basket and putting it in hers.  She was so cute in her outfit and managed very well in all three layers.  My Mom made the outfit and I am SO happy with it.  Jonas had fun too but was not as interested in the candy as he was in going down the inflatable slide.  We also got to go on a hayride around the parking lot and watch a little bit of Charlie Brown and The Great Pumpkin.  It was so much fun to just get to hang out with the family and have some old fashioned halloween fun!

We cannot wait to repeat it with our own church family this Sunday!

Happy Halloween!

Jonas turns 4! ALL ABOARD!

 

All of the BIG 4 year olds!

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Little miss cutie herself!  If you like that skirt, I can make you one ;)

 

The SILLY 4 year olds!

 

Getting ready to blow out the candles!  He actually smiled this year instead of crying!  I was pretty proud of him.  He really is getting SO big!

 

What is a train party without a train pinata?

 

Or a train cake?

Jonas turned the big 4 yesterday and had a GREAT train birthday party!  He had most of his sunday school friends come and they played outside in the gorgeous weather.  We had pizza, cake, and ice cream!  The theme of course was trains because if you have ever talked to Jonas you know about his LOVE for trains!  :)

Jonas is changing everyday!  He is playing soccer, and going to preschool five days a week.  Three days a week he comes with me to Homewood Day School and the other days he goes to a local preschool 5 min from our house.  He loves going to preschool where mommy and Grandma work but still is not so sure about the other one.  His main interests is trains.  He is really good at building tracks.  He also has an imaginary friend named Carkey.  Carkey does not go to church, he is sometimes at school, he has a swimming pool and a soccer goal.  Sometimes I think this is Jonas' alter ego because Carkey gets into trouble a lot, according to Jonas.  Something that Jonas is not lacking is an imagination!  He has crazy stories to tell and will talk to anyone who will listen and he is comfortable with!  Jonas is really doing a lot better about not throwing fits but he does have some anger/frustration issues.  He usually says he wants to tear things up or hit things that he does not want to do.  Example: ME: "Jonas it is time to go to church"  Jonas: " I am going to hit my church"

Nic and Vanessa got to visit and they thought these conversations were hilarious...me, not so much! :)

Jonas is COMPLETELY potty trained through the night and has little to no accidents.  He dresses himself, brushes his own teeth, picks out his clothes, tells me what he wants in his lunch, puts his dishes away, and cleans up his room (okay that last on is a total lie)  HAHA!

Jonas LOVES music.  He likes all kinds of it too.  He loves to watch music videos on YOUTUBE.  His favorite right now is the Numa Numa song.  He also likes to listen to the GLEE soundtrack but also enjoys some enrique inglesias and eminem.  Such great things that he is being exposed to, I know!

He picks up on everything that is said around him and still LOVES any attention he can get from anybody.  When he is around new people he talks like a baby which is AWESOME, (sarcasm, big time here)  He also says sometimes he wishes he was the baby and does not want to be a big boy.  This is only because he thinks Tinzley has it SO easy!  

He really is a good kid even though he is LOUD and obnoxious sometimes.  He surprises us everyday with new things he has learned and he always makes me laugh with a new story he has to tell!

I cannot believe how much time has gone by and how fast it goes.  I was just thinking about when we moved here Jonas was only 9 months old.  SO crazy!

Happy Birthday Jonas!  We love you!

Pics of the Walker

I know she is not walking in this pic but she just has some really great expressions :) 

Taking some tentative first steps...

Wearing her new walking shoes... :)

Ready for our first soccer game.  My Mom has the other pics of Jonas in his uniform.  He was not thrilled about getting on the field and playing but eventually got out there and ran around a little bit.  It was very HOT and humid but we had a very successful first game.  They dont keep score but....our team WON.... HAHA!  

Soccer and FINALLY WALKING!

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Jonas started playing soccer about three weeks ago and I volunteered to be the Assistant head coach...I know I have nothing else to do right?  It has been a lot of fun but Jonas is still a little clingy to me when we are on the field.  We have our first game tomorrow morning so that should be EXTREMELY interesting!  We have yet to really get him shin guards, or socks that really fit.  His legs are just so skinny and short.  HAHA!  It is also funny how much they do not understand about not touching the ball with their hands.  Like I said, the first game should be interesting!

I also have been working like a crazy person!  I have been working at the Homewood Day school mon and wed afternoons while the kids go home with my mom.  I also am working every other weekend right now at JCPenney.  I am still cleaning my friend Jodi's house every other week and then next Tuesday I will start doing the nursery during Ladies Bible Class at our church.  

Jonas is going to school two days a week and I have been trying to get Tinzley out to her very own storytime on Tues mornings.  She is SO cute but I can tell she misses Jonas when he is gone.  Jonas has become obssessed with Little Einstein's.  Seeing as we do not have cable we just rent the DVD's from the library. 

Tinzley also FINALLY started walking!!!  It only took her 16 months!  I will try and get some pics and video soon.  I should not say she has started walking...I should say she is starting to take her very first steps on her own.  We also FINALLY bought her new walking shoes.  Hopefully this helps the process.  :)

I am sorry I have been so behind on posting.  LIFE IS CRAZY!  I am trying to figure out what I really want to do when these kids are not going to need me so much anymore....I am also still trying to figure out life after having no full time job and life after my trip to Guatemala.  

The kids are SO good and SO happy.  Jonas has been pretty good lately.  Tinzley was a little cranky for awhile because she was getting all 4 molars and other teeth all at the same time.  Once all of those popped through she was back to her old self again!

I am trying to get back into the routine of school time again with so many of our friends back in school.  I am trying to get our church group back to seeing each other and trying to stay on top of back to school events, church events, birthday parties (One big one coming up soon, THE BIG 4 for Jonas, WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?)  Fall is SUCH a fun time of year.  I am looking forward to football, pumpkins, and trick or treating!  Then it will be Thanksgiving and Christmas before we know it!  Time sure does go by TOO fast!

First Day Of School

Ready to go to school

Going down the hallway

This is after I picked him up! Yes he is smiling :)

So Jonas had his first day of preschool today.  This has been a day I have been looking forward to and dreading all at the same time!  I never thought I would have trouble with it but I surprise myself still!  He did absolutely great.  He walked right in, put his bag on his hook and never looked back!  I did force a kiss on him and a good bye!  :)  Tinzley and I headed over to Target for some girl time and she was just not having it.  So after dropping Jonas off and her screaming in Target I LOST it for a good 40 min.  I had a lot of emotions going on but after a Chicken Biscuit from good old Chick Fil A Tinzley and I were good to go!  We got a little shopping done just the two of us and then picked Jonas back up from school.  He had a GREAT first day.  All I know is he had a cupcake, he got to play basketball in the gym, and his teacher said it was okay to wear pajamas to school and he thought that was hilarious.  I look forward to many more school stories from this kid!

Cousins

We are having so much fun with Isaiah and Rachel.  Jonas LOVES his big cousins.  He is actually acting better too so Tom and I are ecstatic.  We are looking forward to another crazy busy week with them!

Guatemala Part Three

This is a picture from the third day of clinic.  Third day of clinic I was relieved from my vital duties and put in charge of Children's Activities.  This was so much fun but so tiring.  They are so active and busy.  They just cannot wait to see what else you have in your bag of tricks.  Every experience is a new one to them.  Jumping rope, blowing bubbles, playing frisbee for HOURS!  We played memory, they colored, we smiled and laughed at each other and tried to communicate as best we could.  Some of the boys even learned my name.  For some reason they found my name very funny.

After about 3-4 hours of playing with all the kids, and getting a burned forehead and nose, it was time to head up for lunch.  We ate lunch in their new church building that they are still in the process of finishing.  The guys helped paint the inside and outside of the building.  The people of this church each contributed money to help build it.  They are also all pitching in to help build and paint it.  It is amazing the way these people take care of each other and their community.  They contributed 1/3 of their annual income to help pay for the building of this church.  Truly remarkable how giving these people truly are.This is the outside of the church.

After lunch I headed in to the dental area to get out of the sun and to have a brand new experience.  This is where all the teeth pulling happens.  As anyone who knows me, knows I am not comfortable with blood and pain.  The most trouble I had was seeing the little kids sit in this big chair and be so brave while a dentist comes and looks around in their mouth.  I cried twice while in the dental area but I had no trouble washing the tools.  It did not bother me at all!

Future Dr. Banks pulling teeth!These are all the tools that the dentists use to pull the teeth.

After all the dental patients had been seen we had a little time to hang out and take some pictures.  Some of us climbed up on top of our bus just to check out the view.

The view from our last day of clinic was absolutely breathtaking!  My pictures just do not do it justice.  I loved the mountains and how the clouds came rolling in every day right over them.  It was amazing how high up we were!  

The next day was Sunday and we had a short devotional service and were able to commune with each other on the first day of the week.  After an exceptional singing and lesson from Brandon we went into the market.  I LOVED THE MARKET.  There are people EVERYWHERE.  Everyone is trying to sell you things 'for a special price'.  I heard that about everywhere we went!  I loved walking around and watching all of the people.  There was one guy who followed us around the entire time learning our names and really wanting to buy from him. (I eventually gave in)  I ended up getting Tinzley a dress, Jonas a bus, and Tom a ring.  I bought myself a skirt, my Mom a yellow apple, and a couple of scarves.  

I cannot say enough about my experience.  I cannot say enough about the people I met, the people I spent time with, and the people that put up with me on this trip.  It truly was an experience of a lifetime.  I hope that I am forever changed.  I know that I have learned the value of patience.  Already I have been faced with traffic, long lines, and I really have tried to remember the people that waited all day to see a doctor or dentist.  These people will go with me everywhere.  I know that life will get in the way and I will forget some of the lessons I learned but this will always be a part of my life now.  These people will forever be with me wherever I go. Thank you so much to Kayla (STOP IT, my other brain, Are we there yet? BEST FRIEND FOREVER), Theresa (one of the sweetest ladies I know), Dee (for putting up with my singing), Carol (for making me laugh and cry), Colin (for always making me laugh and being a great Christian Man), Nicholas Nickleby (for letting me call you that all week and for all of your hard work), Danielle (for having such a great attitude and a smile that lights up a room), and Taylor (for being such a great listener and a great friend)

Guatemala Part Two

This is a picture of where we were the second day of clinics.  It was a little different because we did not have a building to be in this time.  The people sat all day on these benches underneath a tarp.  Dee and I worked together on vitals.  I was getting pretty good at getting vitals.  The only trouble I had was calling the people's names.  I have no spanish background at all so it was hard for me to not sound completely American when reading the names.  One of the woman there came and stood by me and read the names for me and she was extremely helpful.  Whenever I read the names the ladies in the front row got a big kick out of it.  I felt like I had a pretty good comedy routine down.  :) This is a picture of the woman that helped me out all morning.  She LOVED getting her picture taken.

After we got all the vitals taken we had lunch.  Lunch was provided by the village people that we were helping that day.  It was so sweet of them to feed us.  They prepare a ton of food and comes from there own stock of food.  It was hard to not appreciate and enjoy it but the food was definitely different then what I was used to eating.  I did my best to eat what was set in front of me.  These people are just so gracious and hospitable.  They are truly inspiring.  In a way that makes you wonder what you could truly do without.  So much of what we have is just excess.  It is not necessary for our everyday lives.  They have such a sense of community and caring for one another.  I look for that in my own life and hope that it is there.  We really need to start being there for each other and knowing the needs of our brothers and sisters.

After lunch we had some down time to help clean up around the clinic area.  There was just enormous amounts of trash everywhere. 

This couple was so sweet to me.  It is very unusual to see a man hold a baby.  This man held this baby all day unless the mom was feeding the baby.  Just a very different thing to see while I was down there.  Most babies are carried by their mothers or sisters and are carried on their backs. 

After the clinic was finished seeing patients and the dentists had seen all of their patients it is time to pack up and get on the bus again.  Again, I just LOVED the bus rides.  It was so great to see the country of Guatemala and all of the people.  Some times on the way home we would see the people we were just helping walking home.  How amazing to wait all day for a doctor or dentist and then to walk from miles and miles away to see them.  

These people also carry everything either on their head or on their back.  Just amazing the strength and endurance these people have to get around.  While taking blood pressure and pulses I had noticed some of the pulses were incredibly low.  I can only hope that it is because they are in such good shape.

Speaking of working hard.  Some of the guys that came with us definitely worked hard.  They were helping many of the churches in these villages build church buildings.  They carried big cement cinder blocks around all day.  They also did a lot of painting.  Amazing work and I was so blessed to have been able to witness such servant hearts.  This is Nicholas who carried cement blocks all day.  He also helped do some cement building the first day.  

We headed back to the hotel and after day two I was WIPED.  We got back to the hotel later than the other group and not too much earlier than when dinner started so not a whole lot of down time.  I tried to journal everyday but as the days got so busy the journal got forgotten more and more.  We had chicken that night I believe.  (Fried chicken was a pretty popular meal)  We then went to our nightly devo and meeting.  Brandon talked about Being Inspired.  He talked about how would we continuely be inspired and inspire those around us.  It is so easy to see God when you are out in a situation that has no technology distractions, or family/kid distractions.  It was so easy to focus your mind without anyone there to tell you different.  One thing he said that got to me was 'It is time for us to get out of HIS way'.  SO TRUE and definitely something I need to focus on in my life.  We focus so much on time and not having enough or always feeling rushed.  I find myself already becoming so impatient with life.  I hope that this is a way that I can continue to inspire myself and those of you around me.