13 Years Today!

So today is our 13th anniversary, and as was the case when we got married, we are again students (at least Nile is)! I could say a lot of nice, mushy things about Nile...but he would make me delete them anyway (he truly would and has done so before), so I will keep it short and simple:) I have so much respect for the decision Nile made (granted, I agreed to it but it was his feeling/vision that God was calling him) to come to seminary, even though it seemed crazy and impossible at the time. There were, and still are, so many uncertainties...but one thing is certain, and that is that God has called us to be here, at this time and at this place. I am very proud of Nile for listening to the voice of God when it meant a lot of hard work for him, less security and "comfort of living", and a slightly more emotional wife on his hands as she copes with missing friends and family:) I won't say that I think he is more handsome than ever or that he loves his children more than anything, because those types of things would be deleted. :) Oh, and I won't mention how I so appreciate his humility and always have, either. By the way, this picture was taken before I learned about a wonderful little thing called plucking your eyebrows, so a little grace, please. Happy Anniversary and I love you!

Funny Stuff 7

It has been such a long time that I had to look back in the archives to see which one I was even on! I lost a lot of good comments during the moving process, mostly because I was way too busy to write them all down. So, here are just a few. By the way, Nile's first day of class went well...he's a little freaked out by Greek (honestly, who wouldn't be?!), but he's excited to be getting started. I was looking through the Greek primer and was getting freaked out on his behalf, but I didn't want to be discouraging, so I just said, "Oh, this looks interesting..." and trailed off.

Seth:
"Is it near the Japanese or near the Bermuda Triangle?"
"This is like a savings bond."
"Now, let's see if this is affected by gravity." (doing one of his experiments)
Josie was frustrated because there were lots of bees around, and Seth said to her, "They help the world, you know."
"Mom! Could you please get me a drink as fast as you can because I have a popcorn kernel stuck on my uvula and it really hurts!"

Josie:
"I have two boy friends. They are Gabe and Seth. My brothers are my bestest buddies."
"Are we lost or do you know where we are?" (This is becoming a familiar question as I learn to navigate my way around St. Louis-if I am lost, I tell her we are on an adventure and how fun it will be)
We watched the movie "Spirit", and I think the poor girl had tears in her eyes for at least 70% of the movie, seriously. At one point, she turned to me and started sobbing because a horse got injured. When it was over, she said through tears, "Tell Daddy to never get this movie again!" I had no idea it would be a sad movie...I had only heard it was good, which it was, but maybe not for her. She is SO sensitive. By the way, I did offer numerous times to turn it off and she did not want to.


Gabe:
We were praying the other night, and I asked the boys to start praying and then I would finish. Seth started and said some nice and appropriate things, then Gabe begins like this, "I pray that my mom would be a little more generous and give me more money in my allowance cup so I could buy a new Star Wars guy." I opened my eyes in disbelief only to find him smiling-good thing you were kidding, boy.
"Mom, do you know what's so amazing about Josie? She can already do the firepole and all the high climbing things by herself. She's practically the only three year old girl who can do that stuff."

Making Their Own Fun

The school week finished up well for the boys, though I may have spoken too soon about Gabe enjoying school. He was a bit off this week...slightly disrespectful, seemed to anger easily at his siblings, etc. I asked him last night what was going on with him and he said, "I just want to move back to North Liberty and go to my old school with my old friends. I wish we didn't have to move here." Tough stuff for a little guy to process, though we talked a lot about communicating those very normal feelings in a respectful way.
Seth had a good week. God answered my prayers that he would hold it together well until I had a chance to meet with his K teacher and fill her in on some things. We met Friday, and I feel really good about things. They have wonderful guidance counselors who do lots of lessons with the kindergartners, and can even provide more social skills training if we think that's something he needs at some point. She previously taught for many years in a talented and gifted program, and told me that she is no expert in identifying TAG kids, but that Seth is very, very intelligent. I say that not to brag, but only to say it did this mother's heart good to hear that although he may have some deficits in certain areas, he has strengths, too.
And then there's Josie...there are such precious little girls on campus to play with, and she seeks out all the boys to play with. That is true even when Gabe and Seth are at school and she and I are out there playing. The other day, I was cracking up as she told some bigger boys, "Watch me go down the firepole all by myself. Don't worry-I'll ask my parents for help if I get stuck." And down she went. They were impressed, which is of course what she was hoping for.
Nile and I are doing well. He starts classes this Thursday, so things will change then! We had a family over the other night for dessert and it was really fun. I am starting to meet more moms now that I am done putting the house together and can take the kids to play more. It is hard for me-it's just not my personality to love seeking out social opportunities, so I have to force myself (or maybe Nile has to strongly encourage me) to do that.

Here are a few pics of the kids entertaining themselves. Poor Josie, there are no princess dresses here (she wouldn't want them anyway) so Hulk will have to suffice. The boys made her wear all black so she could be on their Special Agent Squad, and she loved every minute of it.

She made herself, "a little area to just relax"

Update

Quick update on Gabe-he is doing great at school. He has made a few little friends, and seems excited to go to school and ride the bus. He and Seth have also made some fun friends here on campus that they play with every day, so that has been a real blessing. Here are a few pictures of our living room and dining room. Sorry to bore some of you, but thought our parents might like to see where we are living and how things are shaping out:) Notice the beautiful artwork on the last picture, done by the equally beautiful Shadley Grimes. I need to raise it a bit, but pretend it's in the right spot.

First Day of School and Other Random Stuff

Today was the first day of school for the boys. They were very nervous! Gabe woke up super early, saying he felt like someone was poking a sword into his stomach. I asked him if maybe he was just feeling anxious, and he said yes:) I was a wreck worrying (yes, sinfully worrying-I'll just own up to it right off the bat)about how Seth would do. Turns out Seth had a great day, so I was very thankful. When I picked him up, his teacher whispered to me, "He is SO smart." I told Seth she had said that and asked him why he thought she said that. His reply, "I don't know. I didn't even answer any questions." Classic Seth-so cute. Gabe is still at school, so I'll report on him later. You can tell from his pained expressions below how nervous he was-I couldn't get a smile. Thanks to our precious friends and families who I know have been praying for the boys today. Love you all!


This was after picking him up from his first
day-I think it went well!

Our "before" kitchen picture

Some "after" shots

Josie and Daddy just waking up

At the Zoo

We went to the zoo yesterday (some of us very grudgingly...Seth) and had fun. Seth told us he didn't really want to walk so much, which isn't surprising:) I didn't take too many pics because we had a lot from when we came over Spring Break.

No nap for Josie made for a very tired girl. Love

the remnants of a red sno-cone on her face:)

More shots of our new home

This pic doesn't do it justice, but there is

a very steep hill in our backyard. The kids

have been rolling down it and pulling each

other down it on a sled. Supervised, of course:)

At the top of the big hill in our backyard, there

is this great open space, plus swings and a
basketball court.

Our patio, complete with Gabe on the ledge

Some playground shots-this is right outside our

apartment building.

One cool thing about living on campus is that every Monday and Thursday night, St. Louis Bread Company (known as Panera in Iowa) brings its leftovers to us for free. This was my steal from last night. You literally just walk to the student center and pick out what you want. How awesome is that??!! Nile laughed at me for wanting to post a picture, but I was so excited that I just had to.

Some catching up...

This is AquaPort, and that's the boys at the top
of the slide. What fun!

The boys' room...sorry, it doesn't show much.

Josie's new room

Josie sleeping in her new room. She bought
that dog with some money her grandmas sent
her, and named him Cooper.

The boys were exhausted after all the excitement!

Josie and I at Nile's parents

Seth somehow knew I needed a pick-me-up. I

went into my room to find a heart surrounded

by m&m's and a smiling boy.

Hanging out while mom packs up

My dear friend, Alissa, helped me pack and keep

the kids entertained for two days. When we packed

up the kitchen, we found...wait for it...nine, yes, nine

bags of opened chocolate chips. I don't want to speak

for her, but I think she was impressed. In my defense,

those were on a shelf that I can't reach very well:)

Still pathetic, I know.

Our first set of helpers on move out day: Jordan,

Craig, Dan, Devin, and Bill Freeney. You guys rock!

Thanks to our second set of helpers on "move out

of the storage unit day": Josh, Andrew, Willy, Max,

Wesley, Jim, and Bill. What a blessing you all are.

div>>

Finally Settled In

We are almost settled into our apartment at the seminary, almost a week after moving in! For some reason, I thought we'd have the place looking great in two days, and here we are on day six! I think the hardest thing was trying to fit all of our stuff into our apartment-you really have to think about how to be efficient with your spaces:) Nile has been a big help, doing house projects and taking the kids to play a lot while I get organized. We have some great neighbors, so that is a huge praise. They are originally from Singapore (at least Weisan, the dad, is), and they have 5 kids!! Our kids seem to be adjusting fairly well, though both boys are begging to be homeschooled instead of going to the public school here. Still thinking through that one a little...
We miss you all already! In some ways, it seems like we are on vacation and should be getting ready to come home soon. Gabe said he was sitting on his bed playing, and it seemed like he was back in North Liberty at our house, and then he remembered we were in St. Louis. I've shed a few tears so far, but I trust in God's plan for us. I will post some pics soon-we are having some trouble getting an internet connection in our apt, so I am sitting outside at our playground on campus because it can connect out here. Josie is having a grand time playing while I sit here. It is a nice, big fenced in area that is pretty new-the kids have really enjoyed it.
That's it for now...I will post more soon, now that most of the work is done! By the way, a HUGE thank you to the people who helped us move! I can't even tell you how much your help meant to us. You are such a blessing, and we love you all. Sorry for the lack of cohesion in this post, that's pretty much my life right now:)