A Day Out with Thomas

Last weekend, we decided to venture out to Union, IL to the Illinois Railway Museum for "A Day Out with Thomas". It poured rain all morning, but luckily our tickets were for the afternoon and it was sunny, clear skies. Both of our kids are pretty into trains right now and are quite the Thomas fans.

This is a steam engine that will be up and running in September at the museum.

Both kids are pretty fascinated by electric train sets and they had a huge one!

There was a cute Thomas story time that Nathan really liked because the Thomas story involved a jet plane.

This was our first view of Thomas coming down the tracks! I wish I'd gotten Emie's response on tape. Nathan knew we were here to ride Thomas, but I don't think Emie really understood until we saw him. She just kept saying "I'm so excited!".

Both kids got Thomas tattoos that have held up to several baths and swimming trips since.

They were both excited to meet Sir Topham Hatt as well.

It was a fun family day, but as you can probably tell from the red cheeks, it was hot!! Especially when we actually went on our Thomas ride. Quite the sweltering ride!

One more month!

Today is officially one month until my due date with peapod! While it is likely I'll have a longer wait than that, seeing the date today still got me pretty excited! We still have a lot we'd like to get done before his/her arrival, but we're eager to meet our newest little blessing anytime.

This time around has been a little different as I have a very curious 3.5 year old who is full of questions about the whole pregnancy concept, and more recently, the birthing process. I thought I'd share a few recent conversations I've had with my deep thinking first born.

Nathan: Mommy, why does baby_____ sleep so much?

Me: Well, small babies get tired frequently and need to take a lot of naps.

Nathan: (while staring at my belly) I think peapod will be REALLY tired because it sure looks like A LOT of work to get out of there!

Nathan: Mommy, where will peapod sleep?

Me: Well, peapod will sleep in the small white cradle in Mommy and Daddy's room until he or she is older. Then peapod will sleep in the room next to yours.

Nathan: I think peapod would be happier in my bed. I'll go make room!

Me: I think peapod might roll out of your bed, a crib might be safer.

Nathan: Oh, you're right. Okay, I will go ask Emie if she can make room in her crib instead. (off he trots to discuss the proposal with his sister)

One day, I was helping Nathan get into his swim suit to head to the pool and I was sitting on the ground in front of him. He looked down and said "Mommy, (pointing to my cleavage) that would be a great place for peapod to come out! He could just stick his hand out when he is ready and I will grab it and pull him right out!".

Nathan: Mommy, I don't think you need to go to the hospital when peapod comes.

Me: I think it would be best if I go to the hospital. We will need the doctor to help when peapod is coming. Don't worry, you will have a lot of fun with Grandma and Grandpa and you can come visit after peapod is born.

Nathan: Superman helps people right?

Me: Sure he does.

Nathan: Well, I can put on my superman costume and then I can help you instead of the doctor!

He certainly keeps us on our toes! Emie just wants to know when she can have her own peapod in her belly. I'll let Daddy handle that one!

The soon-to-be big sister :)

Here is a video of Emie blowing out her candles at her birthday party two weeks ago. We all start out laughing at the beginning because as soon as I put the cupcake in front of her she said "Mommy, I need fire" and then started singing the Happy Birthday song to herself :)

A few fun updates about our very sweet and very loved little girl:

Emie talks non-stop! She is very similar to her brother in that she just loves to chatter constantly. We love hearing what she has to say!

She can play rough with her brother when she wants to and doesn't mind getting dirty, but she is definitely all girl. She loves all things pink, pretty dresses, mothering her dollies and she can definitely bring out the little girl drama when she wants to!

She loves to sing! Her favorite songs right now are ABCs, Itsy Bitsy Spider, I'm a little Teapot, and Arky Arky.

Her favorite foods right now are pancakes, blueberries and mashed potatoes. She made me mashed potatoes in the sand box today and while I was pretending to take a big yummy bite, she shoved a lovely shovel full of sand in my mouth. Interesting new experience for me!

In the last 6 months, she has become very cautious about new things. She needs a little coaxing to try out new playgrounds and stays pretty close to Mommy and Daddy in crowded or new situations. It takes her a little time to warm up and then her personality comes out. This is quite a change for us as her brother is 100% extrovert, but we sure love the snuggles!

Her favorite toys right now are her dolls, mega blocks, the train set and her play tea set.

Her current favorite book is "If you give a Pig a Pancake".

She hasn't really had a lovey to this point, but in the last 3 weeks has taken a particular liking to a green swaddling blanket that I pulled out to wash for peapod. She named it her "crocodile blanket".

She absolutely loves our neighbor and watches for him to come home so she can run out and give him a hug! He is the same age as my Dad and I think he really reminds her of her Grandpa (whom she is pretty crazy about too!).

She gave her Mommy the very special treat of potty training easily at 19ish months. I'll be forever thankful for the 6 month diaper break!

She is still a peanut, weighing in at a whopping 21 lbs at 2 years old. She is pretty average height though at 33.5 inches. She is currently eating like a horse though, so I'm sure a growth spurt can't be far away.

We think that Emie will love becoming a big sister in the next month. We are certainly expecting some jealousy as she is pretty into Mommy these days, but we can't wait to see her grow up into her new role. We certainly appreciate your continued prayers for our little Emie over the next year! We can't wait to see what God will do in her life :)

Baby Pool!

We've set up a baby pool for people to take some guesses on Peapod's gender, arrival time and birth stats. Click on the link and take your best guesses! There might just be a prize for the winner :)

Emie is two!

Emie turned two on August 8th and we threw her a little party on the 6th. Since our sweet little girl also has quite a sweet tooth, the theme was lollipops and sweets. Here is one of the cupcakes I made. Emie was insistent on having strawberry cupcakes, but when it came time at the party to choose her cupcake, she couldn't resist the chwocwate :)

Here is the house set up for the party, before the guests arrived. I had fun making this banner and Emie was pretty excited to see her name hung in the living room.

Here is the big birthday girl enjoying her cupcake!

And her goofball big brother who didn't want to smile for the camera.

Emie adores her Grandma and Grandpa and loves to just sit on the steps with someone she loves.

She had to take a turn with Grandpa too!

Emie received lots of wonderful gifts at her party, one of them being a pink tricycle. She can't quite reach the peddles yet, but loves to sit on it and pretend to ride. Another inch or so and she'll be ready to chase down Nathan!

The party favors were giant lollipops and our kids certainly enjoyed theirs. Nathan figured out how to bite it into pieces and was able to take it down over a few days. Emie has barely made a dent over the past week, but she enjoys a few licks each night.

Meeting Kate Dana

While in the Philippines, I had a unique opportunity to visit a girl that I have sponsored through Compassion for the past 9 years. She and her family live in Davao City, which is on an island south of Luzon (where Gus' family lives). Our whole family was supposed to make the trip, but with Emie having a bout of fever and diarrhea, Gus and she stayed home.

This is Kate Dana and her parents outside of the church where the project is housed. Kate's family attends the church and they are all active with church service and choir. Her parents run a small cafeteria that caters to the local high school students during lunch, so they are very busy! I was very glad that they were able to take a quick break to meet me.

These are the teachers and the director of the Compassion project. They were so incredibly welcoming to us. They made us a wonderful lunch and kept Nathan fully entertained the whole time we were there so I could visit with Kate. They provide so many wonderful services to the families in their program. From education and prenatal care for pregnant moms to job training and counseling for teenagers, they have a very holistic ministry. It was such an honor to meet and pray with them.

This is Kate Dana and her caseworker Helen.

Kate is very shy and was very nervous to talk with me, but she is a wonderful writer and has excellent English skills. She has written me in English since she was about 8 years old. All of the teachers and her parents were apologizing that she is not more talkative, but after reading her letters for so long, I know this little girl's heart and it is beautiful. She has such a heart for service and the gospel and I pray that she will grow into a leader for her community. When I returned to the states, she sent me the most beautiful letter I have ever received. It brought both Gus and I instantly to tears.

If you don't sponsor a child through Compassion, consider it. It has been very rewarding for our whole family. Nathan now refers to Kate Dana as his older sister and asks how she is doing on a regular basis. And if you do sponsor a child, consider a visit. I have always been glad to sponsor Kate Dana and have found her letters to be very rewarding, but actually seeing the project, meeting the teachers and understanding all that they do for their community, makes me so much more sure of how important it is to give to this ministry.

Camp out

We were able to camp out near the lake. It was much cooler there than in Tarlac, so it was a very comfortable sleep. Well, except for the bumpy ground!

We had a feast of hot dogs, rice, and marinated pork for dinner. Gus and I introduced everyone to the joy of Smores. I'm not sure they loved them, but I sure did!

Goodbye beautiful view!

Our energy was restored to begin our trek back to the waiting 4 x 4 vehicles.

We were sad to see our trip come to an end, but excited to get back to our waiting little ones. It was a good thing we were only away one night as Emie spiked a high fever and ended up with a bad stomach virus that nearly landed her in the hospital. She needed Mommy and Daddy!

Boating in Crater Lake

After arriving at the Mt. Pinatubo crater, we ate a quick meal and headed down to the lake for boating and swimming. Gus' brother Dong, sister Grace and our niece Jacki were in our boat.

The water was a beautiful blue. Because of the mineral quality of the water, it has no fish or plant life. It had an added bonus of making your skin feel soft and smooth!

The other boat

The guides took us to the other side of the lake. Mt. Pinatubo is still a semi-active volcano and though the water is nice and cool, the sand is burning hot. You have to wear sandals to avoid burning your feet and some spots are hot enough to feel through your shoes.

This was the first night that both Gus and I have ever spent away from our kids!

Here is the whole boating group. Some of the others opted to stay back and recover from the hike.

He Redeems

In June of 1991, Mt. Pinatubo erupted for the first time in documented history. It launched pyroclastic flow called lahar over 16 kms away and left a 2.5 km wide crater. Fortunately, there had been research going on in the area following a large earthquake in the previous year and the volcano was predicted and a complete evacuation performed. Only 800 lives were lost, but the area was decimated economically and the U.S. military pulled out of the region. Every rainy season since has brought more destruction to the area from erosion and flooding. Gus' family lived about an hours drive from Mt. Pinatubo and he remembers shoveling ash off of their roof.

We had the opportunity to trek to the crater with our nieces and nephews and it was a wonderful trip! The first half of the trek involves a 2 hour ride in 4 x 4 vehicles over the lahar and river. Quite a bumpy ride! We were a little concerned about my doing that part of the trip with peapod along for the ride, but all was well.

My sister in law, Grace, had just arrived late the night before and had been at least 48 hours without sleep, but pulled off her Jackie O look and was ready to go.

One of the 4 x 4 vehicles broke an axle and we had to stop for a bit while we waited for another vehicle. This is about half of the group that went.

After the 4 x 4 portion, we hiked another 2 hours or so to the crater. You used to be able to get within a 15 minute hike of the crater, but due to all of the erosion each year, it is longer now. I love the journey of hiking and was very glad we had a chance to enjoy the scenery on foot. The beginning of the hike was mostly walking on ash and back and forth through small rivers. There really aren't clear trails as the land is always changing, but you are required to take a guide with you as well as a guy with a big gun, so you are in good hands!

The last part of the hike is far more rocky and lush.

When you reach the top of the natural stairs, you instantly have a beautiful view of the whole crater. Truly one of the most striking views I have seen.

I am proud to say, that even in my pregnant state, I reached the top well before anyone else and had a moment to take in the view. I was instantly struck by God's redemption in this world. He takes the horrible, destructive and painful things of this world, and he makes beauty. He declares his Glory. When everyone reached the top, we felt compelled to stop and pray. To praise God for what he has done with this mountain and what he has done, and will do, with the ugliness in our own lives.

He redeems.

Easter Eggs

We dyed our eggs the day before Easter. Emie wasn't sure what to think.

Then she tried to eat the eggs whole!

Nathan was very excited and ready to go!

Our lovely eggs! We made egg salad for dinner the day after Easter, and naturally, the kids ate every bite. It is far more exciting to eat an Easter egg sandwich than a plain old egg salad sandwich. Don't you think?

In search of a little Spring!

Like many parts of the country, our "Spring" has been lacking this year. It has been rainy and downright cold, with only a few hints of warmth and sun. I got a little fed up with all of the cold, rainy days last week and decided that we would go in search of a little Spring. We headed over to Garfield Conservatory. It is a very large indoor garden run by the Chicago Park District, which means FREE!

We wandered through the rainforest,

explored tunnels in the children's garden,

and sat mesmerized by the fish pond.

Emie LOVES all things purple and was very excited to find these beautiful purple flowers!

And though I was not able to get a good picture of my dear children in front of the waterfall, I did keep everyone from diving in for a swim, and I call that a successful outing!

Tarlac Eco Park

We spent a day visiting a nearby eco park which is also home to a monastery. It was quite a ride up with the winding roads, but the views were beautiful and well worth the drive.

There is a beautiful statue that is at the highest point of the mountain and easily seen from the surrounding area.

Even Lolo made the trip! It was wonderful to have three generations there.

After visiting the monastery, we stopped at the river, stripped the kids down and went for a swim! While on our trip, I was grateful that my kids got to experience a lot of things that just don't happen in the U.S. anymore.

They had huts in the river, so you could stop for lunch. There were even some women coming by selling corn and boiled peanuts.