Sorry for the lack of posting! Our internet has been down for a while, but we can't wait to show you pictures of all we did over Christmas. It was busy and so much fun with lots of friends and tons of sugar cookies.

Several mornings a week Reese and I do a little bit of preschool together. We pull out the books and markers and she loves it! We spend about 20 minutes reading through some classics, poems, another 20 minutes in our reading book "100 Easy Lessons", about 20 minutes in her work book filled with mazes, matching and coloring exercises. We often have Bible memory time, singing time, baking time, and feed the turtle time. She is great about helping me with laundry, watching Jamin and setting and clearing the table. I'm so proud of her. She is getting so mature in all of her 4 years!

Jamin is so precious and finds ways to keep himself occupied while we do school. Other than the shoe basket fun he has, he is also into any kind of moving vehicle. He will drive cars over my legs, onto the couch, try to reach Reese's workbooks and sometimes weave them around Daddy's big drum. He loves to imitate what Reese is doing and has picked up several sign language signs lately. He is so proud when he gets it right and we give him a loud round of applause!

My pictures aren't posting, i'll try again tomorrow...

One of Jamin's new favorite activities is playing in the shoe basket. He throws them out one by one and then puts them all back in. He is incredibly cute and so adorable! He is making so many new sounds with his voice, it almost seems as if he is talking. We just can't quite make out words yet. He and Reese are the best of friends. I can't believe it, but am so thankful. The other day we were sitting in the car waiting for Ben and Reese piped up, "Jamin, I love you so so so so so so much." They are such a blessing to us!

Here are a couple pictures of our living room decorated and ready for Christmas. We have the music going and hot chocolate in the kitchen!

As soon as Thanksgiving day was done we got into the Christmas mode. We set up the Christmas tree Ben brought back from Kenya for us, pulled out our Christmas music and started baking. Our favorite recipe this year is Grandma June's Sugar Cookie Recipe complete with yummy frosting. I thought I would share it with you all. Let me know if you try it out!

Grandma June's Christmas Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup margarine or butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt

Cream wet ingredients together, add dry ingredients. Mix well and chill for an hour. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick, using flour to keep from sticking. Cut out cookies and bake for about 8 minutes at 400 degrees.

Yummy Frosting

1/4 cup butter
2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 TBS. milk
food coloring

Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and milk gradually until frosting is the consistency you want.

Thankyou all who wrote us emails and encouraged us during Thanksgiving week-end! We did miss our families but God gave us a wonderful time with many of our Christian friends and fellow Americans. We had a great big meal with Turkey (brought back from the US frozen and kept in coolers!) pumpkin pie and green bean casserole. Everyone went all out and shared their hoarded special ingredients and we just ate and ate and ate together! Reese had a blast on the great big trampoline and is now praying for a yard, a trampoline and a dog. We will see what happens for Christmas....

Had to share some pictures of my sweet kids! I took these pictures as a surprise for Ben yesterday and they turned out so well!

Thanks to all of you who prayed for us while Ben was gone. He ended up having a wonderful trip and learned a lot. There was much to process and think through and it was good that we were apart so that he could have that time to focus. I was so thankful that God kept me and the kids safe and happy. We were busy with friends, dinners out and play dates! It was good to have Ben come home - especially when he brought us some special things from Kenya... a pillow, dark chocolate, coffee beans and a little christmas tree! We can't wait to set it up and start thinking about Christmas this year.

Two days ago Ben gave me the afternoon off so that I could go by myself to a coffee shop and write some notes. I was eager to get some time alone. About 5 minutes after I drove from home I was hit by a bus at the intersection close to our house. The bus gunned the green and hit me as I was going through. Praise the Lord I was protected. The car did get a big dent and I did get a bit scratched up, but I was safe.

The experience was eventful and I am so thankful that the Lord was with me. I could have been terrified but He gave me peace through it all. After I was hit, several people surrounded the car, directed me to the side of the road and tried to tell me what to do. Because I don't speak the language very well, I just kept telling them I had to call my husband. "I don't understand, wait for my husband!", I kept telling them. They finally got through to me that I was to follow them to the police station and after Ben found someone to watch the kids he made it over there to be with me. It took 4 hours to work through what had happened. They told me that I was guilty although I obviously was the one hit and I clearly remember the light was green when I entered the intersection! It was tough to be discriminated against because I was a woman, alone, without witnesses and unable to communicate for myself. But, I'm so thankful for the experience as it taught me a lot about understanding what it is like not to have rights or a voice. I did pray much that the Lord would use it for good and not allow me to have bitterness or frustration with the culture and He has done that! I'm so grateful for the protection that the Lord provided for me.

Ben is leaving tonight and is going to Kenya for a conference. I will be here with the kids, trying to find ways to fill our days without our favorite person. Pray for us as we are apart, mostly for safety and that God will teach Ben much during his days away!

Have we told you all how much we enjoy getting packages?! We don't get regular mail so when we do get something we have a party! Friends from the states sent us some special things that we miss from home like, a princess coloring book for Reese, a new "Living" magazine (yeah for magazines that aren't 5 years old - seriously!) a new car for Jamin and some ranch dressing mix! Thankyou Broten family, we love you and you made our day!

After lunch...

"Reese, I'm going to get Jamin down for a nap. I want you to look at books on the couch. K?"

"Okay, mommy"

After 20 minutes

Jamin is finally sleeping. Okay, I'll admit I was dozing a bit too.

Reese comes into the bedroom waking up Jamin...

"Mommy, mommy, look what I did!"

"Reese! I've told you not to paint your nails without me, where did you paint them?!"

"On my nails."

"No, I mean where did you paint your nails?"

Jamin is screaming, still very tired.

"On my nails, mommy!"

"Reese, at the table, on the floor? Where did you paint them?!"

"In here mommy!"

Hand in hand she leads me to the bathroom sink, which is COVERED in beautiful Raisin Rage nail polish!

Wish I had my camara, but of course the better thing to do was seriously handle the matter.

So, lets just say I quickly had TWO crying kids, a beautiful new sink color and another memory to add to the collection of raising toddlers!

Reese's birthday was so much fun. We had such a great party with her friends, reading and watching Cinderella together, eating princess cake and dressing up like princesses! She loved her little baby doll bed and makes sure her baby is tucked in every night.

Just two days ago the weather was so beautiful - in the 80's first thing in the morning! So, before it climbed any higher, I put the the kids in the car and we went over to the park. They loved running in the green grass and looking at the animals in the zoo section. I loved the freedom of driving around. Having the weather cool down a bit here changes things so much. Everyone has more energy and we have been enjoying taking walks in the evenings and visiting friends. I've been driving around, getting more comfortable with the crazy traffic and getting to know the roads a bit better.

Tonight we went out to the beach with some friends. We had a small picnic together and celebrated one of of our Swedish friend's birthday! We are all 27 this year! Finally we are not the youngest couple around!

J

Birthday pics!

Reese's 4th birthday is tomorrow and excitement is in the air! Ben and I have been really excited this year about her special day. We started earlier this month by me- making a patchwork baby quilt and quilting it and Ben - designing and having a carpenter at the market build a little baby doll bed. Today Ben picked up the baby doll bed frame, got the mattress man to make a little mattress that fit the bed perfectly and brought it home. Once I saw it I had the dimensions to make a little fitted sheet (complete with elastic and everything!) flat sheet and matching pillowcase (for the pillow I had made too). It turned out amazing and we can't wait to give it to Reese tomorrow for her precious little baby "Sweetheart".

Tonight Ben and i got to go on a dinner cruise with 25 other couples! We had a wonderful time sitting back and spending time with friends, meeting new friends and even winning a prize. They had a hawaiian theme and we had yummy food catered. There was a quiz that husbands and wives had to take and then compare their answers, Ben and i got the highest score 11 out of 12 and won coffee mugs and Kenyan coffee. We haven't had a chance to do anything like this together as a couple since we have moved overseas and it was such a blessing to have a night to focus on each other and our marriage
.

Another 106 degree day of weather here! We are handling it most days fine by keeping the coolers on or spending the afternoon in our one room with air-conditioning. But, it wears on the body to keep fighting to stay cool so we often are exhausted. Jamin and Reese love their bath times since it give them time to cool down. Here is Jamin wishing for a bath...

I have been so terrible in keeping this blog up to date as of the past few months - hopefully tho i'll do better now. We have been back 'overseas' for about 2 months now and getting into the swing of life here.

Jamin is walking all over the place now and turned 1 on Sept.8th! He is so funny and loves to make faces and get everyone else laughing. He has learned to climb and i've been finding him on the coffee table and standing up on chairs. Keeping me busy, but it is so much fun to watch his little personality form that i can not complain one bit!

Reese is now doing school every day. I really can't believe it. We had planned on doing homeschooling with her when the time came and so recently she has been eager to 'do school'! Every morning we sit down together and go through a few books people have given us (because i'm still trying to figure out what i'm going to use curriculum wise), read books together, work on bible memory, sometimes sing, sometimes go into the kitchen and work on a recipe of her choice, etc. She is growing into a beautiful little girl and is such a huge help to me. We have gotten into a good schedule and she happily helps me set and clear the table every meal, keep Jamin away from the ipod dock, pick up her toys and bring Daddy his coffee around 10:00am every morning.

Ben is in love with his job now. He is doing Bible Translation, working with teams to help them translate accurately, checking their translations and helping them understand the original Greek text. It is wonderful that he can do some of his work from home as he often pokes his head out of the office and shares what he has figured out or discovered. I love watching him pour himself into this role God has prepared and equipped him to do.

I have been busy not only with homeschooling Reese, but also hosting the local girls who come to visit us. We serve them food and drink, offer them a place to get out of the hot sun and toys and books to play with. I have also tried to teach them the alphabet etc, but it is alot of work! I have a new Bible Study that God provide for me. I feel so excited about this because this one has some women older than me and I have been feeling the need for some wisdom and godly women to teach me.

Jamin walked into the office while Ben was working and wanted to help Ben for a few moments!

Sorry it has taken so long to update. We are so busy here. It seems as if the world is going at top speed here at my family's house! We have been taking time to go for long walks here in Kankakee with my new (to me) used Maclaren! I had prayed about finding a double stroller and God provided for me over and over again. He is so good to me. Ben has been spending lots of time working on translation stuff, getting ready for the classes he will be teaching when we get back. We are also involved in a short film that my brother and Ben have been working on for over 6 months. They are about to do some shooting and we can't wait to see how it all works out.

I have so many pics and can't wait to show you all how much fun we are having. In the mean time thanks for keeping up with us and praying for us. We never expected to be here in the states right now but are thanking God every day for this gift - this time of rest and time with family. He is so good to us!

Hi friends! We traveled back to the States one week ago today. My sister Lib was such an amazing help as we had to travel about 15 hours by air. Both kids did really well and we were so glad to get 'home' to America! Our first stop was Panera Bread to have some coffee and bagels. We missed bagels!!

We spent a few days sleeping of the jet lag and filling our tummies in Kankakee with my family. It is so wonderful to be back with my parents, brothers and sisters. I have missed them so much! But, one of the best things about those first few days was the rain. Reese had a blast getting soaked, watching the rain and using the umbrella.

Now we are in Phoenix with Ben's family. Our objective here is to get doctors visits in and shopping done. There are lots of things we have been waiting to buy and so it's going to be fun. Tonight we are going out to dinner with the grandparents at P.F. Changs. We are so looking forward to it!

Our days are numbered as we get ready to go back to the States! One week and counting till the day we fly out. God is so good. I never expected that we would be able to go home this year, but He is so merciful and loves to give good gifts to His children. We will be in Phoenix with Ben's family for about 3 weeks in June and then with my family in Chicago for about 6 weeks. Reese has been telling us how much she misses Grandma and Grandpa and so we know that she is ready for this trip too!

This past week we took Lib to the beach. It turned out to be really fun especially with the sandy popcorn and muffins Jamin provided us with! Both kids loved playing in the water, Reese to much, as we had to constantly tell her to come back to us. And Jamin just crawled through the sand and into the water without realizing how close his little head is to the ground! Oh, well... We got some good video which Ben is going to use for our next Update Video. This will be episode 8 that will bring everybody up to speed visually on our last year.

This year has been a good and busy year. How did the time fly by so fast? I say over and over every day how I can't believe how Jamin is growing. He is so cute, I just can't stand it most days. He gets kisses all day long and chased around the house. Can you fall more in love with your kids? I feel like they have become so more precious to me than ever before. God has been so good!

Elizabeth made it safely here last week! What a huge blessing to have her visiting. We have been eating yummy treats that she brought us like granola bars and almonds and catching up on reading the magazines she brought. My mom sent Reese and Jamin some new books and they have been so excited to read read read.

Small commercial! There is no library where we are living and especially nothing for our kids. This sure makes it hard for kids and moms when we have to read the same 10 books over and over again. So, a few friends and I have been trading our kids books back and forth. That was a great idea until we all kind of exhausted them too! I have a vision... a solution to it. Start my own library for the other moms and their kids in the area. We would all benefit, especially the homeschooling moms, from a quiet room with couches, rugs and piles of books. My plan is to have anyone interested in donating used books for our library send them to a central location in the states and have them brought over here when there is extra luggage weight available. My vision is to get small groups, bible studies, youth groups, and homeschool groups exited and eager to help collect books for us. I'll keep you posted on how it all pans out!

In the mean time, here are a few photos. This is me with my Pumpkin Fudge! Ben made it for me for Mother's Day and it was overwhelmingly wonderful. I was amazed that it set so beautifully and only he knows how much I LOVE pumpkin fudge!

The heat has come! It is now consistently in the 110's and only going to get hotter. But, we are finding ways to make sure we can keep going. One thing that is really going to be a blessing during this next month is having my sister Elizabeth come and visit. Anyone living overseas will tell you that a visitor is the best gift you can be given. So, after alot of work and prayer we got her a visa and she has a ticket for May 1st!

The past few weeks have been busy with hosting and conference. One week full of meetings was good, but wore us out! Then this past week we have had people staying with us. We really enjoy hosting people and it has become a regular ministry that we have.

Could you all pray for a few things? Reese has a rash that has not gone away for months... it really concerns me and so would you all pray we can figure it out soon? Also, Praise God that Elizabeth can come! There are always details that have to be worked out until she is actually out of the airport and in our home, so we will need constant prayer for it all to work out. Pray that the blessing of having her here will really happen and that we will all get through the month of May with JOY, in-spite of the heat!

Reese is learning to play guitar with mommy!
We celebrated Easter by making some colored eggs, reading the resurrection story and singing together.

Thankyou Grandma Polly for Jamin's little book. He can now memorize the faces of our special family members.
One of Jamin's new activities - watching the wash machine! BTW - look at the chub on that little fellow!

Here is a picture of Reese singing 'Jumping Up and Down' for the kids Palm Sunday celebration.

Thankyou Grandma Polly! Reese and I made 'rice crispy treats' together after you sent us the marshmallows. It was such a treat, we shared some with some friends and savored every crunchy bite!

Here's my sweet little guy!

Here's the new car!