Tick Tock

Dear Kaylee,
You have so much personality. I love every bit of it. Lately you've been really into dancing. You love to dance while I'm playing the Wii. Your favorite song is Tick Tock by Ke$ha. It's a song I would never let you listen to if some of the words weren't missing from the game and you weren't one, although since you are only one and you clearly just like the beat I let you. When you dance you barely move, but it is the cutest thing in the world!
You say things to us all the time. We pretty much always know what you're saying because your body language is really good. I think in the next month your vocabulary is going to take off because you're just jabber all day long!
The other night I painted your toes and fingers. You don't notice your fingers much, but you are very impressed with your toes. You keep showing everyone. You made sure that Daddy fussed over them to your satisfaction. Whenever I put an outfit on you I tell you how pretty it is. If I forget you go to your room and come out with a new outfit to put on. I then have to change your outfit and tell you how pretty it is. If for any reason I choose not to change your outfit, I hear about it until I eventually break and you get your way. You are very persistent.
Today we had Aunt Chelsea, Aunt Diane, and Cousin Josie over to play. It was way past your nap time. You were being very good, but when Aunt Diane and Josie started saying goodbye you practically chased them out of the house, and dragged me to the rocker. You were really wanting to go to sleep.
You mimic just about everything the boys do. You love them so much and you already look up to them. They blow on your tummy to make you laugh and you giggle so loud. You want to be big enough to sleep in Hunter's bed with him. Every night when we tell the boys to go get into bed you go with them, climb up on Hunters bed and get under the blankets. I always find you there, head on his pillow, with a huge smile on your face. You would fall out for sure as much as you roll around at night, so there's no way you'll get to sleep with your brothers anytime soon, but maybe one night I'll let you try a camp out in the living room with them. Maybe.
The looks you give speak volumes. I have to tell you all the time that squishy nose will not get you what you want. You are constantly squishing that nose up at me. You still stick that bottom lip out when you're sad and more frequently now when your feelings get hurt.
You stil love Barney. It's a bit of a stretch from Ke$ha, but you do love that purple dinosaur!
Sometimes when I'm rocking you, in an effort to stall you will give me about a million kisses. I secretly love it although I tell you repeatedly to close your eyes and go to sleep.
You run when you hear Daddy open the front door. You literally drop what you're doing and run to him, so sweet.
Of all the things you're doing right now, I love watching you toddle around the most. You walk with such purpose and confidence. I love watching you.
I can't believe you are 17 months old!! It goes so fast. I'm glad I got to stay home with you this year and watch you grow. I have loved every second of it. They're going to have to drag me kicking and screaming back to work when the day comes because you make my days so wonderful. I love you!
Mommy

Checking out her pretty toes!

Mommy's little Dancer

Dear Hunter,
You are such a physical kid. You are a snuggle bug at night. You need your hugs and kisses just as much as you need to tackle Connor to the ground and wrestle to the point I pull you apart for fear someone will get hurt. You love sports. All sports so far! Soccer practice was last night and you were so excited to go. You did great, but were very tired at the end. You love to dance. You dance all the time. The other day you were drinking a glass of juice in the dining room, listening to the radio, and your leg was just tapping and moving as fast as you could without spilling the juice. You randomly come up to me and say, "Mom, check out this move." Then you bust out a new dance move that you've developed. You love dancing with the Wii and I often have to move out of your way.
You love your sister but she can drive you so crazy! One minute you're playing with her and giving her kisses, the next minute I hear an exasperated, "KAYLEE!!!!"
You love it when I spray you with the hose. I love spraying you with the hose! You love baking. You love to help put the ingredients in and watching the goodies bake in the oven.
You are such a creature of habit. Every single morning the second your eyes open I hear you say, "Mommy, it's morning." Before I'm even out of the bed you're asking me for your juice, your bar, and a movie! I can hardly get everything out fast enough for you. The best days for you are the ones where when you wake up I'm already awake and I say, "Good Morning Hunter, your juice and bar are on the table, what movie do you want to watch?" That rarely happens since you get up so early!
You get very excited, very easily. Today Aunt Chelsea came over and when she knocked on the door you yelled at the top of your lungs, "AUNT CHELSEA'S HERE!!!"
I love the way you say "probably."
"probably tomorrow."
"probably you should come read to me."
Every day you amaze me. You are such a strong boy and on the inside you are such a teddy bear! I love that about you. I love everything about you!
Mommy

Showing Kaylee how to build with Legos.

You're not as thrilled to be sharing the chair as Kaylee is.

Like Daddy

Dear Connor,
The things you say lately make me laugh so much. Here are some of my favorites:

1. We were out to dinner and a very tall black man walked into the room and sat down at the table next to us. You stood up and as loudly as possible yelled, "OH! A BIG BLACK GUY!" He laughed and was a good sport about it, but I was slightly embarrassed!

2. Whenever you smell poop, you say," Mommy will you please change Kaylee. She pooped. It's DISGUSTING!" The way you say disgusting is so adorable. I'm going to try to get it on video.

3. "Even when you spank me, I always love you."

4. Whenever anyone pretends they are going to take Kaylee home with them because she's so cute you immediately fire back with,"NO! She's OUR baby! That's my sister!"

5. Last night was your first night at Soccer, and you were very nervous so you told me that your leg hurt to try to get out of it. You also tell me your legs hurt, or your arm hurts whenever it's time to clean the play room! 

6. After practice, you said, "That's a HARD game!"

You repeat things that Daddy says a lot and you want to be just like him. One night Daddy was getting ready to get into bed and he had a huge gash on his foot from work. He was replacing the band-aid on his foot and I told him to wear socks so he didn't ruin my new sheets. Daddy put on one sock! He's so silly. The next morning you kept asking why he only had one sock on and he would tell you why. Almost a week later you came out into the living room with one sock on. I asked you what you were doing and you said," My foot is bleeding. I need a sock." I asked you to show me where it was bleeding and you replied," Mom, I'm just pretending."
Just pretending to be like your Daddy, so sweet.
The other night Daddy told you not to interrupt. You continued to interrupt and had to do a time out. You started sobbing and ended up on Daddy's lap. Through tears and sobs you said, "Daddy, it's just so hard to wait." It was so darn adorable.
You just keep getting cuter and cuter. When you were a baby I was so afraid of you growing up, but it just keeps getting better!
I love you buddy.
Mommy

Food Stars

Dear Connor and Hunter,
I have always tried my hardest to make sure that you are eating balanced. It's been a challenge. I'm constantly fighting against holidays, grandparents, birthdays, vacations...I thought we were doing a good job until one night at dinner I had made mini meat loaves. I thought you would be thrilled to have your own loaf! I just knew you were going to gobble it up. I set it down in front of you and Hunter said, "Where are the donuts?"
I kind of laughed because that could only possibly be a joke since we never have donuts for dinner. Then Hunter started crying. Not a fake I want my way cry, actual crocodile tears.
So, once again, just when I think I have things figured out you two throw me a curve ball. There's no way we're going to have little boys crying at the dinner table for a donut.
I looked up the current food pyramid for toddlers, which I typically have hanging on the fridge anyway. Then I had Daddy take the information and make it look like a plate of food with empty boxes for each serving. The plan was that every time you ate a serving of fruit you would get a star, etc.
Step two: I took you shopping. Before we left we sat down with your new charts and talked about how we could get stars. There were many questions about why we need to eat vegetables and fruits. We settled on the fact that we need to eat healthy so we can grow as tall as Daddy, which seems to be pretty important to you these days. We went to the store, food charts in hand. I let you guys pick out everything you wanted so that you would have plenty of opportunities to earn all your stars. It was a pretty expensive shopping trip, but very fun. Connor carried around a cucumber through the whole store. He kept calling it his vegetable. Then we got some fishy crackers as a reward. If we earned all our stars we could have some fishy crackers before bed.
We didn't earn all our stars. In fact, it's been over a week and we've yet to earn all our stars. You just don't eat enough to get it all in. However, I'm happy to say that you are very aware of what you should be eating and you are making excellent choices. Hunter will say things like, "I want a fruit star" or "That's a junk food star."
Connor asks "is this a hot dog star?" "is this a vegetable star?" before he puts anything in his mouth. He doesn't want to waste a bite on something that might not earn him a star.
I love how I can give you a star to teach you things. You get so excited about them! This has been really fun for all of us. I love you!!!
Mommy

Wongani's Hope

A few days ago I shared a blog post about helping people regardless of nationality. If you have not read it yet, I encourage you to read it now. 

http://www.incourage.me/2011/06/what-about-the-kids-in-our-own-country.html

Periodically in our lives we are invited by Jesus to do something big, life changing for all involved. However, I love how the author above states, "But nearly every other day, he issues the invitation for me to stay home, to make dinner, to love my husband, to lead a small group, to see my neighbors, to love my city. I don’t always take that invitation seriously. But it is no less important."

I find myself in the smaller, no less important, invitations. Which is why when I see someone close to me accept one of those big, life changing invitations I feel a wave of emotions. Fear, of the unknown that they are embarking on. Jealousy, of their ability and willingness to accept such scary invitations. Amazed, at the grace and love being shown. Sad, that I don't feel called to do something so big. Relieved, that I'm not. Guilt, over my relief.

Beka  has been called to do something big. Something life changing. A few years ago Beka went to Malawi, Africa. During her time there she volunteered for the organization Ministry of Hope which runs two crisis nurseries for orphaned babies. It was at the nursery that Beka felt called to action. 

Many babies in Malawi are abandoned by their parents because they don't have the means to care for them, they are convinced the baby is cursed, or their parents have HIV/Aids.A lucky few get to go to the crisis nursery where wonderful people like Beka care for them until they are two years old. When they turn two they get released from the nurseries and go join their families.

This sounds like it should be a happy day, and for a few it is. For the majority it is not. Many families are not happy to see their little one return. They feel the burden of another mouth to feed. In fact, one in eight children under the age of five are dying. Malnutrition levels remain high and account for about half of all child deaths!

During Beka's first trip to Africa she cared for a little boy  named Wongani. She fell in love with this little guy.

Wongani was sent home to live with his father and eight siblings when he was fourteen months old. He was a very happy, healthy little boy! Four months after his return home, when the nursery caregivers checked up on him he was so weak from malnourishment that he could no longer walk or talk. He was able to come back to the nursery for awhile but unfortunately had to be sent back home once he turned two. There are many stories like Wongani's. It was through his story that Beka found inspiration to start Wongani's Hope.

Wongani's Hope is a non-profit organization that Beka founded in order to build a crisis center  for children 2-5 years old. Wongani's Hope will provide a safe place for babies who are discharged out of the nursery. Beka has been to Malawi several times now. Each time she's made progress on her crisis center. Recently, she just purchased the three acres that the center will be on. She'll be leaving again soon for a six month stay during which she will try to get water and power to her land. She'll start a garden on part of the land, while she works on getting the appropriate paperwork and permits completed so that she can begin building. 
Wongani's Hope will be such a blessing for these children who have so little. There are so many children that have been sent home, to conditions unimaginable to starve physically and emotionally. A place like Wongani's Hope would have helped baby Blackstone.

He looks chubby, but that's just how swollen he is!

This little boy is Blackstone. In this picture he is 28 months old, but he was unable to crawl, walk, or talk. His family was told by a witch doctor that he was cursed because his mother died during birth. Even though they believed this, his family took him away from the crisis nursery when he was just 7 months old. While being cared for by his family he had only gained five pounds. He hadn't been to a doctor/clinic for at least 6 months and he was extremely malnourished and sick with malaria among other things. All of the other children in the home were well fed and healthy. Beka was able to get him back in the nursery for a short time but as of today he has been back with his family for at least 10 months now. Beka wrote to me,"I hope he is still alive."
Hope in it's most desperate form.

Below is a picture of Naomi while at the nursery.

This is Naomi after she went home.

How desperately these kids need somewhere safe to go when they leave the nursery. 

How can we help here at home? Indulgences in West Richland approached Beka and offered to host a BBQ fundraiser on Friday, June 17th at 6:30pm. The BBQ dinner is $5 a person and 100% of this goes to Wongani's Hope (non-profit organization). Bring yourself and a lawn chair! Beka will give a short presentation on Wonagani's Hope and then Indulgences will be providing entertainment afterward. Please come, hear Wongani's story, support Beka and all the wonderful things that God is doing through her.

If you live out of town or can't make the fundraiser, please prayerfully consider donating to Wongani's Hope. You can send donations through Beka's church.

Mabton Grace Brethren- Pastor Paul Guay

428 B Street, P.O. Box 216

Mabton, WA 98935

* In the Memo line please write Malawi *

In the future Beka plans to have a more direct path for donations

Below are pictures that Beka took during her trips to Malawi.

A young girl who's carrying her two week old brother on her back. I can't imagine letting a girl so young carry my newborn! Babies raising babies, breaks my heart.

Look at this cutie pie!

Babies in the nursery where Beka worked.

A home to one of the babies from the nursery.

Some new cribs the nursery got while Beka was there!

This site has lots of good information about Malawi babies.
http://motherchildnutrition.org/malnutrition/about-malnutrition/anthropometric-definitions-of-malnutrition.htmlhttp://www.unicef.org/malawi/children.html

My little clown

Dear Kaylee,
You sure know how to make us laugh. You love to make your brothers laugh and do the silliest things. Today I was reading a book to you and I showed you a picture of a cupcake. You licked it. At first I think you were really wondering if it tasted good, but then Connor and Hunter started laughing hysterically. You looked up at them and watched them laugh for a good ten seconds and then you started licking the cupcake like crazy! It was pretty funny to watch you think it through and decide that you wanted to make them laugh more.
You've started talking in your sleep more. When I'm rocking you it's easy to tell when you've hit a deep sleep because you yell something out. I don't know what you're saying but you say it with importance!
You sleep like a rock just like your Daddy. It's actually a little scary how hard the two of you can sleep. Last night you were in our bed, which you seem to be trying to do more frequently these days, and Mommy had to go to the boys bed. This left you and Daddy in the bed by yourself. I woke up in the middle of the night to you screaming and Daddy scrambling to pick you up off the ground. You had rolled over the top of him and off his side of the bed without either of you knowing until you hit the ground. Maybe it's a mom thing, but even in my sleep I know exactly where you are in the bed at all times, so it annoys and baffles me that you and your Dad are so clueless in your sleep. I love that you finally want to snuggle with us while you sleep even if you only do it a few times a week.
You are still scared of the water. You only like the bathtub. You won't play in the pool or with the slip 'n slide. We bought the boys squirt guns and we turned the hoses on and had a huge water fight in the backyard. Mommy had to quit playing early because you were just standing in the middle of the lawn screaming at the top of your lungs with this look of complete fear on your face. I just know that right at the end of summer you will finally decide to like water and then it will get cold.
You love dressing pretty and getting new clothes. The Children's Place had a huge sale on Memorial day. We don't pay more than $5 for kid clothes and all their shirts and shorts were $3! They even had free shipping so I ordered a ton of t-shirts and shorts to get you through the summer. They came in just the other day and you were thrilled. As I pulled each item of clothing out of the box you looked it over and then held it in your arms. Towards the end of the box you had an armful of clothes that you didn't want to put down. I had you try on some pink shorts and a cute pink halter top first. Without prompting or me showing you how to do it you started spinning around to let us see how good the outfit looked on you! Then after you showed us you decided that you wanted to wear one of the teal outfits and had me help you change. I had to pry the new clothes out of your hands to put them in your drawers. I would have let you carry them around for awhile but you would have gotten them dirty and that would have created more work on me. While I was prying them from your hands I remembered the necklace that Grammy bought you and that turned out to be the perfect distraction! You let me take the clothes after I put your necklace on. You love that necklace and often wish to wear just your necklace and diaper!
You still aren't saying a ton of words but I feel like you talk all the time! Daddy is getting excited for you to start using words so he will know what you're thinking. I admit it will be nice, although you do a great job of showing us what you want and need instead of telling us.
Your brothers love you more every day. They are now in a ritual of giving you a hug and a kiss before they go to bed at night. If they don't get the chance, they sneak out of bed and come to where I'm rocking you. You eat it up! You love all the attention. If you had your way you'd be three years old, but as it is you just do your best to keep up with them.
You keep us all on our toes that is for sure! We love you so much around here.
I love you and love you,
Mommy

 Kaylee and I after a very long day, she did not feel well at all! 

 She always has energy to "ham it up" though! 

 Loves to cook! LOVES it! 

 Kaylee's new outfit and necklace.