Don't Talk With Your Mouth Full

New Things

New Camera (first picture!) New Shows to Watch New Ways to Go Up & Down New Rides A New Way to go Grocery Shopping!

My Sweet Nephew

I have been blessed to be an aunt to four little boys and sweet girl....but about a month ago, I became an aunt on the Gillespie side. Allen and Sarah had a little boy and I was able to spend a few days with them recently. It was a super quick trip, but I'm so glad I made it. It was special to cuddle a newborn without any other toddlers begging for my attention. Thank you to my sweet husband, Gamma, and Papa for taking care of my family so I could love on little Luke for a few days. Yes, I enjoyed my time with Allen and Sarah....but we all know that babies get the real attention.

An African Kid in a Winter Hat and Jacket?

Must be furlough time! We'll have more pics and updates coming soon, stay tuned...

Get Ready....

Two toddlers FULL of energy coming to a home near you!

Prayers for Our Comings and Goings

Tonight we are leaving West Africa and beginning our journey back to the States for furlough. Please pray for our family as we travel. Hopefully as we scamper through airports and drag luggage with children hanging on somewhere our faces will look like this: Stressed and stretched, but still smilin'!!!

Brothers And Friends

We had a team picture made this morning and took the opportunity to take a few extras...enjoy!Not my favorite picture (my hair was still wet), but I knew everyone would enjoy a new family picture.


But what you really want to see is...Brothers!

I thought Corban looked so big in this picture

Caden, Asher, Gabe


This collage made me laugh...we joked about it being their engagement pictures and Brett commented that from the look of Anna's face, it's an arranged marriage.

Snapshots of C2's Day

With HOURS of mischief and two naps in between!

"Daddy, wanna play owside?" - C1

We've gotten into a routine of being deliberate about giving C1 & C2 outside time together every morning. It helps them get some energy out and they love to play with each other. We love to watch them!

Bubble Face

We thought about giving several sets of statistics and anecdotes concerning Caden's most recent greatness, but two things stopped us. First, we will be back in the States in 3 weeks and you'll very soon be able to see how great he is firsthand. Second, those kinds of posts are overdone anyways and all of our children are great in our own eyes no matter what they do.
Instead, we present to you Caden's face surrounded by bubble bath. Much more interesting and amusing, at least in the short term...

On Our Own, Day 3

5:20 AM – Caden all up in my face asking for water. I send him back to bed with a full cup and I hope for another hour in bed.

6:27 AM – I got the extra hour! Thanks boys.

8:13 AM – Apples, bananas, banana bread, milk, water, Bob the Builder, some whiny little brat named Caillou, and 30 minutes outside playing. That’s what has happened in the last 1:45. We would have played outside longer, but Corban stepped right in some dog poop and then started playing with it. Sick.

8:35 AM – Corban dookied in his diaper so bad that I’m sure he must be trying to get back at me for something I did. Naptime for him.

9:49 AM – Craft time with Caden. We made something resembling an elephant.

10:31 AM – Corban up, time to wrestle.

12:35 PM – PBJ’s and bananas for lunch. Gotta get the boys down and then head to guys prayer time. What a blessing to have Antoinette around to watch the boys…

3:09 PM – Back from prayer time, C1 up, C2 still napping. Caden just got 5 treats for pooping in the toilet on his own. If only he could figure out how to wipe.

3:27 PM – Allen and Sarah had their baby boy! I’m an uncle for the 6^th time, the 1^st time on Prell’s side !

4:30 PM – C2 up, that was quite a nap!

5:07 PM – The boys are playing very well together. It fills me with so much joy to see them enjoying each other!

5:44 PM – Falling, crying, pooping, investigating, eating, running, jumping, not sharing. Any more “ing” words I missed, because they are all happening right now.

6:55 PM – Blues Clues and spaghetti. Couldn’t find any frozen pizza crust (that deep freeze often looks like a bottomless pit to me) so we did leftovers. Of note is that Corban is feeding himself with no help. He’s about the messiest child I have ever seen, but at least he is doing it by himself! Gonna have to pull out the steel wool for bathtime again tonight…

7:45 PM – Somehow I ended up in the bathtub with the boys and all kinds of madness ensued. The bathroom may need to be remodeled. The boys are down and I am going to relax!

Lunch Out

Yesterday we decided to eat lunch out at a local restaurant where they make pretty good pizza. Caden displayed his cutting with utensils skills and Corban displayed his really cute face skills. Enjoy!

On Our Own, Day 2

6:40 AM – Caden woke me up by putting on sunglasses and putting his face less than an inch from mine. It’s fun to wake up laughing and talking in bed with my son :)

7:18 AM – Corban is still sleeping, Caden is matching rhyming words, and I’m drinking spiced tea because it’s a little chilly!

8:47 AM – Taking advantage of the cool morning to play outside. C1 & C2 are playing in the dirt together.

9:11 AM – Sidewalk chalk!

9:37 AM – I just had a ridiculous string of visitors to the house. It’s kinda hard to talk to people and really listen when the boys are playing…maybe I should just pretend we’re not here…

9:50 AM – C2 down for his nap. C1 and I eating strawberries and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

11:26 AM – Corban up. We’re headed to Marox for pizza. Why? We just feel like it!

12:50 PM – Back from Marox. C1 & C2 are gonna run wild for awhile and then it’s down for afternoon naps…I think I’ll watch a movie while they rest.

4:21 PM – Everyone up from naps. The movie never happened because my bedroom was too air-conditioned and it is really hot.

6:45 PM – Matt & Grace here for dinner. The boys are watching Little Einsteins on the big screen while they eat. I am living this day to the fullest in the Lord.

9:37 PM – M & G just left. Good talks with them, they are great. Today has been rich and full and fun and crazy. Season finale of Heroes season 2 for me tonight and then a well A/C’d bed…it’s really hot. Pilaba cee, a demain, until tomorrow!

Old Man Pants

Comin' at ya! We have a new nephew! He was born to Allen & Sarah last night at 7:27 and was 7.5 pounds and 20 inches long. Please don't quote me exactly on the figures, it was all from voicemail :) Praise God for this gift...

On Our Own, Day 1

Tuesday:

3:45 PM – Corban up. Cuddly for the first few minutes, then suddenly transformed into a roaring maniac. I taught him to roar awhile back.

3:53 PM – Corban on the kitchen table. That took about 4 seconds of not watching him. All chairs and stools in the house now lying flat on their backs or bellies.

3:59 PM – April just called, they made it to Lome’. Corban lit up when he heard her voice in his ear…it was quite sweet.

5:04 PM – Caden up. I know, I know, 5 is a little bit late for an afternoon nap…but we’re gonna stay up late so who cares! April is gone…when the cat is away, the mice will play !

6:43 PM – Thought all of the chairs were lying down. One wasn’t. C2 is crying. Ouch!

7:11 PM – Due to a short afternoon nap, C2 is down for the night a little early. Cade and I = Dinner and a movie – “Finding Nemo”!

7:32 PM – Caden eating spaghetti while I Facebook. Some people are on Facebook WAYWAYWAY too much. I might be one of them. Nah...

8:03 PM – Cade just called himself “Baby Jesus” after I wrapped him in a towel after his bath…I guess it resembled swaddling clothes…

8:12 PM – C1 & C2 down for the night. Prell not here. What do I do with the next few hours???

8:49 PM – Spent 30 minutes practicing Kabiye with Akowolo, my Mon. – Thurs. night guardian. Now I’m gonna watch “Ironman” on the projector. For a few moments there I felt like a bachelor!

11:52 PM – Movie over, not sure for how long. I totally fell asleep about 23 minutes in. This bean bag is wicked comfy.

A Morning Outside

Sidewalk chalk!
Double dutch anyone?
He walks around all day with his tongue out
He doesn't have the sweet swing of a true hitter just yet, but he's getting there
He's not allowed to play under the stairs. His face tells me that he knows this
Commando training. He'll be up in that tree soon, that's for sure
I managed to capture the one split second when they were actually playing well together
I love this kid!
Cade is very deliberate in his shoveling methods
Dirt is just fun, period.
I'm pretty sure that this is dangerous behavior; I believe that it is illegal in several states.