Lawrence is 2!!

Thanks for my stickers grandma.


Happy Birthday Lawrence!


This is yummy peppermint chocolate cake for the big people.

The unexpected

Hey there,
Its been a while because:
1. We found out a week before that we needed to be in Gettysburg PA the next weekend(weekend right before Thanksgiving) for a conference. So we drove the 10 hours both ways. We were only 2-3 hours from my folks but they were headed to NC so we just went and came back. Nuts.
Highlights?: The kids loved the pool and childcare.

Thanksgiving: We were hosting another family and 6 internationals. However, at 10am we lost our electricity! I went to the neighbors and found out that a transformer had blown and everyone for a few blocks lost power, for who knows how long. SO, last minute we moved the whole shabang to the other families house(phew!) It turned out well. Can you believe I've lived overseas 7 years and never lost power as much as I have here in KY? :) Speaking of overseas, I was inspired from past Thanksgivings with the Sawyers, to make real Cranberry sauce and yummy apple, sausage stuffing. Thanks Sawyers. Ahhh it makes me a bit sad to not celebrate with old friends:( Remember Caroline putting her blank on you and rubbing your belly Kevkin?

Big news: Lawrence is now sleeping in a big boys bed. Wow. Hard to believe. And he is just so much more able to understand and talk. SOOO freeing. But, so much discipline to be had. . .

hair cut

So, Mark has been on my case for some time to get those curls up to a "boy"level. I must admit I was hesitant, and now am a bit nostalgic as I look at this video. Aren't they great curls?





So, here he is without curls with Caroline for our Christmas pic:

Wall paper removal by Lawrence

Law was a little upset about his naptime yesterday. I was one tired mommy. So I let him up there for a while. I could hear him moving his bed, but didn't know the damage he was doing until after he woke up from his nap. see following picture:




Law at his best singing O come let us adore him:

Library

One of the things I was excited about in moving back to the states was the public library! WOOHOO.

Well, after yesterday, I'm not sure I'm taking both my kids there again for a while, maybe around the due date of the books. . . we'll see.

Any wisdom seasoned american mothers? Caroline is fine, we went for reading time. Lawrence on the other hand gave me a run for my $. They have these buckets of toys they put out for between reading times. We get there right before a reading time, but not right at reading time, so my kids find some toys. Well as soon as Law gets attached to some rings(he calls bagels) they librarian comes along and tries to get him to let go of them. OHHH NOOO, he's not giving them up. I, a little embarrased ask him to give them to her and then proceed to take them out of his hand. Imagine a almost 2 year old screaming "Bagel, Bagel I want my bagel" over and over at the top of his lungs. Now, I'm 5 months prego, and I'm trying to hold down my big boy. I try taking him to the water fountain, no go, the train table, uh uh, the other section of the library, no way "bagel, bagel I want my bagel" Ok, I'm done. Lets get Caroline and go home. Wait, how do I get Caroline in the middle of 10 kids and 10 parents? Ok, no ones helping. Everyones looking at me. Law is still screaming. Can't I just give him a darn bagel? NO, I can't give in, everyones watching, then all their little kids are going to want their version of a bagel. AHHHHHHHH.

So, I don't think its fair to rip Car out of the reading time, nor can I handle 2 screamin kids. So I give him 1 of the bagels. He is still crying, but a bit consoled. The librarian is opening in a round of Old MacDonald and that grabs his attention. . . Ok, its over, toys out again. I survived.

But come on. At first I was mad at the stupid library for having toys at all. Isnt' this reading time? Then I was mad at the librarian for making him give them up, can't he just keep the bagels? Then I was mad at all the calm mothers and fathers sitting there not helping me out, HELP!! Then I thought, maybe I'm the nutcase. Maybe my kids are way out of control. Maybe I just shouldn't go out.

Ok, I feel better. But I still won't be going back to the library with Lawrence anytime soon.. .

Meg

A little meeting of the neighbors. It worked! We met a bunch of them and talked with them for a few minutes!



























My new highlights. Better Glynnis, better. . .

One of those days. AAAAHHHHH. The kids seem to be at each other all the time. Maybe I'm trying to do too much, you know, the dishes, the laundry, freeze the meat before it goes bad. . . I don't know. I have them quiet at the moment, no they have themselves quiet at the moment. but I couldn't resist writing in the midst of the chaos. Today I went to the Post Office and its the 2nd time I've gone and dreaded it as my kids go nuts there. I bribed them with candy the whole time and it went better, but I told the post office man(praise the Lord hes a sweet one) that I won't be coming back after #3 is born. He said, thats why I quit at 2. Ok, sweet, but not as thoughtful as he could be. Ok, kids are fighting over a block. I wish Tedd Tripp would come parent my children. He'd do a much better job. Maybe I could hire him. Maybe I could go have a spiritual retreat so I can really do what I'd like to do in parenting. Anyway, I'm off to be the peacemaker or just send them to bed.

YIKES

WOAH who is that?

For Grandma

Hey mom, I know you don't like blogs, but its the easiest way!
Here is the rocker. I'm working on a good Law video singing!!

Meg

I just don't get this blog thing. I have had a few moments thinking, "oh this would make a good picture and my life will look fun" and then I reconsider as the reality is that those cute pictures of my kids in the mud are followed by me wrestling them to be clean and getting in trouble for letting them dig up the backyard. Those cute pictures of the 2 of them on the chair are proceeded and followed by my exasperating them because they don't want to cuddle and get their picture taken. You don't see all that in the cute pics. Now, I am a melancholy. really. I can find something hard about most things and live in the deep sadness of it for a long time if I let myself. So, there are some fun things that really are fun. Like the pictures of this orchard, it was actually a pretty good day! I mean some screaming on the way home and a tired afternoon for me, but overall an A+. But, friends, I just find life right now to be difficult. I love my kids, but I find the teaching/training them each day to be way beyond me. I rarely have to think too long at night before I can find a whole host of things to repent of and ask for help in. Not that I do that every night, but I wish I did. I'm praying a lot lately for patience, wisdom, love, and for forgiveness. I'm struggling to accept the personality I've been given, but not use that as an excuse to sin. Parenting is hard.

So, my blog is not happening so much. Maybe if I change my idea of what a blog is, or if you just let me be me and be melancholy. . . we'll see where we go from here.

Meg

Hi friends,

Too much to catch up on since May. So, lets just start from last night for now. Banana pudding. MMMMMMM





And for those of you I haven't been able to keep up with the good news is that we are expecting #3 in early April!

Can someone tell me how to get one of those fun counters on my blog? :)

Meg

Transition

A well loved word by me right now. I shouldn't complain, It does challenge me in ways that I wouldn't chose to be challenged, helping me to live out what I say I believe. It forces me to be a bit humbler than I would normally, and it puts me in a needy place, whether for emotional stability or just physical needs, pushes me to confess my pride, and get help from God or others. So, I'm trying to embrace this state where God has me, if you cant tell:)

After moving home from Asia, living with my parents for a month, and now living with a family of 6 for 5 months, we are:
1. Going on vacation with some beloved friends for a week
2. Spending time with Marks family for a week
3. Moving in with a family of 5 for June
4. Flying to Kentucky to find housing (leaving the kids:)
5. Visiting some churches
6. Moving into another apartment in July( this one is people free!)
7. Moving to PA for a few weeks end of July
8. Moving to Louisville, Kentucky early Aug.
Ok, are you tired yet?

Ha. I'm actually looking forward to it. After a challenging month, I'm ready for some change! And I'm looking forward to Mark having a little more freedom and for the relational time with loved family and friends.

Yes, we are now headed to Kentucky so Mark can study at Southern. Not my first choice, but I think it is the best option for us at this time. Have any of you, my friends ever even been to Kentucky? Didn't think so. Let us, your dear Collins', give you a sincere invitation to come visit us and check out the beauty.( so I hear).

Caroline is so capable. She is almost potty trained, and she (when she wants to) can do almost anything on her own. I can't believe how much I can talk with her and how much she can help me. What a difference 3 years old is to 2 years. AND, Lawrence. Ahh, the cutest. He is changing so much too. I'm so enjoying him. More than ever. He sleeps through the night now(well, most of the time). He says words, bebe(pacifier), yucky, dada, mama, etc. He is at the stage that he will come give you a kiss.

AHHH, that brings back fond memories of Asia and Caroline when she would give everyone a kiss when she went to bed. Remember that?

Ok, I'm digressing. A few pics and a hearty hello from a needy girl in transition.

Time with Grandpa Clarke in NC(great grandpa that is:)

Lawrence on the stairs!

Great Grandma Caroline

Lawrence tries to drive the truck!

My athletic daughter catching bubbles

OOOOOHHH COLD:)

Hey friends. Long time no blog. We've been to NC to see my grandparents and just got back from PA to visit with my parents while Mark was out of town.

Kids are good. I looked at picture books of the kids from when we left Asia, and they look so little! I can't believe its been 5 months!

We have decided not to attend Westminster due to some hard things that are going on there. So after my depression over not being in PA with my good friend Allie and being close to family, I'm really just ok with whether we end up at Southern in Kentucky, or at RTS satellite in Northern VA. I think we'll be deciding soon, as our internship is over May 23rd.

Root Canals

Well, many of you know of my root canal tooth. 3 root canals, gum surgery and passing out in a dentist chair while prego, the same tooth loves to give me trouble. I was flossing Sat. night and this famous tooth of mine(by the way, my dentists nurse(is that what you call those ladies?) told me there might be something to my thoughts of hereditary teeth going bad. Does that make any sense? My father, and brother, and aunt all have the same tooth missing as my trouble tooth!!! They saved money in having theirs pulled. I'm honestly just too vain to have that done. I'm going for a tooth implant next time this baby needs something(save up your money honey). Oh, I never finished my story, my tooth came out!! AHHHH, I had bad dreams that night. However, I went to a great dentist today who took an xray and showed that everything was fine, the crown just came off! WOOHOO, its glued back in and I'm eating swedish fish(maybe I should have waited for those?)
The following are some pictures from our month.

Birthday, dress-up, and a dog

Hey there,

We've been busy here. Caroline turned 3 on the 1st. Marks mom came for a visit and then my folks came for her birthday. Both kids have had the flu, and runny green noses. That keeps me at home:( We all seem healthy now!

Baxter the dog, loves Lawrence. They have a mutual friendship. Its fun. Lawrence has started to understand more and more. He points at what he wants, is making more and more sounds, and throws a good fit when he doesn't get what he wants. I always thought I'd never have a pacifier kid, oops. He loves it and it keeps him quiet.

Mark and I have been running! Its a great place to run. And it sure is good for me as America has lots of too much yummy fattening food, as well as the fact that I've been at home too much!

I'm off. Dinner for 10 needs to be made.

Meg

Everything new

Well friends, (there are about 3 of you) :)
After a few weeks in our new home and job and place, we are settling well. I'm still in major adjustment as Mark is way more busy and not available. I told some friends yesterday, "this is the first time I've ironed my husbands shirts, and the first time in a while that I've hand washed our sweaters". I miss ayi. And I had to chop my own veggies:) HA.

Mark says Caroline has grown up 5 months just from hanging out with the older kids we are living with. She does go off with them for half hours at a time and we don't hear from her!! She has some new girlfriends. What to say. It sounds like a good thing to have little girls who are the same age all play together right? A fun, easy good thing? HA. THats what I thought but its really a lot of work for the mommy! We live with a 4 year old, and our neighbor is a few months younger than Car. Well, they get together and you should hear the screaming. Its good sancification for me and them!! We have 3 guinea pigs(well, not us but our hosts). Car gets to feed them every once in a while:)

Law on the other hand is a handful as this is a house with many stairs. He has learned to go up them(which is a problem). And he loves Baxter the dog, tho I'm not sure Baxter loves him!! HA.

Glad it is the weekend. More of Mark and lots of good input into my soul. I need it!

Meg