What has Happened and When?

Last night we invited some friends over for dinner. They have recently moved to our city with their 3 small children, ages 4 and 2. We had a fun evening getting to know them as well as their children. As I have reflected (which always gets me waxing sentimental) today about my friend and her 3 small children, I have come upon the question "What has happened in my household and when did it happen?"

Let me explain......

What happened to the days when toys decorated the living room floors, and the Lil' People City sat in the "toy corner" of the den? Last night I marched the two little twin 4 yr. old boys into Hudson's room to find the cars. Gone are the cars, the "easy legos" (only lego building sets that are being reserved for Pa's arrival in Nov.), the blocks, the dump trucks. They have been replaced with chapter books, basketball hoops, footballs, and science experiments. And Hannah's room is no different. The numerous stuffed animals, coloring books, and dolls have been replaced with her ipod, lipgloss and nail polish, and books (which we can't seem to ever find enough of).

What happened to the days when I was chasing them around all day making sure they didn't fall down stairs or into the coffee table, or eat something off the floor, etc., etc. Days when I would find myself just wanting 5 minutes to jump in the shower or to close the door and go to the bathroom alone. I now have big kids who can make their own food, bathe and clothe themselves, entertain themselves, and I can just sleep my day away. (ok, not really) In fact, this year we are allowing them to go to and from school by themselves in a taxi with their 2 other friends. (mom, please don't worry)

I have now discovered there is a young lady living in my house who is beginning the struggle of becoming a lady yet at the same time is still a little girl. A girl who will help anyone at a moment's notice and is always a servant to me and to our family. She likes to watch the news with her daddy in the evenings to stay current on the happenings back home. She loves history and talking with Rob about historical events and how the current events will play out in history in the future. She gets up at 6 am every morning to read her Bible and devotional book and "wake up" on her own because she doesn't like to be rushed in the mornings.

I now find myself with a boy who is wearing a size 7 men's shoe, and growing taller every day. A boy who will not let me carry anything up the stairs or pull my own suitcase when we travel, though sometimes when we get halfway up the stairs he can't carry it anymore....it's the thought, right? A boy who loves to build and create. This summer he built a table up on the roof, and loves thinking of things he can build. He is always willing to help and has such a heart of compassion for others. He is my tenderhearted boy who can't pass a homeless or crippled person on the street without asking if he can give them some of his money.

So, back to the question, "what has happened and when did it happen?" I don't remember the day this all changed, and as I think about it, it has been this way for a while. But I don't remember a door we walked through or a line we crossed, it just happened and it KEEPS happening. The play dough is gone, the bubbles are gone, Veggie Tales is gone (which I miss), and they have all been replaced with something that will likely be replaced again.

As I watched my sweet friend last night with her 3 small children I wondered when did I stop being her and become the person with big kids. And as I look at my friends who have older children and all the things they are going through......I realize there are more lines to cross and I will embrace those as well. I am so thankful for the moments that God has given us and the fun we are having as a family. Such sweet memories we have already made with many more to come!!!

To be continued......

The First Day of School

Today was the day Hannah and Hudson went back to school!! They were very excited to start back and embark on yet another year of elementary school. Today was the only day of the year they were both up and dressed before their (or our) alarm clocks went off, the only day when breakfast was eaten, teeth were brushed, backpacks were ready to go.....and we still had 20 minutes before it was time to leave.

Rob was an excellent dad and took pictures and video of Hannah and Hudson walking into their new classrooms. Hannah, as you can see, was apalled. Hudson could have cared less. Ah the joy of a 5th grade girl and a 3rd grade boy.

After returning home I couldn't help but lament how fast time is passing! I still feel like they both just went off to kindergarten yesterday. My house was extremely silent all day, their absence was deeply felt!

This is a classic picture. Hannah looking at Hudson like she can't believe what he just did/said and Hudson smiling very proud of himself. Hannah's desk. Pretty confident that behind the smile are thoughts of how embarrassed she is by her dad at this moment.

And an apple for the teacher....don't worry we didn't give this one to her. You can imagine why my house was so quiet today with this guy not around!

Rob and I are so thankful for the school our children attend! It has been such a blessing not only to us but to our children as well.

Home Again!

We made it home with one week to spare before school starts. So, Monday morning, Rob and I made a very long list of things that needed to be done this week. Since then, we have been tackling our list and checking off the things that are completed.

In the process of cleaning, reorganizing, etc.... Hudson and I went to Wal-Mart to buy him a new backpack and lunch box. In the process of shopping, all the electricity went out. Our Wal-Mart is underground so it was pretty dark in there with only a few emergency lights. At that point we were trying to decide between two colors of backpacks, and without the lights we couldn't see. Hmmmm....we went with the blue. There were screams and managers shining flashlights everywhere, but never fear, the "beep, beep, beep" of the check-out counters never stopped. Apparently you can still check-out of Wal-Mart without electricity.

Also on our "to-do" list was the annual "clear-out and de-cluttter" of the house. I reflected that I haven't had enough "stuff" to do this with in several years. But, as happens in life, we seem to accumulate "stuff" the longer we live somewhere. It is no different here. So, now our closets, cabinets, bookshelves, and rooms are reorganized and ready for another year. The best part was that Rob and I had decided to have another set of bookshelves made for our living room. He designed the bookshelves, figured out the dimensions we wanted, etc. Then he, Hudson and a friend went down to the place where you can have stuff made. Upon arrival he found the bookshelf he had designed, already made only a little shorter. So....he bought it! He was very pleased to see what he wanted already finished!

I am also happy to report that in our absence this last month, a new import store has arrived in our town. The proprietor is an American. He has cheetos, dr. pepper, and tyson frozen foods. As well as frozen pies and lasagnas! WHAT!??? So, of course on our "to-do" list was to check out this new place we had heard so much about. We weren't dissapointed.

We have just a few days before school starts. Hannah and Hudson are ready to see their friends and go to school, they just don't want homework, or schoolwork in general. I can't help but think how quickly each school year goes by. With each year brings more independence, more knowledge, and more maturity to my children. I am so thankful for them and how they are growing up!

Enough rambling from me.....not alot going on this week.

Fun in Hong Kong

The O Fam has been relaxing and playing in Hong Kong for the last week! Currently we are watching the rain fall. Today was our beach day. Hudson is still holding out that we will go, but it is looking doubtful. So, he has improvised and proposed 2 games of uno, a talent show, light saber wars, and PS2. I think Hannah and I may go shopping after the talent show and uno.

Here we are, playing with our brand new camera while waiting for lunch to arrive. One of the things we enjoy most about coming to Hong Kong are the drinks. Refillable drinks with ice in them, in NORMAL size drinking glasses is WONDERFUL!!!For the pianists in my life....Mom, Phil, Heather, Stephanie, how about this?Hudson and I stepped out on the balcony and took each other's pictures.....here is the result.And what would vacation be without some pool time?? The classic Hudson coming up out of the pool. He and Hannah played in the pool for hours yesterday in the rain....do you see the drops hitting the water? Don't worry, there was no lightning.Hannah resurfacing.

Hudson coming up for air.

We are so thankful to have this week of rest before we get back into the "real" world next week. School will start for all of us, traveling will resume, but we are ready!!

Visitors

We love having visitors. This summer has been wonderful as we have had quite a few visitors. Some, we had never met, others, we have known all of our lives. We started the summer with a great visit with Phil and Krista, met some new friends from California and Tennessee, then also squeezed in a quick visit with Reagan and Ryan! Now that we are turning the corner from summer to fall we begin to look toward November.....when Rob's parents are coming to visit! We can't wait to see them!!

Here are a few pictures from the latest visit with Reagan and Ryan. We had such a great time with them, but the time just seems to go by so quickly!

We stopped on the side of the road for this picture. It was a beautiful scenic spot through the mountains.

Ryan and I at dinner.Crazy siblings.Rob and Reagan. I am not sure why Rob is giving the "victory" sign, but he is. :) Hannah and Uncle Reagan eating a good McDonald's breakfast.Hudson and the uncles.Ryan and Hudson on the bus

Our whole family.....minus a few important people.

Reminders

Good news to all my faithful blog readers!

1. We bought a new camera....no longer will I have to rely on other people's pictures!
2. My computer has been fixed!....I couldn't upload pictures or blogs becasue my laptop was in a rebellious state, but now it has been beaten back into submission thanks to PDK!!
3. I have numberous blogs to write and a little time to write them.....for the moment!

On to my post....

As you may or may not be aware, we are in Hong Kong enjoying a little family time/vacation! We are eating at all the places we enjoy, with names like TGI Fridays, Fat Angelos, Outback, California Pizza Kitchen, Subway and on and on! We have seen some friends, spent an evening swimming, playing dominoes and uno. We are now staying in our friends' home enjoying reading books and resting! Our friends are traveling for the week and are graciously allowing us stay in their home while they are gone. We feel so blessed to have this time to relax and spend time together.

One of the other important aspects of our Hong Kong visits are medical appointments. We firmly believe in the bi-yearly teeth cleaning and Hudson visits his Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor every 6 months. So, this week has also involved appointments.

For Hudson, these medical appointments aren't his favorite! He has had bad experiences at the dentist the last 3 years, and he has had continuous ear problems his entire life. He usually experiences a little apprehension before the appointment. On Monday we went to the dentist. As Hudson sat in the chair, waiting for the dentist to arrive, he looked at me and said, "Mom, can we pray together for a minute before she comes in, I want to ask God to help me not have any cavities so I can get out of this chair quick!" Being Mom, I said yes, and prayed for Hudson to have peace in his heart as the dentist worked on him and that she would find no cavities. He too prayed a similar prayer. He sat calmly in the chair for his 15 minutes of cleaning and checking, then the dentist smiled and said, "You are done! Go get a toy! No cavities!" Hudson beamed from ear to ear, relief flooded him and he ran out the door.

The next day, we went to see the ENT. Honestly we didnt' know what to expect at this appointment. Rob and I had some questions about whether his tubes where still in his ears and would his eardrums be retracted again, attached to the bone, etc... The doctor looked in his ears and said, "the tubes are out, let's go in the next room so I can take them out of the canal." The doctor removed the one from Hudson's left ear and it was a little uncomfortable to him. The doctor looked and said the left ear looked healthy and good. YEA!!! He then asked Hudson to turn over and let him remove the right tube. Hudson began crying. He refused to let the doctor take it out because it hurt too bad. After a few minutes of talking the doctor excused himself and said we could talk with him a moment, maybe even bribe him. We tried to explain using the picture on the wall of the HUGE ear that it wouldn't hurt and only take 2 seconds. Finally Hudson said, "will you pray for me?" Honestly we thought he said, "Will you pay me?" And I immediately said, "yes" Rob said, "no, we don't need to pay you." Hudson laughed and said, "no, pray with me!?" "Of course!" , we both said. After we prayed together, Hudson said, "OK. Now I am ready." We called the doctor back in, and Hudson laid as still as he could and allowed the doctor to remove the tube, completely different than the prior 10 minutes.

I was reminded again today as I reflected, how many times we rely on rationale and common sense to get us through difficult moments. As we sit in the dentist' s chair we rely on our good hygiene and regular brushing and flossing, or as we lay on a table somewhere waiting for a small procedure we take comfort in the fact that it will be over quickly and pain will be minimal. Hudson lived out for me the beauty of prayer. I would much rather rely on God that my own abilities to "get through" the situation. Things don't always go the way we hope or desire, but the peace He gives passes ALL understanding. If you don't believe me, ask Hudson. I saw the visible peace come over him twice this week as he cast his cares upon the One who takes them! I can really tell Hudson is growing up and this week was more confirmation of that. I hope I learn the lessons the Father is teaching me through my son's example!

Out and About Part 2

The last 4 weeks of our lives could be summed up in 2 words: packing and repacking. We calculated that we have stayed in 10 different hotels and ridden countless hours in the back of a bus or a bread box car. However, it has been great! We have really enjoyed our month of being out in the countryside and are excited to see all that will come of it.

I thought I would share some pictures of some of the things we see here on a daily basis that caught our eye this summer. Hope you enjoy!

A family altar inside someone's home.
Fish, ready to be bought and eaten. The funny thing is there is barely any water in this tank, so the must remain on their sides. The corn has been harvested and is now drying. This is a street, taken over by the drying corn. This scene is repeated all over the countryside.
This is a common scene in our city. Talk about an usafe load!! He won't have to go to the gym later!This little woman is washing her clothes in the river. The smoke filling up this small room is a picture I will not soon forget. The drum is being beaten in worship to the local deity. She is beating out her prayers here on this drum.