Cutting teeth and all it's process!

I’ve taken quite the blogging break.  As of late, 2 of my friends here have encouraged me to take it back up again.  It’s funny that we live in the same town and see each other multiple times a week, but they read my blog.  I process things out more when I have opportunity to sit down and write it all out.  It’s not to read my blog that they’ve encouraged me to start it back up; they know it helps me process; it helps me pull back from the demands of life and look hard for Jesus and what he is doing in and around me.  Look hard for the messages He is writing, though sometimes it feels more like carving, on my heart.  So I’m going to try.  There have been countless blog entries I’ve written in my brain.  I don’t know if I’ll back track or not, we’ll see what time, electricity and internet allow. 

I left off at “And now there’s Four,” that was before Zeke was even 1 month old.  Now he’s pushing 9 months; pulling up on everything and blabbering lots (though right now he’s miserably sick and just doing a lot of clinging to Mama).   

His first two teeth have come through, and started to make their appearance right around Thanksgiving.   Life with four has been incredibly stretching for me.  Most days I feel like I can’t do the minimum of life’s demands, let alone anything extra.  Thanksgiving was quickly growing all consuming; what yummy goodies would I make out of how many substitution ingredients?  Oh and of course create a Thanksgiving focused lesson or 2 for homeschool.  But with this baby I’ve learned new culture things.  

 If Aobistani culture does anything really well (and they do many things well) they celebrate it up when it comes to stages of life.  My personal opinion is that’s because of such high infant mortality.  Babies cut there tooth here and you make a special kind of Osh using wheat berries and deliver it to all your neighbors and relatives.  I had set in my heart I wanted to do it; wanted to take this opportunity to lean in and be more like those that live around me.   Of course I resolved to do so, before I knew he would cut his teeth around Thanksgiving.  When I shared with my teammates that this was something I wanted to do, I was reminded that “it will probably mean more to you that you do it like them, than it will mean to them” and it really was true. 

Thursday we had a wonderful all day Thanksgiving celebration with our American friends.  Sorry no pictures to prove it.  And Friday, we served up and delivered the Osh.  But the Osh was much more of a process than I would have anticipated.  It took us, Auntie (our new house worker) and me, all week to prepare it.  But it was such a great process for me.  Through each step of the process, God had little messages for my heart.  

This is Auntie

First we picked through the wheat, slowly examining one handful at a time for rocks or stray lentils.  These 8 months, with 4 young kids have provided ample opportunity for God to pick through my heart and character, removing rocks and stray bad attitudes all along the way.  Day two, we ground and washed the wheat. We ground the 4.5 pounds of wheat by hand in a mortar and pestle ¼ cup at a time.  Around a table cloth on the floor, Auntie and I (with Elli and Elias occasionally pitching in) separated the husks off the wheat.  Hours later, with sore hands, we washed the wheat and placed it on the same cloth in front of a heater to slowly dry.  In retrospect, with a little space and time, I’m so grateful to God for His loving attentive sanctification of me in this season.  There is a lot more of “this season” of small children to go, but over the mortal and pestle He spoke sweetly to my heart of His desire to use these hard days, these stretching days to remove the bitter husks on my heart.  Day three, Thanksgiving afternoon, my teammates helped me on the second round of grinding; taking the dry wheat berries one more time through the mortar and pestle to remove more of the remaining husks.  We talked, washed dishes and ground wheat. 

 
Friday morning we lit the fire by 8:30 a.m., cause we had to cook it in a large pot for hours and hours. 

Potatoes, carrots, onions, 1.5 kg of beef, a liter of oil, and a lot of water.  What you gain in the wheat you lose in the oil.  By around 2 p.m. the osh was ready to serve and deliver.  

Oh how flattering all the layers of winter dressing are.  I swear, I'm not quite this hourglass in form! :)

I quickly carried it, large plate by plate, to my surrounding neighbors; up the road to Ethan’s teacher and school director; Austin delivered by vehicle to those who lived further away.  Though the greetings were short and the plate of hot osh was quickly passed, in my heart I celebrated.  God has faithfully brought me this far!  My neighbors know; they heard Zeke’s middle of the night screaming fits when his guts hurt so bad and there was nothing I could do to help him.  They know how many party invitations I’ve passed on because I have little ones at home and can’t attend.  Ethan’s teacher and director have experienced firsthand all my cultural blunders, the various times Ethan arrives at school unaware of what he was supposed to have or wear.  His mama’s been stretched thin.  My dear friends and teammates have listened to my heart pourings and have seen the struggle and labor of it all.  They have loved and walked with me.  Yet, He is so faithful and what He has begun in me, He will complete.  Even in the hardness of it, may I see His tender touch at work in me!

Now there are four

Isn't it crazy to think all that is packed into a newborn body?  All the potential, the individuality, the talents, likes, dislikes and more.  It's the re-occuring question these days; who does Ezekiel look like?  I honestly don't know.  But even more fun to think about is what will Ezekiel be like?  6 1/2 years is our oldest, and there is so much depth and breadth to who he is.  Way more than I ever dreamed I would know when he was just 10 days old.  That's one of my favorite things about my kiddos; each has their very own unique personality.  There is no doubt they are fearfully and wonderfully made!  And I'm blessed to get to know them. 

 Ethan

 Ellianna

 Elias

Ezekiel

The Four!

Gogo and Babu Time!

In the waiting for his arrival, in the welcoming and the partying afterwards, we had great times with Babu and Gogo while they visited us in Turkey!

The day before my mom arrived, the kids and I did a grocery run.  They know their Gogo and insisted on buying ice cream and ice cream cones to have for our first lunch together. 

And you can see the ice cream cones were heartily welcomed by all members of the family!  

We LOVE ice cream!

 We waited to celebrate Elli's 4th birthday until Gogo arrived. 
 Doing eachother's "make-up" was only one of the ways Gogo
joined in the fun!

 Lots and lots of reading!  By the end of her time here, Elias would pick a book and take it to her to read to him.  Regardless of if she was working on something else!

 Often twice a day trips to the park directly outside our apartment, Gogo and Babu joined in all kinds of fun and watched as Ethan, Elli and Elias all learned new skills and games at the park. 

 

 We adventured together on the ferry and around town, and experimented with various types of local food!

 

 We celebrated Ezekiel's arrival in Amershek style, with donuts; chocolate, cream-filled, covered in sprinkles!

 And of course, family fun nights together!  Enjoying ordered in Papa John's pizza (AMAZING!), popcorn and a movie!

Thank you Babu and Gogo for coming and being a part of our world!  We love and miss you already!

Ezekiel has arrived!

Want to make sure the word gets out along with some much anticipated pictures!  Ezekiel is finally here.  We're soaking up the time together and enjoying God's precious gift!

Still waiting

I don't really know how far along I am.  It could be anywhere from 38 weeks and 5 days, 39 weeks and 5 days, or overdue.  So today was the Dr's appointment.  Everything looks good and healthy.  He's growing just fine and seems to be enjoying the space that he's claimed within me.  She stripped my membranes and Austin and I have already done some time walking the steep inclines that surround our apartment.  But I'm doing my best to fight the urge to "fit it into the formula."  Labor started with both Elli and Elias within hours of having my membranes stripped. 

So, in efforts to stay encouraged, I went over to my friend's blog.  This is what I'm "preaching" to myself:

But more of my reasons (why I wait) are tied to what I believe to be true of God and myself.  In choosing to wait, I am believing that God is intimately involved in this child's formation and the timing of his birth (convenient or not).  I am believing that God has created my body well.  I am believing that God is incomprehensibly good and that He does not withhold good from His children (even if discomfort is involved).  I am believing that one of my most serious problems as a member of the human race is my propensity to chase after my own comfort apart from God.  That's ultimately what sin is, right?  I am believing that hope and perseverance are cultivated in times of waiting and feeling out of control.  And I am believing that God desires to meet me intimately in this unique place of waiting and longing for what is to come.  It's about much of the Gospel, really.

Hoping to post baby pictures soon!  Until then, believing God!

Today's thought

"It takes Almighty grace to take the next step when there is no vision and no spectator. . . It takes far more of the grace of God, far more conscious drawing upon God to take that step, than it does to preach the Gospel. . . We flag when there is no vision, no uplift, but the common round, the trivial task.  The thing that tells in the long run for God and for men is the steady persevering work in the unseen, and the only way to keep the life uncrushed is to live looking to God."  Oswald Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest"

I'm stuck in the waiting game.  Waiting for baby E's arrival.  For many reasons, it is easy to feel like I'm stuck in the trivial and the common.  Oh that my soul life would persevere, uncrushed, ever looking to Jesus!

Elli turns 4!

Elli turned 4 on the 20th, but we waited to celebrate until Gogo arrived to celebrate together.  And in her mind, she didn't turn 4 (regardless of date) until she blew her candles out.  She chose her meals; waffles with strawberries for breakfast and "chicken and crunchy bread."





I have determined that I am not a cake decorator.  It is so stressful to try and make these masterpieces to match the dreams and expectations of my kiddos.  Luckily she turned out at all; she baked for at least 2 hours (in a new to me oven); we couldn't find food coloring at the store, so we used writing icing to color our frosting; the entire top of the cake (the part with the dents and details) came off in the pan.  My kids are gracious when the cake doesn't turn out quite like the picture.  But I sure wish I had thought through what I was setting myself up for when I started the birthday cake tradition with the Lighting McQueen birthday cake!

The bleeding Lightning McQueen cake that started all of this!

There were several fun gifts as we celebrated Elli's birthday:

• To have a Grandparent here, even when we leave so far away.
• A Strawberry Shortcake Pan; borrowed from a friend of Gogo's after a post on facebook
• Lots of dear girl friends to celebrate with; friends that we know from home and have missed so much.
• Fresh strawberries for a little girl that has been dreaming of a Strawberry Shortcake birthday since the week after her 3rd birthday.  
• Gifts sent from family and friends back in the States.
• Special pictures, with birthday signs and balloons, from her buddies back in the Valley.  

She definitely felt celebrated and loved on.  Happy Birthday Elli!