July Flys

This month flew by but I guess so do all the other months. I got a little carried away with pictures so hang with me, lots happened this month...

Jamen finished his first year of home school this month! Next year he will be going into first grade, he can't wait to start!

Jonas has become more of a helper these days, wanting to sweep, put things in the trash even if its not trash and he is slowly learning to play along side his older brother and sister.

We took the kids to the zoo, it was the first time for Jonas and I have to say he didn't like it as much as we thought. He mostly just liked the birds. Everything else was too big and scary for him, he freaked out when the lions came rushing out of the cage into the open area.

Here is a happy face.

We all loved watching the hippo eat and the monkey hanging by his tail.

Jon climbed this big tree at the zoo, the kids wanted to tag along.

A nice picture of the three kids...

Enjoying their first cotton candy!

July was also cold. Place outside the city hit 22F for at least three nights in a row. People died of the cold, there was frost and ice. Its still amazes me how it can be so hot in the summer and yet get so cold. We bundled up and drank lots of mate, a hot drink here. 

Jade also started her dance class this month. We were in the right place at the right time and she got a 5 month scholarship at a dance school. It took a little to get use to but now she can't stop smiling while she is there, she loves it!

At the end of July, friendship day is celebrated here and Jade and I attended a tea for the ladies in the church. It was fun to do something together and another great learning time for me.

June

As you may have heard, yes, Jon went to Mexico for a few days end of May and beginning of June. It was a great time for him and good time of relaxing and growth for me....let me share...

Day three of Daddy being gone and I found a kitten, all alone in the street, pretty much half starved. We were already having mice problems so its seemed like a good idea to me. 

It was a great idea! I bathed it several times and since it was starving it didn't have the strength to fight back, it actually purred. It starting eating and every time we got near it it started to purr and just wanted to play with the kids. The kids named it Mitten and it was highlight of every waking moment. I was so glad for a distraction and it was a great way to enjoy the sunny weather! 

Before Jon left, he recorded several books so that the kids could listen to them, that was a fun surprise for the kids.  

About 4 days into our 12 days all three kids got very sick. Here are Jamen and Jade breathing in hot steam with eucalyptus, lavender and peppermint oil. Jonas got the worse of it. I was so worried I finally took him to the doctor. I get all teary eyed when I think about it cause I had to call on the help of my friends. They were there for me in a second, it was great to know I had friends who dropped everything to run me and three sick kids all over the city to the hospital, to the doctor, to the pharmacy. It turns out Jonas just had a really bad cold, the worse part lasted 3 days and in two weeks he was fine.

Jonas has been changing by leaps and bound this month, he learned to use a spoon but really on while eating pea soup. 

He learned if you get on the bike you get pushed...boy does he love that!

We got a birthday package, Jamen and Jonas had birthdays in April

Jade had some busy days that she fell asleep while reading the bed time story. 

Jamen made a life size drawing of himself with his new necklace and all 

Jon brought back Krispy Kreme doughnuts! 

Jade loves to carry the baby Mittens 

Jonas learned to use the rocking chair ...

to smile for the camera... 

to eat chocolate chip cookies and he got his first hair cut! 

This month was busy! 

It also had some very emotional time for me as well. I enjoyed a great 12-15 day break of language study and came to realize just how exhausting it is to do it all...to study, to home school, be a wife, a mom, a house keeper and a good friend all within the framework of a different culture. But in this I have come to realize more and more that it is God who gives strength, it is the body of Christ that works together and that "one of God's most effective means in the process of growth is failure" "Failure where self is concerned in our Christian life and service, is allowed and often engineered by God in order to turn us completely from ourselves to His Source for our life-Christ Jesus, who never fails"  - Miles J. Stanford in his book The Complete Green Letters. So in my moments of feeling down and like I have failed the Lord showed me that "yes, you have been wrong in your thinking and here is how I am growing you". Not a pain free process but a necessary one! I am already enjoying look back on the hard times to see what I have learned and to see the Lord prove himself faithful through it all!

Forget May Not

The months just seem to fly, here are this months highlights...

The three kids! Jonas is very close to walking these days. He is also getting better at his sign language. He says, "please", "more", "all finished", "milk", "drink" and is working at putting two together, so far its been, "more milk" and "more please". The baby sign language goes a long way, it sure is nice that he can communicate with more than just whining to get what he wants. Jamen and Jade are pretending more and more, they are so fun to watch.

This month we attended our very first 15th birthday. To read more click this link http://blogs.ntm.org/jon-quast/

It was fun to get dressed up and go out, even if we were learning the whole time.

The cake and goodies!

Singing happy birthday!

Jonas loves to eat!

We went to a friends birthday this month!

I also have learned to make homemade yeast bread, its minimal work, cheap and yummy (according to Jon and the kids, this bread is not gluten free). I also learned a trick. Wrapping the bread in a damp cloth after taking it out of the pan softens the crust so its easy to cut and its not crumbly! 

Birthday Month

April for the last two years has been birthday month between us and our good friends, we have a birthday every week for 5 weeks (cause Jon's comes the first week in May)! However this month between our family and theirs  we colds, they had dengue and much more so our celebrating slowed down this month. We were finally able to come together and celebrate. Also, this month we continued with school and enjoyed special times together.

The kids enjoying some planet earth together 

Jonas, the morning of his birthday! 

Happy 1st Birthday Jonas! 

First cake! 

Jamen turned 5 this month, hard to believe. 

Jamen has some friends over to help celebrate his birthday. 

Jamen has been learning about time in school

I painted Jades nails with pok-a-dots 

Jonas is learning about sitting at the table and eating big people food, which he loves! 

After all the sickness, we were able to get together and grill pork ribs with our friends. We had never had them here and they were soooo good! 

Apparently what you do is take a picture of the plate of ribs and then after everyone is done eating you take a picture of their plates to see how much they ate. 

Jonas got to chew on a bone, boy did he love that!

Jamen ate so many we lost count and he kept throwing his bones to the dog so we never got a picture 

and poor Jon only ate one...hahaha

It was a good month, we continue to learn more about culture, eating habits, new vocab and ways of life. At times is seems never ending. Also this month I (Jen) had the opportunity to attend a workshop for 5 days and it was so worth my time to learn more about how I function, how to better relate to others, ways to help our family deal with stress, grief and to see my coworkers in a new light. It was a great way end to the month. Stay tuned for Mays post at the end of the month, this month I have an evaluation, Jon has a trip and we are attending a very special event in the lives of Paraguayans, stay tuned to find out more!

Learning

Learning, what would we do without it? To be honest I think we would be very bored if we didn't learn. I know I have been learning since I was born, but I feel in the last 8 years I have learn the most. Moving away from home, college, dating and getting married, two kids, more schooling, moving/living in peoples homes with family and then moving to a totally new place where nothing is the same as what I know. Then to top it off baby number three comes around and I keep on learning...

This post is for Jonas, I am so glad the Lord blessed us with YOU!

I learned you can go from this to...

...this, all in 40 weeks!

I learned that I have friends all over the world and I am so thankful for their support and friendship! 

I learned how grown up and big my other two kids are, its amazing how truly helpless babies are and I am so glad that my other two could dress themselves, us the bathroom, pick up toys, feed themselves and so much more.

I learned love can be at first sight.

I learned that God can give you peace and encouragement when you are unsure of the unknown. I learned babies do come on their due dates, you can have a 4 hour labor, have a great hospital experience and leave the hospital 18 hours after giving birth.

I learned to cherish more memories, cause they grow so fast.

Those smiles are priceless!

I learned how little you really need to have for babies. I had a mat, a pack n play, a dresser which also served as a changing table and a lawn chair to nurse in. A few clothes, burp cloths, a baby carrier, a handful of toys and a few warm blankets and we were good to go.

I learned you don't need a high chair to feed your kid. Jonas sat on the floor, on the table or in our laps for meals. I only just started to put him in the "high chair" now that he is bigger and he loves it! 

I have learned just how different each of my kids are and to pay attention to things they like and don't like. Jonas loves tags and because of that, he has become very attached to his blanket. He is the first kid to become attached to a blanket, I love it!  

Over all I learned to be more relaxed. Jonas slept in our bed the longest, he was held the most, he was still a scheduled eater and sleeper but if those things got a little messed up I wasn't a basket case because of it. I learned to change diapers and clothes in the 40 degree house in the middle of the night in record time. This third baby experience hasn't been without its challenges but I think over all I have learned more to take in the moment by moment things and to put aside less important things in order to invest more in my kids. 

I love to watch Jonas learn. He loves books, dogs and pointing to things. Its been fun to see him play by himself and to see him interact differently with his brother and sister. With Jade, Jonas is silly and giggly. She likes to read to him, hug and kiss him and tickle him. With Jamen, Jonas is all business  he is handing him blocks and pushing car right along side him. Jamen likes to play with him, as long as cars and blocks are involved. 

I thank the Lord for my third baby and all that I have learned this year!