Allie Cat is 12!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so it may help if you read our post about Caleb’s b-day before Allie’s...

you’ll get it better if you do!

It’s Thursday, May 24th and our little Allie Cat is 12!! Can you believe it?

I’m finding it hard myself! Ain’t she pretty?

Allie requested blueberry pancakes as well for her birthday breakfast.

Yeah! Two big breakfasts in one week!!

Allie also got some cool gifts from her siblings--including a fishing pole (actually a stick). She was excited, as was Caleb, about the MONEY and the Avalon dvd...

Even though Allie did not become a teenager this year, turning 12 is pretty monumental, too. We wanted it to be an extra-special day for her, so we took her also to the water’s edge to share “her story” with her, reading Scripture and then praying over her with each memory.
We shared with her how thankful (but a little scared, too) we were when we found out she was on the way. A little scared knowing that Caleb was only 4 months old, we had only a temporary insurance with no maternity benefits and little funds (isn’t that life in seminary?). But, God was good. His timing had been perfect with Caleb, so we trusted it was the same with her. Then we found out this would be a high-risk pregnancy. Hence, her middle name—Faith.
We shared with her the gifts we have already seen in her life—singing and ‘mothering’ and how God wants her to use those gifts to glorify Him. We reminded her of the night at revival where she placed her faith and trust in Christ. We read as we had with Caleb Psalm 127:1 and prayed for her future mate, should our Lord tarry. As we closed with each child, we read Psalm 113 as a praise to God for being who He is and for doing the things He has done—in particular, verse 9, “He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children.”

Yes, GOD IS GOOD!!

Allie got to have her cake on Friday night as well during the Youth Lock-In.

Allie with the crew...

How can we say thanks for such perfect gifts?

Yes, GOD IS GOOD!

Celebrate good times, come on!

Boy, does that tell my age or what!! On Wednesday night, we celebrated with our new neighbors. We hadn’t planned on having a party…but our neighbors did! We’re glad they did, too. They are a precious group!

Yes, Erin was here, but she eluded the camera--something she's getting good at! After we read Psalm 139 (which seemed to be the theme for this week) and prayed a blessing over our newly-turned-teenager and next-day-to-be-12-yr-old, we had "shorteats" and CAKE...



Imagine this...One of the customs here is to feed the first piece of cake to all your guests…starting with your mother and father (that’s good for us!). Don’t know who the last one was who got to bite off at the end of the line!

Caleb is enjoying this a little too much, isn't he?

All in all, it was a good night of "bonding" with our new neighbors...something we hope to do a lot more of in the future!

A TEENAGER??? What's up with that???

I really don’t think we’re old enough to have a teenager, but here he is…and yep, that’s 13 candles on his birthday blueberry pancakes!

Cabo got some really cool gifts from his younger brother and sisters. I think he thought the “Hip Hope” dvd and money was pretty cool too that he got from his “old folks”.

Since it’s true, Caleb has now passed over from childhood to teen“hood”, his daddy and I wanted to do something extra-special with him. We went to the wall here in the Fort, and looking out over the Indian Ocean (How cool is that?) we shared “his story” with him.

From the days of longing for a baby and not being able to have one, to how God performed a miracle two days before I was to have a laproscopy, to how God gave us the name Caleb, how God put in my heart that hundreds of women could be a 3rd grade teacher at 96 Elementary but only I could be Steven Caleb’s mommy and thus resigned from my teaching career, of how God called us to China and sustained us through his many sicknesses and later surgeries, to the call God had now placed on HIS life here in South Asia…

whew—what precious memories we shared!

Between memories, we would share Scripture that either God had used during those circumstances or that somehow applied to them. We challenged him with them, then prayed claiming each of those Scriptures for him. It really was a very special time!

But his cake would have to wait...

...(aside from our Wednesday night “party” with our neighbors) until Friday night when we had—get this—a youth lock-in!!! Several months ago, in an attempt to give Caleb and Allie an opportunity for fellowship among their peers, we started a youth group. It consists of about 13 kids—now nine since three have gone back to America --and we have a blast with them. We worship through song, Bible study, and of course, fellowship!

SOO, we decided it was about time for a LOCK-IN!!! What were we thinking??? Actually, aside from the fact that it was after 5 am before anyone even thought of sleeping, it was a great time! Here’s Cabo with the crew!

Where does the time go? Thankfully, we do have these precious memories…memories of a baby we really thought we might never have—along with four others!!

Can someone say, “GOD IS GOOD”?!!!!

GOD IS GOOD!!!

Our Baby Girl is 2!

It's hard to believe that our little baby girl turned 2 last weekend! Since Brooke's birthday was on Sunday and we wanted to spend that day worshiping instead of stressing about partying, and because Daddy was going to be gone all day Saturday ministering, we decided to celebrate 2 days early on Friday. Brooke didn't mind the date change, that's for sure!

Here's Brooke (and Daniel and Erin) helping with the special Birthday Berry Muffins...

Yum, yum...these muffins sure are tasty!

Family pic with the birthday girl...
Oh, have you met Vijitha?
We can keep our heads above water because Vij is the cleaning machine!


"Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dear Brooke!
Happy Birthday to you!
May the dear Lord bless you!
May the dear Lord bless you!
May the dear Lord bless Brooke!
May the dear Lord bless you!"

Don't forget the family birthday party...Well, it wasn't really a party.
It was just cake after lunch--but Brooke sure enjoyed it!!

Erin did too, once she finished her rice and curry!

What a sight! You do know that one of the easiest adjustments our kids made to living on this side was how we eat...with our fingers! I promise...that's how they do it. Please remember that if you see my kids in a restaurant in the states!

After naptime, we moved the "party" to a favorite beach site...The Happy Banana!

Here's the crew!

Please tell me that's not my 2 year old out there swimming by herself?

Absolutely! She's loves the water and can't stand you hangin' on her!

Gotta have some sand time, though!

Burying Allie Cat...

Brooke with her new gift from the "Y"s

Gift time back home after getting cleaned up...

Daniel gave Brooke a "fishing pole"...actually it was a stick!

Donut Man from Granny! Brooke LOVES the Donut man!

On to the clothes...

From Grandma and Grandpa Jim

From the Rogers...

Ok, so I had to slide this one in even though it was taken on Sunday, her true birthday...

such a cutie!

Back to the gift opening...what's this? Yep, Caleb, Allie, Daniel, and Erin got in on the fun with gifts from Uncle Kev and Aunt Ash...

Enough of the fun...it's bedtime!

Boy, it's tough being 2!

That's all for now!

'Til next time, I sure hope your days are as blessed as ours!

God is good!!

Fun with the US Critters--Part Two

Ok, since I'm one for completing tasks (even if it does take months to get started), so I wanted to share the last of these photos from our time with the US Critters back in January. On to the fun...

Allie Cat with her daddy

I realized that I neglected on the last post to put in any pics of Daniel with his buddy, Samuel. Boy, can't forget those!
Fun in the surf!

Boy, are we pooped!

Best Buds...oops, we're missing one! Where's Boo?
Ah-ha! There he is!

I had said in the last post that I hadn't been able to get Erin and Anna to pose long enough for a photo shoot...then I remembered I did get some cool shots of them in action!

First, one of all the little ones...

On to Erin and Anna...

Is that not adorable?

What a good day!

For those who are thinking that all we did was lounge around at the pool and beach while the other Critters were here, I promise, there was a lot more to it than that. Not only did we did have several opportunities to share Truth with workers at the resort and friends we met on the beach, we also took a prayerwalk around our neighborhood...which proved to be a little difficult trying to corral 10 kids of various ages while onlookers got their dose of foreigners. One day we also spent travelling to an area about 45 minutes away for Kevin to follow-up with a man he had met on a previous trip. A few minutes from our destination, we came upon an elderly gentleman who was having great difficulty trying to manuever his wheelchair. We couldn't go any further without seeing if we could help. The man shared with the guys that he had left his home the day before to go to our city to retrieve this new wheelchair. He had made it this far on his own (which you can't see, but this isn't an electric wheelchair--it has a crank that one turns with their right hand in order to make it move), which remember was 45 minutes by van...but hours upon hours in his predicament. Our guys (along with a national brother who was accompanying us on our journey) were up for the challenge for the 2 kilometers he said he still had to go to his home. To make a long story short, the 2 kilometers turned into who-knows-how-many-kilometers-but-it-wasn't-2 kilometers. When he reached his home there were a number of people milling around in the yard...none of which came to greet him. There were some curious smiles and a few thanks for the "white people" but other than that, no recognition that he had made it home. What a sad moment for us! We pray that this man will come to know the Father who longs to greet him with open arms!

Who's up for a jog?


As we were following behind the guys in the van, I noticed this awesome tree that I thought would make a great set for a photo shoot.

Just how many pictures does it take to get 10 kids to smile?

Trust me--MANY! But here's one where we ALMOST got it!

What was that about getting 10 kids to smile?
Try 14 kids!!!

Guess I should be closing for now. My Saturday is about gone and I've yet to do the dishes. But, I just can't leave without adding these last 2 for our 96 buddies.

Ain't he cute?

He does 96 proud, doesn't he?

Last but not least...a shot of the honeymooners! For those who know Grandma, you know that after Pops died in 1997, she entrusted herself to her faithful Creator who sustained her in her grief and daily took care of her needs.

Last September, she married a life-long friend, Jimmy Lynn, who had also lost his wife to cancer. We praise the Lord for Grandma and Grandpa Jim's new life together and we thank Him for what He is doing in and through them!

We also thank Him for a great time with our family!

Anybody else up for a visit?