Transitions

I've been thinking about writing this post for a good week now, but it's just so much easier to write about the good things, and post cute pictures of the kids, then to write about something I'm struggling with.

It's been a rough week for me.  It is always quite busy and stressful in the week(s) leading up to a village trip.  There is an insane amount of work that needs to be done..... extremely detailed planning and packing for one.  Once we get to the village, that's it.  If I forgot anything (food-wise, toilet paper, clothing, bedding, schooling, etc) it's too bad.  There's no way to get it/any replacement for the 2 months we'll be out there.  So I make my lists, check them more than twice, and try really, really hard to not forget anything.  But it's still quite stressful.

And I'm realizing more and more that I'm just having a hard time with transitions right now.  We've all seen the affects of transition acted out in our kids, when a major move or change happens and they start having more potty accidents, or their behavior gets horrendous.  But lately, I've sort of been feeling like that toddler who's melting down.  I've been grumpy, and feeling like bursting into tears at any odd moment.

I recently had my birthday and maybe I can just chalk it up to being older now.  Probably not.  But it seems like transitions are just affecting me more.  Honestly, I am hating the thought (well, the actual doing it as well) of packing up my entire family of 7 (plus the food, clothes, schoolwork, etc for 2 months) and moving.  Again.  We've been here in Ukarumpa for a grand total of about 4 1/2 months now since returning from Cairns after Elijah's birth.  And I'm just depressed when I think of how these 4 1/2 months are basically the longest stretch we've been in one place without packing up and moving everyone since....well, to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure.  Maybe since we were in Dallas on our last furlough in 2010?  But that might have only been about 4 months as well.  It's hard to say.  Needless to say, it's been a very, very long time since we've lived in one place, without moving for more than 4 months at a time.

And I'm utterly exhausted and sick of moving.  I'd give almost anything to just stay in the same place for a whole year!  Imagine!  Not having to think thru and sort and pack boxes and plan food and get all 7 of us from one place to another, and settle into the new place, just to have to repeat the process a month or two or four later!

I think, added to the just normal difficulties of transitioning over and over and over is that the end of the school year/everyone leaving on furlough time is coming up as well.  When the school year ends in mid-June, it's a time to have to say goodbye to lots of friends who are leaving on furlough for the next year or so.  That is hard enough in itself, but this year I have a good friend who is "Leaving Finish"  (returning home and doesn't plan on ever coming back to PNG).  So I think I'm already grieving the loss of this friend, as well as the fact that I won't be here to say goodbye.  (They will be leaving about a week before we get back from the village).

I recently read a blog post from someone who used to be here in Ukarumpa, and I found it really helpful.  You can see it here: transition-sucks

Yes, I HATE moving.  Yes, transitions are extremely hard.  But, yes, this is the life that we have been called to by God, and while it can be hard (both emotionally and physically) both Matt and I are committed to the job we have been given, and are glad we can serve God in this way.  And He is faithful.  Despite my struggles, He is here, walking thru them with me.  He has promised to never leave or forsake me, and it's comforting to know that even when I am constantly coming and going, and friends are leaving, that I have a solid foundation that will never move away or leave me.

Saturday, 14 April

There hasn't been too much exciting going on recently, so I haven't bothered to blog.  But Saturday turned out to be a nice day, and the kids had a blast having an Easter egg hunt, and playing on the slip-n-slide, and since I got some pictures, I decided it was time for a blog post. =)

Last weekend, we ended up hosting an Easter get-together at our house.  It had been scheduled to be at the house of friends, but some of their kids came down with the stomach flu, so at about 9am we agreed to host the BBQ at our house that afternoon!  It was a nice time, but because of the pouring rain, the kids didn't really get to have a good Easter egg hunt.  We did two tiny ones in our front room, first for the little kids, and then for the older ones.

So when Saturday dawned bright and sunny, we decided it was a good day to have a "real" egg hunt.

Divvying up the loot

Then, because it was still such a hot, beautiful day, we set up the slip-n-slide and the kids had a blast sliding, and getting good and muddy.

So much fun, but a muddy mess by the end!

We have 6 kids for the week, as friends of ours went to Australia, and we are keeping one of their sons while they are gone.

And then, just because:

"I'm gonna get you!" (or at least, I'm going to try really hard to move!)

Adorable! =)

Growing and Changing

I have really seen a huge change in Elijah as he went from 4 to 5 months old.  He grew and changed so much!  I was really glad that Mom and Dad could be here for that month, and get to spend time with him. 

At 4 months, Elijah was still very baby.  He was rolling over and holding his head up good, but that was about it.  Over the course of the past month, he has learned lots of new tricks:

He has gotten really coordinated with his hands, and now, everything he grabs goes straight to his mouth.

He has gotten way more vocal.  He loves to babble now, and some of his favorite sounds are the bi-labials:  b's and m's.  He's discovered sticking out his tongue, spitting and blowing bubbles.  It's fun to listen to him "talking" away. =)

During the last week of his 4th month, he decided to start sitting up.  It really felt like he did it almost overnight.  One day he wasn't, and the next he was!  Now he sits like a pro.

He just interacts with everyone so much more.  He loves to be where the action is.  And not just watching it from afar, but sitting right on the floor, while the kid's play duplos, or whatever their game is.

His new love is currently watching soccer with his Daddy.  Matt loves watching "Match of the Day" (British soccer league recaps) and Elijah loves to sit with him and talk excitedly at the game highlights!

At the dinner table, he's no longer content to sit quietly and watch.  He has discovered what a cup is, and while he's got a long way to go, he gets super excited to take little drinks of water.  I've noticed that he's seriously eyeing the food and watching everyone eat, so if it was up to him, he'd probably start eating now as well.

Elijah is definitely not going to be shiny-bald like Julianne was.  In fact, the hair that's been starting to grow quickly this past month is coming in pretty dark. 

Into the mouth, of course!