Lexie according to the Itouch.

Lexie the past few weeks on the Itouch.

After Bath Beauty and Chunk.

 I told you she loves to chew on her shirts.

 In the morning when she wakes up she's rather talk and smile at me than nurse. But you just can't resists the happy little lady in those moments.

I want time to slow down. I don't want these moments to pass.

Nothing fills me with joy more than the sound of a happy baby, cooing, purring and squealing with delight. She was meant to be ours and how lucky we are that she is.

Hugs, A

Lemonade.

When the Sandbox gives you heat,

 you run out for frozen lemonade.

This is the common area in the middle of Main Camp. There is a bowling alley, movie theatre, library, restuarant, park (one of the only ones without sand) and coffee house.

The Bunk Bed.

Once Lexie arrived it was time for the boys to share a room. What's more exciting to little guys than a bunk bed. We were hoping the idea of the bunk bed would overshadow the reality of Owen losing his room to his new baby sister.

It worked like a charm. They LOVE it!

There's something else special about this bunk bed too. Mike made it!

While we were off in Idaho prepping to have the baby, he was back home making a bunk bed and setting up Lexie's room. I'm pretty convinced there's nothing he can't do.

Run for the Border.

 We got a Taco Bell in the Sandbox.

Never thought that would happen. It was a happy day for all expats when it opened and I think most of us have already visited at least once.

There are a lot of kinks for them to work out, I think Mike had to go back up to the counter three times to get our order fixed. But generally the food tasted like good old TB from back in the States. One exception they serve french fries with the value meals. That's not a new thing is it? or is it just a Sandbox thing? Also the drive thru is a "Cruise" thru.

Owen loves Tacos and ate three! Carter whined for most of the visit saying he wanted a cheeseburger instead. And yes, I did bring my own Coke with me.

Hugs, A

Dress and Fists.

Lexie's choices of self soothing.

1. Her dress or other tunic type shirts.

 2. Her fists.

Owen had been wanting to hold her all day and this time she didn't cry.

At one point during that same day he climbed into the crib with her to watch the mobile and keep her company. That resulted in a long, very long talking too on how you can squish your sister and NOT to do that again.

He does love all of her little baby gadgets and on any given day you can walk into her room while she is there and he would have turned everything on at the same time. Mobile, aquarium, swing and nightlight.

The boys are out of morning preschool. It's actually pretty nice to hang out in our jammies and not have to rush out the door in the morning. Life is good.

Hugs, A



Content.

Lexie 13 weeks and a content little one these days. She hangs out in the bouncy seat while we eat lunch, likes to lay on the floor mat and LOVES laying in her crib under the mobile.

It's like we have a new baby. One that doesn't feel so rotten all of the time. Her little digestive system has figured it out and she's a much happier little one because of it. Lots of prayers were answered.

She's an absolute joy these days!

Hugs, A

Attempt.

Just another attempt for an after church kiddos photo last Friday.

Some are successful...

some are not so much.

 And then there are photos where you think, yup this is life and you have to laugh. Poor Lexie.

Hugs, A

The Graduate.

The Graduate Carter.

Just two weeks shy of 5.

 Graduating from preschool and on to kindergarten at the end of the summer. Our big guy is moving up. Here is his preschool class, with teacher Joelle on their last day, Sunday. This is Mrs. Jeanette's school, a private preschool on camp. He also attends the company K4 in the afternoon and they have another month of school left.

 Carter received an award for the most detailed drawer.

 Loved the award, but really the cupcake was the tops!

 Mrs. Joelle is a great teacher, patient, loving, encouraging and could rally the troops like no other.

 Here are the boys with Mrs. Jeanette. Owen will attend her preschool again next year. We feel very blessed to have moved overseas and find such a wonderful preschool program for the boys. They are loved and taught by the best ladies.

Hugs, A

The Bike.

Mike and his new Bike.

 Yeah, we call it an upgrade from the scooter.

The one rule with the motorcycle. Only to be riden on camp.

Bringing the Heat.

It's here... The heat has arrived.

So we are doing what we do best this time of year. Head to the pool to cool off and swim like fish. Swim lessons are back on and our two little fish are back at it like we never spent a winter in Idaho.

 This cutie isn't hitting the pool just yet. She hangs out in the stroller or most of the time in mommies arms. When I'm lucky she takes a quick snooze in the stroller so I can jump in deep end with the boys. Soon enough this little one will be another little Dille fish. 

 Really unrelated to the heat or the pool, but fun anyways. We went into town to shop for a birthday present. While perusing the rows of toys Mike spotted this...

One of these toys is not like the other. Can you spot it?

Wait, that's no Bullseye, that looks like the donkey from Shrek. Sometimes I think we get the reject toys here.

Hugs, A

Face Off.

That Hair.

That hair.

It sticks straight up...

all of the time...

and is stinkin cute...

 just like she is.

Scooter.

The past week or so Mike has been taking Carter to school on the scooter. It's about two blocks away and with the scooter they can shimmy past the construction on our street. When Mike comes back to the house Owen begs for a ride too.

This little guys loves the scooter and his rain boots.

Mike taking Owen out for a ride.

Owen loves it, honks the horn and smiles ear to ear.

In the meantime, Mike went out today and bought a motorcycle. It was time for an upgrade. It should be here in a week. I think he'll be just as excited as Owen when it arrives.

Hugs, A

Mothers Day

11 weeks in.

11 weeks in and I am finally feeling like we are figuring this thing out.

*I posted this status on FB this week, but felt the need to expand on it here.*

*Thing* being life as parents of three in the sandbox.

It started out a bit rough, not much sleep, colic, not a very happy or easy baby, paperwork and the mad dash to get back to this side of the world and our new life here.

Once here, adjusting to the old, yet new routines. How to juggle drop off and pick ups for the boys and sleeping and nursing schedules with Lexie. Which, by the way, I had a handful of missing pick up time issues, yeah that was an issue. Figuring out how to live a life here with a nursing baby, mixing in prayer times, the heat, the social issues about women... I could go on and on but I will spare you.

So 11 weeks in and it all feels somewhat manageable now... finally! Just three months in and I finally feel like I can do this. Perhaps it is the new found joy of sleeping through the night. Getting at least 7 hours of sleep at one time makes you feel like a new woman. One who can manage the day, manage three little ones, manage the house, manage schedules and manage our new (it's less than two years in the sandbox- so yeah I still refer to it as new) life here.

Lexie is a new baby too! She's happy, oh so happy. She coos and laughs, she smiles and she has us all wrapped around her finger.

This week she's started to suck on her fists and put her hands together and intentionally grab things. She's started to put herself to sleep. We wrap her up lay her down and she drifts off to sleep. Having a routine works for her and us and it's making all the difference.

 Carter is such a big kid these days. It's no longer hard to believe he will be five in a few weeks, he is so five already and is a fantastic big brother. He is all about bugs these days. Loves to catch them, read books about them, talk about them and stuff his pockets at preschool with sand and bugs.

The other day Carter was looking at a wedding photo of Mike and I on our dresser. It is in black and white. He looks at the photo and then at me, "So mom, when you and dad got married there was no color?"

Owen and I both have been battling colds the past few days. Pretty sure he brought the little cold bug into the house and then while following me around drinking whatever drink I have without telling me (like he loves to do) passed it along to me.

He's also napping again, each afternoon he passes out cold sometime after lunch. He must be growing because our little tank is pounding food too. He loves his bunk bed, baby sister, preschool, his friends, his sunbeam teacher, looking for bugs with Carter, chocolate chip cookies, going into town and making silly faces.  

Mike is taking care of us wonderfully, working hard at the office and in his church calling, and playing with the boys the moment he walks in the door. He's the one taking the boys to swim lessons these days and is still a master at the grill making dinner for us all most nights.

Here he is holding Lexie a few weeks ago on our date night to see Hunger Games.

 Other than the cold bug, we're doing well. Mike and Lexie are the only ones 100%, we're hoping to keep it that way.

We've bought our tickets home for a few weeks in August. Oh Happy Day only two more months and we'll be stateside once again. Good thing, because it is dang hot here already. Pretty sure we have no idea what we are in for this summer in the sandbox.

Hugs, A