Rachel Writes

Sojourner LOVES the day of love. I know, Soj, how great can one holiday be? So much pink and red and those hearts! We've had a great time crafting for the past 3 weeks. (Some on the wall below are Valentine's from friends, but 3 creations are Soj's handi work.) The Valentine's Day wall Meanwhile, Whit has been enjoying the doll house and I got some great Alice in Wonderland  pics today. I'll end with a growing belly pic. Halfway there! I was holding Soj, so couldn't hug the belly for the pic. I promise there's a baby belly. The girls

Just talked to Mom-in-law. Things seems to better than I gathered. Dad's breathing is okay. Stomach problems, but recovering. Hurray for recovery! Now it's the long road of physical therapy while adjusting to the new hip. Go, Dad! You can do it. Thanks for praying with us!

I had the privilege of going to a women's spiritual retreat on Saturday until this (Sunday) morning. It was lovely. We heard from Seattle ladies who had lots to share about brokenness, setting boundaries, and God's love. I'm especially grateful for the free time I had to hike and read and just sit. Of course I did miss the kids. We reunited at a birthday party this afternoon. (Happy birthday, to two of our favorite boys (now 18 and 19!) from Faith Academy). Sojourner was so happy to see me. Whitty seemed more interested in the family dog than me! Ha! Micah said Whit was a bit of a pill last night and this morning. He's finishing a long nap now. Thanks, Micah for taking good care of our children. Topic change: Friends, please pray for my father-in-law John. He's in the hospital-- had a hip surgery. There were some problems with the anesthesia. Pray with us.

We had a great day today and no matter how many songs are written about the gloominess of rain, I have to say that some days it's a lovely sort of cozy. We staked a tent in our living room, over a table and some sofa cushions. The kids also enjoy climbing on a larger-than-them Winnie the Pooh, which a kind high schooler gave to us. We (Soj and I) played an awesome card game that Grammie sent with us last year. Hurray for Sojourner! It's a very important day. She has entered into the game playing population. I can hear the Stevenson applause all around. Whit and Soj posed for pictures. They have their own little trademark looks in front of the camera. Do you see a pattern in their recent pictures? (When they are posing.)

It was a weekend of sickness and I played nurse to my little boy's ills. As I stayed up with the groaning creature on Sunday night, I thought, wow, this must be something that nurses on night shift feel. (Except they probably don't watch Dora over and over). Maybe Sojo will be a nurse someday. It's not an easy job, I hear, but seems rewarding. It's Thursday morning. The little boy is a video addict. He's asking for a movie. No way, dude. You've got to get over this addiction. Bed rest is OVER. It's a rainy day and we're going to have find fun things to do. Come on, little Whit, rally.

Today Whitaker bit through the bottle nipple at nap time and poured milk over himself. "That's it. No more bottle for you!" said Mama. So he napped without his bottle. Granted, he's getting his 2yr old molars, and I hear that's insanely annoying. Still, chewing the bottle = never good. But tonight, Daddy gave in to his little whimpers for 'bawa! bawa!' or something that sounded like bottle. "That's it. No more bottles for naptime, but maybe at night time if Daddy is nearby."

Hello, world. Here is Whitaker eating his favorite Pinoy McDonald special-- spaghetti! (with extra orange sauce). Yes, I take his shirt off in the restaurant. The neighboring diners giggle a bit, but are very gracious. Stripping the baby down in an air-conditioned room is not culturally appropriate (but not offensive either). Most Filipino parents are always prepared, with a big towel for their baby to wear. But me, well, I have diapers along, but have not managed to remember the towel. I was so grateful to spend time with another mom and her family while our husbands were away at the sports tournament.  Hurray for friends! Sojourner really likes to imitate the girls during pictures. Now she always holds up a peace sign when getting her picture taken. It's a very Filipino and Korean picture-thing to do. And though these kids are not Filipino or Korean, they sure do pick up on what their Filipino and Korean friends do and visa versa.

Prayer is a mystery that will always be just beyond my grasp (well, sometimes very far beyond my grasp), but I do know that on Monday Sojo and I think we lived out an answered prayer. We were on a walk to school and saw a sign about our friends' lost cat. Sojo and I talked about how sad it is to lose something you love. Sojourner wanted to know why a cat would run away. "It just happens." I told her, "They go on adventures and get lost. Want to pray that she will be found?" "Yes, let's pray for her," said Soj. So we said a short prayer. I don't even remember what it was, and within an hour I heard that little cat mewing in the bushes. We returned it to the happy family and celebrated together. Thanks, God, for hearing our prayer that morning.