Birthday 2015- Sept 22

What a sweet birthday! I'm so thankful for this year. Truly the hardest and best year of my life. 

I awoke to two sweet baby coos and their moods were outstanding all day. Then two sweet girls came rushing in to wish me a happy birthday. Kamden, with so much excitement said "mommy! You're 34!!!! That's so big! I mean you're so old!!!!" When I seemed taken aback she said "mommy! I'm so proud of you!" 

Then Kiley says, "Awe! You and Jaden and Jaxon all have dimples in your bottom!" I really dropped my jaw at that. And she said, thoughtfully, "I meant it as a compliment, I guess."  She thought it was sweet that we matched! 

So how's that for a happy birthday old lady! ;) 

The boys got me two pretty kurtas. The girls made cards galore and got me a beautiful little statue of two girls. The best part about it was that my girls really are that sweet together. 

Then Jason sent me and the girls off to a great water park! It was a blast! I had so much fun with them. Kamden was braver than ever! 

Then I got to go out to dinner and have sweet heart to hearts with a good friend. 

It was a great day. And the best part was that it was the close of a year in which I think I grew more than ever before! 

Living My FairyTale- (very old post)

I recently had the opportunity to do a self-evaluation.  Those opportunities rarely come easily, and aren't usually welcomed, but when they come, they're important.  Is my life really a living fairy tale? I pondered that question and decided emphatically, YES! It is! It's the very story God has written for my life.  But, is it without burden? Without care? Without tears and sin and sadness? Emphatically NO!

My fairy tale is complete with a husband who has sustained two back surgeries in a number of months leaving him unable to carry his twin sons, unable to help with lifting them, rocking them, changing their diapers, bending to feed them, the list goes on.  It also includes parenting a little girl who is suffering from the scars of being hurt by someone she was close to, another little girl with an amazingly beautiful personality yet shows signs of a low self esteem at times and struggles with building close friendships, a little boy who may have issues walking, another little boy who rarely lets me put him down, a house filled with problems and ACs that break down weekly.  An emotional wound that still hasn't healed.

And, would I ask God to change any of this? Well, honestly, yes.  I would love to have a husband who is whole again.  Would I want to reverse what it's done for our family, though? Absolutely not! 

Through these burdens, I've learned what it really means to love "in sickness and in health". Let me tell you, for a year and a half, and even recently on occasion, I battled a bad attitude, a resentment toward my husband for his situation. I served well, but I served with a miserable spirit. And, so, through that back pain, I feel like I know now what it really means to love well. And all the while he's been faithful to me. 

Was having twin boys in a foreign country with multiple high risk issues an easy task? Of course not! Would I trade their story? No! It's what makes them (and me) who we are! 

So, am I living a fairy tale? YES! I looked up the definition and found that one of them is "a story of extreme happiness". And, praise God, I'm living there! 

Thanks for asking! 

-The 4 Cokes

Visiting Friends- (very old post)

First of all, kids' perspectives are incredible.  We spent some time across the street today in a little make-shift village visiting with some families of the kids who play in our park.  Sitting there, I'm thinking to myself, "See, girls! Can you imagine living in these conditions?" (One room little shanties made of whatever material they can get their hands on.  Families of 9 or more living under one roof in one room.  No doors.  One toilet for the entire community. Outside cooking.  Extremely close quarters.  I'd say approximately 75 people living in about the space of our one house.) And as we walk away, Kamden says, "That's a cute little village, isn't it, mommy?" WOW!  She seems to think it would be pretty neat living so close to your friends.  While Kiley says, "from the outside their homes look so small, but when you get inside there's actually space." Unbelievable.  So much for the lesson in be thankful for what you have. ;)

Second, where do I even start.  I can't wrap my mind around what God is doing in my heart.  My heart aches for the injustice that is going on in the world and all around us.  My friend begin one of those.  A girl with so much potential, so much promise.  Yet, because of the family and the country and the caste she was born into, she is, right now, hopeless.  Where do I even begin to make a difference?  Especially since right now she's MIA.

And it doesn't stop there.  Everywhere we turn, we are faced with child trafficking, sex slavery, then there's the worldwide issues of ISIS and refugees, abortion, murders, the list just goes on and on and we are called to love the hurting, and usually my drop in the bucket seems so very insufficient for the great task at hand. 

-The 4 Cokes