Miscellaneous old and new pictures

The kids are happy and healthy. They are definitely acting like three-years-old: strong wills, strong opinions, alternately loving and looking after each other and fighting over toys, and already ready to help out in small ways around the house and with each other. I'm really enjoying that!

We've begun potty training in earnest. We'd hoped they'd just kind of do it by themselves as Isaac did (more or less), but that hasn't been forthcoming. So far, so good. Marcie is leading the pack, and her example is helping the others to be more interested (so are the gummy bears - they all want the prize!).

All the kids are talking in full sentences and paragraphs and being super funny while they're at it. Marcie sang "God loves the mountains, God loves the Monster Trucks" [did I already tell you that?], and Gracie and Marcie pretend to "see" various things coming to get them. The most recent is dinosaurs. Seth loves puzzles, bikes, animals, dump trucks, Paw Patrol (a TV show of which we have one episode, so he watches it over and over again!). David is very mechanical and asks all day long where his Daddy is, loving to hear about the helicopter up in the sky. Will is his gregarious, ebullient, helpful self - until he wants what someone else has, although he sometimes tries to offer them a reasonable substitute. He also goes straight to "demand-o" mode when he has a felt need. "I NEED JUICE! JUICE!!!!!" Sometimes he throws the "please" on the end, at a lower volume, without being reminded, but we're trying to help him learn to start out nicely with "May I please have some juice?" or something along those lines. Anyone who's had a toddler can relate. :} He's the one truly throwing tantrums where he himself doesn't know what he wants, although Marcie too can start to really lose it. Hers tends to be more sad and his are more angry. If he's removed from the situation that seems to break the cycle. I'm just glad it's not all five at once in tantrum mode and pray it never will be! Anyway, they are precious, very active, often exhausting, but always cute kids. Their brother is a great kid and big help, too! He's SO tall now!

They're all enjoying their new sandbox and slide! Gavin has worked hard building that shaded area for them to play in. It's not done yet, but it's heaps of fun already.

These are very random photos and some are months old! We downloaded some of the older ones from Marmi and Papa's camera.

The kids like to dance and hug right now. Marcie in particular likes to wear her "princess" dresses (any church-type dress) and get another quint to dance with her.

Gracie kissing her hugging partner, David

Will: "May I cut in?"

The girls wearing Frozen princess pajamas from Len and Mickey. They love to match!

They put their arms around each other of their own accord, no prompting, and left them there for a long time. CUTE!

Gracie was moving in this picture so her face blurred out, but Marcie looks so pretty I had to include it.

Gracie "doctoring" Uncle James. The kids take turns listening to each other's hearts.

Seth in Madang back in June, proudly carrying a young coconut

Dirty, rainy days are a longed-for memory. We haven't had any appreciable rain for weeks and weeks. Almost everyone's rainwater (potable water) tanks have gone dry. There's a prediction that we might not get any rain until November! That would be disastrous to the PNG people's gardens and very lives. The stream that allows us to have running water for toilets, showers, laundry, etc. is also getting very low. Please pray with us that the Lord would send rain if He is willing! I think it's El Niño's fault it's been so unusually dry.

Marcie

Seth and Will

The swings at Isaac's school next door to our house

All three boys (Gracie was very sick with a tummy bug that day - this was back in May I think)

Gavin, Isaac and Larry (Papa) enjoying delicious PB cookies! (Gavin had tendonitis back then)

Papa and Will on a walk. Will LOVES to be the "only child"

Marcie and Marmi admiring a horse

Marmi reading to the kids many months ago.

(Sorry this is so fuzzy. I couldn't make it bigger without it getting worse.)

Farmer David with a carrot crop