There's something new...

... that, Lord-willing, should show up around March 19, 2012. :)

Just to translate the kids' shirts, they read:

"Voy a Ser un Gran Hermano" y "Voy a Ser Una Hermana Mayor"

["I'm going to be a big brother/big sister"]

Surprise!!!

What's Going On...

... is a lot more than these pictures do justice to!

On the other hand, as I was looking for a post to update it seemed like there is so much going on (and I had so many random pictures) that I might as well write about little bits here and there!

Enjoy... :)

Before school started, Joel worked with each of the boys for a day... after chores, they headed out with Dad to be manly men. :)

Well, turns out that Candi is not such a manly man and with what Joel was working on, it was just easier for her not to be "helping"... so they went on a date instead!

Yep, the first father-daughter date!

Candi was so excited that she kept hiding his things before they left... like his cell phone, his shoes, herself... etc. :)

Jenna went up to the States one day and we got to take care of Milagros; she was teething during this time and a little cranky, but the kids had a blast with her, nonetheless!

I was a little paranoid that she was going to fall off our bed during naptime (it's a bit high), so I piled pillow buffers all around... ;)

This child is a miracle (just like her name), and we praise God every time we pick her up and she weighs more! He is good... :)

Does this look familiar Bahr family?!?

Hydrogen peroxide to clean out the ears... oh my, you should hear the giggles!!! ;)
Candi still has a love and fascination for June bugs... we [amazingly enough] find them in her pockets, her hair, her bags, etc.
AND EVERY SINGLE ONE IS HER PET... :)
This one's name was Marcos, I think... he managed to make it in on Toto's clothing (her doll, here clutched in her arm).
I've told this story before (I don't think on the blog), but back when I was a single mom, I went in to kiss Candi goodnight and noticed that she was shielding a bag of something that was under her pillow. I asked her what it was, and she said, "Nothing!"
[A little too vehemently... :)]
I pulled her pillow up and there was a bag stuffed full of June bugs... she didn't want to leave the poor things outside all night!!!
We had a brief discussion about bugs inside the house and outside the house [inside: kill, outside: live peacefully]... and then all was well! ;)
Joel bought a wagon for the kids [because all kids need wagons, right?!?] and they love making "trains" with it and other "toys" lying around!

There is still a huge fascination with frogs and toads... all three of the kidlets above were fascinated by the venomous toad they found the other night. As far as I was concerned, it could just stay right where it was... :)

We had some people over for supper one night and the kids were playing out back... as we tried to go check on them, we were told, "No, no! We're making a surprise!"

So... we waited and were finally allowed to see the "surprise!"

They had lined up rocks around the tendedero (clothesline) -- not as straight as you see them above, nor with the little rocks filling it... but it was still a good idea! So we went with their idea and made a nice area around the line so that the clothes, if they fall, don't fall into the dirt!

I just had to put this picture on... what a little guapo! :)

We have been enjoying the rainstorms and clouds that fill up our late afternoon sky! It still doesn't feel like September yet, but I think [slowly] we're getting there!

The newest project: Put up a hammock!

Joel worked on this for a while... getting the hammock set up so that we can have it on the front or the back porch! The kids love it... and so do I!

Thanks, hon... :)

Diego attempting to get into the new hammock!

[Zoom in and check out his face!]

Victory! Finally made it in... without falling out!

Aron and Candi enjoying double-hammock time!

And... it's not just for the kids, of course!

Thanks for your continued prayers... we are humbled by people's love and support of the work here, and so thankful for your prayers! Please continue to pray that the darkness of Satan and his demons will be defeated and that Christ's love and work on the cross will shine clear and bright to so many who are searching... thank you!

Back 2 School!

Yep, it's that time again!

I remember that getting all the stuff around for back to school was super-exciting, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't any different for these kids as they saw their new notebooks, folders, pencils, pens, erasers, colors and backpacks!

Although (sadly) there were no Lisa Frank or narwhale trapper-keepers, the kids still managed to be happy with their new supplies... ;)

Marcos is 11 and in 5th grade... wow! School is not his favorite thing, but I'm excited that he'll be in a class without his brothers this year (they tend to get one another riled up... imagine that), since I think it will help!

Please pray that he can apply himself and even though the material might be challenging that he wouldn't get frustrated but willingly accept help!
Aron is 9 and in 4th grade... and he LOVES learning!
Just not always in a school setting... :)
This child is like a sponge with anything that he reads and sometimes he gets bored in class if his attention isn't occupied... which, of course, leads to clowning around... oops.
[Have any of you read Dr. Dobson's book, Bringing Up Boys? He makes a case for young boys that they shouldn't attend school until 8 or 9 years of age (educated with basics at home like reading, writing and math), since schools are primarily set up for learning environments that enhance female methods of learning as compared to male methods (i.e. sitting in a classroom all morning without running around outside). I totally believe that Aron would have been a prime candidate for this in that he (and many boys his age and younger) has a LOT of energy for a classroom setting! Dr. Dobson writes that the boys they have studied who did this were slightly behind when entering school but within a short time were able to catch up and pass their peers... impressive. Maybe worth a try!?!]
Please pray that Aron's intellect wouldn't become more important than heart issues and that he could have more self-control in the class room!
Diego is 7 and in 2nd grade... and he enjoys school! Although a perfectionist with a lot of his work, he is learning more and more each day... and it's fun to watch the progress!
Please pray that Diego's heart would be soft toward correction from teachers and parents and for his reading skills to grow... he is still struggling, but pray that he will be encouraged by the progress he has made!

Candi is 5 and in her last year of Kindergarten (here in Mexico they can go to up to 3 years of pre-school, starting at the age of four... isn't that crazy?). Thankfully Candi is attending classes on campus again this year with Maestra Carissa instead of in town... we are so blessed to have our school here! She loves class, loves learning, is starting to read a few words... and likes to boss around the other two boys in her classroom. Shocking, I know... ;)

Please pray that Candi will respect her classmates by not being Little Miss Bossy and that she will continue to enjoy learning!

This was an extra photo I had of Candi with Angel (Zulema's boy) who is in her class this year... they've always gotten along pretty well and I think so far they are enjoying being classmates!

Thanks for your prayers as we start back to school! It's nice to have a routine again, and I am finding that even with four hours of "no kids" in the morning, the time gets filled up quickly... ;) That's a good thing, though, I think! Please continue to pray for CVE as Satan is a deceiver and is doing all he can to destroy God's work in this place... thanks.

Our First Family Vacation!

On Monday of this past week we had the opportunity to go to Bahia de Kino for our first family vacation with our four kids!

On the way down we had an "Everlasting Gobstopper" contest to see who could get it the smallest and who had it the longest! Candi and Diego both lost within twenty minutes, but here they are showing their teeny-tiny gobstoppers!

Aron & Joel went the longest... Aron finished out at 45 minutes, and Joel won with (I think) 50 minutes or so!

FIRST DAY ON THE BEACH:

I love this pic of Diego covered in sand! He looked at it and said, "I don't look like that!"
All four kids showing their muscles after being buried by their loving father... ;)
(I have a video of them trying to get out, and it took quite a bit of time... and help... to do it!)

Papi and his four sand-covered kids!

That night we had pizza, which we got at Wal-Mart in Hermosillo; unfortunately, the choices were slightly limited, so the kids got to try Vegetarian as well as Margarita pizza; turns out that Four Cheese won the contest!!! Surprise, surprise...

The (still) newlyweds... :)

DAY TWO AT THE BEACH:

The kids overlooking the water from our balcony on Tuesday morning...

Candi and I in our life jackets, ready to try out the kayaks!!!

(which she ended up disliking intensely... :)

In this photo, Marcos was just about to be rolled over by the wave! The boys did pretty good with the kayaks, but it was difficult for them to get out from the close-to-shore waves... there were several roll-overs!

Joel towing Diego out yet again... ;)

The kids love combing the beaches for all kinds of "treasures!"

Here, Aron found a fish fin... :)

Goobers...!

Hmmmmmmmm..... I think she was wheedling something out of her daddy, don't you??? :)

That night we headed into town for supper at Pargo Rojo...

Candi, Joel, and Diego

Aron, Marcos, and I

After we got back from dinner, we headed down the beach for a moonlight walk, which was a lot of fun! There were a bunch of crabs skimming across the sand, so (naturally) the kids (and the adults) gave chase!

Above, they had cornered a little tiny one... Joel said it was sort of "slow," poor thing! Thankfully, all crabs were released back into their sandy, watery homes and NOT carried back to our apartment... ;)

DAY 3 AT THE BEACH:

I found out that our new camera can do (semi) panoramic shots!

This one ended with my husband grinning rather cheesily at the camera... ;)

After using the kayaks to actually "boat" a bit, the boys decided it just made a better "float!"

They were trying to get all three balanced on it, and... well, it just didn't happen!

(Much to their delight, of course!)

Marcos and Joel found yet another crab and he brought it up to show me as we were getting packed up... they are really neat little creatures!

God is so creative... :)

On the way back home, we stopped at Carl's Jr. for chicken stars, fries, drinks, and... THE PLAY AREA.

I should probably have that in reverse order... :)

I'm so thankful we had the opportunity to go, and it was a neat time for our family to be together away from CVE... thank You, Lord!

The kids start back to school tomorrow and so begins another school year... it seems like the summer went so fast with our trip home, summer school, Bible School, the beach, etc. It will be nice to be back in a "schedule," but I'm always so grateful for the freedom and quality time the summer allows!

Please continue to pray for our kids, the upcoming school year, and that God's hand will continue to move in this place! Thank you all...

Our New Abode...

... is really quite swell! :)

We've been super-blessed to be able to move into the old boys' dorm [albeit temporarily] and appreciate the marvelous renovations that so many people helped to accomplish!

I thought I would post some pictures of our "new" house for friends and family and make sure everyone knows that we do have a guest room... hint, hint, hint. ;)

The living room (looking toward the south from our front door)...
Our kitchen and dining area...

The amazing painting that my Aunt gave me when she moved from MN to KS... it looks great on our kitchen wall! [Although slightly askew in this photo... hmmm. :)]

Yeah! Storage space!!!

This closet is FANTABULOUS for games, movies, kids' school and project boxes, decorations, and lots of "unfinished projects"... close the door and they all handily slip away! ;)

Our laundry room (to the left is the back door that looks out toward the church and the girls' house)...

The boys' bedroom... thankfully we haven't had anyone fall out of bed yet... :)

Candi's room.... (which she would really like to share with her cousins or aunts when they come down to visit! No, I'm not exaggerating... she already informed us of this!)

Half of our room... finished!

The other half... not as finished! ;)

The front of the house...

The back....

(notice the lovely landscaping of weeds right now... ;)

But the best thing about a home... are the people in it!!!

So....

... our kidlets win that prize! :)

We thoroughly enjoyed our time back in the States and are so appreciative of all that many of you did to make our stay such a wonderful experience! We were ready to get back, ready to see these kids, and ready to settle into a new "normal" -- but, really... what's that?!? Thanks for your continued prayers as we learn to live and to love in a way that honors God through our home!

Also, please continue to pray for the kids and staff of CVE as Satan's attacks against what is good, true, and pure continue. He is a bully... and he preys on fears. Please pray that the darkness would be banished by our God's army, and that He would be glorified in all that happens here! Thank you...