Brother and Sisterly Love

Sophia's First Birthday Party in France

And, aside from Joshua's and her own, her first birthday party ever! A sweet little Guillaume from her class last year invited her to his home for his 4th birthday party. He is one of 5, soon to be 6, delightful little children. His mother and I have been passing each other with our strollers and backpacks and kids for the past six months but just met formally last week at her home. It was lots of fun to talk to her - entirely in french! She was patient with me and helpful when I needed a vocabulary word. I am hopeful we can get together again and play. I am far from fluent but I have enough vocabulary words at this point to safely hold a five year old like conversation with someone as long as we talk about kids, where we are from or where our husbands work. I can't believe I am saying this but it is actually fun now to strike up a conversation with a french person and I am looking forward to hopefully meeting many new french friends.

C'est La Rentree! It's Back to School!

Well, it's almost fall y'all! I love love love this season. I am not sure if it is the fond memories of the start of school or if it is the beginning of a long holiday season with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas in the foreseeable future or if it is the crisp cool days and the smell of burning leaves in the air.. but whatever it is, it makes me happy. It is our first fall here in France and the days already give us a chilly start and you can smell the approaching winter as you walk on the streets. And, honestly, as much as I heart fall I don't feel quite the same about Clermont winters. Cold weather sounds nice in theory but, in practice, it isn't so much fun. I am definitely a southern girl at heart. I long for my mild South Carolina winters where it isn't unusual to occasionally sport flip-flops and shorts as we get ready to don the scarves, heavy winter coats and snow boots. All hope for winter fun isn't lost though... last week at a back to school picnic at Parc Montjuzet, located on a hill overlooking Clermont-Ferrand, we found the perfect grassy hill to go sledding down. There was a gentle slope with a nice level grass landing that continued for many yards... the potential for so much winter fun! Now, the people who previously lived in a city that completely shut down at the forecast of potential snow or ice and who have no experience driving in snow need to figure out a safe way to get up the small mountain. Hmm...

I am home now from my brief stay in the hospital and am doing really well. Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers and sweet messages on facebook. The surgery went really well and the doctors and nurses were incredibly nice and helpful. The language barrier was difficult but somehow we managed successfully. Freddie did a wonderful job taking care of the kids and the home and he got the kids off to a great start on their first few days of school. Sophia has the same teacher she had last year which is such a blessing as we were really pleased with her. Sophia adores her and I think the feeling is mutual. Joshua started Kindergarten and has had a great attitude about school and learning french and meeting new friends. I miss them greatly while they are in school but it has offered Emily and I a great opportunity to hang out and play and sing and just get to know each other better. She is blossoming into quite the almost two year old. Her vocabulary is blooming, as well. Her daddy got the first coveted "I wuv you" last night at bedtime. So sweet!

Speaking of the little bundle of sweet lovin'...

*Picture taken by my friend, Kim Cabe, amateur photographer but future professional! :)

The Pages in Paris

Bon Anniversaire Mon Joshua

Joshua's 5th Birthday Party Friends

My Joshua turned five this past July. Sniff sniff. It is so difficult to believe that five years have gone by since he was born. He has blossomed into such a charming little fella. I gaze at him in awe often times wondering how and when he morphed from a helpless infant into a wall climbing spiderweb throwing little boy. I find myself doing the calculations in my head.. just three more of those short five years and he is an adult and in college. Oh my! Just stop growing up right now, ok? Well, if you won't do that, will you promise me you will always want to hold my hand and give me kisses when I drop you off at school? Will your adorable face always light up when I walk into the room ? What about call me into your bedroom at night, long after you are supposed to be asleep, just to tell me you miss me and were thinking of me and how beautiful I am? (You don't have me fooled though... I know manipulation when I hear it... although, it works).

I love you Joshua -
my one and only funny, handsome, clever, sweet, loving, kind, gentle, smart, happy, inquisitive, lots of the time silly and most of time obedient son. Don't ever forget that you are beautifully and wonderfully made. And, that you are first loved by the one true God and that you have a family who will always adore you.

Around 15 months

Lovin' Nana's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Good to know some things will never change.

Watch out Tiger.

Loved helping Nana build the patio.

First soccer practice - Fall 2007


Myrtle Beach - Summer 2008



Fall 2008Halloween 2008

Christmas 2008


Spring 2009 Vichy France

Summer 2009


5th Birthday Party 2009

Coucou!

Showing off her milk mustache.

Contrary to how it must seem, we are alive and well in Clermont-Ferrand, France. It is almost midnight here and it is so hot that I can't sleep so I figured I would blog on the sofa benefiting from the AC that only cools our living room. Maybe we should just set up a family camp in the den until the weather cools? 4 out of 5 of us end up in the master bed anyways.. and, well, at 80 degrees Fahrenheit that is just HOT.

Beaucoup de chose have occurred since my last blog entry. I will do a quick summary with detailed blogs to follow in the hopefully near future.

Freddie was on vacation for three whole weeks from the last week of July until this past Sunday. We spent the first week in Paris with Susan, Aunt Janet and Uncle Josh at Disneyland. We spent most of our time on the Disneyland Resort but we did take one trip into Paris and finally made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower - one of Joshua's heart's desires ever since we read Madeline two years ago. It was, well, it was like being at the top of any really tall building (after waiting an inordinately long time) but now Joshua can say that he did it and it was a fun experience with them. I can't wait to share those pictures with you. We did see Notre Dame Cathedral and we ate at a très chic Salon de Thé on a side street of Paris. I have oodles and oodles of pictures to download and share of our entire week in Paris and at Disney... so stay tuned. :)

Joshua is now five years old. Oh my. How did THAT happen? It is so cliché but it is so true that they grow up too quickly. If I could stop time at the current ages of all of my children I would. Freddie and I ask them if they will live with us forever and they each respond with a resounding Yes! (Well, except for Emily.. she is advanced and all, of course, but not THAT advanced). Oh how I wish their answers would stay the same. Or maybe I wish that only if they actually could stay 1, 3 and 5? Either way, I think they are wonderful little beings and even on the craziest and most stressful days.. once they are snuggled in bed and sleeping soundly I thank my God that he blessed me with them (and often times even when they are racing through the house throwing pillows at each other almost knocking over lamps and playing hide and seek in the den). We had a little Spiderman party at home for Joshua's big day with two of his friends - a sweet little french girl from school and a new friend who just arrived from Greenville and then the festivities continued into the next week with family in Paris. Pictures from birth to party and nostalgic birth story to follow. :)

About three weeks ago I had a gynecologist appointment and the doctor found that my right ovary was enlarged so she sent me for an ultrasound. The ultrasound found a 55mm cyst on my ovary and I am having surgery on September 2 to have it removed. It is laparascopic surgery so it should be minimally invasive but I do have to be in the hospital for 3 days. That is the stinkiest part of it all... being away from the family for 3 days. Well, aside from the language barrier that exists between me and the medical community here (who have been great and all but we have become waaayy too familiar with each other, if you ask me). Based on the blood results and the u/s, the surgeon says "Ce n'est pas grave" or "It's not serious.". Great news! I will keep you updated on that.

Joshua and Sophia start school the first week of September. This will be Joshua's first year of "real" school as he begins Kindergarten - or la Grande section, as it is known here. Sophia will be in 3K - or la Petite section. We have school supplies bought and they both seem to be excited about Le Rentree (the return to school). Joshua struggled last year with being in a class where the instruction is solely in french. I worried about him and we even contemplated homeschooling him this year. He seems to have progressed this summer though.. not so much in his vocabulary and spoken french (although, definetly some) but his confidence and attitude towards the language has dramatically improved. I am anxious to see how well he does this year. I think both he and Sophia are going to have an explosion in their spoken french this year. Mom on the other hand.. well....

Still my Spiderman.

Heart vs Behavior

I follow our church's Children's Ministry blog and they posted an excellent article this morning and I wanted to post a link here to share. If you have ever read Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp or Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman this concept will not be foreign to you. I struggle myself with finding the balance between simply trying to control behavior and delving into my children's heart issues to find the root cause of their behavior. But I totally agree with these authors and the author of this article in the link I am posting that it is essential to get to the "heart" of the matter else we are raising little Pharisees.... those that knew how to behave on the outside but whose hearts were wicked. I have found that great discussions occur with my children when we start discussing the heart issue(s) at hand under the sea of "That's mine!" and rolling of the eyes and then I have a great opportunity to share the gospel with my children. There are numerous occasions daily to show them their need for a savior, Jesus! I have to add also that in the process of peeling back the layers of their heart issues... I have revealed many of my own.. or, more accurately, the Lord has! At the ripe age of 30almost1, I must say that parenting has been the most sin revealing and sanctifying life experience I have encountered thus far. Well, sanctification is the hope!

Enjoy! This is from Grace Church in Greenville, SC:

Heart vs Behavior Article

Homemade Sling

Want to know what you do when you are in a foreign country where you don't speak the language well and may have a need to go to the doctor and you would almost rather walk on needles that have to try to communicate only in French?


Don't worry... it must have only been a sprain because by midday the following day she was using her right arm normally. :)

Shared just because. :)