The last two days have been drama with the kids!  We had a fun little couple date night planned for Friday night. The kids were all going to go to a little program that their school offered for parents to have a kid-free Friday night (and Maisie was okayed to go as well). I was a bit nervous of how she would do because of the jet lag and more transition, but my hopes were high as I am in desperate need of some time with adults. So I braved it and left her. Not a good idea. Not a good idea at all. We made it to the sushi restaurant and ordered our food and right then is when we got the call. I watched as my sister’s face turned from annoyed to shocked to concerned. I knew exactly what had happened. Amy grabbed her purse and we both…

It’s sort of sad when you travel and move around so often, that you just keep your child’s toys in a suitcase. Really, there was nowhere else to put it. I guess we could have bought some sort of toy bin or basket, but we would just be packing it up to move again at some point in the near future. The time has come where we are packing up again and let me tell you, it plain sucks. I hate it. I despise it. Not because I hate packing or organizing or whatever, but because I hate what it does to Maisie. It is so hard for her to see her toys be zipped up, not to be seen for who knows how long. This may sound ridiculous to some of you as I get that there are kids who don’t even have toys, or kids who don’t have…

I seriously can’t believe that Maisie is two already. I hear parents say this same sort of thing about their own children, but really, it is true. It goes by way too fast! This last year went by even faster than the first! Where did the time go!?! Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling too well on her birthday, but we still made the best of it. She woke up to us singing her happy birthday on video! Excuse my morning singing voice. I already sound like Cameron Diaz on My Best Friend’s Wedding, but then add the whole morning aspect and well, it isn’t a pretty sound! Maisie then opened presents from family (except not us) and watched birthday ecards! Then we went out of for lunch (which she slept through) and then out for a hot chocolate (which she barely drank, but did eat little cakes w/whipped cream) and then…

Justin and I bought our tickets to return to the US for a couple months! We leave in exactly ONE week, which is really crazy as I am sitting at home right now with some sort of stomach flu with NO packing done. Ugh!!!! We are getting to be pros at packing, so I am sure it will all go fine! We will be coming back to begin recruiting people for the new project in Barcelona, Spain! YAY! If you know anyone who might be interested in having their life changed forever, let us know as we are open to meeting with new people who may have a passion for Europe! We are also coming back to continue to raise funds and build our support, so again, if you know of a church or a small group that may be interested in partnering with a new project in Barcelona, let…

Maisie walked over to me and grunted, like she was trying to go poo. “Poo,” she told me. I asked her my usual question of, “Do you want to go poopy in the big girl toilet like mommy, Avery, Aunt Amy…?”  Maisie responded with the typical “No, no, no, no!” “You can have a treat if you go poo poo in the big girl potty.” “Otay!” And then she continues to run to the toilet. I put her on the toilet and it takes less than five seconds and she is finished! WHAT IN THE HECK!?!? I had to hurry up and come up with some sort of treat. She ran to the kitchen for her treat, but I didn’t really want to reward her with food and teach her to eat when she feels she “deserves” it or whatever. So I let her open up one of Aunt Amy’s…