Evie turns 5!!

My baby is not a baby anymore! She is a little girl now. She can shower by herself, do her hair all by herself, she has her own fashion style and likes to pour her own drinks, make her own eggs and cut her own veggies. She is all grown up!  In many ways, we are enjoying this new stage of independence (sleeping in on a Saturday!) but I catch myself sometimes wishing it would just all slow down a bit. I have a feeling that that is the way it is always going to be…

Evie's request...a Barbie Cake (Phil's 3rd one he's made!)
It's been a hit with all 3 girls!

Evie loves her friends and doing anything with anyone…just not being by herself. Although she has improved in her ability to stay put during her quiet time hour, she still pokes her head in to my room and asks ‘Mom, can’t I just sit on your bed with you? I won’t make any noise!’….and the times I have let her come in, it ends up as us hanging out…which is lovely, but defeats the purpose of quiet time! She loves our ‘room dates’ where I bring a candle and a nice drink and snack into my room and she brings something to do together like a puzzle or game or coloring. 

I like those times too…special to just be with her and put the list of ‘to do’s’ aside and enjoy hanging out, 4 year old style. 

Evie loves to be fancy. She is like the fancy Nancy books only…fancy Evie. :) Most evenings she will rinse off the day’s dirt in the shower and then spend a good amount of time getting herself ready for dinner. She usually shows up with fancy hair, a nice dress and some clip on earrings or jewellery she has found. So cute. 

She doesn’t need her blankie anymore…she still likes to have one if I ask her, but she could easily go to sleep without one. She likes to be tickled while I pray and sing to her as she falls asleep. Heaven forbid I leave the room before she is asleep!

The bday crew...all of Evie's friends. 

When Evie wakes up, she gets dressed and runs out the door, ready to play with her friends. I have to keep reminding her NOT to knock on our neighbours door but wait til the kids come out to play. A while ago, I found her in her friends house across the compound, having breakfast with the family! She just loves her friends and can’t wait to play ALL DAY with them. Most of the time, they have fun but there are some days when the girls are just more sensitive and need some time and space apart. We are very thankful for the two little girls who live on the compound as well…they are Evie’s best friends. One of them is leaving very soon for another country and Evie will miss her terribly. She will always be remembered as Evie’s very first best friend. There have been some bedtime tears about being lonely and not having any friends anymore and we’ve talked a lot about that and prayed about that too. I wish I could say that this hardly ever happens, but it actually happens a lot to our kids and us too. The life of a missionary, or someone who lives and works overseas is fraught with many hellos and many goodbyes. We go deeper faster than we would back home in our relationships, partly because over here, we are eachother’s family, and partly because time is short and many do not stay very long. 

Evie loves the colour pink and her favourite game to play is house with her being the mom or the big sister. She loves to swing, swim and jump on the trampoline (flips are her speciality). She loves to bake (lick out the bowl) and recently she has been into ‘making her own thing’ where I put out the same ingredients I use to make a cake and she just puts a little of this and a little of that into a bowl and we bake it and see what comes out. She’s had a couple of success and lots of hockey puck cupcakes and loaves. Haha. She’ll get the hang of it one day. 

Evie enjoys reading books at bedtime and if I can steal her away from her friends during the day, we can spend a while reading through a stack of books. She likes the Berenstain bears books, Franklin, Curious George and the Frog and Toad books. I am looking forward to this coming school year where Evie will begin Kindergarten with me at home. Brings back so many memories of homeschooling Lily and reading a ton to her. Stacks of books. 

Evie has an ice obsession and will often request a bowl of ice cubes for a snack! 

She can ride a two wheeler (for a while now) and loves to have me watch her race around the compound. Her new trick is to lift her feet off of the pedals and wing them out to the side while riding. 

She is desperate to climb our big tree out front, so she has been practising on some smaller trees…wonder when she’ll get the courage to try the big one. 

Evie HAS to sit beside me at dinner time…we have to prep her before dinner if that is not going to be the case. Same with bedtime…she LOVES her daddy, but when it comes to bedtime, she prefers to have me do it. (Phil doesn’t mind that much as he then takes that time to hang out with Kaitlyn and Lily, doing ‘older’ things likes games and movies).

Evie loves to play with her older sisters and despite the challenges that come with a 5 and 7 year gap, they make it work (most of the time). She loves playing barbies and lego and play mobil and I will catch her just watching Lily and Kaitlyn act out a scene…kind of like a real live movie! She’s getting there but still takes her cues from the girls when she plays with them. I know their play interaction will only get better…for now, we embrace those character building moments for Kaitlyn and Lily (patience, grace, kindness) and for Evie too (putting others first, patience, kindness). 

I love that Evie has two older sisters…just this past week, Kaitlyn and Lily ran a day camp for the younger kids on the compound…Evie gets to enjoy those kind of fun things that her sisters plan. 

We love Evie, and are appreciating her independent personality and her strong family ties. She is one of a kind and we are so thankful that God blessed our family with her. 

Happy 5th Birthday Evelinne Rose! We love you!

Stuffie on the head relay race!

Obsessed with Kaitlyn's old purple belt!

New book to read before bed!

Classic 'pass the parcel' game.

She requested sweet and sour chicken, mashed potatoes and nana's salad for dinner. 

Evie wanted all of us to dress up for dinner...so Phil sweated it out in a suit! :)

Happy 12th Birthday Kaitlyn!

Can it be that Kaitlyn is almost a teenager? She is so grown up now. Babysitting all on her own! On a day to day basis, we don’t really notice how grown up she is, but when we look back at pictures and videos of her cute little self, we realize that Kaitlyn is rapidly entering adolescence!

What happened? :)

Birthday Breakfast in bed...a tradition.

Kaitlyn is the queen of crafting (and anything that requires the use of a glue gun! Haha) and has the amazing ability to take any resource (cardboard, scraps of material, bottle caps, old socks, old t-shirts) and create new and cool things for herself, barbies, decor, others. Seriously, the creativity on this kid is off the charts. Especially living in Chad where there is no dollar store to resupply craft materials, she manages to find what she needs to make her newest idea. We are constantly in awe of her inventions.

Kaitlyn still loves to be tucked in (complete with tickles and talk time) and has really enjoyed having her own room (she keeps it surprisingly neat for a 12 year old!)…her own space to be by herself, and also to decorate in a way that reflects her style and tastes. She does well despite the fact that we also use that room as storage and our deep freezer happens to be in there too. (Poor girl….but our house isn’t that big, we gotta put it somewhere!)

A while back, Phil took Kaitlyn out on a special date to a fancy restaurant and Kaitlyn just thought that was the best. She got all dressed up and Phil gave her a little gift of a Swiss army knife. She will never forget that night.

We do ‘room dates’ together as well where I bring a candle and a special drink or snack into my room and we play a game or colour or chat. An inexpensive way to have a date! Kaitlyn is much more into talking these days, entering those teenage years where late night chats are a daily occurrence. I don’t mind, I appreciate that she wants to talk to me! :)

Kaitlyn loves little kids and is desperate to babysit other people’s kids (she already babysits Evie) and she plans on taking a Babysitting course when we are back in Canada next summer.

Enjoying her tea

One of the constant challenges for Kaitlyn is finding a good friend her age. She spent the last school year in a classroom of all boys. She held her own and most days was ok with that…but every once in a while she would share her heart and how she was lonely for a best girl friend. Lily has been a constant friend for Kaitlyn and they are super close, but Kaitlyn desires a friends outside of the family too and so we continue to pray for a girl her age to come to N’Djamena to fill that void. Kaitlyn is really good at keeping in touch with her friends back in Canada and a good friend who now lives in Australia. Two hour FaceTime calls are a monthly occurrence here with her friends and cousins back in Canada. We are so thankful for things like WhatsApp and FaceTime which help us stay in touch better.

One of the highlights this past summer was being a part of a youth group here in N’Djamena. It only ran a couple of weeks while some short term single girls were here and willing to organize some meet ups at the local Patisserie for some ice cream and at the Hilton for a swim. Despite being outnumbered by boys, Kaitlyn was really excited to do some social things on her own. We are hoping to start something like that up again in the fall.

Kaitlyn did well in Grade 6 last school year. She didn't’ give up in the face of having to read an hour a day plus homework on top of that (for not being a lover of books…an hour of reading a day was KILLER!) and we were proud to see her rise to new challenges in Jr. High.

Kaitlyn is up and coming in the kitchen, baking her first cake without any assistance and she is also into making meringues. I’m excited to teach her some more things so I can take a night off from cooking dinner and leave that in her capable hands! We just need to work on the cleaning up side of things! :)

Kaitlyn is a loving, fun, happy, friendly, creative and fun to be around girl and we are so proud of who she is becoming. We are so thankful that God blessed us with her…she’s grown and learned so much in her 12 years and we are excited to see what else God has in store for her life. Happy Birthday Kaitlyn!!

Traditional day at the Hilton for Evie and Kaitlyn's bdays!

Pretty gifts

She loved her gifts! 

Cherishing each bite of the $17 tub of raspberry Sorbet (CHAD!!!!$$)

A New Song, An old Post

I wrote this shortly after returning to Chad in March 2018....I forgot about it and found it the other day when I was looking through some of my blog drafts. Reading this over, challenged me again to continue pressing on in this journey called Life.

"Sing to the Lord a new song"...Psalm 98:1

The word 'song' has been coming up lately in my devotions...just the other day I read (paraphrase) "He is my strength and my song"....and I was inspired and encouraged and reminded of where I can find that kind of refreshment and inspiration. When I think of 'song' I think of joy (dancing to the beat!), telling a story, emotions, passion, and a way to express yourself. Our lives too, can be a song for God.

Getting used to wearing skirts and headscarves in Chad.

The Psalmist was encouraging us that as the waves of change come and go, doors close and new ones open...in those seasons of starting over, that is our chance to begin something new with God in our lives as well. To 'sing a new song' is to take advantage of the blank canvas before you (a new day, a new place, a new ministry, new ideas, new focus etc) and re-dedicate your daily life to the Lord...and together, write a new song that gives Him glory, that tells His story, that worships Him, that tells of His faithfulness and provision through life's sunny and stormy days...and have that joy in your heart that comes when you 'sing'!

As we begin our next two year term in Chad, I am inspired to sing a new song...it is a fresh start, journeying together with the Lord, waiting to see what He has in store for our family. We are different people than when we first arrived on Chadian soil in 2013....since then, we've had major ups and downs, unexpected detours, lots of life lessons learned (we are still learning them!) but as a result, we know ourselves more deeply, our Saviour has proven Himself time and time again over the years which has increased our faith, and we have more life experience to guide us as we live out our ministry and family life. We feel better equipped to undertake these next two years in Chad with purpose and joy.

So, I'm excited to continue on this journey of learning, serving, loving and living in this dusty and hot Saharan country. I wonder what the lyrics to this new song will be....

Happy 10th Birthday Lily!

This was a big one you said..."I'm now two digits Mom!!". Yes, you really are 10 years old! You have sprouted up like a weed this past year lily...I randomly will be looking at you and think 'Wow! She is getting so tall!". Despite your change in height, your personality remains the same...you make us laugh alot Lily! I know you get your inspiration for your story narratives from Calvin and Hobbs and it comes out in how you retell a story or a funny comment in a conversation. You love to make people laugh! You also like to be alone, to read and to journal or write stories. Kaitlyn just doesn't understand why (she is such an extrovert) but you somehow manage to manage your time well and play a ton with Kaitlyn but also sneak away for some reading/alone time. You are a friend to all Lily...not so much connected to one best friend, but you play with lots of different kids at school...but you do like having Esther H in your class and have had several play dates with her. Grade 4 was intimidating for you...especially with a teacher change mid-way through the year but you faced your fears, didn't quit and discovered that it was actually ok.
This year has been HUGE for you Lily...you have struggled with anxiety for many years...and it would often keep you from participating in fun things or being yourself in a group setting. On a recommendation from a friend of mine, we purchased a program designed to help kids find freedom from their fears. You launched into that program and never looked back...conquering your fears and anxieties that were holding you back. The other day you said to me, "Mom, I think I'm over that'. What a huge answer to prayer! I know that it may be a lifelong battle you have to face but now you have the tools to 'talk back' to that voice that is trying to create fear and worry where there is none! I am beyond proud of you Lily. You have shown such emotional maturity and intuitiveness as you have continued on this journey from fear to freedom. We will continue to pray about that for you.

Here are some things that I want to remember about you when you were 10:

You are 10 now!!!

-The pink blankie is going strong but your new thing is to fluff it into a circle shape on your pillow and lay your head down into it
-Your favorite book is Call of the Wild...but you also have a whole bunch of other favorites too!
-You love collecting little metal animals (you have a turtle from Egypt and a snake from Chad)
-You still gallop around like a horse but less often...claiming that your shoulders were starting to hurt (perhaps growing out of being able to do that?)
-You think school is a breeze...except for Math and Grammar (although you do well in those too)
-You are the LOUDEST person in the pool....the whole neighbourhood can hear you shriek!
-You are still so skinny minny...gotta fatten you up Lily!
-You love toast with butter and strawberry Jam, and you chose Lasagna for your birthday meal
-You have an old ipod of ours and you love wearing your comfy headphones (Christmas present!) and listening to calming music while going to sleep
-You LOVE to read before going to bed...it's always a struggle to get you to turn out your light!
-You enjoy horse back riding but I think you are just as happy playing around in the sand pile or visiting the baby turtles
-You know where to turn to when you are worried or stressed...you have some verses memorized that remind you to lean hard in God when life seems overwhelming or unfair.
-You love playing with Kaitlyn...she is your best friend. She knows you so well....you can be yourself with her and she gets you.
-You love spending one on one time with daddy or myself. One of your love languages is quality time so we try to make those individual hangout times happen regularly. Room dates are fun and low key...a special drink (tea or coke) and a plate of snacks (chips or cookies) and some games or coloring to do with some candles of course. I really do like that.
-You are counting down the days til school is over! Not that you don't like school....but you would rather homeschool and you just love being at home. One of your favorite things to do on a weekend is...nothing!! No going out, or entertaining...just playing, reading, eating, games etc. Nothing scheduled but a very relaxed pace. We try to make that happen but life gets busy...especially on the weekends when daddy is home.
-You chose to go to the Hilton this year for your birthday, to swim and have a meal by the pool and you brought your friend Esther with you. We had a GREAT day! It was hot as blazes so we were in the pool most of the day. Fun!
-We are bringing a cake to share with your friends at school after the school holidays....it's going to be a book cake (a stack of different colored books). Something you LOVE!

-You LOVED Egypt (the unlimited french fries and pop and your 6 course breakfasts each morning!) and can't wait to head back as soon as school gets out! I can't wait either!

Date with mom...quiche and hot chocolate!

-You play a lot more inside these days (the heat??) but are still up for a game of house, or puppy or a trampoline game or swimming or skipping or recently, riding your bike over a ramp you made! Evie just LOVES playing with you (so does Bethan...a girl living across the compound from us)....you are up for anything Lily.
-You enjoy writing poetry (you have a little book that you keep your poems in) and stories...your narrative is hilarious. Very Calvin and Hobbs esque. I wonder if you are going to write a book one day?
-You and Kaitlyn spend hours setting up your playmobil sets or building lego houses and then acting out the scene. I just love watching you create and imagine!
-You love friday night movie night...it has been consistently part of our week for several years now...a great way to start the weekend. You are usually up for anything...whether it's a cartoon or one with real-life actors.
-You are a chatterbox....at bedtime! As the lights are going out, then out comes all your stories and thoughts from the day...love hearing about them though but we need to account for this time and start your bedtime process sooner....not good to stay up til 9pm or later on a school night!
-You learned to play the piano last summer (the basics) and have recently been practising again. We are hoping to continue the lessons in the summer. You are good at it and enjoy hearing success as you play a song without stopping!
-We have a little notebook that we write little notes back and forth to each other when we feel like it. I always smile when I see the pink notebook on my pillow...

You LOVE to ride on Dad's motorcycle!

Animal lover...you adored these puppies at the horse farm.

Very Chadian of you...

The Birthday Party Crew!

Hilton swim up bar....you ordered a glass of ice! Haha!

We love you a lot Lily. You are your own person Lily...quirks and 'that's just Lily' moments. I can see how you have matured and grown, not only in your character but in your faith as well. We are blessed to walk beside you as you continue to figure out who you are and what plans God has for your life. You are full of energy (more so at bedtime??!!) and joy and laughter and fun follows you wherever you go. Keep on smiling Lily! xoxo

Happy very, very belated 4th Birthday Evie!!

It has taken me a while to put this post together...8 months to be exact...haha! Better late than never...

Evelinne Rose...is 4!!!! Wow!!! She has been practising for the last week how to hold up just 4 fingers (that thumb is tricky to hold down!) and scratching off a number on her birthday countdown calendar since early July!! Months of planning her birthday cake (rainbow theme) and talking about who she wants to invite and where she wants to go (the Hilton Hotel for a swim and some pool-side fries to eat). So, she is beyond excited that her birthday has finally arrived!
Kaitlyn and Lily decorated until way past their bedtime the night before and made the place look super fun (I managed to find some rainbow balloons at a store here and I had brought some streamers from Canada) complete with a nice arrangement of gifts with fun wrapping paper and our favourite colour (turquoise blue) gift bags with little treasures that Evie will like!
Evie is our baby...our little one who is growing up! Some days I tell her to stop growing up so fast and other days I wish she would just grow up!! :) We love that we have 3 girls and couldn't imagine our family without Evie. Here are some things that I want to remember about her at this age:

- Loves her blankie still (the tag is her favourite) and will bunch it up when in bed and squeeze it
- Has a slight obsession with me...wants me to do everything with her...including bedtime, sitting beside her at dinner, pushing her on the swing, reading her books, playing with her (and no one else will do most of the time)

The birthday girl and her spoils!

- She loves her squeezy pack and banana in bed routine with talking about good/bad of the day, praying and singing songs while I tickle her back...try to skip one of these things and she'll let you know!!
- She LOVES our cat whiskers and tries desperately to have him sit or sleep with her but he bolts as soon as he sees freedom...
-Evie learned how to ride a two wheeler again after a winter hiatus (when we were in Canada) and enjoyed pedalling like crazy around the compound....a persistent flat tire as hampered her biking joy but she is looking forward to riding again when we can locate a new inner tube (can't find that size in chad!!)

Pink mashed potatoes with a candle that won't blow out!

-Evie loves coke (I blame that on Phil!!), noodles, whole carrots, pink mashed potatoes (ever since we had that for valentines day...she has had a slight obsession!) and serving herself at the table
- As soon as she sees me in the kitchen she wants to 'help' (aka lick whatever yummy thing I am making)...her favourite thing to make with me are banana mini muffins and she is getting good at spooning the batter into the muffin tin
-She loves her friends here in Chad...Selina, Becca, Bethan, and Karis to name a few.

Evie with her favorite guy...and a chameleon.

-Evie loves playing house, barbies, playmobil, calico critters...and always wants me to play and make the characters 'talk'. Funny thing is, when I make them say things she says 'No! Don't say that...say this!....). I can never get it right apparently! :)
- She is my grocery shopping buddy and knows how to milk the system to get a free candy from the shop owners...she just stands on her tip toes, peers over the counter and stares at the candy box! Works like a charm!! Of course her cuteness helps her succeed too!
-Evie loves getting a 'ssant' (croissant) at the French bakery

Evie and her friend Merilee

-Hours upon hours of swinging on the swing....guess who is pushing her? :)
- Evie loves playing with her sisters...they are good sports and try to include her in their more sophisticated play...she does well (some of the time)
-Evie knows what she wants and doesn't like to hear the word 'No'. We are working on that one. :)
-Her favourite books that we read over and over are: Curious George goes to the hospital, Harry the dirty dog, Aunt Nina and her Nieces, Alfie gets in first, and Corduroy to name a few.
-She loves to wear dresses and skirts and when she wears shorts she says 'Mom, I look like a boy!" (women and girls don't wear shorts here so she equates them with men!)
-She gets dressed herself, and wants to do everything herself....brush her hair, teeth, and pour her own drinks, serve herself at dinner....all good practise...but with sometimes disastrous results (I don't like cleaning up messes!!!!)
-She loves to carry around a little notebook at draw "E's" or more recently, people (the kind that have their arms and legs coming out of their head...so cute!!)

Evie is full of life and she wants to be heard and in the middle of whatever is going on. We love her to bits and think she is super cute...which is good because she, more than Kaitlyn or Lily, has tried our patience and tested our resolve as parents. She is strong-willed and we have to daily remind her of 'who is in charge'....some days she thinks she is in charge! It has been encouraging to see her slowly learn what we expect of her and begin to make good choices in those moments. Some days we wonder if any of it is sinking in...but other days it all clicks and goes well. Lots to pray about...

Evie, I love you! I love your sweet around the neck hugs and the way you like to hold my hand when you go to sleep. I love that you want to sit beside me, play with me...do everything just with me (even if I sometimes don't appreciate it in the moment). I love your silliness when you try to be funny and you wrinkle up your nose and move your lips to the side...You are precious to me. We were just reading today in Psalm 139 :13-14

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

And we are so thankful that God made you just the way you are...and that He gave you to us. We love our Miss Evelinne Rose. Happy 4th!

Love Mom.

Practising to be a busy mom!

Friends are sooooo important to you!

Going for a walk...to buy some gum from the corner store

Your bestie....Selina

Happy (VERY Belated) 10th Birthday Kaitlyn!

Kaitlyn Elise. I cannot believe you are 10 now!!! Wow!! You have grown into such a beautiful girl...inside and out. You are a friendly, social girl who loves to have fun! As you grow, we are beginning to figure out where some of your passions lie and how you process things and how you handle conflict and what your love language(s) are. We are so proud of the way you have handled a tremendous amount of change in the last 5 years of your life...you have had your struggles...mostly with having to make new friends everywhere you go (missing your old ones and how much time it takes to make new, deep friendships) but you are resilient and haven't given up and continue to pour yourself into the relationships that you have made during our time back in Canada...despite knowing we will be heading back to Chad next year and you will have to say goodbye again. We love your outgoing nature, your sweet smile and funny antics. You are our first born and you play that role well in your interactions with your sisters...a friend to them but also you are a huge help to me in taking care of them..whether it's getting breakfast for Evie or helping her zip her zipper or reminding Lily of something...I really appreciate the help and we sure missed that and you when you went to camp for a week in July. We love that you are in our family...you are a joy!

Here are some things that we want to remember about you and what you did this year:

My beautiful Kaitlyn

-You had your first real paying job for 2 months this year....a paper route that you shared with Lily (and Evie...kind of). It was hard work (not what you expected) but you stuck with it despite asking us if you could put in your 'two weeks notice' after the first week of delivery! Haha!
-You really enjoyed horseback riding and were starting to get the hang of 'posting' and controlling the movement of the horse...you are looking forward to continuing to ride when we get back to Chad
-You enjoyed some extracurricular activities since arriving in Canada such as swimming lessons, gymnastics, and guitar lessons...
-You volunteered at Auntie Emmy's work: 10,000 Villages for an afternoon and you were super excited about getting to help at a REAL store!
-You got your ears pierced! After months of thinking it over, you finally committed and now one of your favourite things to buy are earrings! You got a gift certificate from Claire's for your birthday so I'm sure you will find some cute earrings to buy!
-You went to Beacon Bible Camp for a week this past summer....didn't know a soul there but off you went and had a great time! You were already talking about going back there next year!
- You took guitar lessons every other week, practised a bunch and had the amazing chance to play once a month in a kids worship band at church as well as play in the family Christmas Eve service.

Your love of horses shines through each week!

You LOVE playing in a band!

Candy bar is open!

Your bestie...and sister....!

Grandma's masterpiece...gymnastic/horse/guitar themed cake!

Henderson girls

This blog post was written a while ago and never finished but I will post it none the less as I want to remember the things I wrote down about Kaitlyn. I haven't even published her Happy 11th Birthday blog post yet!!! Time flies!

Happy 11th Kaitlyn!

I love walking this journey with you!

My oh my. Kaitlyn is getting so old!!! I remember my 11th birthday but only from pictures that I've seen I think...and now I have an 11 year old daughter!! Time is flying by! I have loved seeing Kaitlyn mature and transition from a little girl into a pre-teen. No longer are there 'brush you hair' battles...she brushes her hair all the time and is normally awake before me and as I groggily meander out of my room in the morning, she is there just putting the finishing touches on her hair or outfit! Eventhough Kaitlyn still plays outside a bunch, I am finding that she spends more time inside doing crafts or journaling or listening to music. That being said, Kaitlyn is always up for a game of 'pioneers' outside or playing 'house' or 'restaurant' in the tree house, or a making up a fun trampoline game or playing hide and seek with walkie talkies. She is super creative and imaginative...always dressing up as someone or dressing others up in a costume of some sort as part of the game they are playing. She loves fashion and hair but also loves art and music. Kaitlyn still plays her guitar despite not having formal lessons...she occasionally will play worship with me on a 'home church' Sunday morning at our house.
It has been a roller coaster of hello's and goodbye's for Kaitlyn these past 2 years....but she is such a resilient girl...friends are super important to her and she has had to say a lot of goodbye's to good friends. She seems to do that well though...always believing their friendship will last despite the distance and making an effort via email and FaceTime to maintain those relationships. As a result, she has a best friends in Australia, Kenya and Canada. Friends around the world!

Breakfast in bed for the birthday girl!

As she grows and matures it has been encouraging to see her conscience grow as well..admitting more readily when she has done wrong and asking forgiveness without being prompted to apologize. Kaitlyn can't wait to be of 'babysitting age' and has purposefully read an old babysitting manual we had laying around and has been practising her skills on a sweet almost 2 year old boy that lives on the compound with us. She has won him over with her sweetness and patience and persistence in befriending him. Now he wants Kaitlyn to push him on the swing, and not his dad! I know she will be a favourite babysitter of many kids soon!
Kaitlyn has wanted her own room forever and just two weeks ago she moved into our spare room (no Air Conditioning in this room...hence the spare room) and has made it quite the cozy space. Despite boxes and random things being stored in there...Kaitlyn has rearranged this and that and hung up some of her pictures and art and organized shelves and a bedside table and loves her new space. It is cool enough to sleep without an AC but she may have to move back in with Lily and Evie come hot season next year. She is just getting to that age when she wants more alone time...less '4 year old sister climbing all over my bed' time! :)
We love Kaitlyn! She is such an encouragement to Phil and I to keep on going in our parenting journey! :) On those challenging days with Evie or when I feel like I am saying the same things over and over again...we can see who Kaitlyn is becoming and how she has changed and matured and know that our hard work will pay off....eventually for our other two!
Happy Birthday to our sweet first born. We love you. You are such a blessing to us and your sisters!

The party crew...Ice Cream Sundays!