Separated but not suffering (much)

Hi all,

Well, Gavin and I are in Cairns, Australia again, this time for Gavin's esophageal dilation. [Some of you will remember that in October we were actually medevaced from our mission center in PNG due to a piece of meat getting stuck way down in Gavin's esophagus. The only way to dislodge it was to put him under general anesthesia and put a scope down to push it through.] The gastroenterologist found a stricture, or area of tissue partially obstructing his food canal, and dilated it as much as he could. This should just be a one-time thing, hopefully. Who knows what caused the stricture. We're just glad it's gone and food will stop getting stuck down there!

It's been great to get a break away together as a couple again and to visit our dear friends the Penningtons, Byls and Leedahls. Jon Leedahl is our pilot friend who lost his leg following a motorbike accident also in October. They had taken care of our kids a for few days while we where in Australia last time, and we were back only two days when Jon was hit by a drunk driver. Gavin and I spent the night at the Clinic with Jon and his wife Adie, so the last time we saw them he was mangled and she was in shock (but "Amazing Adie" nonetheless). It's SO GOOD to see them looking so healthy and at peace in the Lord's hands! Please pray that Jon's stump will heal up really well and soon, God willing, so he can get fitted for his prosthetic leg. It's been fun for me to get to watch some of the dressing changes of his wound. Fascinating! Jon and Adie are such great sports. We love them and our other Cairns "family" too! What a blessing. :) You can follow the Leedahls' blog at www.theleedahls.com

Meanwhile, the kids are back in Ukarumpa and I miss them!! HUGE thanks to all our friends who have been foster parents/siblings once again: the Weavers, Careys, Stewarts, McEvoys, Raubes and, of course, the other Joneses (a.k.a. Marmi and Papa)! Our kids could not be in better hands in our absence!




Some pics that have helped tide me over and yet make me hanker after the precious munchkins even more (sorry, none of Seth!):

Isaac and Papa both love The Far Side and laughed so loudly they woke Marmi up!

David and Gracie puddle-stomping. It's rainy season!

David and Gracie playing in the sink - they love water!

Will loves the swings

Will saying, "I'm making a snake!" He would also say, when appropriate, "I'm making a ball!" He's actually making Valentine lollipop sugar cookies. :)

David reading with his temporary big sis. Little sis Gracie saw the cover of this book, pointed to the puppy's tear and said, "Oh no! Sorry, doggie!"

Visiting "Aunt" Betsy who is housebound with a badly sprained ankle. Betsy is the Primary School Librarian, so of course she would read them a book! Thanks, Betsy!! And thank you, Karen, for taking them there!

Putting Little People through the chute! Betsy is my ladies' Bible study leader, so it's fun for me to see them socializing. :)

Doesn't David look like such a big boy in this picture?

Will on our High School's mini Ferris wheel with friend/babysitter Jadia

Gracie's turn with "big sis" Amanda!

LONG post: descriptions and stories of the kids

Gavin wanted me to title these two pictures "Slow down, Daddy!" but I think it looks like they are asking him to speed up! They always ask to go faster in the car, but that's hard to do on these rutted, small dirt roads with pedestrians around every corner. And no, the car isn't even moving in this picture. Gavin had parked it down by the horse paddocks. The kids love standing on the bull bar.

The kids are changing so fast. Will is a RIOT. He is the funniest kid ever, I think. Happiness just overwhelms him sometimes - usually when we're somewhere he thinks is really fun outside of the house - so he has to squeal and race around with an enormous dimpled grin until he can run off some of his joy. Yesterday he decided the other kids needed to tone it down a bit, so he yelled, "Be quiet, guys! You're too loud!" (Will is almost invariably the loudest quint.) When he kindly shared some food with a hungry sibling a couple of days ago and I praised him for it, he said, "Give me a hug!" like he was thinking, "you know you want to . . . " He's very free with his very sloppy kisses. As my girl friend says, they're worth it!

Will SHOVELS food into his mouth. The others ask for spoons, but Will is always so hungry he can't be bothered. He finishes a large amount of food in no time flat and asks for more . . . continuously, until we give it to him. He's very persistent and loud, thankfully saying please and thank you as well. Eventually we'll have to insist on a spoon, at least before we start traveling to visit friends and supporters next furlough! But he'll be nearly 5 by then. 

Gracie talks incredibly fluently, which is so cute in her tiny, insistent voice. She's got quite a strong, outspoken will right now and takes on any sibling with vigor in a disagreement over toys, food, book. "No, it's MY _______!" When in a combative mood she even yells, "NO THANK YOU!!!" when someone tries to give her something she doesn't want. I think she missed the point of my coaching her to be more polite in those moments. :o} She fights for her turf, tough little cookie! It feels like she and Marcie have changed places. Yesterday she asked to watch "Guppy Guppies" which is Bubble Guppies, a new DVD Marmi and Papa brought us. The kids adore it and ask for it multiple times a day. Gracie kept asking, and I didn't answer her because I was debating yes or no. Finally she said, "Carrie! I need to watch the Guppy Guppies!" Apparently she thought "Mommy" wasn't getting her the answer she wanted, so she pulled out my first name.

Marcie charms and "mothers" nearly constantly with a very winsome smile and perfect intonation imitation of me. (Not that I always have a winsome smile in my parenting.) My personal favorite Marcie-ism right now is her, "Oh, SANK you! [thank you], [Mommy/Daddy/Gracie/David/whoever]!" She can say her th's (as in bath), but that "Oh, sank you ______!" is SO cute and so frequent, like she's surprised and highly pleased every time we give her something, even if it's just her plate of food, drink or toy. She and Gracie continue to be best of friends, chit-chatting and discussing and loving each other the vast majority of the time. It's SO cute to overhear them! Especially because Gracie bosses and Marcie mothers. "Okay? Alright? Oh, sank you, Gracie!"

David is our quiet thinker and problem-solver, very orderly and [generally] the gentlest of the quints. He tends to be the most serious, but Isaac can get him to make really funny faces. David also does goofy things like lie down on the floor and put a clear storage box on top of himself and say, "Mommy, look!" He also tells us to "Come get me!" which means he wants to wrestle and be tickled, and he just lies on the floor until we can break away from whatever we're doing to oblige him. He never fails to tell me if he doesn't want me to sing, dance, jiggle my leg while holding him, whatever. "Mommy, no dance! Mommy, no singing! Mommy, don't!" He wants to be held, but in HIS way, not mine. He's very particular, and he likes to put things "back." Thank goodness we have at least one cleaner-upper!! :) He just wandered by asking, "Where Isaac go?" (to school). All the kids LOVE Isaac. He's super fun and loving, a HUGE help. David loves Isaac's new magnet-driven car and repeatedly asks Isaac to "Make it go!" and yells "Awesome!!" over and over again when it does go. He also yells "Awesome" when Isaac plays his racing games on the Wii. The other night he saw me grating cheese in the kitchen and told me, "Mommy, leave that alone. [with a little waving put-it-down hand motion.] Hold on the lap!" 

Seth is sweet Seth still, animal and book lover, goofy and affectionate, but he can win a fight with David because he is STUBBORN. Will can beat anyone, though, when it comes to who gets what toy or book or food, thanks to his sheer strength and size. However, once he's won he's much more likely to obey us and give back whatever he's taken, especially if he sees that he's made his sibling cry. Seth, on the other hand, tenaciously clings to whatever he's "rightfully stolen." Seth is also our wanderer. We've found him way down the road from where we are (thinking he was playing in a friends' room with the other kids), over at the basketball court across the road from our house, and other places he's not supposed to be. He just heads off, happy and oblivious. The funny thing is that we'll be getting the kids ready for bed, assuming Seth is playing quietly in a bedroom, as he frequently does, and the phone will ring . . . Thankfully that's only happened a couple of times, and only when someone has left the gate open. (The gate is toddler-proofed.) The times Seth escaped under our fence he scraped his tummy and came crying back to the house, waiting at the gate for me to come comfort him. So that's a relief. 

Speaking of relief, we found David on the roof of our SUV yesterday! Thank God Gavin was able to get him down without incident. So please pray for continued safety of the quints. We physically cannot keep an eye on all of them all the time, so we need guardian angels in spades!

Isaac had a really fun birthday party - 2 weeks after his actual birthday, but at least it was worth the wait. He's also started piano lessons with Marmi and is doing a great job! I'm glad we waited until he was a bit older. It's easier on this ol' mom, I'll say that! I remember my poor parents trying to get me to practice as a recalcitrant 7-year-old. . .

Isaac's Nerf and water-war party. Isaac is the kid in the red shirt, middle of the crowd. His Mega Thunderbow is partially hiding his face, but that was no doubt intentional.

A smattering of recent pics

Sorry I'm so few and far between on blog posts recently! Life is busy and happy and blessed. The kids are doing great, talking more and more and more. The other day Will strung together a bunch of sentences when he saw David playing in the gully outside our store. "David! Where are you?? David, come here! David, don't play in the water. David, come back! Daddy says don't play in the water!  It's cold!" [Daddy was nowhere around, but that's the line I use when reminding them of rules Daddy has laid down. This was not one of Gavin's rules, though.] David came back and Will was satisfied, saying "Okay, David!" Then he leaned down to look right up into the face of a darling little friend who had come to stand beside him, and said, "Oh my! You're so CUTE!" (She is. See below.)

Marmi/Marcia's lovely tea with a "Happy Birthday Marmi" cake. I am wearing one of Murmpsie's scarves that Marcia brought me. Special!!!

Lunch at the Kainantu Lodge on Marmi's actual birthday. No kids! :)

Papa even made birthday pie for dessert afterwards back at their house

Our house in the center of the photo, as seen from Marmi and Papa's house

Multitasking Marcie with banana, "purse," hat and phone

One of the things our kids enjoy about being the same age is running in circles. It never fails to entertain and amuse!

One of the things WE enjoy about the quints is their sharing with one another! While they have their spats, they do really look out for and enjoy helping one another. Will especially is always happy to see his siblings, even though he tends to be the most aggressive when it comes to toys and attention. He's a very affectionate, happy boy most of the time. He's full-on!

Playing in Aunt Karen's tub. Isn't she a good sport?!

Will's cute friend (our "sixth quint") tickling Marcie's toes.

Marcie takes her turn tickling Gracie's toes

David

Will and Seth (who looks just like me at that age!)

Will

Seth

Gracie

 David very studiously erasing his Doodle-Pro "artwork"

Bubu's, Birthdays, and Baby Trains

"Bubu" is the Pidgin word for grandparent. Here are a couple more pictures from Larry and Marcia's arrival:

With Seth, Marcie and Gracie

Caught Marmi in the middle of  kissing Gracie! The kids LOVE "MarmiPapa!" Gracie says their names together.

 Marmi and Papa brought some FUN and delicious gifts! This was a photo book made by our babysitter and photographer Naomi:

Gracie thinks, "What could be more interesting than pictures of me with my best friend Megan??"

Seth CRIED when I finally had to take the book away from him. He is our book baby for sure!

Seth missed this book-reading session with Marmi for some reason. He might have been asleep already for nap; I forget! The kids are always so excited when Marmi or Papa show up unexpectedly (or planned, for that matter). They run screaming and grinning for hugs and to be held.

Isaac's 11th birthday was Thursday, and Marmi's was today! Happy Birthday to them both! Isaac is 11 now, and Marmi is I'm-not-telling (but doesn't she look beautiful as always?!). This was Isaac's small family party. His friend Jono is the boy in the sleeveless shirt caught in mid-chew.

David

Baby train! I love Gracie's grin in this one

This is the best baby train picture, I think. Thanks, Debbie, for setting up and taking this!!

Adventures in the PNG bush

Gavin's recent motorbike trip way back into the bush. The people were so thrilled to be visited by anyone, they waved small branches to greet them!

Here in Ukarumpa we live right up against the breathtakingly beautiful forests and mountains of PNG. Our cleaning lady and babysitter (her daughter) live in a village about 30 minutes from us, and yesterday I drove them home with the quints in tow as Gavin was still at work. The quints are such a hit out there, it's hilarious! Little and big kids along the road know our car and our kids, and they make all kinds of flower arrangements, leis, garlands, and even gather petals to throw on our hood. We come home with our dashboard and floor just covered with beautiful tropical flowers. It's so sweet!

Gavin took this photo a few weeks ago. This was a paltry amount of flowers compared with yesterday's gifts! Seth is sitting in the other front seat. The dirt roads are really rutted and slow-going here, so it's very different to driving in the First World. It's more like four-wheeling, but slow and without the danger of tipping over, thankfully!

The people of PNG think the quints and I are such a miracle. They can't imagine how a woman can carry five babies; I have to explain that they were born three months early and would have almost surely all died if born in PNG, and that Seth nearly did die! Many have asked if this is the first set of quints in the world. We explain it's really not that rare in the U.S. because of fertility medication [Aside: I was told there was a slight possibility I could conceive triplets, at most, so imagine the absolute SHOCK of quints!!! Statistically, I had only a 33% chance of conceiving at all!] The most they have heard of here in PNG is triplets. A couple of decades ago my cleaning lady actually had triplet girls born at 5 months, tinier even than Gracie. They were born dead. She went on to have many more thrivingly healthy children, thank God!

People in these villages and many others surrounding our mission center have prayed for our babies since we first announced I was pregnant with five. My cleaning lady, who is like family and has been since Isaac was younger than the quints, distributed photos all around the mountain after the kids were born, showing how God had answered the prayers of SO MANY. I was already well known up there because of having gone along with our clinic van on their monthly mother and child health outreach trips for several years. I have weighed most of the kids on that mountain at one time or another! It's fun to see them growing up, and it's especially fun to see the joy my kids give them and vice versa. The quints love the attention! They think Papua New Guineans are the best! :)

The kids always ask to see pigs when I take them to the village. The pigs are not impressed, but the quints are! Marcie with a balloon in her mouth. She loves to "blow them up" (not really), over and over again. Balloons are definitely one of her favorite things. (Once they burst we remove all the pieces.)

I have been waiting . . .

. . . nearly two years or more to put these adorable Gymboree outfits on our kids! Someone sent them to us (I hate to confess I don't remember who!) when the kids were still newborns, I think! Thanks again, Debbie, for taking pictures for me on Friday morning during play date!

Gracie

Will and David love Mac the Truck from the movie Cars:

Seth in a candid photo taken by their young son

So silly! Seth, Will, Gracie, Marcie, David (left to right)

Not so silly, but really cute

Marmi and Papa are here!

Gavin's parents made it safely and sanely here! The kids remembered them and went right to them! It's so fun to have grandparents right up the road, literally. Thanks for your prayers for their travels and adjustment. I'm sure they'd really appreciate continued prayers as they settle in. It can take a while, especially since the community here has changed greatly in the three years since they were last here. We love you, Marmi and Papa!

Sorry, this is a silly view of Isaac, and I have no pictures of the kids with their grandparents yet (the ones on our camera did NOT turn out!).  But you get the idea. We were/are excited!