So, you want to pray for us, huh?

Well, we'd sure appreciate it!

Please pray that:
- we would stay healthy through the Korean winter.
- that Ryan's back would not give him anymore problems.
- that I, Corrie, would be safe taking the kids out and pushing the double stroller through snow and ice.
- that we would strive to be the best parents God has for us to be.
- that school would continue to go well for Ryan. He is really enjoying teaching here, and enjoys his students and fellow staff members.

We are so thankful:
- for all God has given us. (That's another post for another day.)
- for good health. Even when it's bad it could always be worse.
- that God knows what we need before we need it or know we need it, and provides for us.

While I don't particularly like it that my please pray list is far longer than my thankful list, it's really late and I'm having a hard time thinking and seeing straight. But thank you for praying for us, and surrounding us with that love.

Merry belated Christmas

Christmas Break; a summary

So remember how back before Christmas break started we asked for lots of prayer that we all stay healthy during break? Esp. since Ryan's sister, Jo Anna, was visiting us for a week? Well, we were all completely healthy for a grand total of 5 1/2 days. Yep. 5 1/2 days of no backaches, vertigo, puking, fevers, high fevers, body aches, coughing, runny noses, sinus pain, or nausea. Thankfully, those 5 1/2 days coincided with Jo Anna's visit.

Which, by the way, was lovely. She had no problems getting here, we were able to spend Christmas together, played games, and saw some of Korea. She is a wonderful aunt, and the kids had a blast with her. Max is still asking "where Aunt Jo Anna go?"

Elisha started walking for real on Christmas Day. It was very cool. He is walking more and more each day, and the past few days has been getting up and going from a sitting on his bottom position. He also thinks it's great fun to take his diaper off and then walk away. Laughs hysterically every time.

Ryan and I are astounded on a daily basis by how much Victoria talks, what she says, and what she remembers. She loves snow, which is good, since we've had several snowfalls here. She loves looking out the window and realizing that it IS snowing. "It 'nowing, Mommy!!"

So, those are basically the highlights of Christmas break. We spent Christmas morning having brunch with our friends, the Sortores, and that was a lot of fun. The other parts of break... well, you don't really want to hear about them. Needless to say, we were very frustrated and beat down by everything.

Of course now, 3 days into school being back in, we're all healthy.

Who owns what?

Do you own your stuff or does your stuff own you? We live in a small apartment. I think I heard that it's approx. 900 sq.ft, and that includes the front and back "porches." On one hand, we really feel like we don't own a whole lot of stuff. But on the other hand, we feel like we do. Even though my kids don't have most of the "newest" and "biggest" toys, I still pick up puzzle pieces and plastic blocks every day. (Yes, Max DOES help us, but if she's just picked them all up, and her brother has dumped them out again, I'm not going to make her pick them up again.) There are still toys they don't play with (although I can guarantee that if I so much as THINK about giving a certain toy away, they'll start playing with it again. And I'm not even talking about what happens when they SEE toys being given away!!!)

Also, I just decided, although I have thought this several times in the past, that if it doesn't get worn, used, read, or watched before we move again, it's NOT going with us. With a few exceptions, of course. Always exceptions....

I'll be back with more on this later, I'm sure, but before I go, I wanted to make sure and share the blog that is currently inspiring me to get rid of more stuff: Miss Minimalist