family

My men: Dylan, David and Elliot. All wearing "adventure hats" as a friend called the hat he gave to David for our recent adventurous trip to Xieng Khouang. It took 6 hours to drive the 400 km along mountain ridges on the windy road that connects the Luang Prabang and Xieng Khouang Provinces. This country is so amazingly beautiful and diverse. I think I will never get enough of the view you have from these mountain ridges into deep valleys, across to more mountains, covered with lush, green jungle. Amazing.
The road cuts through numerous villages and it is just such a different world. You see little kids taking care of their younger siblings, carrying wood and water, helping out with different household chores. And people just sitting around, doing nothing all day, spending time with their neighbors. Not, because they're lazy but just because that's what life is like in the village, when the weather is cold and rainy and there's not much else to do but hang around. It's a kind of life that is so foreign to me and I couldn't imagine living the way the majority of people in this ocuntry live.

We spent two nights at the house of friends who happen to have two boys as well, both of them a month younger than our boys. Funny! It's been so interesting to see the different personalities of our kids, to see it come out even in 6 and 7 month old Babies.

This morning we left at 5 am and arrived back home around 11.30am. Theoretically, the kids were meant to doze off again and sleep through half the journey but somehow that didn't really work.

In spite of the challenges of living here I am so thankful to be here. What a privilege!
Here's a happy picture of Dylan. Most of the time he's not very cooperative when it comes to taking his picture. Even though he's a happy and easygoing little guy most of the time, he definitely has a more serious and careful side to him than his brother. He can be whiny but then again, so can I, and I guess everybody has whiny days. It's just interesting to see the differences though. Dylan has always woken up crying and still does. He rarely stays in bed after waking up and plays happily till we come for him but usually sits in bed crying and takes at least half an hour till he's really awake and happy.
But he's a great kid and I love him a lot.
Here's my little guy, Elliot. I thought Dylan was an easy Baby and he was but Elliot is even easier. He smiles and laughs a lot and is a very content Baby except for those moments when he's discontent. Then he's VERY disconent! :)
Elliot rarely wakes up crying but will often just lie in his crib, talking to himself and playing with his stuffed animals and blankets. Such a difference.
He, too, is a great kid and I love him a lot. And enjoy watching the two interact and play together more and more.

What a privilege to be their mom. They drive me crazy at times but I wouldn't want to miss it!