The Rayburn Kids

Just some sweet Gabi!

2011-10-26T10:38:00.002-05:00

Here are just some cute pictures of Gabi at 2 months...

We start them young! GO TIGERS!

My Gabi dinner table.

Sweet sleeping baby...

Horseback Riding

2011-10-19T08:01:00.000-05:00

Lilian's school took a field trip to ride horses. She was a little shy at first, but the teacher scooped up Thomas and stuck him on a horse. After that, Lilian found her courage to ride, too! Here are some pictures from their outing.

Happy 4th! (This is called catching up...)

2011-10-18T15:37:00.006-05:00

So, to celebrate the 4th of July, we wanted to do something so the kids would know what the 4th was about (since last year we missed it...it's hard to think about celebrating the 4th of July when your freezing under layers and layers of clothing!).

We decided to pull out the flag and celebrate!

We grilled some steaks outside in the freezing cold. Thomas was not too happy about having to stay inside!

My (Allison's) mom was there to celebrate with us.

We feasted on steak, baked potatoes, and homemade baked beans.

My favorite hour...

2011-07-05T12:42:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow will be a month since Gabriela has been born. (I never did an official blog introduction. Sorry! I've been a little busy.) And, yes, we are still surviving. We are finding new ways to do things. The older kids are learning (or I'm trying to teach them) some patience. I'm remembering what goes into taking care of a newborn. And, we are rearranging our daily schedule to try to fit it all in. But, one thing that I have guarded is nap time. That has been and will continue to be a protected time of day. And, Gabriela is taking to the idea as well. So, here is a picture of my favorite few hours of the day--a picture that can only be truly appreciated by those who have had little ones. (And, don't worry. I didn't leave Gabriela there--it was just for the picture.)

Gabi has been a great baby during the awake hours as well. She's a great eater and great sleeper. I'm having to wake her up some nights to make sure she eats enough (something that will end as soon as possible!).

But, it's still hard to believe that we have another baby. Especially since mostly all we see of her is her little round face peeking out of mounds of clothes and blankets! Hopefully soon it will warm up enough for us to enjoy seeing all of her!

Who does she look like?

2011-06-23T07:02:00.003-05:00

I have to admit. This question was more important to me with the first one, but now not so much. However, it still seems important to others. We received this photo of Allison below and below that is a picture of Gabi. I think we have a match.

It (didn't) rain on my parade

2011-05-28T13:27:00.002-05:00

On the 14th of May, Paraguay celebrated it's bicentennial. The country was decorated in their colors and there were special presentations, parades, and concerts all over the place. Well, everywhere except for the town where we live! Lilian was supposed to march in a parade with her class, but it was cancelled because it looked like it could rain. Being from Louisiana, a cloudy day is not a very good reason to cancel a parade, but we aren't in LA now, right?

They ended up rescheduling the parade for the 25th, which, of course we weren't able to make. Poor Lilian's heart was broken. But, we were able to cheer her up by doing a photo session next to all of the decorations that our apartment building put up. And, we still got some cute pics out of the deal.

I guess we'll just have to wait till the next "centennial"...

The Moto

2011-05-25T13:05:00.002-05:00

Thomas just really started getting interested in riding the tricycle around the apartment. He can't quite reach the peddles, but you'd be surprised at how fast he can get around. And, he rarely has an accident. Now, before riding, of coarse, he must put on his LSU hat. And, if it's a sunny day, he's sure to put on his shades (aka, Mrs. Potato Head glasses).

Lilian also caught on to Thomas's love of the bike and now takes full advantage, getting rides to where ever she wants to go. She drags her feet and he pushes her where she wants to go. (She does help steer, at least!)

Thomas has also been making a little more sense lately. Here he is practicing some very meaningful words:

Resurrection Sunday

2011-05-02T13:48:00.006-05:00

The Sunday before last, we celebrated the Resurrection of our Lord. The most important Easter date to the Paraguayan culture is Good Friday--the death of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, only the evangelicals here celebrate the Sunday of the Resurrection. The Paraguayans miss out on the true celebration that is Easter--Jesus didn't stay dead! He conquered the grave and is alive! He sits at the right hand of the Father as a mediator for those who have trusted Him for their salvation.

So, we started off the day by spending it with other believers, celebrating together the mercy and grace that God has given us through the death and resurrection of His Son. We shared with our kids the importance of the resurrection (in 3-year-old terms, of course!) and told the story of the resurrection.

Later that afternoon, we taught them some things that are done back home around this time. Here are some pictures of our day:

The kids made and decorated their own baskets for me to put candy in them. (Thomas did put stickers on his, but they kept disappearing and winding up in random places throughout the week.)

Thomas thought the little chocolate eggs were balls. We were able to hide the fact that they were actually chocolate for about a week--then he discovered the source of his candy. We had to take them away because after kicking and throwing them for a second, he'd try to eat them--paper and all.

Then we decorated and dyed some eggs. We tried some things to make some fun designs, but they didn't really work. The kids still had fun with it, though!

Then, we put them in the dye. And, being that you can only find brown eggs here, we had to let them sit for a long time. So...

...we went outside for distraction. I thought it'd be better than an impatient child climbing up on the counter and tipping over a glass of egg dye!

So, although we missed family terribly, we had a great time together!

Your pushing me!

2011-04-13T15:20:00.003-05:00

Allison was getting on to Lilian about moving while she was trying to fix her hair. "Lilian stop moving!" Lilian responded, "But mommy you are pushing me." Allison realized that her belly was pushing Lilian and she didn't feel it.

First Day of School

2011-03-24T17:23:00.002-05:00

Lilian has been going to school and she loves it. She begged us forever to go and we finally found something that would work for her. It's a pre-school that speaks in German and Spanish. It's mostly Spanish with German thrown in here or there. One day, Lilian came home singing a song in German. I didn't understand a word of it. Her Spanish is improving a lot now, also. She has always been able to understand, but hesitates to speak. Now she speaks in Spanish all the time. It's amazing how fast children learn.

Here is a picture of her on her first day. She chatters the whole walk to school.

Here Lilian is reading to Thomas in her bed. Most of the time when they get quite it means trouble. This time, however, was a pleasant surprise.

The Great Outdoors

2011-03-11T15:20:00.006-06:00

I forgot to make a post about our camping experience before we went to Chile. We were able to spend 3 days and 2 nights on a private camp ground with 2 Paraguayan families before we left. The kids had and ball and did much better with the sleeping arrangements than I thought they would. (They slept much better than I - Allison - did, I'm sure!) Here are some pictures from our experience.

Here is our tent set-up. We borrowed someone's HUGE family size tent. We had no space issues at all!

Here's our "kitchen."

Thomas loved the company of his little friend.

And, being carted around...

Here is the creek where the kids played all day long. Helps to cool you off on a hot summer day!

Making chocolate cake!

And, you can't have a camp-out without roasted marshmallows! So, we taught the nationals how to roast 'em. The kids loved it, but not as much as their fathers! One dad told me he ate around 12!

Technically

2011-03-08T05:52:00.002-06:00

Lilian gives the definition of technically

2011-02-26T10:20:00.005-06:00

It's been quite a while since the last post, and we've had a lot going on to catch up on. We spent a week in January in Olmue, Chile, for a general meeting with IMB. Everyone from Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile went. It was a fantastic and refreshing time for everyone. Here are some pics of the beautiful place we stayed.

There were tons of outdoor pools with kiddy pools and sitting pools attached.

Unfortunately, these weren't ready to eat!

The kids had a blast swimming, although it was a little cooler than we are used to right now.

Volunteers were brought in to help with a VBS for the kids. Lilian got to attend and had so much fun. She still talks about her teacher and the things they did in class. They also gave us a copy of the CD with the VBS music. We have listened to it almost everyday since we left, and Lilian dances through all the songs. She's even tried to teach Thomas some of the moves so he can keep up. (I'll post a video on the next post.)

Thomas, however, wasn't too excited about going to the nursery everyday. He eventually warmed up because the helpers discovered that if they took him outside to this fountain he was as happy as could be. I pray God is continuing to bless those nursery workers, because they had a week of hard work keeping those babies happy! Thank you to everyone who helped! This video is of Thomas after dinner one night at his "happy place."

The part that we all enjoyed the most was being with friends; some old, some new. Here is little London. She was one of the Costa Rica babies with Thomas (but she was born in Argentina). Both of the children loved Miss London. She was a trooper to last through all of the poking and "getting in your face."

Here's a new little friend, Anna Kate, Lilian met in her class.

And, an old face, Parker, from her school in Costa Rica.

But, with seeing friends, comes the good-byes. Here we are saying good-bye to our group from Costa Rica: London, Parker, Billy, and Issac (& little Lila).

Although we'll miss our friends, new and old, we hope to see them again soon. Thank you so much for your Lottie Moon Offering gifts that made this meeting possible for us.

Candy and Guarani

2010-12-23T13:05:00.004-06:00

I recently noticed that there was some candy missing on our gingerbread house that we made. Here is Lilian after being asked what happened to it...

And, Thomas was showing us all up with his guarani skills today with our language helper. She was asking him if he wanted the noodles and bread so he could cook and where his money was if he wanted to buy it. Here's his response:

Nana & Pawpaw visit

2010-12-15T13:12:00.007-06:00

It's been a long time since the last update, and we've been all over the country since then. In the middle of November, Justin's mom and dad were able to come visit for a week. We all had a great time visiting and were very refreshed to see the faces of family we love so much! For the first days of the visit, we hung around our place.

Lilian put on all her new dress up clothes and performed for us.

We played.

We walked around town.

We showed Nana & Pawpaw the Jesuit ruins in the area.

As you can tell, Thomas is an expert on the ruins and love to play tour guide.

The kids were introduced to smores.

We hung out around the hotel.

The kids were even able to get in some pool time.

Then, we headed up to Ciudad del Este to see the Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian side. Of course we took the opportunity to see the best sights. Right now there are sunflowers everywhere.

And, of course you'll always see something picture-worthy on the highway.

While we were there, we went to the Itaipu Dam on the border of Paraguay and Brazil. It is the largest operating hydroelectric facility and supplies 90% of the electricity used by Paraguay and 19% of that used by Brazil. It’s basically HUGE.

After that, we did hit the free zoo attached to the dam, but didn’t get any pictures…bummer. The next day we went to Iguazu Falls.

We saw tons of wildlife: lizards, iguanas, a snake, kuati, a toucan,

and butterflies galore.

We were so blessed to be able to spend this time with Nana and Pawpaw. Thanks for coming to see us and we're looking forward to the next visit!

+ 1

2010-11-04T16:12:00.002-05:00

We are adding one more to the Rayburn ranks. Allison is 8 weeks and feels so so. Please be in prayer for her and the baby.

Big Birthday Month

2010-10-30T08:06:00.008-05:00

We've been pretty busy this month celebrating everyone's birthday. Thomas turned 1 on the 5th, then Lilian turned 3 on the 27th. We were able to have little parties for both of them. We did a luncheon for Thomas's party with a Costa Rican theme (being that he is Costa Rican, after all!). I made a traditional party dish from Costa Rica called Arroz con Pollo (Rice with Chicken).

Of course the kids had a great time playing (in the wagon, especially--it was a very novel item for everyone!)

And, we can't forget the cake. I made a yellow cake with a whipped topping in the shape of a Costa Rican flag with a number one. (It was a lot of fun for me!) We used strawberries and mulberries to make the stripes and outlines.

(The number one was made of cake, too.)

Then, for Lilian's party, she's been telling me that she wanted a Pink Princess Party. So, we started her birthday off with pink princess oatmeal--only way to start the day!

For her party, we invited a few of her little friends over. They all started by making their own princess crowns.

Even Thomas tried to get in on the crown-making action!

Then we had finger foods and drinks. I was so proud of the nationals! We had raw veges with Ranch dip, fruit with a cream cheese dip, deviled eggs, and banana bread. They tried everything! The nationals here eat meat, starch, and foods made from corn meal--that's about it! So, they were great sports to try our spread. I realized how big of a stretch it was for everyone when I heard a few of the moms talking about how they had never had raw broccoli before...

And, for the princess party, we brought down the castle. They all took turns playing the evil witches and princesses. It was great fun to watch!

And, Thomas even found a little friend to play with. He kept trying to sit in her lap and play with her hair.

And, Lilian and I made ice cream cake rolls (with pink ice cream, of coarse)!

So, all in all, I think the kids had a blast! And, although I had a good time too, I'm glad now that I can rest a little!

Thomas Turns ONE!

2010-10-05T14:34:00.000-05:00

As hard as it is to believe, Thomas was born a year ago today! In his short one year, he's already lived in 2 countries and 3 different houses and started learning 3 languages. He's been perfecting his walking for 2 1/2 months already and is on a mission to climb everything in the house. So, in honor of Thomas, we made this video to say Happy Birthday. (Don't worry--everything in this video was supervised, although I can't say that about the first few times I found him on top of things!)

Please pray for Thomas today on his birthday. He has had a fever and some sort of sinus problem for a day and a half. The fever broke last night, but he's having trouble sleeping. Pray he can get some rest and that he will continue to improve.

Tigers and Tererere

2010-10-02T14:09:00.003-05:00

Although we are pretty far from home, we still remember to wear our purple and gold on gameday to support our tigers. (We're still waiting for our internet to be fast enough to at least watch a game or two.) But, even if we don't get to see one this season, we'll at least look the part!

The game face (Watch out! Justin's been working with her on her tackling!):

Also, we've started drinking our Terere more often since it has finally started to warm up. Here is Lilian drinking with us one day.

And, Thomas loves his terere too! So, when we won't share with him, he gets his sister's kitchen toys and pretends. Pretty odd sight for a little American/Costa Rican baby, but probably not too uncommon around here!

School Time

2010-09-15T08:40:00.005-05:00

We recently searched our little town for a preschool for Lilian so that she could have more exposure to the language. However, they don't have anything here until kindergarden age. So, Lili and I started having school in the morning while Thomas was sleeping. We're learning our shapes, colors, number, and letters and working on our writing and coloring skills. We've only been at it for a few weeks, but it's amazing how much she is learning and retaining. Here, I told her to practice tracing her letters while I set up a letter game for her to play. I thought that she'd just scribble around, but she really traced them. I was so proud to see what resembled letters on her white board that I took a picture! (Thanks for the awesome whiteboard, Meme and PawPooh!)

She's so big!!

As for Thomas, he's running around and climbing anything he can. He loves dancing and being chased. Here is a little of our nightly entertainment.

More Steps

2010-08-04T18:03:00.003-05:00

Lilian drug out some boxes from our move and started building a house. Well I (Justin) couldn't sit back and watch, so we have the masterpiece you see here. The kid's played in them for hours. Also, Thomas is taking on to this walking thing. I think the cold tile floors are encouraging him.

Thomas's First Steps

2010-07-17T08:36:00.002-05:00

So, he finally did it! Thomas has been standing up on his own for quite some time now and he finally took his first real steps yesterday. (Now, lets see how long it takes him to really start walking!)

Trip Home

2010-07-02T22:06:00.004-05:00

We made a trip home for a wedding. The kids had a great time and it was great to experience summer while we are in winter. The Crawfish was so good!!!

Finding a new house

2010-05-08T15:21:00.002-05:00

We all went last week to find a new apartment in our "permanent" city (for the next 2 years, for sure). We stayed in a hotel down there that had a neat little patio and outside area.

Here's the life-size chess set. Lilian liked the "horsies."

There was even a little playground for the kids.

Here's Lilian with Tio Ryan. He is a Journeyman with the board and will be working with our team for the next year and a half. The kids love playing with him and we love having a break every now and again!

And, after everything, we did find a nice little apartment for us. It looks like we'll be moving sometime next week. We'll keep you posted on when we get there.

He's gone too far!

2010-03-25T12:19:00.003-05:00

Tuesday night, Thomas decided to crawl over to the closet and pull himself to a standing position. He's done something like this in the past, but it's been more like climbing over something or pulling himself up on his knees. But, this was a genuine "pull-up"!

I thought, surely this is a fluke. He just happened to get his weight balanced well enough to get to his feet. It can't happen again. A 5-month-old doesn't just stand up. Well, today, he proved me wrong. A 5-month-old can just stand up. And, this time with one hand. (I promise no one did anything to help him!)

This growing-up thing is going way too fast. Thomas needs to take a break for a bit, I think!

Thomas is Crawling!

2010-03-22T16:49:00.002-05:00

Thomas started crawling this weekend. Seem to soon to you? It is! He's only 5 months. I definitely wasn't ready for this! We were able to get a little on video.

Baby food already?

2010-02-16T18:33:00.002-06:00

That's right! We started Thomas on baby cereal this weekend. And, actually this picture is a little misleading. He ate all of it, sucked on the spoon when I put it in his mouth, and seemed to cry because he wanted more!

Lilian was also so excited that Thomas was eating cereal, she wanted to celebrate with a "coffee" party. So, everyone was served their fair share of coffee with plenty of milk and sugar!

What we've been up to...

2010-02-04T10:35:00.006-06:00

Thomas is getting...well, I guess still is...big. He's scooting around everywhere right now. He pulls his knees underneath him and pushes all over his blankets and crib. He also is still smiling at everyone.

He's getting better at sitting, but isn't quite strong enough to hold himself up.

He's a pretty wild sleeper, too. I found him like this one morning. Somehow during the middle of the night he worked one arm out of the top of his sleeper, got the other one stuck inside, flipped the whole thing around, and wrapped a blanket around his head... I'm still trying to figure this one out...

And, of course, he loves to play with his sister! Here she is stickering him.

I was able to catch a little laughing on video while Lilian was outside with her daddy one day.

And, of course, Lilian is as cute as ever! Here she is during a "tour" of downtown Asuncion.

For those of you who saw my facebook status, these are the shorts. One day after tutoring, I came home to find our babysitter had put a pair of Thomas's shorts (that were too small for him) on Lilian. Look how perfect they fit her!

Thanks to her cousin Laney, we also have some ballet clothes to play in. She enjoys doing barre exercises.

...If I can keep her still enough, that is...

Here is a video of Lilian singing (something) and dancing with two little princesses made from playdoh. She is pretty dramatic at times. She would sing a few lines and then want to see herself--to make improvements in her performance, I'm sure! (Sorry for the no clothes--In Lilian's new phrase: "It's hot out there!")

Prayer Retreat

2010-01-16T12:43:00.005-06:00

Mommy and daddy went to a prayer retreat this week at a retreat center here in Asuncion. While we were there, we had a lot of fun playing!

There was a fun playground where Lilian loved to play.

There were huge trees to climb.

There was also a swimming pool to enjoy. Even Thomas got to play in it!

Here are some pictures of the kids.

2010-01-12T07:06:00.002-06:00

How did you spend your Christmas. We spent ours eating watermelon, jumping on the tram paling with a water hose, and just trying to stay cool.

Paraguay

2009-12-19T06:18:00.001-06:00

We leave for Paraguay today. Please pray for Thomas and Lilian as they make the transition.

Some Pics

2009-12-05T14:48:00.002-06:00

Lilian loves here little brother so much. It's hard to keep her off of him.

Lilian being cute.

He smiles so much.

He is a chunk.

Thomas Talks

2009-11-24T21:20:00.003-06:00

Thomas has learned that he has to work really hard to get attention when his sister is around. Here he is practicing his sweet baby noises!

Happy Birthday Lilian!

2009-11-06T21:34:00.003-06:00

We had Lilian's 2nd birthday in our house and decorated the place with bees, flowers, and butterflies. Here is a picture of the decorations. We told Lilian to keep the door shut or they would fly away.

The party was hoppin as you can see by the picture.

Lilian's cake was great thanks to our neighbors decorating skills.

Lilian with one of her friends.

Allison bought Lilian a typical dress so that she can do the traditional dances like her mom. She loves it and keeps asking to put it on and play doot doot. Doot Doot is the sound one of the songs makes.

By the way the fireworks for Christmas have started up.

Random Picks

2009-10-22T15:40:00.002-05:00

Here are some funny pictures of Lilian and one of Thomas on his first game day.

Hannah!!!!

2009-10-13T16:40:00.004-05:00

Today the Glovers left for Peru. We may get to see them in December on our way to Paraguay, but it will be a long time before we see them again. Hannah and Lilian were really close. When they were getting in the van to drive off Lilian said, "Hannah" in kind of a whimper and started crying. Please pray for the Glovers as they transition to Peru.

Presenting...my baby

2009-10-10T15:11:00.005-05:00

Lilian would like to present to her blog followers her little brother, Thomas Nathanael, more commonly known by Lilian as "baby." She was a little curious in the hospital when she saw him for the first time, but was a little afraid to get too close.

Once at home, however, Lilian couldn't get enough of her little brother. She would climb up on the couch and get her arms ready to hold him (which meant she folded her arms across her chest). When we set him in her lap, she would quickly wrap her arms around him and then start "beeping" his nose, playing with his feet, and putting her cheek to his face for "kisses."

She helped Thomas through his first sponge bath at home and even whined a little when he cried. Here she is telling him he did a great job.

Now, she keeps tabs on him 24-7. She wants to know where he is, what he doing, if he needs to go "nite-nite," if he needs a diaper change...She's gonna be our big helper!!

Thomas has even been "sleeved." This is what Lilian does to us when she is tired or wants to snuggle. Now, she has one more set of sleeves in the family that she can snuggle up to!

Independence Day

2009-09-28T18:16:00.005-05:00

September 15th was Independence Day here is Costa Rica. To celebrate, Daddy and Lilian went to a lantern parade the night before. Lilian had a ball carrying around her little lantern and watching all of the people.

Here's Lilian with our friend, Rebeca.

Lilian was also able to walk in her own parade at her school. As you can tell, she was really excited to be marching.

But, we couldn't pass an Independence Day without celebrating it our gringo way as well!

Mommy's Lil Helper

2009-09-23T10:03:00.005-05:00

Lilian's new favorite thing is to help wash the dishes. If she hears the water in the sink running or the sound of dishes and silverware, she runs to the table and starts pushing one of the chairs to the kitchen to help. She grabs her own little rag, she gets her soap, and she really scrubs things clean. She does such a good job, in fact, I sometimes don't have to go behind her and rewash stuff!

After the scrubbing comes her favorite part: the rinsing. I think she would stay here all day and play in the water if we let her.

I hope she continues to help in a few weeks when baby arrives! We may just make this her daily chore!

Swing

2009-08-24T15:13:00.003-05:00

We had a get together for the people that were leaving Costa Rica to go to there perspective fields. The meeting was at a family's house that had this swing in the backyard. Lilian loved it, as you can tell by the multiple wee wee wees. I don't know if she saw someone do it before, but we never taught her to do this.

Justin's Grerandparents

2009-08-24T15:07:00.002-05:00

Justin's grandparents came for a visit in July. Lilian took to them very well. They were able to spend some time seeing the country and a couple days playing with Lilian. Paw paw Wisconsin (Justin distinguishes his grand parents geographically) taught Lilian everything he knows about hunting and Lilian let Maw maw Wisconsin rock and sing her to sleep, which she doesn't usually let people do.

No no no!!!

2009-08-02T12:50:00.002-05:00

Lilian has been in the saying "no" stage. She says it to dogs, cats, cars, people walking down the road it doesn't matter. She shakes her finger and says "no." There is a picture of her doing it to somebody outside. The funny thing is that Friday night, while she was sleeping, I heard her say "No." I asked Allison if she was still asleep and she said yes. So, it has gotten so bad that she is telling things no in her sleep. Hopefully, it won't last much longer.

I just thought this picture was cute.

Hannah's B-Day

2009-07-13T17:12:00.002-05:00

One of Lilian's best friends had her two year old birthday party. Lilian had a great time running around with her friends and playing games.

A normal day with Lilian

2009-06-06T12:52:00.004-05:00

Mind Your Manners

2009-05-28T21:53:00.010-05:00

We've been working on manners with Lilian. It's going a little slow, but she seems to be catching on. We finally got her saying "No, mam." She still doesn't quite know when to use it--she'll use it to mean "yes" and she'll say it to Daddy--but, sometimes she gets it right.

And, we're going to have to continue working on food etiquette...

Year and a half

2009-05-04T09:26:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe, but Lilian is already a year and a half! She has done a lot of growing in the past few months. Right now she is working on talking. Although most of what she says doesn't really make sense, she tells you with feeling and intensity. She is also imitating everything that we do (or at least trying!). Here she is trying to make the same faces as me.

Here are some random photos from the last few weeks.

She loves to talk on the phone. (You'd think we do it all the time...).

The beaches.

She loves to label faces. One morning, she woke up really early and Justin put her in the bed with us. I couldn't go back to sleep because she kept poking me everywhere saying "eyes, nose, mouth..."

Volcano Trip

2009-04-08T23:45:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we took a trip to the tallest volcano in Costa Rica, Irazú. It was a lot of fun, but I think Lilian had more fun playing with mommies glasses and her friends.

Happy Birthday Avery!

2009-03-23T11:05:00.004-05:00

Avery Mercer, had her first birthday party this past weekend. Lilian had a blast. I would dare say that Avery is one of the only girls that can challenge Lilian on cuteness. As you look at the pictures, pray for the Mercers. They are going to Mexico in August.

I'm a big sister!

2009-03-02T18:09:00.002-06:00

Lilian is gonna be a big sister! The new baby is due on October 14, so about 2 weeks before she turns 2. Lilian seems to be excited...ok, she doesn't really seem to care. She was very curious about this ultrasound, though. She may not have understood that the little moving peanut was a real baby!

The Dance: Energy of the Hands

2009-02-23T06:33:00.004-06:00

Lilian has been doing this dance for a few days now. I promise I did not teach her. Either she learned it from school or she is a modern choreographing prodigy!

So cute!

2009-02-16T21:52:00.001-06:00

This is just a cute picture of Lilian.

Pretty pretty

2009-02-11T14:17:00.002-06:00

Lilian's fashion senses are unmatched.

Piñata Fun

2009-02-06T14:18:00.004-06:00

Lilian went to a princess ballerina pajama party. I said that right. There was a piñata at the party. Each child got a shot at it even Lilian.

Talk it up!

2009-01-22T23:23:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posting. We have had some trouble loading videos. We don't know where Lilian got this from. We don't really talk on the phone that much.

Silly Lilly

2009-01-02T09:01:00.004-06:00

Lilian is getting sillier and sillier. Here are some pictures at snack time and a video of her doing something outside. I guess she was racing.

2009-01-01T09:00:00.002-06:00

Lilian wanted to say thanks to Nana & Pawpaw and Papa Bear, Mawmaw, Aunt D, & Uncle Bear for the Christmas cards. She still enjoys dancing to them!

A Healthy Baby

2008-12-29T10:35:00.004-06:00

In my child development classes that I (Allison) took in school, I remember learning that a healthy 14/15 month old is one who is into everything. Well, it's seems we have a healthy little girl. Here's a little video of the result of Lilian's fun in the bathroom.

Cardboard Christmas 1

2008-12-26T22:07:00.002-06:00

We tried to load this video yesterday, but had some trouble. Here is the first half of the video.

Cardboard Christmas

2008-12-25T10:23:00.005-06:00

Since we are only in Costa Rica for a year and we can't really take any extra stuff with us to Argentina, we wanted to get Lilian some "disposable" presents. So, we decided to make a present out of a cardboard box. Maybe this makes us green (or maybe just cheap), nonetheless, we made a cardboard kitchen for her to play with. After telling Allison's mom about what we planned to do, she was really nervous. So, hopefully this video will put her anxiety at ease!

Funny Chick

2008-12-18T17:24:00.003-06:00

Punta Leona

2008-12-18T16:26:00.003-06:00

Monday we had our first view of Costa Rica outside of San Jose. We went to Punta Leona (Lion Point) a beach about two hours southwest from San Jose. We weren't really sure if Lilian would like the beach or not. We went this past summer and she was afraid of the water. She loved the water. She ran in and out of the water. By the end of the trip she was sitting in the surf sorting through the rocks in my hand.

The place had a great kiddy pool. Lilian really enjoyed it. There was a slope in the pool that went into the water. Lilian ran up and down that thing. It was inevitable that she would eventually fall. When she did her chin caught her. You can see the mark on her chin below, but she was still all smiles.

The area was beautiful. It was a tropical climate with all kinds of animals and plants. The people at the beach said this tree was four hundred years old. It was pretty cool.

Here is a picture of Lilian in the kiddy pool. It is probably the best kiddy pool I have ever seen.

The first time at the beach Lilian got sand all over her. This picture was taken after we wiped most of it off.

It was a great trip and a great place for kids. If you want the full story of the trip, you will have to check the Rayburn Mensaje.

More pictures of Lilian

2008-12-11T16:15:00.002-06:00

Here is a pic of Lilian and Hannah chilling after some play time

There is a park on every corner. Lilian loves to go to them and hates to leave.

My smart girl has learned what opens the door. When she wants to go outside she asks for the keys and goes to the door.

Hannah loves Lilian. She always hugs her and follows it with a body slam. Allison caught Lilian this time.

Settling in

2008-12-06T11:59:00.005-06:00

Lilian is adjusting just fine to life here in Costa Rica. Although we are still in Central time zone, we've had to adjust our daily schedule just a bit. Life here starts when the sun rises...which means Lilian's new wake up time is somewhere between 5 and 6 am. Check out this video, and see what I mean...

It is a common practice for people to pay mariachi bands to play songs outside of people's homes for their birthdays. This could happen at anytime during the night--1 am, 2 am, 5:30 am--whenever. What wife would not be appreciative to know that her husband loves her enough to wake her in the middle of the night with sweet sounds of Costa Rica?

Lilian is really enjoying having a playmate around all of the time. Hannah is 18 months old and is a great little hostess. She loves to give hugs and is even really good with sharing her toys. She's also really easy to talk to; Lilian loves having heart-to-hearts with her. I don't even want to know what she's told Hannah about all of us.

Lilian has also become Miss Social Butterfly. At our IMB Christmas get-together at the language school, Lilian had a great time running through all of the kids. She got to meet a lot of knew friends and was so excited to see old friends that we met in Orientation.

So. things are going well. We are all really excited to get in a place of our own next week. We hope by the 12th to be showing you pictures from our place!

Christening of our new home...

2008-12-02T18:09:00.002-06:00

So, Lilian (and Allison) is so glad to finally be here. In fact, Lilian was so excited on the way here that she peed on herself (and Allison) on the connecting flight to Atlanta AND the flight to San Jose. Then, when we got to the family's house where we are staying, she was so happy to be staying with little 18-month old Hannah that she wet all over herself and daddy's bed. Then, this morning as our hosts showed us around the town, she peed on herself again. Then, right before her nap, for her diaper change, she decided to christen my bed (along with my clothes, her clothes, and a suitcase). It's been about 4 hours since the last accident (which is longer than she has gone since we left). Although she is still really excited, maybe she has gotten her bladder under control!

Christmas

2008-11-24T22:26:00.004-06:00

We leave Dec. 1, which puts us in Costa Rica for Christmas. The grandparents felt that Lilian needed a proper Christmas so here it is. The picture is of Lilian and her cousins. Your seeing the picture correctly. Lilian is about to be introduced to the floor. That girl looks like a boxer. She has about three bruises on her face at all times. She is always falling and runing into things.

Lilian had a great time and it was good to have all the family together. Now that we have had Christmas we will be spending Dec. 25th on a beach in Costa Rica.

Great grand parents

2008-11-24T22:18:00.002-06:00

We just got back from visiting Lilian's great grand parents. Her great grandma had a stroke, but is doing much better. Please pray for her recovery. I think Lilian won the staring contest.

She had a fun time in the hospital room.

Her great grandpa made her laugh so hard.

Random Lilian Picks

2008-11-09T15:48:00.004-06:00

Lilian who's gonna win the game?

Lilian is a diaper dandy.

True football fan braving the cold.

She cracks up when I rub my head on her belly.

She really liked the LSU band as you can see.

When she gets tired she lies down wherever she is. This is where the dog sleeps.

Lilian's Party

2008-11-09T15:35:00.002-06:00

Here are some pictures of Lilian's birthday party.

She got a baby and a little stroller. She loves pushing it around and taking the baby in and out

The cake tasted really good, but they spelled her name wrong. One 'L'

She was fairly dainty with the cake. The pictures makes it look worse than it was.

She is showing the tiger some love after being jacked up on sugar.

Fall fest

2008-11-09T15:29:00.000-06:00

Lilian's maw maw made her these little scrubs.

Happy Birthday!!

2008-10-27T17:00:00.007-05:00

Today Lilian turned one year old. She has been so much fun especially the past couple of months. It made me think back on how much change has occurred in her year of life. She has been to 8 states. By the end of the year she will have lived in two countries, five cities and seven different houses. What a wild ride, but it has been great. Things that I miss the most from the first year: swaddling her at night, waking her up in the morning (opposed to her waking us up in the morning), and kicking her legs like she was swimming. One thing that remains is she was born sucking her bottom lip and she still does it when she is tired. I'm excited about the next year, but hope that it doesn't go as fast.

Below are some pics of her growth.

1 week

2-3 week

1 month

2 month

3 month

4 month

5 month

6 month

7 month

8 month

9 month

10 month

11 month

Major Discovery

2008-10-25T21:42:00.005-05:00

Lilian finally discovered something that I have been trying to call her attention to for months. Hope you enjoy.

LSU Basketball

2008-10-17T09:41:00.003-05:00

We went to LSU's campus to meet some friends and while we were there we decided to take some pictures of Lilian. We will put those up soon, but this could not wait. Garret Temple an LSU basketball player was sitting outside of one of the buildings. We asked if we could take a picture with him and he was more than happy to take one. I have heard that he was an outstanding guy and after talking with him for a minute, I would agree. Temple, is the best defender in the NCAA and a great leader. He is a 6'6" guard. Allison is standing on a step in the picture. Geaux Tiger Basketball!!

The Zoo

2008-10-17T09:35:00.002-05:00

Lilian went to the zoo last weekend with her cousins. She had a great time as you can see in the last picture.

Welcome Home

2008-10-04T16:04:00.006-05:00

We just got back home after Orientation on Thursday, and Lilian is having so much fun with family. She really missed her cousin, Laney.

And, her cousin Tyler is teaching her how to climb on and over things.

But, most of all, she's enjoying having a space of her own. Lilian's never had a house before, so she is enjoying every minute of it!

She's even letting her little cousin Caden in on the fun!

No need to crawl

2008-09-21T14:24:00.003-05:00

Lilian is a walking machine. She decided last Sunday that she is not going to crawl anymore. Now that she can walk she wants to do all the stuff the big kids are doing. Like play on the playground. She can also blow a dandelion.

Almost!

2008-09-14T14:38:00.003-05:00

Lilian is almost walking. She decided this afternoon that she was tired of crawling. What you can't see in the video is that she spent the next fifteen minutes standing, taking a couple of steps, and falling. She is very determined. By the end of the week, she'll probably be running.

French fries and shakers!

2008-09-09T11:56:00.002-05:00

Lilian really likes french fries and she is getting into the Latin spirit.

My special girl

2008-09-07T14:21:00.000-05:00

Lilian has been so much fun. Daddy daughter time has been really special lately. She is also getting really brave, so we have to keep a close eye on her.

Smelly feet!

2008-09-06T20:21:00.002-05:00

Because Lilian would not say daddy, I made her smell my feet.

Daddy

2008-09-05T15:19:00.003-05:00

We are working with Lilian on trying to say daddy. You can see how it's going.

Five, six, seven, and eight

2008-08-31T15:52:00.004-05:00

Here at orientation we are required to exercise. Lilian is following orders and doing her pilates.

Getting Better

2008-08-24T13:21:00.003-05:00

Each day Lilian seems to make some progress towards walking. She needs to get to it because mom and dad's backs are hurting from bending over and holding little fingers. Just kidding it has been fun to walk with her. Soon she won't need my fingers anymore.

Walk and Fall

2008-08-19T18:29:00.003-05:00

Lilian is in the first stages of walking. Its pretty funny.

Playing

2008-08-19T17:23:00.003-05:00

Lilian has a lot of new friends. Here she is playing with one of her quad mates.

Random pics

2008-08-18T20:11:00.006-05:00

Here are some pics of Lilian in the quad.

Peek-a-Boo

2008-08-05T17:55:00.000-05:00

Lilian is staring to play peek-a-boo

Random Lilian Picks

2008-08-05T17:32:00.001-05:00

Crush

2008-07-29T16:47:00.004-05:00

I think Lilian has a crush. We were getting on the plane for New Orleans and sitting next to us was Erica and Elliot Ho (friends from seminary.) Elliot is ten months old. Lilian was talking to him the whole flight. She is such a flirt. The picture from left to right: Calvin, Elliot, and Erica Ho.

Pivot

2008-07-29T15:37:00.004-05:00

Lilian went to the doctor today and was very healthy. The Doc said that she is in the 10-20% in weight, but is in the 98% in height. She may become the Argentine version of Lisa Leslie. (Pivot is the spanish word for the Center position in basketball.)

Cool temperatures

2008-07-26T09:50:00.002-05:00

We are enjoying the cool weather in Wisconsin. Lilian thinks the grass here tastes way better than that Louisiana grass.

Defense

2008-07-26T09:32:00.002-05:00

Lilian appears to like basketball. Her defense is pretty good, but she needs some work on her jump shot.

Baby Space

2008-07-23T10:01:00.002-05:00

We finished our crate this week in New Orleans. There was actually a space big enough for Lilian to fit in. It seemed like a good idea, but then we thought that she will grow a lot in the almost two years before we get our crate and the space does not grow with her.

Growing to Fast

2008-07-09T10:42:00.002-05:00

Lilian has pulled up a couple of times, but we were real surprised to turn the corner and see her standing up in her crib. We don't know how she did it, but I don't think we were ready for this.

Animal Crackers

2008-07-09T08:28:00.002-05:00

Lilian had her first cookie while on the trip. Her Maw Maw gave her a camel animal cracker. She doesn't have teeth (like most people in Tenessee) so she kept it in her mouth until it desolved.

Packing and Laundry

2008-07-09T08:23:00.002-05:00

Lilian helping us pack and helping with the Laundry

Cold River

2008-07-04T17:03:00.003-05:00

Gatlinburg, TN

2008-07-04T12:31:00.006-05:00

We spent a week with Allison's family in Gatlinburg last week. Here are some highlights of our trip:

The Dixie Stampede was great, but it wore Lilian out! Now we have to dance around and do horse tricks to get her to eat, though. So spoiled...

She loved the Smoky Mountain Trails, but these too wore her out...

We discovered that Lilian was a very talented rock climber...

She loved the stingrays at the aquarium...

And, Cade's Cove was fun...

Overall, it was a fantastic trip and a good time with family. We thank God for this time He has given us this summer to spend time with family.

Jail Bird

2008-06-11T10:54:00.006-05:00

Lilian made a strange sound while napping. We walked in to find her peaking over the crib guards. Her face was smushed against the bars. She is so funny.

Laughing

2008-06-11T08:06:00.003-05:00

Lilian is so funny. You can dance around, make noises it doesn't matter. She will just stare at you. But, look at her funny and she cracks up. I don't get it.

Working with Daddy

2008-06-10T09:47:00.003-05:00

Lilian catches on so fast. Here I have her working on a powerpoint for me. Hopefully, she will pick up Spanish as fast as she picked up Microsoft Office.