Craig & Jennifer Pratt

Still here

2010-09-18T18:49:00.001-07:00

So we are still alive. Since we have been back in the states we have been going, going, and going some more. We have had a wonderful time catching up with family and friends while enjoying the last bits of summer. We absolutely love summer in Washington. The view of the mountains in every direction, the trees and water have such an amazing glow, and the temperatures are so comfortable. What a beautiful place we live.
Our transition home has been smooth as we moved into my (jennifer) parents home temporarily. This has been a wonderful blessing for us as we get our feet firmly planted here again. Craig has resumed working at his old job doing tree work part time and projects/side jobs for family and friends to fill in the gaps. Once again we are reminded of the many blessings God has given us. God has been so faithful to us. This is our third time coming off the mission field and the third time we have to testify of Gods goodness and provision. He is so faithful!
So I do plan on keeping up with this blog but I will give you a warning that I probably won't be quite as regular as before. Thank you to all who follow our blog, we will be in touch.

An update

2010-08-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

Isaac con su amigo Alcides (Isaac with his friend Alcides)

el jefe con su cafe (The boss with his coffee)

Well it has been a while since I have written. Part of this is because we have been busy and part of this is because I am full of mixed emotions and I am not sure how to express what I am feeling. We are excited to be going home but sad because we are going to miss it here. We are really going to miss our friends and the boys at the school.
Last week there was a group of 18 people here from Wisconsin with many different skills and all kinds of work and activities were accomplished. They had counselors who met with many individuals needing help, and who also presented a 3 day marriage conference for the people of Guatemala. We had a couple of med students who worked at the clinic teaching about diabetes and gave many people in the community glasses. A few members of the group were teachers and worked at a local school teaching math and music together through fractions. There was an electrician who came and helped at the vocational school. And several young men in the group who are in school preparing to become pastors were able to come and preach at churches as well as give classes on techniques for studying the Bible.
This is just a summary of what happened and there was much more that I can not even begin to write all down. We were blessed to be a part of this and our kids were blessed as they showered them with love and attention. It is always amazing to meet and work alongside other brothers and sisters in Christ!
We are now beginning to start wrapping up our time here in Guatemala. I am sorry if this post has lacked emotion but I am still in the processing mode. But I didn't want you all to think we were lost somewhere. We are doing well and making the most of our last 8 days here!
I hope to be able to post more soon!

A Couple fun pictures of the boys!

2010-07-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

Blessed!

2010-07-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

Craig has officially survived his time time running the school by himself. Our friends have returned from the states and he can take a deep breath. I have to say that things went amazingly smoothly. He did a great job and had bit of fun with it to.
On Wednesdays they only have school for a half day and they have the afternoon off. So this last Wednesday Craig decided to take the students out to lunch to bless them and thank them for helping him through these few weeks. He had them pile in the back of the truck and took them out to Burger King (not a favorite of Craig's but a special treat for the boys that they LOVE!). After that he decided that they should have some fun and go down to the lake for a swim. He brought them all to our house to get shorts for them to wear because they were all in their work clothes and then of they went. They had so much fun. They swam for several hours. What a blessing it was to see them so happy and having som much fun just being teenage boys!
Well the next day Craig went to work and a couple of the boys asked Craig if he wanted a chicken. They wanted to give him a chicken to say thank you. So Craig said sure and off they went. One of the boys ran back to his house and came back carrying a live chicken. Craig was surprised because this was not exactly what he was expecting. Then they asked if he wanted it alive or dead. Thankfully Craig said dead (probably because he knew what kind of response he would have gotten from me had he brought home a live chicken). So they killed it and cleaned it up to send it home with him. They were so proud of this nice big chicken that they were giving us (probably the skinniest chicken I had ever seen but big for them). We both felt so blessed that they wanted to bless and share what they had with us. They had a chicken so that is what they gave, and it sounds like it was one of their bigger chickens which touches my heart even more. Part of me wanted to give the chicken back because I know they need it more than we do but I knew that this was something that they wanted to do, and it made them happy. Through giving everyone is blessed, the giver and the receiver!

Common Sights

2010-07-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

"Tuk Tuks" - they are 3 wheeled taxis. There are probably more of them then there are cars. They are everywhere.

It is very common to see families with little kids, even infants riding motorcyles. It is very rare to see them wearing helmets.

Little stands like this are everywhere in the afternoon and evening. This one is selling tostadas and juice.
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Everybody has clothes hanging up to dry. Dryers are rare because it costs a lot for electricity here.

Launcha-these are water taxis. We have ridden them several times to get to different parts of the lake. The kids love riding them.

Tamales- They are wrapped and then cooked in these huge banana leaves. There are several different dishes that they prepare and cook like this. Craig and I haven't been able to figure out the difference between them though. They walk the streets with 5 gallon buckets full of these to sell to people.

Fried Plantains-many people eat these every day. They are very sweet.

A boy and his dad out fishing in their boat.

Bike Cart- this one is selling chips and other snacks

Bike Cart - this one is selling something similar to snow cones

I love the Market!

2010-06-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

I love going to the market. We buy most of our produce there because they have such great deals. We bought all of this food in the picture for 137 Quetzals or about $15. So here is a list of what we got: a bag of 100 tostadas, 2 pineapples, 1 watermelon, 1 papaya, 12 oranges, 10 tomatoes, cilantro, 6 mangoes, 4 green bell peppers and 2 red bell peppers, 2 cucumbers, 2 onions, and 2 carrots. Man I love a good deal. When we go home we are going to miss being able to eat pineapple, watermelon and mangoes every week.

School Project Continued

2010-06-24T08:40:00.001-07:00

Here are some new pictures of the school Craig has been working on. They have put in new decking, hand rails, and some stairs. They are also having to replace some of the roof. It is going well and everyone is learning as they go. Craig has been challenged but is doing well being there by himself. So far so good!

Isaac's 4th Birthday!

2010-06-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

We had a great day for Isaac's Birthday! We started with his favorite breakfast, pancakes, and then his favorite luch, PB&J. We opened presents, played games, talked to family on Skype, played with buubbles, played cars, ate cake and watched a movie. I think it might have been a dream day for Isaac. So glad we were able to have a low key but fun-fillled family birthday! We love you Isaac and we can't believe you are already 4. You are and amazing boy that is full of life and joy. We are blessed to have you as our son.

Isaac's new REAL tools, just like daddy!

School Project

2010-06-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post I had shared how a local school had been set fire by some gang members. Now Craig and some of the boys form the center are working on fixing all that was damaged by the fire (pictures below). Craig is the head guy on this project because he has a background in carpentry. It has been going well and the boys are learning a new skill. The carpentry they have done up to this point has been making furniture and things like that. It has been a new challenge for Craig , but a good one. Starting this Sunday he will be flying solo at the school because our friends that run the program will be gone to the states for 3 weeks. He has been given permission to teach whatever he wants after they finish this school project. Pray that he would not be to stressed over this new responsibility and that his communication with the boys would be good even with the language barrier.

Craig's Birthday!

2010-06-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

We surprised Craig at the center with cake for his birthday. Some of the boys even brought some firecrackers (well that is the only thing I can relate them to at home). They doen't make anything pretty in the sky but they are exteremly loud and Craig was quite surprised. I wish I could have gotten a picture of his face because it was priceless. Here are pictures of the family and Craig with some of the boys from the center in front of the cake.

Hard Lesson Learned

2010-06-11T08:24:00.001-07:00

Isaac had to learn a lesson the hard way last night. He likes to jump off our bed onto his bed. We let him do this but last night he wanted to jump over Josiah. Of course we told him this wasn't okay, mostly for fear that their would be a collision of 2 kids and then lots of screaming. Well, he decided to ignore Craig and jump over Josiah. Thankfully he was extra cautious about Josiah. He jumped extra far. But that posed another problem because he jumped so far he ran right into the cement wall with his forehead. I have never seen an egg so big on someones forehead. The picture doesn't even capture how big and ugly it really was. I guess he had to learn the hard way. Hopefully next time he listens to us.

This is Isaac's head this morning. It is amazing how quickly kids heal. We still have a major bruise but it is 100 times better than last night.

House Projects

2010-06-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed to be able to stay at our place here in Guatemala rent free. In return we are trying to do some work on the apartment to make it nicer when we leave. Our most recent project was putting a tile backsplash behind the counter and a tile windowsill between the kitchen and living room. So here are some picture of Craig and Isaac's handywork.

Isaac being ever so helpful!

The finished project!

Newest Project

2010-06-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

Near where Craig works at the center is an elementry school. Bio and Derida (our friends we are working with here) used to be involved in the school. Derida was even one of the teachers there teaching English. As they got busier with the center they have stopped working there but are still involved somewhat because their daughter Albana is in 6th grade at this school. Unfortunately last week the school was set fire by some local gang members seeking revenge for a failed attempt at stealing the schools generator the previous week. Thankfully the night guard at the nearby clinic spotted it quickly and called the fire department and the damage was contained relatively quickly. But one classroom and a little more of a hallway was damaged. So Bio, Craig, and the boys at the Center are volunteering their services to fix the school. This will be a blessing to the school and also to the boys who will get to learn more about carpentry (most of their carpentry work is building furniture). Craig will be a key part in this because he is a carpenter by trade, so they are very excited to have hime here to help and teach. Another blessing is that the lumber is being doanted by a local lumber yard and several others have come forward to donate money to help fix the school. I pray that this sad situation ends up being a blessing to all that are involved.

Our trip to Guatemala City

2010-06-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

Visiting with old friends Monica and Claudia.

Flooding from Tropical storm Agatha. It was much worse than this but it was raining so hard we couldn't get a picture.

The black sand-like ash from the volcano.

The streets after the volcano errupted

We needed to take a trip to Guatemala city to renew our tourist visa for another 90 days here in Guatemala. The city is on the other side of the country from us so we took an 8 hr bus ride there and planned to visit friends and see a few sights along the way. The trip ended up being quite the adventure. Our visas ended up taking 3 days to get figured out with documents being e-mailed from the states and many photocopies made of everything you could possibly imagine. On day 2 of our trip a volcano only 30 miles out of the city errupted dumping a black sand-like ash to cover the city. Everybody scrambeled to try and clean this up because a tropical storm was coming and all this sand would clog the street drainage causing flooding. Well, day 4 of our trip tropical storm Agatha rolled into town flooding all of the streets and causing some serious sink holes in the city. We had planned on visiting some other nearby sights but new that was now impossible due to mudslides so we determined it best just to catch the bus home. But now the bus couldn't leave either because of a river that had flooded over its banks and the road back home. So, we waited. We were blessed to be staying with friends instead of stuck in a hotel. And we are very thanbkful that we were all safe. Yesterday we were finally able to return and it feels good to be home. Above are pictures of some of the sights on this trip.

What we are doing here

2010-05-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

So we have approached and passed our half way mark here in Guatemala. As I think about this I am amazed at how fast the time has gone and how I really want to grasp a hold of what is happening here. So for those of you who know little about what we are doing, here is the scoop.
We are working along side some great friends here in Flores, Guatemala who run a ministry called Buen Samaritano (Good Samaritan). There are 2 aspects to this ministry that run daily. First is a medical clinic that sees people for little or no cost. They will never turn someone away, even if they can't pay a dime. Second is a vocational school for young boys aged 15-20. At the vocational school is where Craig works. Currently there are 10 boys that he works with daily to help them learn carpentry, welding, and others sometimes teach computer and electrical classes. This ministry was started to help young boys to stay out of gangs and get their lives on a path that would guide them to a future of great success. When our friends felt the burden to start this ministry they asked the boys why they join gangs. They gave 2 main reasons 1. quick money through drug dealing and other crimes (minors can't be prosecuted here so they are recruited to do this work) and 2, a sense of family and belonging. Most of the boys come from homes where the father is absent and one boy has no father or mother so belonging is hugely important to them.
So our friends, Ovidio and Derida, have created a place that meets both of these needs. The school is free to the boys and after they have been there for a bit they have to opportunity to make a small salary funded by the projects they make and sell. This gives them a sense of pride and ownership in the work that they have accomplished. Also, this shop where they work becomes a safe place for them to come and place of belonging. The boys are great friends and enjoy what they do together. It gives them a place to be every day and something positive to do. And Bio, Derida & Craig would do anything for these boys if they needed. They have gone to educational school functions when a parent couldn't. They have given them clothes when they were needed. They feed them daily a hearty nutritional snack. And most importantly they love them by sharing life with them daily. The boys love coming to school. They have a great sense of pride in their work and they love having a group that they belong to.
We are so happy to be a part of this and we look forward to an even greater 3 months to come. Thank you to everyone who loves and supports us!

The past week!

2010-05-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since we have published a post. We spent the last week visiting with Papa and Nana Ushler. We had a great time being tourists for a week, seeing the sights and visiting all kinds of new places. Here are a few pictures. I will post more later but the kids are needing my attention right now. Thanks for following our adventures!
Craig and I got to go on a zip-line canopy tour. So much fun!!!

Here are Isaac and Josiah on a horse. Isaac actually went for a ride with Craig (his first ride on a full sized horse). Josaih just sat there for a minute and pet the horse.

Here are a couple pictures from Tikal of old Mayan ruins. It was pretty amazing and beautiful landscape.

Weekend Getaway!

2010-05-09T13:56:00.001-07:00

A beautiful view of the sunset from near the pool. My how amazingly beautiful a sunset can be!

Isaac got these new swimming muscles for flotation. He loved them because they allowed him to swim anywhere in the pool, including the deep end, by himself. Apparently I didn't get a picture of him in the water though.

Napping poolside with Josiah. Don't be fooled though, there is a nice layer of sweat between us because it was sooooo hot out!

Josiah jumping into the water.

Last weekend was a holiday here so we took advantage and snuck away for a night to a hotel down the lake from us. It was beautiful with serene gardens and a pool in woods. It was great to have some down time. Honestly most of the time we were there we spent it in the pool because it was record breaking hot, but boy were we thankful for the pool. We had the pool to ourselves pretty much the whole time we were there and we loved every minute of it!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. We are blessed as a family to have wonderful moms and Grandmas that love and adore us. I (Jennifer) feel especially blessed because I look to them as an example of what I want to become. With that said, we love you and miss you and hope that you are having a wonderful Mother's Day!

Random Pictures

2010-04-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

A trip to Burger King. We love it because it has a great Air Conditioned play area!

Tired after a long day of swimming and sunshine.

Who needs a motor or oars when you have kid power. They loved it!

This is part of the fence that the boys at the center made for the school.

Another Celebration at the Beach!

2010-04-22T08:07:00.000-07:00

The future Marriage Class Teachers!

So we got to go to the private beach of some friends again last Sunday. It was a celebration to the culmination of a marriage series beging tught by our friends. Every year a group from Wisconsin comes in the summer time and teaches a marriage seminar to the locals. Recently our friends went through this material again with a small group of locals who would like to go on as leaders and teach this seminar in their communities. So this Sunday they celebrated graduating their class. We were not in the class but were blessed to be invited to the celebration anyways. It was great to get to meet some more locals who are wanting to be leaders in their communities and to make a positive difference in marriages. We had fun talking, eating and of course swimming in the lake. Isaac and Josiah got to play with more kids, they had a lot of fun. Craig and I tried to listen to a lot of conversations and practice our conversational Spanish some more. All in all it was a great day.
I also have had an answer to prayer. I have met a mother of 3 whose kids are similar age to mine. She is wanting to learn English and I am wanting to learn Spanish so we are trying to help each other. It should be good for our kids as well. She brings her oldest daughter (5 yrs old) to music class right by our house 4days a week. So while she is in her hour long class we sit and talk and our younger kids can play together. We are trying to get our families together soon as well. This is a wonderful blessing for me because I have been pretty isolated with the kids every day. I am looking forward to having a good friend and learning more Spanish.

Parent teacher conference

2010-04-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Craig got a unique opportunity. He went to what we in the states would call a parent teacher conference for one of the boys at the center. This boy doesn't and has never known his parents. At some point after he was born some exteneded family member said they would take him, when later there marraige fell apart and both this mother and father split. The heart renching part is that both parents then left and he was left in a home with a couple younger siblings where they have lived alone together. And the siblings (which are not really siblings by blood) let him know that he is an outsider. They are sent money to pay for food and the bills but there is no parent living in the house. As I learned this my eyes welled up with tears to know the lives that many kids have here. The kids all have different stories, for so many it is hard and they are forced to grow up quick.
Well, at the schools a parent or adult of some sort is required to come to the school and get the report cards and talk with the teachers. Our friends that run the center have filled in as parents for these types of occasions before. The boy asked them if they would again with what appeared a sadness in his heart because he doesn't have any of his own parents. Thankfully our friends where able to bring a smile to his face as they asked which dad he wanted to come, them, Craig or another gentleman who helps at the center. She told him he is not short on dads that are willing to go to his school and he could choose which one he wanted to go. So Craig and our friend Bio went together with him. What a blessing it was to be able to love and support this boy in such tangible yet simple way. What a blessing it was to us to be reminded of the many blessings we have, especially in the area of family. We have a wonderful loving family that would do anything for us and for that we are eternally thankful. Thank you to all our family. You mean the world to us. And thank you to all our friends that we love like family because we wouldn't be who we are with out you either.

Isaac's Accident

2010-04-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

So this is the story of how Issac ended up getting 3 stitches in his head yesterday. I (Jennifer) was on my daily morning walk with the kids. They are redoing the outer road around the island and Isaac likes to watch the men work. So after spending some time throwing rocks in the water we were off to see the workers. As they are redoing the road they have made new drainage holes for the rain water and they haven't put grating over them yet. We all new this and have seen these holes every 200 ft along the side of the road. We probably walk past 100 of them every day. Isaac is very aware of them usually because he likes to look down in them. I didn't think anything of him being so close to it because like I said he frequently looks down them and is very cautious. Apparently he didn't see this one and stepped right into it. They are really deep. When he is standing up the hole was still probably 3-4 inches taller than him. He went all the way to the bottom and I think he hit the side of his head at ground level on the way down. It was quite frightening for all of us and produced a lot of screaming from Isaac for the 3 blocks we had to walk to get home. I called Craig to come home because I wanted moral support and also new with to kids I wasn't going to be able to handle the gash in his head alone. First thing when we got home I gave Isaac tylenol and I am glad I did that because I think it eased the pain when we were trying to clean things up. We shaved his head around the wound and cleaned it up pretty good. Craig put the butterfly bandage on his head that you can see in the picture. We thought it looked ok but maybe we should take him to the doctor to check it out just in case. Well that was a good idea because after much screaming from Isaac we left with 3 stitches in his head. I thought I was going to be the one to hold and comfort Isaac through this because Craig does not like blood but I lost it and had to leave and Craig was graced with the strength to sit there holding Issac down and watching him get the stitches. All in all we are good and God protected us from anything worse happening. It is a story we will talk about for a long time I am sure.

The Center

2010-04-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of the boys working at the Center. They are working on a order of desks for the local university. Yesterday Craig also got to help one of the boys with his school homework. It was actually to learn English and Spanish so it was helpful for Craig as well. Craig helped him practice his English and the boy helped Craig practice his Spanish.

Brothers

2010-04-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would post this cute picture of the boys drinking their milk before bed!

Easter

2010-04-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

This year Easter was a bit different for our family but maybe one of the the most personal and amazing. We got together with several other missionaries at our friends house and had our own service and shared lunch together. There were 11 people from all over the world. We represented US, Albania, Brazil and Guatemala. Three different languages were spoken (Spanish, English, and Portugese). We were able to worship our creator and Savior in a way I have never seen. If I am honest, I struggeled at first to be present. I had 2 kids who were distracting me. They were running around making noise and I was trying to keep them quiet and contained so they wouldn't distract me and everyone else. I was ready to just give up and go home and feed the kids PB&J. Thankfully I took a step back and relaxed. I gave up on trying to have the perfect kids that sit still and quietly. They were being fairly well behaved and relatively quiet and that was going to have to do. I sat back and truly listened to the words that were being spoken and it hit my heart like a rock that I was so distracted I wasn't even seeing that this was a joyous day to be celebrated. All that Christ did, he did for me. All that I am is because of Him. All that I have is a gift from Him. All that I long for is Him. I pray that each day that I would be filled with great joy knowing this and that Christ would be glorified through my life. Prophecy was fulfilled on this wonderful day down to the smallest of details, and for that I am eternally thankful!

Random Pictures

2010-04-03T13:10:00.001-07:00

Here are a bunch of random pictures from this last week.

Isaac asleep on Craig's shoulders after a hard day of playing and no nap. He was so out he was snoring.

Josiah trying to put his shoes on.

Josiah's new high chair that criag made. Praise God for containment during meal time!

Craig trying to get the gas hose through the wall to the tank outside. He is on our neighbors roof.

New kitchen cabinets and the stove is finally installed. Yeah, a working kitchen!

Water taxi to San Miguel where we went on a hike to a treehouse lookout.

"Center" picnic

2010-03-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Our friends here decided that it would be fun to bless the boys at the vocational school with a day off to go and play. So we made arrangements with friends to use their private beach and take the boys there for the day. We had a great bbq with all kinds of good food. This is a huge treat for these boys. Their realities don't include many luxuries so it was fun to be able to give them a break from reality where they could just be boys and play, having lots of fun. It was a great time for all of us. The owner of the property told the boys that they could all have coconut so they climbed the trees and shelled and ate coconut for at least an hour. Fresh coconut is soooo good! We layed around in hammocks, played lots of soccer, did a lot of swimming and of course a lot of eating. All in all it was a great day!

Here are some fun pictures of our kids playing at the beach.

Today!

2010-03-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple pictures of the boys making desks for the local university.

Here are a few pictures of the boys. We went and visited Craig at The Center today and they had fun playing in the sawdust from the planer.

At the Vocational Center

2010-03-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures from the vocational center where Craig has been working. The boys are very sweet and love learning to build new things. They are learning welding and computer skills as well right now. Recently they welded and installed some bathroom stalls for an office building. The money that they make they put into the school for tools and supplies. It is a great system.

2010-03-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

The other day Craig had a reminder of why we are here and why we are helping the boys at the Vocational school. At the school they do so much more than just teach the boys a trade. Every day they have a woman from the community who comes in and cooks a hearty snack for the boys. Some of these boys don't get much food at home so this insures they get at least one nutritional snack every day. They give the boys boots and pants to wear to work because again most of them don't have the money for this. The boys attend educational school on Saturdays, so they often end up tutoring them in their school work so they are successful in school as well. And most of all the goal is to show them the love of God through daily actions caring for these boys. The boys are like family and they care for them greatly. They all have different stories and come from different backgrounds, but none of them are plush and easy.
The other day Craig came home and told me a story from his day. One of the boys had been given money to go buy a new pair of pants because his had a long rip in them down the leg. He was very gracious for the money but openly shared his mental struggle. He felt torn whether he should use this money for the pants or for food for his family at home. I can't even imagine how it must have felt for him. He is the kid in he family and he felt the pressures of needing money for food so strongly that he wanted to give up his money for pants to his family for food. This all circles around to the fact that it is so valuable for these boys to learn these trades so that they can break the cycle of poverty and learn how to provide for themselves and their future families. This is one of many stories but what an eye opener for us.

Progress

2010-03-12T09:40:00.000-08:00

Today I had a confidence boosting experience. The water delivery guy came to the house this morning and delivered our bottled water. I was home alone with the kids so I spoke to him in Spanish and he understood what I was saying. Then he looked at Isaac and asked me if he spoke Spanish. I said no, but the best part was that he didn't question my ability to speak Spanish. Granted the conversation was simple words, but I was happy! Later we were on a walk and a guy was trying to sell us some sort of food that he was carrying around in a 5 gallon bucket. I am not sure what the food was but I was able to have a simple conversation, generally understanding what he was saying and letting him know that I didn't want any. Then we talked for a second about the kids. Again, I know it may seem simple but I am excited for small progress.

Josiah's new short haircut.

2010-03-11T06:16:00.000-08:00

It is too hot here for long hair so we finally broke down and cut off the curls. It was a bit sad for me but he needed it and it turned out better than I thought it would. So here is the before and after.

2010-03-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we got the opportunity to meet some new friends and hang out at their beach property further down the lake. It was a good day for me because I was fully immersed into the Spanish language. So far I get little bits here and there but this was most of the day. I felt quite overwhelmed but I needed this to help me along in learning. I spent a lot of time listening trying to pick up bits and pieces of the conversations. The best part of the day was when Isaac got to play ball with some other kids his age. It is amazing how well they do at that age even when they don't speak the same language.

Here is our apartment on the left. It is the second level one with the satelite dish(the dish is not ours though)Our friends live directly below us.

Here we are with Flores, Island in the background.

Things learned so far!

2010-03-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

So life in Flores, Guatemala has been fairly unadventurous so far due to sickness amongst us all. But I think we are finally starting to pull out. Craig and I are a lot better and Isaac and Josiah are on antibiotics for ear infections but also still have incredible amounts of snot pouring out theie noses and a cough that just screams germs. So with the little venturing out I have done so far I will tell you some interesting things we have learned so far.
1. It is always noisy here. Music is always playing. It oesn't help that we live next to a studio for a band and the next door down is a music school. Starting at 8am are singing, trumpets, and drums. In the afternoons the kids are always playing all assortments of instuments. And because of the warm tropical weather everything i open air and windows are all open to help it be even louder. Even the people delivering gas or food drive down the street with megaphones letting people know they are there to buy stuff.
2.We live in the center of a very small island, probably only about 8 blocks in diameter. So it doesn't take long to walk around the island.
3. An exciting find was an ice cream shop only 2 doors down. For 8 Q's (a little over a dollar) I can get a waffle cone with 2 scoops of ice cream. As the weather heats up this could be a dangerous thing. Ice cream every day.
4. 2 Blocks away is a store that makes fresh bread daily and if you go at 3-4 in the afternoon it is hot and delicious.
5.There are no road rules. People drive crazy here.
I am sure there is more than that to share but for now my brain is too tired. So that is all until next time.Pray that next report we will be able to share that we are all healthy and strong.

Isaac and Albana

2010-02-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple pictures of Isaac and his new big sister Albana!

The View from our apartment

2010-02-27T08:08:00.001-08:00

Here is the view from our apartment. One is from the front and the other is from the back. You can see the streets are extremely narrow and EXTREMELY bumpy cobblstone. It is even a challenge to walk on. What is really crazy is that there are motorcylces everywhere riding on this 4-wheeling terrain.

We made it!!!

2010-02-25T16:46:00.000-08:00

After 3 planes we finally made it to Flores, Guatemala. We were greeted with unusually cool weather and high winds. It is actually a blessing because the unusually cool weather is 75. Soon it will be back in the 90's but we are enjoying this midway temp. jump. We were welcomed into our friends home with open arms and spent the afternoon and evening catching up on what had been happening since the last time we saw them 4 years ago. So far the kids love it and are excited to have more extended family, especially there 11 yr old daughter Albana. I am going to go for now but will write more soon. We love and miss you all.

Waiting 3 1/2 hours for our plane that was delayed.

New Friends

Lake Peten in the background

Homeless!

2010-02-22T12:06:00.000-08:00

We have officially moved out of our house and are almost finished packing our bags for Guatemala. We leave tomorrow at 7am and will be in Guatemala for 6 months. I will do my best to post weekly updates on the blog to keep everyone updated with how things are going in our family. Thank you all for your love, support and prayers!Here are a few fun moving pictures.

Happy 1st Birthday Josiah!

2010-02-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

A year ago today!

Guatemala here we come!

2010-01-17T21:31:00.000-08:00

It is official. We have purchased our plane tickets and will be headed to Guatemala on February 23rd. We will be there until August 18th. We are excited to do ministry work again full-time as well as visit the many Guatemalan friends we have. It is going to be a great adventure. I will post more about this soon.

Cousins

2010-01-17T21:24:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of cute pictures of the cousins. Isaac is in the back and Josiah is in the front on the left.

Fun Christmas photos

2009-12-29T16:21:00.000-08:00

Josiah opening his first Christmas present

Isaac decorating the tree

Isaac as a shepard in the church Christmas program

Josiah in a Santa hat

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-19T15:53:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our family and friends!

We have had a wonderful year. The year started off with a bang as we welcomed our second little boy, Josiah Joel, into our family. He was born February 8th at 11pm. Life with 2 kids has kept us busy.
Craig has continued to work for the company Out On A Limb Tree Service. He stays in shape climbing trees every day! He also fills in during slow times doing projects for family and friends. I (Jennifer) have been blessed with the ability to stay home and raise our kids full-time. I have been involved with a group called MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)and have loved having a chance to help out with that as well as meet other moms who are in the same stage of life as me. They have become wonderful friends. Isaac turned 3 in June. He is outgoing, loves playing with his friends, and makes us laugh every day. In October Isaac finally gave in to the idea of being potty trained. This is very telling of his personality, once he sets his mind to something it is easily accomplished. From that day on we have only had a couple of accidents. Josiah is now 10 months old. He has the most contagious and beautiful smile and laugh you have ever heard. He is very clingy to mom and dad but lately has been more adventurous with other people. Crawling and cruising along furniture have brought him great freedom and he loves it!
All in all we have had a great year full of hikes, camping, bike rides, family time, naps, and lots of play dates with friends! We feel extremely blessed that you are part of our lives.
This next year we are planning a grand adventure to Guatemala as a family. We hope to leave in February (2 months from now, WOW!) and stay there for 4-6 months. We are still working out some of the details but there are 2 ministries we would like to help out and several friends we would like to visit. It should be exciting and we will let you know more soon as the details unfold.
Thanks for you love, support and prayers.
Love,
Craig, Jennifer, Isaac (3), Josiah (10 months) Pratt

Sleepy boys!

2009-11-07T12:18:00.000-08:00

Fall leaves

2009-11-07T12:11:00.000-08:00

I love the colors of fall in WA. It is absolutely beautiful. We had some fun playing in the leaves on a cool fall evening. Josiah wasn't so sure what he thought about them which is why his face is so serious.

Kiddos in costumes!

2009-10-31T22:12:00.000-07:00

We had fun gutting our pumpkin for seeds. Isaac doesn't like slimy things which is why he is using the tongs to remove the pumpkin guts. And for their costumes, Josiah was an owl and Isaac a giraffe!

Life as a Mom

2009-10-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

Well, were do we start. Sometimes I look at my life and wonder how I got here, not in a bad way, but I just wonder how I got old enough to be married and then have 2 kids of my own?!?! What a blessing it has been, but not without challenges and change along the way. Some of the change happened instantly upon having kids and some has come gradually. Here are some of the things I have learned:
*I never imagined I would be sooo excited to wash my hair AND shave my legs in the same shower. And if I was exceptionally lucky there would be no screaming kids right outside the tub.
*Who knew going to the park would be a highlight for me. Isaac loves it and makes friends easily, and I know that i will be taking home a tired kiddo which means a good nap (anything for a good nap).
*Never did I imagine that Craig and I as 2 introverts would have a full on extrovert (maybe 2) for children. I do love it though because they keep us highly entertained.
*I never thought I could go this long with so little sleep. I long for the day that I will get more than 5 hrs uninterrupted sleep (We are still working on Josiah's sleep issues).
*I never new how selfish and impatient I was until I had a toddler. I am getting a bit better here but still have a ways to go.
*I never imagined I could have so much fun watching a child learn and discover new things daily. Their pure joy and delight in the simplest of things is so awesome to watch.
*I never knew I would rejoice out loud and call all my friends and family when my child was potty trained (just happened for Isaac!!!)
*I never knew how much love I could experience through my wonderfull husband and amazing children.
Through all the difficult times and changes that have come in my life the last 5 years I have had to learn and grow, but I am thankful for the experience and wouldn't change any of it if I could (ok maybe I would like more sleep, but that is it!!!) I love my husband more than words express. My kids bring me great joy every day. And I feel blessed to have a God that loves me and my family more than I could ever imagine. I have my ups and downs each day, but I love this grand adventure of life that I get to be a part of.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch today (our annual tradition). It was a gorgeous WA day with blue sky and warm fall sun. We went to a farm we hadn't been to before and it was great! They had hay rides (pulled by a tractor, the highlight for Isaac!), a cow train, a playground, corn canon, John Deere trikes for the kids, ice cream, a blacksmith at work, pony rides, and hundreds and hundreds of beautiful u-pick pumpkins to choose from. Needless to say we had a good time and spent several hours playing with our friends who joined us there, the Eckerts.

Craig shooting the corn cannon. If you hit a wheelbarrow out inthe field you would win a free pumpkin. We didn't win but craig had fun anyways.

Josiah in the wheelbarrow.

The cow train.

Isaac was determined to find the perfect pumpkin! He thought he could pick this up!!!

Isn't he cute!!!

More fun activities!

2009-09-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

On our hike to the ice caves. Isaac did great. It is a 2 mile hike round trip and he walked the whole thing himself. It must have been his new hiking boots the he was sooooo excited to be wearing!

Isaac on top of the ice caves.

Family picture at the ice caves.

Hiking!

In route to the ice caves

Josiah loving the swing at the park.

Isaac at the local skate park on his big boy scooter.

Highlights of the last month

2009-09-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Here are the highlights of the last month in the Pratt family. Craig converted Isaac's twin sized bed into a full so when we have company they have a bed to stay in. We had Craig's parents with us for 2 1/2 weeks. We went to the Evergreen state fair (Isaac LOVED the rides), we have been harvesting all kinds of food from our garden (carrots, green beans, summer squash, zuchini, tomatoes, snap peas, lettuce, basil) and pears, apples, plums and blackberries from the trees on our property. We have made fruit leather, dehydrated fruit, blackberry pear jelly, and pear butter (like apple butter). This has kept us busy but has also been a lot of fun. Here are some pictures to prove it!

My big boys!

2009-08-08T20:30:00.001-07:00

When did our boys get so big. Today Josiah turned 6 months old. He has grown up so fast, especially this last month. He now can sit up by himself and is totally entertained by his big brother. It is wonderful to see, but amazing how fast it all happens. And today we took Isaac to REI to climb the rock. Craig has been waiting for this day. He had already spent the last 6 months looking for a climbing harness for Isaac. Isaac had fun. He climbed about 10 feet up and then decided he was done. We spent time waiting and watching others climb thinking he would do it again but afer 15 minutes he declared he was done and ready to take the harness off. Oh well, he had fun and says he will do it again. So it was successful and entertaining for all.

Visiting Papa and Nana Pratt

2009-08-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

We drove to Hungry Horse MOntana to visit Papa and Nana Pratt at the cabin. So here are some fun pictures of them playing with the kids and Craig and Papa preping the cabin for siding.

Cousins

2009-08-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a trip to Montana and Spokane to visit family. Here are some of our favorite pictures of the cousins together. They are mostly if Issac and Elias but in the bathtub we have Kendrick and Josiah as well.

At the Beach

2009-07-19T20:59:00.001-07:00

A sunny weekend in WA calls for time at the beach. So that is what we did on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Isaac would stay there for hours digging in the sand if we let him.

Crazy Hair!

2009-07-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

Fun at Country Village

2009-07-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

A fun time riding the choo choo with best buddies Sasha and John John.

Good thing he is so cute!

2009-07-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Josiah that I took this morning. All I have to say is it is a good thing he is so cute because he has been giving me a run for my money lately. I am not sure if it is teething, heat, seperation anxiety or something else but Josiah has been extremely needy all day and all night long. He has been waking up 5-6 times a night for no particular reason and wants to be held. It takes him a bit to go back to sleep just to turn around and wake up an hour later and start all over. I know he is a baby but at 2 months old he was sleeping 6-7 hrs straight. Now at 5 months I am lucky if I get 4-5 hrs for 1 stretch and then it is 2 hrs after that. During the day he always wants to be held, and usually only by me (mom). Don't get me wrong, I love Josiah more than words can express but come on, all day then all night and then all day again, etc. It is neverending and quite exhausting. It is leading me to pray a lot because it is out of my control. So again I say it is a good thing he is so cute.

2009-07-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

Here is Isaac and his buudies at his week long VBS (Vacation Bible School). Every night this week he goes for almost 3 hrs and sings songs, plays games, has a bible story and does a craft to go along with the story. He has been having so much fun, it is great to see. While I feel blessed that they have this for our kids it reminds me how fast he is growing up and how I need to treasure every moment because before I know it he will be off to college.

2009-07-14T22:09:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Spoiled at the circus

2009-07-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

Feeding the elephants after the circus.

POPCORN!!!
Pony Rides with Great Grandma at his side!

Thanks to Great Grandma Betty we got to go to the circus again this year. We had a lot of fun! Isaac got completely spoiled by great grandma which thrilled him to pieces. He is still talking about several of the different acts he saw to anyone who will listen.

Big heads!

2009-07-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

I am constantly amazed at how large my kids heads are. I shouldn't be because they have both had huge heads (according to the doctors) since birth. But every time I go to get a hat I am reminded and I have to laugh. Isaac needs a new bike helmet this year so we went to try some on and the 8+ years helmet fit him. What!?!? His winter snow hat and his summer shade hat are both for 8-12 year olds. How hilarious! So now Josiah at 5 months fits into the toddler bike helmet. We think they are adorable, big heads and all!

I love to eat!

2009-07-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

Josiah has now started rice cereal and he loves it! I think he leves the process of eating the most but I am thankful either way. He tries to grab the spoon and feed himself. So now I have 2 spoons, one to feed him and the other for him to play with. He is still learning how to swallow so he makes a huge mess, but we are having fun with it.

In honor of cousin Faith

2009-07-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Josiah is wearing his England jumper in honor of his cousin Faith, Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Justin.

The simple things in life

2009-07-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

A canoe trip on Lake Balinger on Craig's day off!

I love how much fun we have as a family with the simple things. Yesterday was the 4th of July and we had a great time watching the local Bothell parade. After that we came home, took naps, and woke up to spend the evening with friends talking and of course eating BBQ. We didn't go anywhere fancy or do anything extravagant but we had a great time. The picture is of Isaac doing sparklers that we had gotten last year and didn't use. So we sat outside in our yard with friends and watched as everyone else lit fireworks off around us (and there were some big ones). What a joy the simple things in life can be.

Visiting the INTEGRITY

2009-06-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

We got the opportunity to go visit some of our old friends from the ship ministry we were involved with "Friend Ships". They are here in Seattle picking up a new ship, the "INTEGRITY". We got to help them move into dry dock to do a little work on the ship before they sail south. These pictures are of Isaac with the ship in the background.

Oh so cute!

2009-06-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

Olives on the fingers!

2009-06-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

Isaac's best friends

2009-06-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

These are Isaac's best friends. (Pic. Koen, Isaac, Gavin) We pray for them every night thanking God for our good friends. How blessed we are to have good friends (and the moms are all great friends to).

Isaac, Josiah, Olivia & Brooklyn

2009-06-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

This is Isaac and Josiah with their cousins Olivia and Brroklyn How fun to see them together and we hope we can get together again soon!

Hike to Wallace Falls

2009-06-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

This was a great hike! It is just under 2 miles each way. Isaac hiked the whole way up by himself and then at least half of the way down. This was great because he is getting to heavy to carry for very long. It probably helped that his best friend Koen was there to talk to for the hike! All in all a great time!!!

Time with Papa and Nana Pratt

2009-06-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

The boys!

2009-06-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

New Josiah pics

2009-06-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

He is almost 4 months old now. I am not sure how that happened so quickly but he is getting more fun all the time. He loves to be upright, especially standing (with our help for balance of course). He is really strong like his big brother was. Just thought you might want to see how quickly our adorable boy is growing up.

A long week!

2009-05-23T10:12:00.005-07:00

This week has been long and extremely challenging for me. Our family has all been sick, icky sick (puking, diareah, etc.). I was the first one to get sick and with no time to recover my strength and energy, each of the kids took their turn with the sickness and we are still going.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-05-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

Well, what can I say but sorry for being gone so long. We have been very busy with family and friends and to top it off the hardrive on our computer went bad so we had to get a new one (thank goodness for the extended warranty that we almost didn't buy!?!?!). But we are back and I plan to get back into my semi regular blog updates. So today is not going to include any pictures because I need to reload our picture program onto the new hardrive, So next time I will post the pictures.
So what have we been up to? Well 3 weeks ago Craig's parents came to visit for a little over a week. This was so great because we hadn't seen them in about 9 months and obviously this means they had never met Josiah. We had a fun filled first couple of days. We went to a birthday party, the zoo, and a beautiful hike to Wallace Falls. After that we slowed down as we all got sick. It was a bummer to be sick but we still really enjoyed our time together. A couple of days after they left we went on a trip to Palm Desert, CA to see Papa and Nana Ushler. This was a lot of fun and we were all finally recovering from our colds. We went to the pool every day and enjoyed wearing sandals, shorts, and swim suits. I think the temperature averaged low to mid 90's while we weer there. Hot! Hot! Hot! A couple of days after returning from CA we had our good friend Jake Beaty visit us for a couple days. We had a lot of fun catching up. Isaac absolutely adores Jake and became his permanent shadow while he was staying with us. Last weekend we got to celebrate Mother's day with my (Jennifer) mom in Anacortes. Things seemed like they were slowing down to a normal pace and routine but we have one more weekend with guests. we have some great friends from the ministry we were in who are going to come up and stay with us for a few days. It will be good to catch up. And Isaac loves to play with their 5 boys. Yes, I did say 5 boys, which will bring the total occupancy in our house to 7 boys under the age of 9 and 4 adults. 13 people in a 2 bedroom house. WOW! Don't ask how it works but it does and we love it! We love having friends over. We are blessed with great friends that are like family to us and are excited at any chance we get to spend with them. Well that is all for now. I will try and post some pictures from our latest adventures soon!

Extreme Blowout #1

2009-04-03T16:35:00.000-07:00

Oh boy, Josiah had his first extreme blowout today. We have had leaky diapers, but none this extreme. All I can say is I am glad I was at home and Craig was there to help me with clean up. It took all 4 hands to strip him down while containing the mess as much as possible. The poop went all the way up to his neck and actually got in his hair in the back (his hair is quite long so that doesn't help). With a blowout this big a bath is required. Isaac had a good time helping to bathe his brother in the sink!

Happy Boys!

2009-04-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

Isaac loves to lick the beater! But what kid doesn't, right!

Here is Josiah's first smile that I caught on camera. It is even cuter in person if you can believe it! He now is 7 weeks old and weighs 12lbs 14oz (which is exactly what Isaac weighed at 7 weeks) and is starting to make adorable cooing sounds to go along with his adorable smile!

Sleepy boys

2009-03-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

Josiah in his snow suit. Yes, it is still cold enough in Mid March to need this. We even had snow this last weekend believe it or not.

Isaac was so excited to have Josiah in his bed while we were doing our bedtime stories. He wanted Josiah to stay in bed with him the whole night. We told him that when Josiah was bigger he could stay with him. We have to tell him that about a lot of things because he wants Josiah to be a part of everything (which is super sweet), but Josiah doen't know how to play with toys yet, etc. So Isaac now tells us he is getting "bigger bigger every day mom". And instead of Isaac trying to get Josiah to play with him all the time Isaac now wants us to just tell Josiah everything he is doing and hold Josiah so that he can watch Isaac play.

So little and so big. Every morning both of the boys get in bed with me and we snuggle. Sometimes they fall back asleep like they did in this picture. I have to be in the middle and they both have to be close enough to touch me. I love these boys!

So sweet! Josiah asleep in his bassinet.

Bedtime stories. Craig always reads Isaac books before bed and now Josiah has joined this routine.

Boy toys

2009-03-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

What boy doesn'y love a big cardboard box to play in?

Isaac LOVES Thomas the train as you can see!

Curly hair?

2009-03-06T15:16:00.001-08:00

When Josiah's hair is wet it is curly. Maybe he will have curly/wavy hair like me?!?!? We will have to wait and see I guess.

Getting bigger!

2009-03-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

Here are the latest pictures of our big boy. Yesterday he weighed in at 10 lbs 10 ounces at 3.5 weeks old. Wow, he is growing so fast! The cute chubby baby rolls are growing and we love it!

A Time of Adjusting

2009-03-03T17:38:00.000-08:00

So, we have more great pictures to post, and I finally found the time to make a post and realized that I left our camera at a friends house. So the pictures will come later when we retrieve the camera. Instead I will take a little more time to tell you what has been going on with us for the last 3 weeks. The best word I can think of to describe this time in our life is adjusting, especially for me. Life with 2 kids is great but it is different. Like, how or should I say when do I take a shower? How do I take a nap because I have been up a lot last night when I have a 2 year old who is full of energy and moving 1oo miles an hour? How can I help the baby pass gas with less pain? How do I keep Isaac from kissing Josiah all over the face because he has a snotty nose and I don't want Josiah to get sick? I have all of these questions an a million more. So we are adjusting and learning. Every day presents new challenges and we are taking them one day at a time. Don't get me wrong. We love having two kids and wouldn't change it even if we could. We are just in a season of adjusting and learning. After writing all of this I hope it makes sense because I am sleep deprived and that leads to all kinds of crazy thoughts and lack of focus. So that is all for now. My five free minutes are over and it is time to get dinner ready.

Brothers

2009-02-21T19:42:00.000-08:00

First Bath

2009-02-21T19:40:00.001-08:00

Baby Josiah is growing

2009-02-19T19:43:00.000-08:00

Today Josiah had his first pediatrician visit. He is healthy and gaining weight rapidly. He is already up to 9lbs 3oz. This is great weight gain, especially since he dropped weight after birth and 8 days ago he weighed 7lbs 14oz. So basically in the last 8 days he has gained 1lb 5oz. Wow! There must be some good stuff in that milk! He is a great baby. He sleeps a lot and is happy as long as he is fed. He may be the noisiest baby I have ever known. He is almost always moaning, groaning, snorting, grunting, or making some other crazy noise. And these noises are not limited to his waking hours. He is often found making these noises when he is asleep. It is hysterical. We love him more than we could ever imagine and feel so blessed to have this wonderful addition to our family!

Oh so similar!

2009-02-19T19:38:00.000-08:00

This is a pictue of Josiah and his buddy Ethan who was born 7 hours after him. Today I went to my MOPS group and Josiah and Ethan were wearing the same outfit. It was pretty cute. They almost looked like they could be twins.

The latest cute pictures!

2009-02-19T19:33:00.000-08:00

6 Days old

2009-02-15T21:04:00.000-08:00

My 3 favorite boys!!!

2009-02-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

First family Pic

2009-02-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

2009-02-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

Big Brother holding Josiah for the first time

Our New Precious Boy!

2009-02-09T16:12:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few Pictures of our newest addition, Josiah Joel Pratt. He was born yesterday, Feb 8th at 10:53pm. He weighs 8lbs 6oz and measured in at 19.5 inches long. We are absolutely in love with him and can't wait for you to meet him or share more pictures if you are far away. The whole family is doing well. We are all home just relaxing together. Isaac can't give Josiah enough kisses. He loves his new brother.

The Bare baby belly!

2009-01-30T14:52:00.000-08:00

So I debated whether or not to put bare belly pictures on the blog, but I decided it is far to amazing to ignore. The fact that a child is growing in my stomach seems so impossible, yet it is truth. Sometimes I look at my stomach and feel it to try and figure out what position the baby is in (my midwife has taught me a little about this). It is all curled up in a ball and my stomach seems far to small to have a child inside of it. That thought is pretty amazing because I definitly am large and most people whether I know them or not don't fail to tell me that fact. I love it! With all that said, I just can't say how thankful I am to God for this child and its health. He/she is extremely active and often contorts my stmach in all kinds of shapes that make me laugh. If I push on my stomach he/she pushes back. And I can often grab ahold of a foot as it is pushing on my stomach making a bulge that I can physically grab and move around. It is officially 2 weeks until my due date. Yeah! We are excited and anxious to meet this beautiful new child. Isaac is excited as well and gives the baby kisses and hugs every day. He now tells people the baby is coming out soon, which is really cute.

36 Weeks and Counting

2009-01-16T19:04:00.000-08:00

So here is the latest baby belly picture. I am at 36 weeks (for those who don't know there are 40 weeks in total) and counting. As you can see this baby is taking over. We are getting REALLY excited to meet the new baby Pratt and learn whether it is a boy or girl, what he/she will look like and what the beautiful baby will be like in general. Isaac asks every day when the baby is going to come out. He thinks the baby will come out my feet, Craig and I have no idea where he got that idea but it is really cute. Isaac is so excited for the baby, we just pray that he will stay excited when the baby comes home and he realizes he has to share his mom and dad. And since we are sharing prayer requests we are praying that this new baby will be a good sleeper. Isaac has always been a challenge to get to sleep so it would be a huge blessing to have this new baby accept that sleep is good! Thanks for all your love and support. We will keep you updated about the new baby.

P.S. The due date for the baby is February 13th!

Highlights of Christmas!

2008-12-28T14:10:00.000-08:00

Isaac fell asleep at the dinner table after a long exciting day and no nap. He even fell asleep with his fork in one hand and his spoon in the other.

Opening Christmas presents was a lot of fun. Isaac loved ripping off the paper. And in his very enthusiastic and dramatic way he expressed his excitement for every gift. Craig andI aren't sure where his dramatic side came for but he his highly excitable, in a good way, which made Christmas a lot of fun.

His new bean bag chair is a hit!

Bring on the Sledding!

2008-12-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

We have had snow at our house for a week now which has been a lot of fun. Craig feels like a little kid again at home in Montana. So, with the snow there has been a lot of sledding. It is the perfect year for us because this year Isaac LOVES to go sledding. He will go over and over again. He even does some of the hills by himself. He begs us to put his snowsuit, boots, and gloves on so he can go out in the snow, and go fast sledding. I wish you could hear how he says the word "fast" because it is so cute and hilarious at the same time. Most of his sledding has been with Craig because at 8 months pregnant it is not that easy for me to get bundled up and down on the sled (let alone trying to get back up once the ride is done). But one day I did borrow some warm clothes from Craig and another friend that were big enough to cover my belly and I hit the hills with them. It was quite fun I must say.

We pray you all have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-19T20:21:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas family and friends! We love and appreciate all of you and pray that you have a wonderful Christmas. We are having fun in the snow that has been at our house for the last week and seems to be sticking around for a while longer. Craig is very happy about this!!!! Soon I will post pictures of Isaac playing in the snow. He loves it, especially going fast on the sled!

Quick Update

2008-12-14T17:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry to all for not updating in so long. Here is the scoop with what we have been up to lately. As of Thanksgiving, tree service work has been really slow for Craig which means that we have been blessed to be spending a lot of time together. Thankfully Craig is a pretty handy guy so he has been doing side jobs here and there to keep the bills payed. I wish he was home this much all the time. I love it! As the days and weeks pass my stomach grows and I get excited at the idea of seeing this new baby physically in our hands. We can't imagine how our life is going to change with two but we are excited to figure it out. And I am excited to not be pregnant anymore. This pregnancy has been much more difficult and draining on my body then with Isaac. But thankfully I know there will be an end to it and this child is definitely worth it! We are enjoying a new family tradition for Christmas this year. we were blessed to come upon a wonderful Advent book that we read each night. It works similar to the calendars in that every day we open a door and reveal more of the story of Christ's birth. Isaac is beginning to understand the story more since every day we start at door 1 again and read up to the current day. He loves the whole process and we have truly enjoyed being able to incorporate the reason for this season every day of the month. We pray this update finds all of you well and that you take the time to really reflect on the meaning of Christmas as individuals as well as with family and friends.

Isaac and Faith

2008-11-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few pictures of Isaac and his cousin Faith while they were in town.

Theories from a 2 year old

2008-11-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

Isaac has a mind like Craig. He likes to lnow how things work. We always see him trying to figure things out whether it is a physical or a mental challenge. Recently he has developed 2 theories that send Craig and I laughing hysterically every time he brings them up. The first theory was created a few weeks ago while we were having a thunder storm. It was quite stormy and the thunder was loud and it scared Isaac. So Craig and I sat with him trying to explain to him that there was nothing to be scared about because mommy and daddy and God were with him. Well that didn't comfort his fears so I (Jennifer) took a different approach. Idecided to relate the sound of the thunder to a not-so-scary similar sound. And what I came up with was that the thunder sounded like a big truck driving down the road in front of our house. As soon as I said that he looked at me as if a light had just come on in his head and said "God driving big truck, going bump, bump, bump." I tried to hold back the laughter as I explain to him that first of all it just sounded like a truck and second that God wasn't driving the truck, God was with him. But all of that explanation was lost because he was so excited to now know that thunder was not scary it was just God driving a big truck over bumps.
Isaac's second theory was developed as Craig and I have been talking about potty training. He has not been the least bit interested in even putting on the underwear. Well, the other day he randomly agreed to put the underwear on and Craig and I shot into action in efforts to encourage him to pee in the potty. After feeding him a lot of liquid and sitting on the potty off and on for 1.5 hrs nothing had happened. We knew it was coming soon so we were watching him closely. Needless to say he had his first accident and left a puddle of pee on our kitchen floor. After that he decided he was done with the underwear because "they make him pee on the floor". All the encouragement in the world was not enough to get him to put that underwear back on because he was just sure he would pee on the floor as soon as he put them on. So we are still working on this. As tiring and frustrating as Isaac can be as a two year old we love to laugh at all of the wonderful things he does and says. He keeps us on our toes every minute of every day.