It has been quite awhile since we have given an update on just our family and now, at the end of the year, I find myself reflecting on the past year and all the ways we have seen the Lord take care of us and bless us. It has been a busy year, to say the least, filled with family, babies being born, travel, and new adventures. While at times we long for quieter days, we are thankful for a God Who has seen fit to bring us along on His incredible adventure filled with airplanes, jungles, and typhoons – all to bring a message of LOVE to those who know nothing of it! Nope, life is not boring for us and while it is hard and often overwhelming, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t fun and exciting at the same time.
We have been back here in the Philippines for four months now and it has been fun to get back into the swing of things. Brian has been busy with a number of things-getting his pilot’s license back, helping out on all three of our flight centers, meetings in Manila, communicating with our leaders in Arizona, and many other things. He is more than ready for a little break when we leave soon for our annual meetings.
Maycie stays busy being a big sister to her brothers. She loves to help out, her favorite job being to “keep Cole happy” while I get things done around the house. Per her request, Maycie is learning to read and is doing an excellent job. She is also learning to ride a bike which is really fun to watch. There are a number of little girls in town so she has been having a ball playing with them and doing girl things. She is fun and outgoing and adventurous and can make friends with ANYONE.
Dylan is busy being a boy. His favorite things at the moment are trucks and….hmmm….I guess just trucks! If it has wheels, then Dylan is happy! He is a bit more shy and reserved than Maycie, but he is quickly growing out of that. I think he takes his cues from Maycie and if she is confident in any given situation then Dylan is too.
Cole is growing way too fast. He is eight months old now and can just about keep up with his sister and brother. He is crawling and standing and will be taking those first steps any day now. He is such an easy-going baby! He is only unhappy when he wants to eat, which I guess is almost always, but he is just content to be doing anything as long as his siblings are nearby.
I, Bailey, am busy trying to figure out how to be a mom of three kids who are on-the-go! Thankfully I have not started to flight follow for Brian yet so I have had some time to figure out a routine that works for our family. Maycie is at an age now when playing all day isn’t cutting it. She does so much better if we have a schedule and when she knows what we will be doing next. This is hard for me as I am the opposite of a planner-I do everything as it comes and having plans sort of stresses me out because when things don’t go according to my plan, I feel like I have failed. And with an eight month old who still eats every two hours, plans RARELY go as I want them to! Dylan, thankfully, does well with the ever-changing routines and just sort of fits in with whatever we are doing. It will surely be a challenge once February comes and Brian starts flying again! All my “plans” will need to be revised once again 🙂
Overall, we are doing great! We are excited about where God is taking us this year and we are thrilled to be back “home.”