Spring update on the Ayer kids!
Ella’s post for her birthday inspired me to give an update on the Ayer Tribe…some special things about each one…some funny experiences or phrases and just what I’m so crazy about in each of them. God has given me a GIFT in each of these kiddos and sometimes it is SO good for me to stop and reflect on His creative, beautiful work in each of them….
So, to peak at Ella’s update, click on her picture below…it will take you to her recent post all about her!!
Ella Joy ~The Gentle Warrior…Age 8…Our Strong & Loving Leader
Second in Command is our Caleb, who often thinks He is first in command ;)! Here’s a recent picture of our toothless, happy 6 year old!
CALEB, The Tender Hearted…6 years old…Our sweet and sensitive spirit.
I love seeing how the Lord is growing this young boy…He is so compassionate–always the one to cry along with me as we read our missionary stories…He has such a heart for people. He has an abnormal gift of being relational for only being 6. He perceives people’s emotions, both joys and sorrows and will ask intentional questions. When my mom’s mom passed away earlier this year and she had been away from us for a few weeks, Caleb sat down with her when she got home and said, “Nanna, it’s probably really hard to lose your mommy. What was she like?” Wow. My mom and I barely made it through that one! Caleb is BUSY and almost always talking (he takes after his daddy :)!! oh yeah, and his mommy!! He loves to build with Legos, loves to figure out how things work and loves to imagine all kinds of things with our family’s favorite–Bobble Heads 🙂 He LOVES his sisters…especially adores Ella, and has a very special place for Riah. He is a helper and a servant in our home. He is our happy kid–so consistent amidst alot of emotional ladies!!
Since moving back to WA, Caleb hasn’t really made any close ‘guy friends’ that are his age…He loves to play with anyone, especially our BEST friends and neighbors in WA, Drew and Cam…He loves to see them EVERY day if possible. He really really misses his best buddy, Noah from S. Korea and hasn’t found anyone close to replacing that friend!! He connects quickly with adults…at Sunday School, at the YMCA, and any where!! It’s great to see how restored his spirit is now that his daddy is back in person in his world…it is SO vital for these kids, but poor Caleb was the Lone Soldier here for many many months!
Caleb has been doing awesome in school this year (when he pulls away from playing long enough to focus on it!) He is actually quite amazing. God has given him one of those minds that I am a bit envious of…he hears something and it’s IN. It is awesome. He loves, loves to listen to just about anything…He will listen to anyone read for as long as they can manage, but also is captivated by listening to our History CD’s, (Story of the World, Jonathon Park) and he LOVES Adventures in Odyssey! This kid is like a sponge…so fun to work with a sponge!!
All of a sudden, Caleb is READING! I mean, really reading…He is reading the ‘easy’ chapter books, and he is up to Genesis Chapter 4 just this week!! He is thrilled and so am I!! After watching two kids learn to read, I am still so excited by the day it clicks!! It is hard and slow and often PAINSTAKING for over a year (at least in our home!) But then suddenly one day, the skill matches the desire and the realization comes that they can READ!!! Then, off they go!! It is AWESOME and so fun to watch!! Caleb has always been a kid that could sit with books for hours anyway, just pouring over the pictures, so I’m so happy for him that now he can READ IT TOO!! He is super excited too, because tonight…PILOT TRAINING with DADDY resumes!!
His dream continues to be a Missionary Pilot…not so much because of a love for flying, but because his heart is really burdened to deliver Bibles to people who don’t have them. Originally he was teaming up with his sisters to fly them to Haiti, but after watching videos about Haiti with Ella and I he quickly decided that was not for him. I think some of the pain and realities were too much for his tender heart.
This Little Man is a JOY. He is already a warrior for Jesus and loves people. He is such a gift to my heart…and our whole family.
Here is our glamour girl…Maija Hope…with yogurt on her nose :)!!
Maija, The Passionate…Our almost 4 year old…
Our encourager and challenge, our life-giver and laughter-bringer!
Maija is so FULL of LIFE…She also is doing so much better now that being 3 is almost over 🙂 and now that her Daddy is back! She is still very passionate, our most dramatic and such an encourager (when she’s in a good mood :). Maija has a beautiful heart…she has deep compassion and she loves a lot. She loves to dance especially to “Joyful Joyful Lord We Adore Thee”…she loves to play with Bobble Heads…she loves to explore and be outside. She really really loves to watch movies and perfectly quotes all the funniest parts!! It’s really hilarious. She keeps me on my toes and keeps my heart filled. She and Evie have been the most challenging over these past months of transition, but Maija has now learned so much self-control, she has a true desire to obey, and she is almost always a delight. I’m so thankful that God’s Word has power even in little lives…God has shown me that so much of my girls’ hearts and obedience is completely dependent on MY obedience and faithfulness to discipline and nurture them in HIS way.
Maija LOVES to laugh. She loves to be silly, but she just loves to laugh. So often, she’ll look at me and say, “Mommy, make me laugh!” Her giggle is deep, wild and so contagious. She has the kind of laugh that she laughs so hard, she makes herself cry 😉 It is hilarious. She loves to be tickled!! She has a great sense of humor…loves to make silly faces and use silly voices. She is still very in love with her thumb and her “white night-night”…after all these transitions we will work on breaking those habits!!
Maija is loving learning this year. She LOVES to ‘read’ to herself, and be read to. She will listen to all the chapter books I read to the older kids and she especially has LOVED Science this year–because we learned about all kinds of animals–most importantly, Cheetahs 🙂 (It was my favorite Science book so far in homeschooling, The Usborne Book of Animals…it is awesome–beautiful pictures and a great amount of information.) Maija’s Cheetah addiction has calmed down alot, but she still loves to pretend to be a Cheetah and is very convincing! She is awesome at animal charades too! We aren’t officially doing a ton of preschool, but she is getting her letters and numbers down pretty quickly…Ella has taught her the books of the Bible and many verses!! Suddenly I’m realizing what an awesome stage we’re at in homeschooling…the older kids are loving to teach the younger. And even Maija fully embraced teaching Riah her colors and letters today.
God has wired Maija with a personality full of joy, passion and life….it is fun to parent a little girl with such beautiful qualities…but it is also very challenging. I love to see her heart develop and pray that all of her passions are channeled for Jesus. She is sweet, she loves without reservation and is such a joy to my heart.
Some of my favorite Maija-ism’s right now:
“Gumbrella” = unbrella“Mommy, I love you way up to heaven and back, but I still love Jesus more.”“I miss Korea…I miss Little Jimmy. I liked our house better there.” (I ask why) “Because we had that big hill outside…and I liked our table.” 🙂“Daddy, not to be rude, but could you please remember to always brush your teeth before bed?” Maija has a recent compassion for children around the world who are hurting…a very common prayer, “…Jesus, please be with all the kids around the world who are alone or sick, or who have to eat mucky-mud…or even drink their pee. Please bless all the kids around the world.”
Riah Grace, The Gentle…our almost 3 year old!!
She is our peace maker, our inspiration, our teacher, our over-comer!
Riah is doing great. She is having a bit of a hard time with the transition to CO, but overall is doing awesome. She is HAPPY. She is moving and grooving all the time! Her foot is staying flat and her range of motion is still as it was after her casting!! She is now able to see an Occupational Therapist and we will be able to focus in a bit more on her hand!! I’m excited to see what God will do! She will be getting a brace for her wrist and her hand soon to help her strength and mobility. She is such a trooper…skipping and galloping around to keep up with all the other kids, riding wheely toys, playing hard at the parks here! She is getting SO SO strong. It makes me so happy and it makes her so happy too!! Riah is so easy going and content the majority of the time…she loves to do whatever the tribe is doing…especially when she feels like a big girl!! She is working on potty training and does great when I REMEMBER :), but she doesn’t quite have the idea down that she needs to let me know!! She’ll get there!! She loves to eat, loves to sleep and loves her family…and the great thing is, she is adored. She does need to learn how to defend herself a bit against her ‘little’ sister, however!! Her only technique right now is whining and screaming….we’ll see what she comes up with!
Riah loves music of all kinds…she loves worshipping with us in church (and does NOT think the nursery is an acceptable place for her ) so she raises her hands high and sings at the top of her lungs. It is so precious. It makes me cry almost every week! She seems to be a beautiful encouragement to many who sit behind us as well. She is doing great learning English as well. She is speaking in full sentences now and Ella is starting to do preschool with her a few days a week…which they both love! So, hopefully soon, we’ll see that she knows her abc’s and colors, etc!!
Last, but certainly NOT least, EVIE FAITH…
Evie, The Delightful!
…our almost 2 year old who is still attached to my left side,
thinks she’s our only child and will steal your heart!
She is the challenge, the destroyer and (one of) the laughter-bringers in our home!
update coming soon 🙂
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