Gavin's drone footage totality of the eclipse in Dallas

 There really are no words to describe it. We're awestruck and so very grateful God cleared the clouds and that Gavin's parents were here to enjoy it with us! What a show!

https://youtu.be/i5oDqFHoKGE?si=fXVg0XkpjreyCPq1

Spring Break with Isaac at college; longer update

 We got to go visit Isaac at Boyce College in Louisville for our kids' Spring Break! Such a blessing!!

It wasn't Isaac's break, so we didn't get to see him as much as we would have liked, but we got to hang out with him between his work schedule and classes and at Chapel! He also had Friday off for a trip to the Ark with us. 💕 

I am so grateful my parents were brave enough to join us in our travels! It was so special, a real gift from our Heavenly Father to all be together. And as an aside, my favorite part about the Ark was the centrality of Christ. There may be lots of disagreements over theories, but the real question is "What will you do with Jesus Christ?" 

Can you tell Will has a hard time not being goofy in photos??

This sign was hilarious as it's actually very true in our house. David loves to sit on her to make her laugh.

At the petting zoo. Sadly, most of the animals were hiding from the cold and rain - but pretty appropriate weather for an Ark encounter, wasn't it?!

At the Zoo in Louisville, and a throwback to the Aquarium in Dallas:

Not during Spring Break but more than worth including: Mother/Daughter/Grandmother tea at the kids' school with my dear momma, my baby sister, and her miracle daughter Elo (praying her next screening for ganglioneuroblastoma is clear and that the tumor continues to shrink!). 💗

Okay, update on the kids: Will LOVES, LOVES, LOVES his occupational therapy and is on the waiting list for physical and speech therapy. The physical therapy will help him with large motor skills and balance, and the speech therapy will be tailored to helping him engage in reciprocal conversation and interact more comfortably with people he doesn't know. (He's very into hugs once he realizes people are friends!) He's also brilliant, witty, and has an incredible memory. He (and Seth) are the quickest to apologize for hurting someone's feelings, too. His Bible knowledge and connection-making abilities in spiritual/biblical conversations are amazing. He also has a beautiful, compassionate heart for lost people coming to Christ. 

Seth is thriving, albeit a little more sad than normal on occasion because he's homesick. He did so well plugging through his comprehensive testing (required by our school in PNG) this week despite his slower processing speed. He also had a great report card and has made friends left and right at school. He is goofy and charming and impish and oh-so-kind. His favorite place to be is with his cousins and my sister and her husband and their dogs - the dogs are very important. He told me last night that if something happened to me he would want Katie to be his mom. 😍 He is obsessed with helicopters and WWII airplanes and can recreate them down to the small details in both LEGO and by drawing! And this was the kid who struggled to hold a pencil for so long. Thank you, Lord!

David still has six forts in the woods behind our house. His hiking boots and bushcraft machete and "It is Finished" cap complete his outfit most days. He is slated for the comprehensive testing next week, and he's dreading that as well as the homework/classwork that will be on top of it. (It took Seth all day both days to finish what he needed to.) We appreciate prayer for him if you're one of those precious people who prays for our family! He almost certainly has dyslexia or something like it, and struggles to read or write comfortably. He is left-handed - which may account for some of his differences - and so smart. He is hilariously goofy despite his quietness.He has a bajillion friends, including on our street. He can also walk up to a new kid, put out his hand and say, "Hi, I'm David." It's such a gift - one that Gracie is a little jealous of!

Gracie is doing so well with her math accommodations at school, loves her special ed teacher and her friends at school and on our street, but is definitely struggling with anxiety and missing Isaac. Please pray for her sweet heart, that she would experience our Triune God's tenderness in her moments of fear that she's not doing everything "right." She is so easy for people to overlook because she's quiet (although goofy!), and she really hates disappointing anyone. She also really wants people to see her and listen to her when she's trying to speak, but her voice and body are so tiny. She adores reading! I think it's almost her favorite thing - surpassed only by goofing around with David. Thankfully they are in class together, which gives her courage and encouragement throughout the day. Big brother - who is so much taller than her! - is always around to help protect. 

Marcie is doing so much better than she was some months ago. THANK YOU FOR PRAYING. We're trying to get her into equine therapy for calming and encouragement. We pray she continues to appropriate the truths of Scripture as we - and her Creator - walk with her through her valleys.  She misses her rescued dog, Cooper, to the point of tears many nights. She is also missing her childhood, realizing she can't return to the time before our gardener was killed in clan warfare and our friend of 18 years hadn't yet been caught stealing from us. [Our last few months in PNG were difficult for the kids, too.] She also can't return to the primary campus on our mission center - she'll be at the secondary campus instead. On the upside, she is a gifted artist in multiple mediums - her non-artistic mom is super impressed! She also loves her tumbling class. Please pray for her in the area of friendship. Her strong personality (inherited) adds an extra layer of challenge. I see my own faults at her age in glaring clarity and want to go back and apologize to all my teachers and friends (and enemies!). She's so far beyond me at that age, praise God. 😅 Thankfully, He refines and uses our strong personalities for our good and His glory, and is infinitely patient with His children! 

I need to get going so I can actually parent these wonderful kiddos! 

Oh, quickly:

- Isaac is absolutely thriving too, PTL. Pray for wisdom and time management for him as his life is so full! He has wonderful friends and professors and an amazing church home. 

- I'm LOVING my new pastoral counselor! She's a total gift from God at just the right time, has a child on the autism spectrum and so much wisdom and experience in marriage and motherhood and ministry.

- Gavin is just the bomb.com. Amazing husband and father, everyone's hero in helping fix everything, it seems! He loves us so much because he loves the Lord so much. 💗 We're endlessly grateful for his patience as he lives and serves here, for now, for the sake of his family. 

In His grip,

Carrie 

Big Creek, CA after New Year

 We have had the blessing of being supported in prayer and gifts by this wonderful little church in Big Creek, CA. You might have heard of it in the terrible Creek Fire of September 2020. Many of the houses burned, including those of the music leader and the pastor. Their testimony is incredible, truly. God is so faithful. He is so good to give us a lovely and awesome place to be over the holidays, a place I always "crave" visiting for its beauty and grandeur and peace. 

Isaac when we arrived. The lit-up Christmas tree was a surprise!
It's directly in front of the General Store at the entrance to the town.

Just taking a little "breather" from the kids late afternoon.

We were welcomed at the little Inn at Big Creek, above and behind the General Store.
SO QUAINT and COZY! And you can't beat the views! (One of my favorite things in PNG is a small "painting" of the General Store, a framed notecard I bought back in 2008.)

Getting ready to war with one another in the snow. Marcie and Isaac are hunkered down inside.

David and Gracie sledded a LOT. Here they're taking a break from building a snowman, I believe. 

Will's favorite thing to do in the snow was eat it! He would two-fist it while he walked around the yard. He loves glasses of ice always, with just a bit of water, so it's not really a surprise that snow would be such a delight for his palate. 😄 It was very fresh and then snowed another 6-8 inches one night!

A snowy walk at dusk around silent Camp Sierra, just below Big Creek, with Gavin's parents.

My mother-in-love is so beautiful I had to put this photo in . 

Enjoying icicles from the eaves. We had several in our fridge before our stay was done. 😄

Blurry, but very representative of the kind of horsing-around these kiddos get up to with big brother Isaac. Will just said, when he saw me putting this picture in the blog, "Oh, Isaac! I miss him so much!" We all do, but we couldn't be happier about how welcoming and wonderful Boyce College has been for him - truly family in Christ and in practice! He is humbled and grateful as he begins his second semester.

Last look at a beautiful place. See you before too long (minus snow next time!), Lord willing, Big Creek and Camp Sierra!
MUCH LOVE to the Body of Christ there! We are blessed and refreshed through you all.

Making All Things New

 

My favorite photo from summer in Oregon

Thank you to everyone who prayed over those requests (and in general) that I posted a few weeks ago! The Lord has graciously answered each one in personal, tender and powerful ways. 

1) Will is much less agitated. We found the right medication formulation, it seems, and he's just so much happier and able to be who he really is! We're still in queue for his therapies but happy to wait until the new year. 

2) David is much less homesick due to great friends in our neighborhood and lots of forts in the nearby woods. (Their fort Christmas party is today. I baked cookies for it last night, at David's request. 😊) He also decided he wants to take one of his teachers back to Papua New Guinea with us because she's just so great! He and Seth have both said they really enjoy school now.

3) Seth's teacher woes have worked out beautifully. The teacher he was struggling to understand and please is now his favorite. He's figured out that she really does mean so well and cares about him. He got a great report card!

4) Marcie is doing MUCH better, although we know there are highs and lows. She has a precious relationship with her dad, and that really seems to help her weather the storms of life and emotions. Reminds me of the need we have for our Father through all the ups and downs on this journey to Heaven!

5) Gracie continues to be the most homesick (and sick, with colds - her tiny little ear, nose, and throat passages just keep getting infections!). But she's VERY happy to have her biggest brother at home goofing around with her and her other big brother David always looking out for her and making her laugh.

6) Isaac is doing fabulous! It's such a blessing to have him here! "Out of 10, you would be 80 billion!" Seth just said. The Lord has just been so good to Isaac (and us!), providing for him for college in amazing ways. 

7) Gavin is beautifully devoted to this family. I'm unendingly grateful for who he is.

I, too, am doing much better than I was earlier this summer and fall. My body and brain is calming down, praise God. It seems I was in high alert all the time, and that was exhausting! Until very recently, it felt that something was just wrong. 

I realize that Christmas will never be like it was when I was a little girl (My family had great Christmases in Colombia!). When we're children, it's, "Everything is magical, and 'Santa' is coming!" 

Now that we're adults, seeing the world around us - in PNG or America - it's, "Everything is broken, and Jesus is coming!" 

The latter hope is TRUE, and more beautiful by far. 

Waiting in hope, 

Carrie

You can't see it really well, but the manger with star above is cut into the throne. 
One of Gavin's ornaments, per my request. 

A wish come true! Going to Bolder - a climbing park - thanks to a generous Christmas gift!

Getting their tutorial in the ropes course climbing.

Hugs for Grandma (from Will and his cousin) at the Arboretum! 

Zoo Lights with Aunt Naomi! 💗 Will is not a fan of cold and stayed home.

The Christmas music and art night for the kids' school. Good thing Isaac is strong and Gracie is small!

Update for you sweet people who still check the blog ;-)

I have been too overwhelmed to blog for quite a while and mostly stay off of FB too, but I found out on Sunday one sweet lady has been checking our blog daily! (We love you, M.D.! You have blessed us so much through your prayers and love and beautiful afghans.) Quick update on the kids: 1) Will has his ups and downs. School is a struggle for him some days and other days he loves it. I hope the Thanksgiving break is just what he needs. PLEASE PRAY for his agitation. His brain is just so "on fire" with activity vs. other people's brains, even at rest. He feels like it's a superpower, so that's a positive! But it can really affect his relationships with his siblings and others. Will is supposed to be doing occupational therapy but it finding it so challenging and frustrating he struggles to tolerate even a small amount. PLEASE PRAY for the right therapies and therapists! We are so grateful for what he has now but may need to "step it up." 2) David is doing drum lessons, a dream of many years! I can hear him practicing right now. He is doing well, although he's very homesick. He's so mature for his age and naturally quiet that it's too easy for his emotional needs to be overlooked. PLEASE PRAY for his comfort in homesickness and in dealing with the turbulence of siblings. 3) Marcie is really struggling with anxiety and PTSD-type issues, as well as significant spiritual challenges. PLEASE PRAY for her heart and soul, and for the LOVE of her Savior and parents to be unmissable to her. She needs to know she is very, very special and cherished. 4) Gracie is precious but struggling with some anxiety and grief too, as well as her own autonomy as a compliant and quiet child in a household with strong wills. Things seem to have reached a head, and she's not just going to "take it" anymore. PLEASE PRAY for the mind of Christ for her, and for love and compassion and understanding and WISDOM for Gavin and me as we navigate these important relationship decisions and interactions. 5) Seth is doing amazing, but qualifies for special education for slow processing and math concepts. He is LOVING his cousins nearby! PLEASE PRAY for his encouragement in dealing with one teacher in particular who seems to struggle with his struggles. She means so well and is a dear woman. 6) Isaac is just incredible. He rates his college experience 15 out of 10. Boyce College has been an Ephesians 3:20 school for him. PLEASE PRAY he can enjoy this time with family without pulling out his hair (ha ha, he's been so sweet and happy to be back!). PLEASE PRAY for self-discipline as he's going from working 25 hours a week as a full-time college student in Biblical and Theological Studies to having lots of time on his own. He has determined to help a lot in the kitchen, woo hoo! Gavin and I are also having ups and downs with our kids' struggles and joys. I am seeing a counselor for some issues related to the difficulties of these past couple of years overseas. I am having lots of trauma responses I didn't forsee. God is faithful. Isaac gave me an excellent book, Midnight Mercies. Ephesians and Psalms are also a great encouragement. PLEASE PRAY I would fix my eyes on Christ and see His provision daily. Please also pray for financial wisdom here in America with the rising cost of living! We appreciate you!

Post from Facebook back in September

From September 15th, never remembered to put it on the blog! Turns out having babies three months early is REALLY HARD on the adolescents they become. We were warned in the NICU that this period of their lives would reveal areas of disability and struggles related to extreme prematurity. At the time I was just so grateful they were still alive, I must have shoved it out of my mind to deal with later. My mom had to remind me. As Gavin's Aunt Colleen says, "This is all part of the miracle." ❤ They are a miracle. They are God's. They are entrusted to us. I'm unendingly grateful that I get to have these kids with their unique needs. 🥰 And I'm grateful to be Stateside for a while to get the help they - and we - need. I have always grieved and really struggled over my "failure" to hang on to them longer, but that is gone now. Thank God. Will got the ball rolling when he broke his water before dawn at 27 weeks 5 days. He was the quint who was in distress at the time, despite being the biggest (2 lb 10 oz, or 1190 g). He had meconium staining and was urgently worked on by our dear Dr. Burgess, who has since gone to be with the Lord. He seemed so healthy in the NICU, never any huge scares, but now he's the one who has the most long-term consequences of extreme prematurity. In breaking the water and forcing all five to be born so early, he was just getting out when he needed to get out, in the wisdom or our Sovereign Heavenly Father. God sovereignly ordained that the rest would live. God saved Seth through those agonizing months while so many of you prayed. People we'll never meet besieged the Throne of Grace for Seth's life. He has long-term issues too, of course, but he's amazingly healthy, and loving and cute and happy and lively. And he has a good brain that can do hard things despite all those months and even years of low oxygenation. He just needs some therapy and accommodations to help him do those hard things. So, if you're still reading this long update, please pray our kids will get the therapies and accommodations they need soon. We're on waiting lists. PRAISE GOD for a lovely math tutor "grandma" for Gracie, for JD Jondavid-Kelli Lovell to work via Zoom with Seth, and for a small "whole person" school for Will this year. Please pray for stamina for Gavin and me as the homework load with four kids at a hybrid school is daunting. So many new things are bombarding them: multiple classes and passing periods, multiple teachers, multiple apps and programs to do their work in, multiple assignments to do at home. Most days we work from 2:30 to 6:00 and usually have to go back to it after breaking for supper, or catch up the next morning. Plus there's a whole new culture to adapt too, with educators and students they don't know. Meanwhile, they are really homesick and desperately miss their PNG friends and family (April and Dilu Narumao!). Please pray for God's continued amazing provision. He is SO GOOD. Love! Carrie Jones P.S. We know people care so much about our kids and want to suggest things that have helped, in their experience, but we've been buried with suggestions - literally pages of them. Right now we can't process through any more. We'll reach out on FB or in person if we need suggestions for a specific need or child! Thank you for caring.

Keeping Up With The Joneses - Our Eyes Are On You