The Countdown Begins!

Max in the emergency room. He kept telling us that he needed to "go to work." He looked the doctor straight in the eyes and said, "I want to ride bikes on Riverside." Such a funny boy :)

Working hard!

Before the haircut. I am sorry, but I couldn't resist. The pointed toe gets me every time. Who taught him this??

After the haircut--rewarded with a yummy lollipop.

Levi after choosing his own clothes for an evening out :)

The boys on each other's trikes.

As expected, April has been a pretty wild month for us Wicars. We are leaving for Africa in less than a month! The to do list is immense-- Malaria prescriptions for the family. Typhoid injections for all. Cancel all of our utilities. Purchase emergency travel insurance. Obtain our visas. Move all of our things from our house to a storage unit. Clean the house and prepare it for our renters. And the kicker: figuring out how to pack just the right things and stay under 44 lbs per person, including tents, sleeping bags, diapers, wet wipes, mosquito repellent, Zach's insulin pump supplies, swim shoes, medications, clothing, toiletries, not to mention a hundred other items. Yikes!

Even though we have a lot on our plates, it seems--at least this week ;) that we have this huge sense of peace surrounding us. Things are really going well. We found the most wonderful renters for our house, and they want to stay for 36 months--so that really frees us up to do whatever we need to do for missions, Zach's work, etc. It will be interesting to see where this road leads. Instead of choosing to focus on my lack of command of the Portuguese language, the unsteady nature of the road ahead, and how in the world I am going to pack for this trip, I am realizing more and more, that it doesn't have all that much to do with me, my ability to speak Portuguese or the ability to purchase and pack the perfect things. It is about our family going and being stretched and loving each other and loving others and seeing God in a whole new way, in an entirely different setting.

Earlier this month, we were starting to get snappy with each other, feeling tired and stressed and we really started to notice behavior changes in the boys--immediately. I gently reminded myself that if they can change that quickly in a week, they can change back just as quickly :) We are all doing much better already. I think they will really enjoy the trip. They love any kind of adventure and it is so funny to hear them talk to each other about going to Africa. Speaking of adventures, we had our first trip to the ER this week. Max may be developing asthma and was started on breathing treatments. He looks pretty cute with his "fireman mask" and has done really well with the treatments. I also cut off Max's blonde curls. He turned two and is officially a big boy. Levi was chasing him around with a stethoscope today, saying "Max, I need to listen to your heart!" Today marks my 3 year anniversary of becoming a stay-at-home momma. I am going to have to keep my stethoscope out with little Max, though. I am praising God every day for Tulsa's beautiful spring weather. The boys are loving playing in the dirt with diggers and dump trucks in our unoccupied raised garden beds and it makes my job a whole lot easier. I love that the boys are best friends.

So, that's where we are in the process. We've done a lot, have a lot to do, and are getting closer and closer to leaving for what is sure to be one of the most memorable and life-changing experiences we've ever had. Oh yeah, guess what I did with my wedding dress?? I shipped it to Africa, so that it could be used by dozens of brides. I really didn't need it in a box in my closet and was so happy to hear that they could use it! It seems really fitting, since Zach and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary the week before we hop on that plane. Plus, I think any daughter of mine will probably want to pick out her own wedding dress anyway :)

Love,
Kate