Random news

Dawson has started first grade and has become a big boy. No longer a little kid. He now likes his hair spiked! Didn't ever think my 6 year old would be using product! But I must admit, he looks cute.

Here they are all wearing their hair spiked. (I've since trimmed Dawson's hair so it looks more like a style, not just craziness).

This is so them. Kenan being silly and Silas ready to fight. Gotta love these boys.

This week has been pretty long at the hospital. Several of our cancer kids came back for treatment as well as we have been dealing with a family with HIV. The child is really sick and have since figured out that the mom passed it to two of her four children. I've been late in picking up Dawson every day (like 5 minutes but when you are the only kid in school, you notice when your mom is late). One of the days he asked me why I was late. I told him I was helping someone at the hospital. He asked if the person was dying. I said he would if I didn't give him medicine. Dawson then told me that taking care of him was more important than picking him up. If I needed to stay and help someone, I could just call and let them know and he would wait for me. I thought that was sweet but I told him that he was my son and was important and I needed to pick him up. He then looked at me and said, "But doesn't the Bible say we are to think of others more than ourselves?" Wow. I was filled with love for that boy. Young, yet full of wisdom and such a compassionate heart. I want my boys to know that being in Mali is their ministry too. They are serving the Lord just like we are because they are here and letting us live here. Moments like those I think D actually gets it. So special.

On a lighter and slightly cruder note, I must share a story of Kenan. He's a bright kid. Can logically figure out a lot of things. The other night he was laying in bed and had passed gas. It stunk. I asked him if he had pooted. He said, "yes, the quiet ones are always the most stinky." When I asked him who told him that he said he had just figured it out on his own. Like I said, he's a smart kid. Hey, we may not be doing rocket science or anything but he has learned the truth of the statement silent but deadly. :)

And with that, I will go.

A new sister

Since I now have the other koutialakids blog, there sometimes is overlap of the two blogs. For that, I apologize. Some of these kids have become so special to me that it is hard not to include them in my own personal blog. So for those of you who have read the other blog, this is kind of a repeat.

Mamine has been in the hospital for a couple of weeks now. Her pain has gotten worse and she needs continual medicine. I've talked to her several times about the Lord. Carol and I have prayed with her every week as we visited her. We've told her that we wouldn't be in Mali if not for Jesus. To come here only to heal the physical is overwhelming. The need is too great. If we were trying to do it in our own strength, we would leave. We'd do 6 months rotations in the country like Doctors Without Borders. But we are here because Jesus died for us. He gives us hope. He works through us. He provides peace in situations that are heartbreaking. I've shared the gospel with the family several times in my broken Bambara. This is really the first time I've done this on my own. But there became discouraging times. The family started seeing a medicine man for treatment. I felt like we had given of time and money (not to mention emotions) on this family and they were turning to other things. I must admit I wanted to stop going to visit. I did for a couple weeks. Thankfully, Carol had me keep going. Now Mamine is with us at the hospital and I see her each day.

Two weeks ago, Mamine said she wanted to become a Christian. We had just gotten her tv set up in her room. I asked her if she wanted to pray then but she said no- she wanted to watch tv first! :) But a few days later she did in fact pray to accept Christ as her personal Savior. It was a special moment. No, I didn't pray with her, it was a pastor who was there, but I got to sit and enjoy the moment. How special. No, we can't provide physical healing. But now she is truly healed! Soon she will be able to walk without pain. She will be free. What a blessing. It made all the times of frustration so worth it. I'm so thankful for a friend who wouldn't let me give up on her but continued to pursue her. What a gift.

I told Mami that day that she was no longer my friend but my sister. I'm especially thankful for that day as now her pain is getting much worse and she's loopy from the meds now. She sleeps a lot. Thankful that the pain held off some so she could make a decision to follow Christ first. Praying He provides her with true peace in these last days.

Silas is three!

I cannot believe that Silas is three years old! Time has flown by. He is a blessing.

When he was really little, I used to worry because he never laughed much. I think about that sometimes now in amazement. He has an awesome laugh. I just love it.

He loves his brothers. Loves being like them. That's the only way I got somewhat of a smile here.

He fills our life with joy and laughter. He is a spirited 100% BOY. He keeps up with his brothers without any trouble.

I absolutely love this guy. Thankful for the blessing of him!

Silas' birthday party

Here are the birthday attendants.

I always want my boys to be wearing cute clothes on their birthdays for pictures. I've learned, though, that I have boys and this won't happen. The younger two picked out their clothes despite my choices for them. Oh well, regardless of what they wear they are cuties to me. Funny to note that Silas is wearing the Green Eggs and Ham Carolina shirt that Kenan wore when we went to UNC to take pictures and he refused to wear a UNC shirt. We tricked him into the Green Eggs and Ham shirt that just had a little Carolina on it. As we left UNC he threw up all over it. Told us what he really thought. Silas threw up last night in it as well after he choked on a piece of candy. He also spilled kool aid on it so it is probably ruined. Glad it could be worn twice. :)

Playing the game of multiple wrapped presents and when the music stops the one holding it opens a level.

Dinner was pancakes and eggs because that tops his list of favorites.

When the fork isn't enough, use the hand. I believe he ate that whole pancake in one bite.

Dawson made Silas a card at school.

Talking to grandma on skype.

Opening presents...

The hit of the night- a green lantern cave thing courtesy of grandma and papa.

Blowing out his candles. He didn't even let us sing Happy Birthday.

So we lit them again.

Since we had done it twice and he was three, Kristen said we should do it three times. So they were lit once again.

Finally done.

Enjoying the cake and ice cream.

I think that is the only bite he took.

But his brothers enjoyed the food.

After the boys were in bed, we decided to pierce ears. :) Anna (Dawson's teacher) was first. We put her in the special birthday chair but since she easily faints with needles, we moved her to a better chair...

In action. Don't worry, it's a clean, new needle. And Carol is not choking her. :)

With the needle in.

Next was Jamie, a visitor staying with the Gilillands.

Happy Birthday Silas!

Decorating themselves

Very rarely do the boys participate in art projects that don't end in screaming and unhappiness or them covered in paint or whatever we were using. Today we outlined their bodies on big sheets of paper and then they could decorate themselves.

For another disclaimer, I do not post these to make it seem like I'm a got it together mom who does crafts on a regular basis but rather it is such a rarity that when we actually do a craft I like to note the occurrence.

Silas working on his head.

He used so much glue that he honestly had his foot glued to the paper.

His finished product. I'm sure you see the resemblance. :)

So though his head was originally covered in pom poms, by the end he took them all off and it looked like this.

Kenan is my more crafty one and got into decorating.

The colorful Kenan.

Dawson wanted his to be the best. After a long discussion we came to the point that he could say he was making the best Dawson. His did turn out pretty cool. The straws are bones.

Shaving cream with Daddy

I am fully aware that this blog simply repeats itself over and over. Pictures of the boys painting themselves, fun times in the rain, trips to America and Teriya Bugu, birthdays, and shaving cream are the common themes with various other posts scattered in. But I always find the same things picture worthy because the boys have fun. It is in the simple moments that sweet memories are made, not necessarily in the big events. So once again, here's some shaving cream pictures which are notable because Brett got to play along.

Dawson's life story, according to him

In school this week Dawson worked on making a timeline with Ms. Anna. She wrote down whatever he said in the order he thought it was to be.

He actually did a good job in getting things in order.

What I thought was interesting, though, was the memories that stood out to him.

While in France (18 months-2 1/2 yrs old) we lived on the third floor of the apartment building. We often ate outside for dinner so we soon figured out a way to lower a basket down from our window so we didn't have to make tons of trips up and down the stairs (yes, the stairs were good exercise but I was in my third trimester of pregnancy and then had a newborn so I wasn't looking to walk steps all the time). Dawson amazingly still remembers lowering food in that basket.

Then the only event that is noted in Mali is getting stitches which occurred our first or second year here when he hit his head on the corner of the window. Funny that that is what he considers so memorable.

I'm also reminded that our pets are a big thing to him. Though I'd often love to get rid of them since they are crazy and are messing up my house (the cat especially), it is good for me to see that he loves them and wants them around.