We're off!

Flights were rearranged and the trip is a good bit longer now, but we should be to the hospital around noon on Monday (or midnight-ish CST). Please keep us in your prayers. We'll be excited to arrive and report in.

The Best Laid Plans

Just when everything seemed to have come together without a hitch...

The unrest in Thailand which led to the airport closure has subsequently led to Thai Airways canceling a whole bunch of flights. Including ours into Chittagong. What exactly that means we're trying to figure out. But most likely it will mean flying first to Dhaka and then to Chittagong and probably on a different airline all together (though Thai Air kept some flights into Dhaka). And probably a significant increase in the amount of time we spend en route to the hospital.

We're trusting God has His divine purposes in all this and also asking that you would keep us and our travel plans in your prayers.

Two Weeks and Counting

We're official. Esther received her passport at 12 days of age (and took her first road trip to Seattle and back for the occasion). Then all the passports went FedEx to D.C. to acquire visas from the Bangladesh Embassy. Mission accomplished.

Our tickets are purchased. We're leaving on December 19th from Portland. Portland to Tokyo. Tokyo to Bangkok. Bangkok to Chittagong. Over 20 hours in the friendly skies, so now we just have to make sure we have plenty for the kids to do.

We've been talking a lot with Nathan these days about moving to Bangladesh. Today the subject of cars came up.
Nathan asked, "Will we have a car in Bangladesh?"
"No Buddy. We'll just borrow one."
"Oh."
"But we will probably have a motorcycle."
"OOHH! TWO motorcycles?!?"
"No Fella, just one motorcycle."
"I want to have a motorcycle."
"Right, but you don't know how to ride a motorcycle. They just have two wheels."
"Well my motorcycle can have training wheels on the front wheel and training wheels on the back wheel and then I can ride a motorcycle."

All I could do was smile. There are sure to be lots of new challenges moving to a new country, but one of the many things we can count on is having a lot of laughs as we discover them. Thank you for your prayers in this busy time.

Two weeks and counting.

Esther June

Esther June Lattin
November 6, 2008
4:52pm
7lbs. 9oz. 19.5inches

"for such a time as this"

2 days before

46 minutes prior to delivery

our newest little "star"

family of five

proud Gilkerson grandparents

proud Lattin grandparents

stellar delivery by Dr. Stewart

the birthday cake -two candles- one for Nathan and one for Noelle
train theme compliments of Nathan

getting lots of snuggles

one very excited big brother

Thank you all for your love and prayers and well wishes! We are incredibly blessed.

Fall Splendor

We're back in business with our camera. So here are a couple pictures of late. It has been a spectacular fall here in the NW. At least a couple weeks of no rain has kept the beautiful leaves on the trees in all their splendor. I'm savoring every moment, every time out driving around, every minute of cool but not cold and wet.

Family Picture at 38 weeks pregnant

The Girls

Pumpkin Patch

Last week, we took the whole family on Nathan's preschool pumpkin patch field trip. It was chilly! But lots of fun. They even had a small train we rode. A definite highlight for Nathan.

The Clock Keeps Ticking

Did September really happen??

After spending Labor Day weekend packing up our shipment for Bangladesh (via Michigan) -21 boxes of which only 5 were personal goods and 16 were medical supplies-, Jason got back to studying for his oral board exams.

We took off a week to go to North Carolina for orientation with Samaritan's Purse. Loooong trip but great folks there. Plus, we got to see special friends, the Pettys and the Mezgers, in Winston-Salem on our way home. Such a wonderful treat! (The extra travel day that Hurricane Ike added in a circuitous manner was not so wonderful.)

After three days at home, Jason headed to the east coast again - Philadelphia - for his oral boards. Three day review course and then three 30 minute oral exams on the fourth day. Intense. (Maybe he'll write about it at some point.) But the best part is he's done and fully board-certified! The "real" end of residency and all the stresses therein. No more "big" tests for 10 years. Hooray J-! We're so proud of you and so grateful for the Lord's provisions through this time.

As soon as Jason returned, we made a trip to Seattle to visit dear friends - the Matthews, the Mitchells, and the Butlers. And met three new little people that we hadn't seen yet. What a joy!

Upon coming home, we commenced with packing. Actually, some packing, lots of things added to the "get rid of"/ garage sale room (not a pile, an entire room plus), and plenty just straight to the trash. It's our fifth move in five years of marriage. You'd think we wouldn't have so much stuff, but it just seems to happen. As we have minimized ourselves, the end result is relief and freedom but the process is a bit painful. We'll be living for the next couple months in the apartment (and most of the downstairs) at Jason's folks. What a wonderful way to downsize now but not be living out of a suitcase. It's such a blessing!

In the middle of moving, we took off last weekend to go to Richland, WA for Uncle Bob and Aunt Roberta's 50th wedding anniversary (Jason's Dad's brother and his wife). We had a delightful time. It was my first trip to the Lattin family's hometown, a town that reminded me in many ways of the town I lived in as a small child. There a few things as joyful to celebrate as a lifelong marriage. Congratulations Uncle Bob and Aunt Roberta!

Now, Jason is on the coast working for a 10 day stretch (the last three days being in Hood River). And the children and I are eager to go visit this next week. But in the meantime, we are continuing to settle in at our new spot and prepare for the new arrival.

We are 36 weeks tomorrow. The Little Miss is very active and thankfully has turned herself head-down. Thank you to those who were praying for us. She's also quite low in the pelvis which has made life a bit uncomfortable for me. Oh, but there could be many worse things.

If you wondered what we've been up to, I hope you feel like you now know. And as you might have guessed, we're still camera-less. So someday we'll be back with pictures. Yet as I sit here, the clock keeps ticking - pictures or not, every minute is precious.

Three!

Nathan turned three on August 11th. A day that was much like the 11th this year. I remember watching the sunrise from our L&D room thinking about the unthinkable change that was soon to happen. And truly it's amazing to think about how much has changed and yet how much has stayed the same. Especially the joy that I have being married to Jason and experiencing all of life together.

Nathan's Birthday

His very green parents taking him home in the carseat with the base attached... Hmmm- I remember thinking it was super heavy.

Nathan's Third Birthday Day

Nathan's Third Birthday Party





















































Nathan's Third Birthday Cake

Nathan is thoroughly convinced that he loves birthdays. Everyone's birthdays! Though the presents are nice, what really makes a birthday is the cake and ice cream. Not just any cake- "cocate cake". He asked after devouring a large piece with ice cream if he could just have one more piece and THEN save the rest for later.

It was also very special to have lots of phone calls with well wishes for a special day. Nathan loved all the air time.

And if you're wondering why it has taken almost a month to get this posted... More on that soon.

The Tables Turn

We're excited to share with you all that our newest addition is a little girl, healthy and content as far as ultrasound can reveal. We are incredibly grateful. Jason is already wondering how the female majority is going to change the home. :-) And Nathan is content to have sisters, it's all he knows.

I asked him today what he thought we should name his new baby sister and he said "Theodore." Right. He has a bear (compliments of Granddaddy and Mia - my folks) named Theodore James Berrytales that tells him stories. That's where he got the name. Though we're still undecided on a name as well, Theodore was not on the list.

Nathan is full of questions these days. When we went to the doctor last week, he asked if the baby was going to come out now. No, not yet (we hope). Well, he said, can we bring home the baby that we get to listen to? I had told him we were going to listen to the baby at the doctor's. He thought we should just bring that baby home.

He also asked a couple weeks ago if we were going to have a brown baby. Precious. Isn't it amazing how children view the world through such different eyes? I told him that maybe someday we'll have a brown baby, but not one that comes out of mom's "tummy".

The only other tidbit to share at the moment is that we're praying the little one decides to rotate to the head down orientation since at the moment she is breech. Still early at 31 weeks, plenty of time, but definitely not desirous of a c-section right before the international move.

Yes, I'm really pregnant even though - no, we don't have any good belly pictures. I realized just recently it's time to start taking pictures and now our camera is officially broken. Until that is rectified, here's the best we have.

The Slideshow....

Hi everyone, its Jason here. I've been a silent voice on the blog since it's inception, enjoying Anna's entries as many of you do. But I thought I would take a short break from studying for my boards to post the slideshow I did as a tribute to my wonderful wife. For those of you that made the graduation party, this is a repeat, but some of you didn't get to see it. It chronicles our lives these last 5 years, from our marriage just a week and a half before residency started until now. Even though residency loomed large in our lives, our love flourished and we ended residency as a family, with three precious gifts from the Lord. I am truly blessed...

The Party

And celebrate we did. Thanks to all of you who were able to join us. The evening was delightful and Jason and I felt very loved. Though we were elated to be celebrating the end of residency, the real joy of the celebration was our wonderful family and friends who have shared this journey with us. Jason and I could not have made it through this time without the love, encouragement and devotion each of you has shown to us.

And as those in attendance know, Jason surprised me with a slideshow of pictures from our five years in residency (also our five married years) which was priceless. God blessed me beyond imagining by giving me Jason for my precious husband.

(Please click on the pictures for a better look.)

The Venue

The Kid Station

Inside the Barn

Some of the celebration

Meme

I got tagged with this several months ago by two friends- Libby and Jessica. I'm not going to tag anyone else, but I thought I could share the requested five little known facts.

Pretty sure that these things won't be new to everyone reading this, but perhaps most of you...

1. I spent at least part of every summer of my childhood in Colorado. My grandparents had a fishing cabin there with no tv, no telephone, no radio, but an amazing outdoor adventure just beyond the front door. The first summer I didn't go was in 1994 when I was...

2. In Ukraine. I have now traveled there four times, and there are few places in the world I can imagine enjoying more. My adopted family there is very near and dear to me. And the only regret I have about our wedding is that they were not able to be apart. One summer when I wasn't in Ukraine, ...

3. I got to study abroad in Italy. This is my second adopted "home". I love most all things Italian - the food, the landscapes, the art, the dishes, the pace... One day I hope to take Jason. And one day (when I'm not pregnant or nursing) I also hope to...

4. Run in Hood to Coast. Not because I'm a good runner (or even much of a runner at all), but just because it sounds like fun. Maybe in the meantime I should consider the Portland to Coast walk. Getting out to walk is a favorite past-time (though I really miss my friend Megan that I used to walk with) and a few other favorites are...

5. Movie - Anna and the King (with Jodi Foster)
Book - Les Miserables (many of you know that)
Color - Purple
Ice cream flavor - Peanut Butter Cup
Social event - going dancing (Hasn't happened in the NW but we used to have tons of fun in college. I'm guessing it won't make the list in Bangladesh either...)

Now, I'm absolved.

Celebrate!

Today is Jason's last day of residency and we're celebrating! No, he's not home yet... it's still a real work day. But hopefully he'll be able to escape soon. Thank you all for you support, prayers, and encouragement. We praise God for our wonderful family and friends and for His faithfulness to us during this time (and always). We are so excited to see many of you at the big party on the 12th.

Texas again

The children and I returned a week ago (well, it was a week ago when I wrote this, now it's almost been two months!) from our trip to Texas to see my grandparents. What a special time that was. Nathan and Noelle had never been to Lubbock, and my last trip was three years ago. We were glad to be with my grandmother (mom's mom) on May 4th, which marked three years since my grandfather passed away. We miss him so much. And we enjoyed many other things like a patio party for the children at my dad's parents, Nathan riding the lawn mower powered by Uncle Steve, and spending lots of time outside.

Delinquent

Yikes! How does the time fly by so quickly??

Just a few days after my last post, we enjoyed a visit from Steve and Stephanie Kelley. Steve will be Jason's senior "partner" in Bangladesh and we were incredibly blessed by our time with them. Then this past week, I was able to meet Stephen and Monika Welch at the Christian Medical and Dental Assoc. conference. Stephen is finishing his internal medicine and pediatrics residency, and they will be heading to Bangladesh too (with little people close to the same ages as ours). Jason and I are so encouraged that God has provided wonderful friends for us already in this new journey. We are excited to be joining such a great team.

The first weekend in June was a flurry of "graduation" events (ironic, of course, because it hardly feels like graduation when you have 24 days to go). Friday night, we attended the residency graduation ceremony. A lovely dinner, special friends to visit with, and much ado for the graduating interns and chiefs. Jason was honored with several awards including the student teaching award (selected by the medical students), the outstanding resident award (selected by the other surgery residents) and the Donald Trunkey Award for ethics and professionalism (selected by the staff).


One of the senior surgeons told Jason the next day that he could not remember a resident so well-loved by both the staff and the other residents. All the while, our delight rests simply in seeing the name of Christ lifted up in a place like OHSU. The mere opportunity to share with many of these people about our plans to go to Bangladesh has stirred much interest and many questions. Our prayer is that these friends would consider Christ. (The first picture is with our friends Brandon and Danica, he's starting his final surgery year though he started before Jason and did two research years. The second is Jason and Brandon with the department chair, John Hunter.)

And finally, we are five days away from finishing residency. Summer is slowly emerging from a long, cold "spring" and the children have been making lots of plans about what comes next... Train rides, bus trips, visiting the airport, playing outside, going to the zoo. :-) And an ultrasound scheduled for July 1st, in the afternoon so Jason can enjoy sleeping in. We've got a lot to look forward to.

What about Bangladesh?

I have to confess I love it when people leave comments on the blog. Sometimes you wonder if folks ever really look at it. So glad that many of our family and friends keep up with us. You guys are wonderful!

So in response to the many questions about what the new little one means for our Bangladesh plans... Pretty much everything is the same. Originally we had thought we'd leave late November. Now we're thinking late December or early January. A slight delay just to get all the necessary paperwork in hand, but we're excited to join the team in Bangladesh as soon as we can.

The timeline from now until then-

--Jason's last day of residency is June 30th - yea!!
--Big party on July 12th to celebrate (if we missed you on the invite list and you'd like to come, please just let us know) :-)
--Family time before and after the party; we're going to the beach with my family
--Studying for general surgery boards afterwards, first exam on Aug 14th, second late Sept or Oct
--End of Aug, Jason and I get to take a little "us" trip
--Move in with Jason's folks sometime in Sept.
--Mid Sept, go to North Carolina for Samaritan's Purse orientation
--Expecting baby late Oct or early Nov
--In Texas for Thanksgiving! We hope to see many friends too.
--Pack for Bangladesh and depart.

Probably more than you wanted to know, but we do covet your prayers as we finish residency and head into this time of big transitions. We're excited to see what the Lord has in store but fully recognize there will be many challenges - both known and unknown. Our gratitude for the many prayers you have made on our behalf already. Love from all of us!

Playtime

Having lots of fun! A new barn and John Deere boots from my sister for Nathan. "Smoovies" are all the rage at our house. And the "little tractor" is a major attraction at Grandpa and Grandma's.

Hat Lady

She loves hats!

What more can I say?! Maybe we need more variety.