Seven months!

Levi B.,

Seven months, and WOW are you a kid on the move! I realize that once you start crawling and walking, that sentence will take on a whole new meaning, but even still, I am amazed at your energy and determination to be in motion.

You smile and laugh all of the time now. Sometimes it's at us, sometimes it's at something as random as the ceiling. It doesn't matter to us - we just love to hear that laugh. Your smile and your laugh will melt your mama's heart in a matter of seconds. And your daddy's, too. You are our little sunshine.

You are sitting up now completely on your own and reaching for anything and everything that might remotely be in your vicinity. You have graduated to a high chair in restaurants, and while it's not your favorite thing, it sure beats sitting on the ground in your car seat, so you approve. You are also riding in the front of the grocery cart, and our shopping trips have opened a whole new world for you. A new perspective changes everything! I suppose that's a metaphor for life.

The last month has been busy, to say the least. You've had lots of fun visitors come from out of state, and out of the country, to see you. We said goodbye to your first nursery and relocated all of your belongings down the street to a new place. You have adapted effortlessly.

Last week, while waiting at a cash register for nearly twenty minutes while they tried to find a price on something we were buying, I just watched you watch people. You smiled and talked, and just sat there very patiently. A gentleman tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me. You have such a good baby." Of course, my heart soared. But I wasn't surprised, because you really are SUCH a good baby. I love the spunk that continues to emerge in your personality, and I love your curiosity when we go places. You are consistently alert, observant and intrigued by your surroundings.

Your dad and I cherish snuggle time, because these days, you are generally more interested in lunging, jumping or grabbing while on our laps. No longer content to just sit and look, you want to feel, to experience. Whether you are in your Bumbo eating, or in our arms or laps, you buck around like a wild horse. We call you our little bucking bronco. And, should we place you on your back, within seconds you have flipped over on your tummy and are looking up at us with those big blue eyes.

You have quickly mastered eating from a spoon, and you open your mouth expectantly, like a baby bird. And when fruit is on the menu, that mouth opens and closes like rapid fire. You love fruit, just like your daddy.

It hit me this month that you are now closer to being one year old than to the day you were born. You are growing up, little man! And I'm okay with that, just as long as you don't lose those cheeks for a very long time.

We love you so much!

Love,

Mom

Reaching for "your cows" on the blanket:

Morning book time:

Goodnight reading with mom:

Thailand t-shirts:

Our little hippy:

Thailand!

I realize I have yet to sit down and write about Thailand, and we've now been home for more than a month! So, here we go...

I have to begin by saying, WHAT A TRIP! We slept in nine different locations, partnered with 13 different ministries, hiked four miles to a remote mountain village, drove 38 hours through the winding mountainous roads of Northern Thailand, and saw Jesus move in power at every step of the way! We had high expectations going in, but even those were surpassed. The trip was not without its challenges, but we had an incredible team and truly gifted leaders. Our team remained unified, even in the most intense circumstances. The men on the team displayed such strength at all times. Gib showcased a dance move, "The Gib," that refugee children may still be doing. I know Team Thailand still is:

The women were a constant flow of encouragement and support, especially for this momma who left her baby back home. We'd take another trip anywhere with this group!

In the first few days, we attended a Thai church service, met the women of Hannah House, and shared our testimonies at a men's prison. One of the prisoners, a believer in his youth who had fallen away from his faith, encountered the Holy Spirit in a powerful way. He stood before his fellow prisoners to announce that God had called him back and that he was ready to obey Jesus.

Our trip into a remote Lisu village was one of the most challenging aspects of the trip, but also one of the most rewarding. Physically, it was challenging.

We hiked for several hours to get to the village:

We slept in one room on a concrete floor, and walked back from a church service in the pouring rain, with only a few flashlights to guide us.

And then we packed into the back of another truck to leave the village:

Spiritually, it was challenging. The small number of believers who live there are ostracized by the rest of the village. We could literally feel the spiritual oppression there. However, in our time there, we saw several people healed and we had the opportunity to pray for many families. We saw God move in powerful ways!

Upon returning to Chiang Mai, we visited a Buddhist temple overlooking the city. Later that evening, the women on the team had the opportunity to spend time talking with and ministering to women caught in prostitution.

We re-packed our bags and headed out again, this time to the Burmese/Thai border. We drove through 2,000 curves (no exaggeration: we saw t-shirts that boasted this fact) in the back of a pick-up to get to our first camp:

For more information on the genocide currently happening there, you can find information HERE (this link does contain images of genocide victims). In total, our team visited four refugee camps. The children in these camps stole our hearts, and we had the privilege to play with them, sing with them, pray with them, and love on them.

Along with another mom on our team, I (Lauren) came home after 10 days, while Gib stayed with the rest of the team, visiting additional refugee camps and an AIDS orphanage.

This trip has changed our lives. I wish we had space and time to recount every story! You can find more photos at http://hollib.myshowit.com/thailand2011, all taken by the talented Taylor at Taylor Jill Designs/HolliB Photograpy. Thanks to everyone who supported us financially and in prayer. Your encouragement means more than you know!

Moving day

I really should be unpacking , but I had to take a little break to write an update! Since February, Gib and I have been waiting to move into an apartment complex just down the street to be neighbors with the international students and families that we love so much. Well, today was the day! Thanks to our amazing friends and family, we moved our belongings in record time, and we are so excited to finally be here.

My parents took Levi for the weekend, and one of my best friends came yesterday to help me get our new kitchen organized - both such huge blessings. And today, twelve amazing friends loaded up our belongings, moved them, unloaded them, and helped us unpack.

As I look around, I am overwhelmed by God's kindness in giving us a great apartment, and by the kindness of our community of friends and family. Here's a snapshot of our day:

Six of the cars in the Park Moving Caravan as we set off down the street:

International visitors

How can it be August already? While working for the university, the arrival of August was a reality check that a new school year was mere weeks away, which meant things were about to get very busy. This year, August feels so very different!

In the last two weeks, we've been blessed to have three sets of international visitors visit.

The first was our friend, Jenny.

While she is, in fact, American, she's been living in Turkey for the last two years. We had the opportunity to visit her in Turkey in January 2010, but it was such a treat to have our friend back in Norman. She's a world changer!

Our second set of visitors came all the way from The Netherlands! We met Jolien when she was an exchange student here at OU almost two years ago, and she returned to Norman to visit. It was a highlight of our summer to get to see her after all of this time, and we had the added bonus of meeting her mom, Lydia!

These two Dutch women were an absolute blast to have in town. They are so much fun. When Jolien was here as a student, she and her roommate (hi, Charlotte!) rented a car and drove to the Grand Canyon. Suffice it to say that the trip was an adventure (rental car catastrophe with no cell phones), but Jolien was ready to do it again with her mom. So, once again, she rented a car and drove to the Grand Canyon, and of course, it was another adventure!

The fun just kept coming! Our next visitors were one of my best friends from high school and his wife. Tim and Min reside in NYC, after having lived all over the world, and this was my first time to meet Min. Somehow, I have no photos of this visit. So, I'm borrowing one of theirs from facebook!

These two lovebirds just celebrated their second wedding anniversary, and I have to say, they couldn't be more perfect for each other. I never had doubt of Tim's ability to charm a woman into marrying him, but let me just say that he not only married a BEAUTY, but she's stinkin' smart and incredibly fun. So, well done, Timothy Brooks. Well done.

We feel so blessed to have friends from every corner of the planet, and if we could just arrange these mini-reunions once a year...

Aunt Leigh comes to town!

What a fun, fun, fun, fun weekend! My sister spent four glorious days here, and getting to see her was a highlight of my summer. For the past few years, she's been brightening lives (and saving them, too) on the East Coast. She hadn't seen Levi since he was just a few weeks old. And, after spending the majority of our lives within walking or a short driving distance from each other, my soul feels rejuvenated in getting some quality sister time!

Granted, the heat outside is enough to zap even the most energized feeling and half the places we went to didn't have efficient air conditioning, but I just told her that I wanted her to get an authentic experience of an Oklahoma summer lest she forget what that feels like.

It was a weekend chalk full of wedding-related activities, and she made the most of her time here (read: I'm not sure she's slept much?). Over the course of four days, we had her trial hair/make-up salon appointment, bachelorette party, couples shower in OKC, bridal shower in our hometown and meetings with the wedding venue, caterer, florist and videographer. WHEW! In just over a month, she'll officially become Dr./Mrs. Peek! Hooray!

Love you, sister!

This last picture is precious because the three of us grew up together at "Mary's School." Mary was our babysitter until we started kindergarten, while our moms worked. She was able to come to Leigh's shower, so we had a reunion!

Six months!

Dearest Deuteronomy,

Six months! WOW! When we look back over the last half-year, we see how much you have changed and developed, and we are amazed. Every day is a new day with you in what you are discovering, and you are the happiest baby. I can't get enough of that brilliant smile!

You had your first overnight stay without us this month. While we initially planned to take you to Thailand with us, we prayed about it and decided that you should instead spend the time at Grammy and Grandy's house. You did so well!

You are sleeping like a champ these days. We can take you anywhere, and you remain flexible about where you sleep: in the car seat on road trips, in the pack n' play at our friends' houses, and in either bedroom here at home. We consistently get comments on what a great temperament you have.

Your "discovery mode" continues, and it is SO MUCH FUN! You notice everything around you, and you want to hold or feel anything that seems to be within reach. This includes anything that your daddy or I have in our hands, so it becomes a sort of game to take a drink while holding you without you grabbing our cup.

You are so close to sitting up completely on your own. You have great balance, and when being carried, you hold both arms out, not holding on to the person carrying you. It's so cute! You have also figured out how to be a man on the move while on your back. Whether it's your playmat or in your crib, we love to watch you turn completely around or move from one side to another.

A huge milestone this month is that you have begun eating solid foods. At this point, you have experienced rice cereal and sweet potatoes, and it's hilarious to feed you. You make some pretty entertaining faces as you experience the new textures, and of course half of your meal ends up on the rest of your body.

We love you so much! Life with you is quite the adventure, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Love,

Mom

These first few pics are from an impromptu photo session with our incredibly talented friend, Taylor at Taylor Jill Designs/HolliB Photography:

Have I mentioned how much we love those cheeks?

Napping on the couch. It's been so hot this summer that this is a typical "outfit" for you!

Sweet potatoes!

Your daddy loves to match... and it looks like you do, too!

Pool time!

Home sweet home

Team Park has returned home! We apologize for the delay in posting anything new, but upon our return, we dealt with both jet lag and "baby lag," both of which involve erratic sleep schedules.

We are still processing our adventures in Thailand, but I will say that we were both touched deeply by our time there. It is no exaggeration to say that we will never be the same. Over the next few weeks, we'll recount some of our favorite stories and provide more details about what our trip was like.

I am happy to report that we returned to a growing, very joyful baby boy, as we knew we would. Grammy and Grandy did an amazing job taking care of him, and even Grandma and Grandpa got to drive down and spend some time with him. He was well loved while we were gone!

It's hard to believe that this little man will be six months old next week. We are enjoying every minute of being back with him!

Thanks to Taylor at Taylor Jill Designs/HolliB photography for yet another great photo!