HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2013 in a nutshell

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Hey everyone whom we love, miss, and appreciate: this is a little update from the Salas Family…

            We have had a CRAZY year. It started with me very hugely expecting our newest little one and in April our baby girl Jael Capri was born. It was a smooth sailing birth at the Birthing Inn in Tacoma with one of the Pearl Place Midwives. We were very thankful that there were no complications but I was miserable and said “Never again!!” We’ll see about that… J
            Since we got married, we had been attending and serving at my father’s church “Indianola Living Hope Foursquare.” Joey and I were the youth pastors and for the past four years were tending to and growing our tiny little group of teenagers. We started with about 1-3 youth and in four years had about 20 or so that called “TheBridge” their own youth group. In summertime we were just getting settled into our new numbers and feeling more confident when we heard from the Lord that it was time to move “soon.” We were not sure what that meant but we were waiting to see. The opportunity to serve at Northwest Foursquare in Federal way was brought to our attention by a friend and he urged us to apply. We really felt this was it and after the permission from my parents, we applied! Through a process of interviews, we were chosen and we could not have been more excited.
            October we moved into our new house and I cannot believe how the time has flown by! We have already been at this new church for 3 months and it has felt like a couple weeks because we have been moving non-stop since then. There is so much to do! Even though it seems so short it has also seemed like years because the friends and family we have connected with and are serving alongside seem like people we have known our whole lives.  We are truly blessed and living a dream!

            Rewind a little… In September we went on a trip to Disneyland & California Adventure and Makai and his cousins had so much fun. Makai loved loved loved the teacups (without spinning) and Dumbo!  Joey’s and my favorite ride was probably Space Mountain. Jael thought Disneyland was just okay and didn’t hate “It’s a Small World” but didn’t seem too enthused by it either, considering we got stuck on it and Makai fell asleep.

           
MAKAI has been so good this year. His skin is almost totally healed! He still has moments of anxiety and allergic reactions and his skin goes through “seasons” but mostly he is so good and hardly itchy at all. He began to sleep without being “strapped down” at the beginning of the year and by his birthday in July when he turned TWO he was no longer needing his arms “immobilized” to sleep. However, he still took a while to wean off of the arm restraints because he was used to it and liked it. By November he was no longer sleeping with arm-bands, or swaddles or any kind of body restrictions but simply socks (we call them “puppets”) on his hands!
            He started potty training in August (Help me, Lord) and it took 3 months to be “potty trained.” Even now 5 months later he has trouble at times – oh well! His skin benefits from it so I guess it was worth it J
            Also, recently he developed asthma so please be praying for that. Thanksgiving night he had a really rough asthma attack of sorts and Joey was up all night caring for him. That was the only time that has happened to that extreme.
            Makai has a sweet little disposition and yet he is very sure about his personal space and his own opinions. He will tell you if he doesn’t like something! He doesn’t like strangers but once he knows you well he will begin to open up and show you his sweet side. He is very talkative and loves to ask, “Momma, what you doonin? Where you gonin? What you thinking?”  Also, food is the way to his heart, if you want to be his friend!
He loves: Chips, Balloons (“Happy birthday, Makai!” He says), Blanket forts, Sesame Street, Mickey Mouse, Basketball, Football, Baseball, Drums, Guitar, Keyboard, Crazy Dance Moves, Talking, Eating Food (A lot. Of. Food.)


JAEL is such a sweet little doll but she doesn’t act like one for very long! She is feisty and she will tell you off if she doesn’t like something! She crawls around and will find ANYTHING to eat off of the floor and if she knows you are coming to take it she will crawl as fast as she can away from you! She pulls herself up to standing and she falls down all the time. Her brother loves her and takes care of her but loves her a little too much and too hard sometimes!
            She has eczema as well but it is not really severe. Before she was born I cut out dairy & gluten just to be safe and when she started to show signs of eczema I also cut out the rest of the things that Makai is allergic too: soy, eggs, peanuts, walnuts, beef.  I cut them out because I did not want things to get worse for her – I still do not know if she is allergic to them but we will get her tested soon. She sleeps with socks on her hands as well (and sometimes in the car) but otherwise she is great and usually not too itchy!
Jael loves:  anything she is not suppose to have, scraps of food & paper off the floor, music, playing with brother, bath time.


WE LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Joey, Hanna, Makai & Jael