For some reason our Embassy celebrated the 4th on the 3rd. So, we celebrated last night and then Seth went again today for a flag raising ceremony and the revealing of a plaque to honor our 3 hostages that were rescued last year just before the 4th of July.  Seth will have lots more to write but I will post pictures now and let him write when he has time to catch his breath.

I have to start by bragging on Seth which he won’t like but I think it’s important. The event had 5500 people. Seth coordinated it all! He had 17 committees to cover all of the different aspects of the event. Earlier in the week that there was not going to be enough food and beer but as the night went on everyone seemed to have what they needed and beer didn’t run out until late in the evening which in this community is the sign of a well prepared event! Seth got lots of compliments on his great work including people last night saying things like ” whoever did the arrangement of music for the fireworks did an excellent job!”  It was very moving to hear our patriotic songs. It makes me all that more eager to get home to the US!

Jackson was exhausted but took it all in and enjoyed himself! It was a drizzly night and it always feels weird to have to wear jackets on the 4th but overall the rain held back and we stayed dry!I didn’t get many good pictures but here are a few anyways….

Both looking a little like they want out!

Fanny Lu…Colombian rock star. Jackson was a VIP so he got to go behind the scenes and meet her! He was too tired to be impressed!

This picture is in honor of our friends the Maney’s! When the girl scouts came around selling these  I was like “who needs one of those glo sticks?” Then I had a vision of Sarah and Paul walking through the fair trying to sell them so I whipped out the cash!

the stage area, pre-5500 people

Our friend Nicholas, wishing he was an American

watching the kids show!

Happy 4th Everyone! Eat some hot dogs and hamburgers for us today!! We are missing home!

I always knew Seth would be a great daddy but I don’t think I could have ever imagined what an amazing father he would be in every way! He loves Jackson beyond belief and is constantly thinking of what would be good for him!  He is incredibly patient and gentle with him even in recent days when Jackson has tested in every way possible! No matter how rough our afternoon has gone Jackson is ecstatic when Seth comes in the door. They have so much fun together! And Jackson thinks he hung the moon!

Happy Father’s Day, Seth! Love you!

Seth and Jackson took me out to a nice breakfast before church for Mother’s Day. Jackson wasn’t too excited about it and gave us a hard time but overall we still had a nice time. I got to sleep in which was a huge treat!!! And Jackson gave me a book about Mommies!

May 1 in many countries is called May Day.  It is celebrated for a variety of reasons, but it is almost always a day of celebration.

For our family, May 1 will always be a day of celebration as well.  Because one year ago today, May 1, 2008, Jackson went in for surgery.  And when he came out, we were expecting to find out if he had the REALLY BAD kind of cancer or only the BAD kind of cancer.  If his leg muscles were going to be severely disfigured or if he was going to be able to walk just fine.  If we were going to be starting chemo and radiation immediately or if it could wait a week or two.

But when the doctor came out and told us it wasn’t cancer at all and only a vascular malformation, you can only imagine our relief and our excitement.  After the doctor told us, we told her to tell our parents, who were waiting with us.  There was more celebration.

Which is why May 1 will always be the Kolb’s personal holiday.  Always be a day of celebration.  Always be a day of giving thanks to our Great God, the Great Physician, who protected our baby.

I won’t speak for Kristen, but I’m pretty convinced, after reflecting for the last year, that God changed the mass in his leg from a malignant mass to something benign.  When a Colombian radiologist (at Colombia’s best hospital), a Colombian orthopedic surgeon (one of Colombia’s best), an MD Anderson radiologist (who had been reading scans for the last 25 years and works at the #1 cancer hospital in the US, if not the world), an MDA pediatric oncologist, an MDA pediatric surgeon, and an MDA pediatric orthopedic surgeon all agree that it’s cancer, it’s hard to imagine that it’s not cancer.  But praise God, literally, that they were wrong.

If you want to re-read our post from last year, here it is.