Something So Big

Big Time Worship

2012-02-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

We had the privilege of being a part of the Rock and Worship Roadshow again this year, and this time Mark's mom came with us! Unfortunately, when we arrived at the coliseum it was pert'ner standing room only. (I haven't been able to say "pert'ner" in a long time. I miss it!)

Fortunately, however, these were a bunch of kind people (I should hope Christians who love to worship are kind!)....so we split up and found a seat here and there, with a few of us sitting on the steps in the aisles. We missed the first 2 gigs and arrived just in time to hear Disciple screaming their faces off. Throwing their hair, all that hard-rock-kinda-stuff. Like Shae said, "I didn't think they were singing anything!" But to each his own;) Here's the next act, Hawk Nelson!

Then it was time for LeCrae, a Christian rapper. I had never heard of him until I saw he was a part of the roadshow. Looked him up, downloaded a few songs for Cy, and you know what? I actually liked his music. The big screen with lyrics helped, but contrary to popular belief, you could actually understand most of what this rapper was sayin/singin. "Don't wanna waste my life"...."God is enough"....."Hallelujah"......his lyrics were Biblically pretty deep and the tunes/beat were catchy. Wynne was bee-bopping with LeCrae; it was pretty cute! But Mark says whenever I start trying to sing/rap that I kill the whole effect. So I'll try to control myself. "God is enough....God is enough....never too much....You are enough!"......Youtube it and see if you can resist joining in! I dare you.

Tenth Avenue North did not disappoint. I know a lot of their songs, and apparently do did about 10,000 other people.

I don't know them enough to know what this guy's name is, but he's the lead and he has a good vocal. Plus he had a nice way with the crowd, walking right up to sing with people for a few songs. "You Are More" is probably their signature song.

See, I told you Wynne got into it ;) Something was said that night that really stuck with me....the lead singer said, "We don't put our hands in the air to draw attention to ourselves, like we are some perfect worshippers....I put my hands in the air because that's what my little girl does when she wants her daddy to pick her up. I want my Daddy to pick me up!" I had never thought of it that way before, but I love that imagery. I sure need my Heavenly Dad to pick me up, don't you?

Last up: the headliner...Mercy Me. Nuff said.

Bart preaches with such compassion and authenticity, sharing about a painful time in his life that prompted him to write their latest single, "Hurt and the Healer". It's a keeper. The entire band is full of real people who really care. They each spoke about the children around the world that they sponsor through Compassion International. I hope they raised some good $$ for the cause.

"I Can Only Imagine"..."(When I Finally Make it) Home"....."Move"...."So Long Self"...."God With Us"..;;"
"Beautiful"..."Homesick".....I could go on and on. So many years, so many songs. None weaker than the other. All a body of work that praises God and lifts Him up with the glory He deserves!

Home again, home again, jiggedy-jig!

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.--Romans 5:8

My Valentines

2012-02-10T05:06:00.000-08:00

I should be getting ready for school right now. The "stock" outside needs feeding and I need a shower, to get the kids up and ready for the day...but I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks and it's really getting to me.

First off, here's my big Valentine and all my little ones, too! We all drive each other crazy sometimes, but it's a pretty fun bunch to hang out with!

Shae became sports photographer for Ally's last bb game. I really like this picture!

Ally is VERY driven to do well in everything, sports especially. But like a typical teenager, guess what she said when she saw this picture? "My hair looks good!" ;) LOL

I'm sure it wasn't always easy to have her dad coaching her, but deep-down I think she kinda liked it;)

In other family-related news...CONGRATULATIONS to Greg and Marin on the birth of their little boy BROCK!! I just love that name and we can't wait to meet our new nephew/cousin! Best wishes to all the family out east!
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

This One's For You, Dad

2012-01-31T19:47:00.000-08:00

Cy made a basket and a free throw last night on his dad's birthday!

Happy Birthday, Dad!!

After a nice family dinner out to eat in Prairie du Chien (after the game), we came home for cake and ice cream.

The traditional Dad-and-the-kids shot. We like our 5 little birthday presents best of all;)

To wrap up the month, Ally played her last basketball game of the season tonight. We lost the game, but our girls gained so much in confidence, hustle, and skill as the season progressed.

Coach and Player, Father and Daughter. It was a fun season for us to watch!

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.--Ephesians 1:3 NLT

Great Day for Sledding!

2012-01-31T19:34:00.000-08:00

Saturday was clear and not too cold...a perfect day for sledding!

I wish I had quick access to pictures from 12-13 years ago, because this Daddy pushed this same little girl on the same green sled back then;)

We went to "Killer Hill" at the college, but quickly opted out due to the mud at the bottom of it. I'm glad, because this hill was plenty steep enough and much more family-friendly. I spent many weeks at this place back in college as it was our marching band practice field!

The kids love those hats. Good score for Christmas! Here comes Shae-puppy and Paige-monkey...

and Ally-Badger! (Cy at the right and Wynne on the left with the most worthless sled I've ever had the displeasure of trying. I must have slid sideways about 5 times before ditching it for the Amazing Orange Flash that Shae's riding in the background!)

Daddy and the Baby. I think this was the time where Wynne steered sideways (again, on that worthless blue sled) and scraped up her face a bit. Not too bad, just enough to bleed a little and come crying to Mommy. We retreated to the car for about 2 seconds, then all was well.

"Later, Dudes!" (Sorry I can't stop with the Chevy Chase movie lines.)

"Now going for a downhill record...Clark W. Griswold the III (or was it II?) ...."
Actually, Cy did very well going over two very sharp bumps in this path. Give him about 15 years and his knees will be hating him for it!!

I'm not much for winter sports, but the conditions were perfect on Saturday, and it's one of the cheapest forms of entertainment you can find. Gotta love Wisconsin winters!

He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.--Psalm 147:16

How Many Basketball Games Do We Have This Week?

2012-01-20T07:08:00.000-08:00

This is what the little sisters do at the games (when they're not complaining about being there or running out to the concession stand).

#45 got a clean bill of health this week from his ear surgeon!! Thank you Dr. Gubbels--you did awesome work! No more perforated eardrum!! Now he can play that tenacious defense we've been missing.

I like how she dribbles with her left hand, too. She's getting pretty good at ball control. Now if we could just control the other factors of the game, huh Ally? Don't give up Junie!!

If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. --Proverbs 24:10

We Knew It Would Come Eventually

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

The property tax bill!

No, that always comes before we expect it.

I'm talking about the SNOW!

* * * * * * * * *

Last weekend, the 3rd weekend in January, the kids had their first-go-round with the sliding hill. It was a loooong wait, but our heating bill budget wasn't minding it ;)

I'm pleased to report that the girls' new crocheted hats are WARM ! Thanks Mary Jo! We get lots of compliments on them.

Happy Belated Birthday, Rheann! And thanks for the Badger gear for Cy. He's getting plenty of use out of it, as you can tell.

Our little snow bunny, all bundled up and ready to ride!

Meanwhile in 3rd grade, we just finished the first semester (2nd quarter) and have been studing ecosystems. The kids said they are thankful that we live in a deciduous forest ecosystem because we get all 4 seasons. As one girl put it, "a little bit of everything".
Even though it's colder, there's something about the white snow falling that makes everything cleaner and quieter. It forces you to slow down a bit. Which is a good thing ;)
God created it all and He is so good!

It was You who set all the boundaries on the earth;. You made both summer and winter. -- Psalm 74:17

Courtside

2012-01-11T17:14:00.000-08:00

I really need to learn how to take sports photos.

At least the blurriness makes the athletes look amazingly quick!
Ally is the point guard, as you can sort-of tell from this picture. Her dad is coaching from the bench in the back. The girls had their first win right before Christmas, which was awesome because they work so dang hard for only having 6 kids on the team!

Cy's a post. That's another basketball term that I'm just going to throw out there because he told me that's what position he plays. Aren't I impressive in my basketball knowledge?

It was fun watching the boys play Cassville because the coach and his son (far left in green) are our friends. Cy is standing right behind the boy in the front of the picture. I try to "point and shoot", but it takes so long for the camera to actually take the picture that I don't know what image I'm actually getting until I get it. We lost the game, but Cy scored his first basket of the season so Yay!

Here are 2 of the spectators. Their brothers play on the same team, and their big sisters play on another team together. So I guess you could call Delaney Wynne's "bleacher buddy".

Here's Cy awaiting a rebound....

and here he is on defense. Note the intensity! Wish he had this kind of enthusiasm...for ONE day...for cleaning his room or doing his homework. Just one day, is all I ask.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.--Philippians 2:3

Strangers

2012-01-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

Look at these STRANGERS!!

Aren't they silly??!!?

From the moment they met, these little girls hit it off. As you can tell, they are fairly comfortable around one another. And yes, they can be "strange" sometimes :)

Annika, Ava, and their mom and dad are moving to China for 3 years. We are pretty sad about that at our house...but we are trying to stay hopeful and positive about the wonderful adventure that they are about to go on.

Today's message at church was an awesome reminder (and very fitting, for the time) that we are all strangers in this world. God did not make us for this world, but for the perfect place He has in store for us in eternity. And so, even though our friends are going to feel very strange and won't "fit in" right away where they are going....we pray that God will use this opportunity of being "strange" to show that He is with them no matter where they go.

Our guest preacher today said it well. "He makes us new when it is easiest to be made new...when we are in a strange place....Every time we trust in Him, Jesus makes us NEW."

Annika, Paige, and Shae

And so we will not say "Good bye"...but rather, "Till we meet again!" Mark & Astrid & girls, may God bless you and keep you...may He watch over you and move in you to put your complete trust in Him!

Ava & Wynne

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here!
--2 Corinthians 5:17

The Games People Play

2012-01-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

Every year when we gather at the hotel, it doesn't take long before the games start. Cards, board games, video games, dance games, swimming pool games, and active games. It's a good thing we play games, or we wouldn't be able to fit through the door, with all the tables of food we also eat!!

A few years ago Santa gave Cy four lazer tag guns. Engelke Christmas has never been the same since! See the guy leaning casually against the back wall? Yeah, that would be Jared, all grown up and a successful, serious chemical engineer. Until the lazer guns come out ;)

There's his little brother Kaleb, aiming for Lord-knows-who......I just love how the boys of ALL ages get together to battle in lazer-tag! Nerf guns are also a great equalizer :)

Wynne broke the gender stereotypes this year! "I've got your back, Gabe!"...

This is a familiar site in the hallway outside of the convention room. Nerf or lazer, I can't remember which. All's fair in love and war, right?

Time Flying

2012-01-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

We see each other once every couple of months. It is not often enough, and the time flies quickly. That is what makes the Holiday Season so special. It is a time when, if we're lucky (and our family is), we get to see our relatives twice in a month's span--for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's a time to slow down a bit, sit down and talk with those we love. And open a few presents;)

Shae and her godmother, Aunt Julie--who used Shae's initials to describe her gifts. Thank you for the sparkly pink boots and awesome word books--perfect for imaginative writing!

Every year I take a picture of these two pretty little girls who aren't so little anymore. I remember the one year both of their heads were wet from the swimming pool, and their eyes were red from the chlorine. They were clutching their new dolls...
The older these girls get, the taller and more "technological" they become as well. Note the matching I-pods and headphones. They're sitting right next to each other, "chatting" electronically! ha!

Ally and Claire, very much 13

The cousin's gift exchange is a time that my kids really look forward to. They enjoy picking out a toy or clothing especially geared toward that particular cousin. When we visited the Princess Potosa Gallery a few weeks ago, Wynne knew right away what she was going to get her little cousin Annamae. And then she used her own money to buy herself a big flower clip of her very own!

Annamae, 6 months old and Wynne, 5 1/2

Time passes, grandkids grow up, and things change. And yet, some things never change.

Mom and Dad with Kaleb, Lacey & Crystal--looking great 3 months post-op (tumor on vertebrae removed)!

Sisters. My goddaughter Megan and her big sister Mandy, the baby who made me an aunt at age 9!

Of course I am partial to this gathering of family. With 33 grandkids, 10 great-grandkids, and so many aunts, uncles etc....it is a huge group of people. Not everyone could make it back for Christmas, but that is not unusual given the number of people involved. In fact, I don't remember the last time we were all in the same place at the same time. For my parents' anniversary last year, there were a few grandkids who couldn't be there. (We had to photo-shop one grandson into the family picture!) Christmases and Thanksgivings are hit-and-miss, as many grandkids are married with obligations to other family get-togethers. I seriously can't remember when we were ALL together last. It is my sincere hope that all 63 of us can congregate somewhere in the coming year. At the same time!

So when you gather at a hotel with 40+ people for less than 24 hours, it is highly unlikely that you get time to visit with everbody. My kids asked, "Why did that go so fast?" I wish I could explain why, but I don't know the answer. I only know that we need to make the most of the time we have IN THAT VERY MOMENT.

Cousins watching themselves dance their way into the New Year!

How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone.--James 4:14 NLT

Winter Swimming Lessons

2012-01-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

Paige and Shae were really looking forward to showing Aunt Mary Kay how much they learned in swimming lessons this summer! Paige especially was ready for more instruction this weekend at the Engelke Christmas gathering.

Wynne just likes to jump in and let you catch her!

The Christmas gathering at the hotel is something that Wynne calls "The Engelke Campout". I guess you could call it that, because the whole gang basically camps out in the Mineral Point hotel....lobby....hallways....swimming pool....and convention room! We are very fortunate that my brother Brian and Mary Kay work hard to set up, clean up, and get us a good discount through their working relationship with hotel management. We all try to clean up after ourselves and not be too "rowdy" ;)

My nephew John and his daughter Lillian, age 2!

Shae is getting more confident and skilled in the water, too.

But then she put on her arm floaties, and she was unstoppable. I especially love this picture of her with Shae. Big Sister is instructing Little Sister...and no one is yelling!

God's Princesses

2011-12-30T09:08:00.000-08:00

We had a Princess Party last night!

See the girl rolling her eyes in the center of the picture? That's the Princess who's marrying our Pastor! YAY for Carol!!

Our "sisterhood" of Sunday School moms and daughters gathered together for a little bridal shower before the Big Day (which is next weekend). For some reason, nobody wants to have their picture taken while they're eating. ;)

After supper, it was time for the games. Oh, how I love party games. This time it was Bridal Mad Libs and Design-a-gown-with-tissue-paper-and-tape. You know that one, don't you?

Diane & Amy design the perfect gown for Alli

I was amazed at how detailed the groups were about adding all of the little things that make a bridal gown special. Veils, ruffles, trains, bouquets...

Maddy, Sara, Paige & Devany

even a tissue paper garter belt and shoes! The bride-to-be was good about wearing the "princess tiara" that my daughters had constructed for her.

Carol, Felicia, baby Mercedes & Shelly

We read our "mad libs" about a girl's dream for her wedding, as each bride strolled down the aisle. Shae even had a train-bearer!

Shae & Devany

The littlest princesses wasted no time in getting into their "real" princess garb.

Kate, Wynne & Sara

Carol, I think you have a new wedding party, eager to assist!

Carol with Sara, Wynne, Alli, Shae, Ruby & Felicia

Then it was time for "Find Your True Love". I borrowed a bunch of Headbanz (one of my personal game favorites), and my girls helped me make "couple cards". I think Rapunzel and Flynn Rider finally found each other!

Wynne & Lonna share a hug

We are so lucky to have a new friend in Carol! And we couldn't be happier for her and Mark D.!

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.--Proverbs 31:10

While He's On "Vacation"

2011-12-30T06:46:00.000-08:00

Mark likes to "relax" with woodworking projects...like these barnboard "gallery" frames for the kids!

Each child got to pick out the frame they want and can add/change their displays at any time. It's in their hallway upstairs by their bedrooms. I sorta wish we had more room downstairs for them!

Oh, and this was just a "little project" he took on the day after Christmas. Three days later, the twins' Christmas gifts were complete: loft beds/desks! Shae loves her "new room"...

...and so does Paige! I mean, who WOULDN'T? I insisted on wood stain over paint, as I believe the girls can take these with them to college one day. (I don't want to talk about that one day just yet.)

What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. --1 Corinthians 14:26 ESV

A Tympanoplasty is not a Musical Instrument

2011-12-27T19:43:00.000-08:00

Tympanoplasty #1 was in August 2009. A few weeks later we found out that it was not a successful surgery. The large hole in Cy's left ear drum (probably caused for a severe ear infection) did not repair. So the local ENT referred us on, and that specialist referred us onto a pediatric otologist, the "best in the business" we were told. We were told to wait a few years, so here it is 2011 and time to give it another go.

Cy had his second tympanoplasty on December 1 at the American Family Children's Hospital in Madison. That is an excellent facility with top-notch staff all around. We would highly recommend them!

The surgery took 4 hours, and it took another 4-6 hours for Cy to fully come out of the anasthetic. It's so hard to see your active, healthy boy slowed up, quiet and not hungry! But Cy was strong through the whole ordeal. We are so proud of him!!

This first picture was taken on Day 2 post-op. Time to finally take off the half-headgear!
I took off the dressing and have been applying ointment to the two incisions and drops to the ear canal ever since. This next pic is, again, Day 2 post-op.

Day 4. Some of the red is the packing that was placed inside the ear canal. We canNOT touch the packing, as it is there to keep the grafted tissue on the ear drum, in hopes that it will grow onto the drum and repair the hole.

In the meantime, Cy has not been able to participate in phy. ed or his basketball season. Not a fun thing for an active 11-year-old boy. But the blessings coming out of it are that: 1) Cy gets to come into my classroom (a few doors down from his room) and check in with me, and 2) Cy has been able to get one-on-one band lesson time with the music teacher. He's starting to learn guitar now, something we've been wanting to do for a few years now!

This is Day 20 at the elementary Christmas concert. The swelling has gone way down, and the stitches have dissolved. As of this writing, Day 26, some of the packing has dried up and fallen out of the ear, which Cy reports as "a relief...I can finally hear better again"! Imagine going through that muffled feeling for over a MONTH! Like I said, Cy is a real trooper.

We don't go back for post-op appointment with his surgeon until January 18. We're hoping he gives us a verbal "okay" to return to p.e. and basketball in the coming weeks (over the telephone). It's amazing how quickly a body heals!

The Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting …--Psalm 100:5

It's a Beaut, Clark!

2011-12-27T19:22:00.000-08:00

Mark and I took a liking to this little number. The wooden vine growing up through it was the clincher.

I love this man.

I can't believe I get to live with these people sometimes!

Our new wood pellet stove (in its first full season) and the family Christmas tree 2011. I changed it up a bit by putting the red garland on vertically this year. I kinda like it;)

No broken windows or sap! ;)

Three Brags

2011-12-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

Ally has a beautiful soprano voice and sang a solo at the middle/high school Christmas concert a few weeks ago. Being the teenager she is, she didn't tell me about the solo. I had to hear about it from her choir teacher!

Another place where Ally excels is in band. She has been first chair trumpet the past 2 years in her own band, and this year she was among the other 7th-8th grade students from our town who got to rehearse all day and perform with the conference honors band. It was a great experience for her. I played trumpet into college, and I can appreciate the practice she puts into it.

Brag #2 - Our son was chosen, along with one girl, among his classmates to read their essays at DARE graduation on December 5. Cy is a good writer (although he usually doesn't sit still long enough to write much), and he read with confidence and expression that night. Plus the subject of his writing was important--I sure hope he keeps that pledge to stay out of alcohol and drugs!

Brag #3 for the day: Shae qualified for the elementary (grade 1-4) spelling bee! This is something that she had made a goal of hers, as last year she sat in the audience and watched her twin sister compete. I was also proud of Paige for being happy for her sister. (Paige was an alternate this year.) Shae made it all the way to third place (going out on "mischief") and was so excited to receive a certificate and medal!

Way to go, kids! ;)

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.--Colossians 3:17

One for the little boy who lives down the lane...

2011-12-27T18:50:00.000-08:00

In our colonial studies at school, I have been trying to stress to the kids how difficult daily life was for the people in the 1600-1700s. Lucky for me, my cousin Peg came a few weeks ago to share her knowledge of wool and spinning with the children!

Peggy is a retired schoolteacher herself, and she did an excellent job of engaging the kids. She set up stations for the kids to participate in, after demonstrating how to spin yarn on her spinning wheel. It looks like a relaxing activity, but I'm sure it wasn't easy to do for hours on end!

The first station she had set up for the kids was a table full of different kinds of sheep wool, goat hair, angora fur...even the hair combed off of an Alaskan musk ox! Peg buys most of her wool from local sheep farmers. She also had some wonderful hats and scarves that she had knit.

The second station was wool washing!

The third station was carding the wool, not an easy task.

The last station was spinning, using a drop spindle. This was the hardest task of all.

Hopefully the students will remember that there once was a day where you couldn't go to a store and buy your clothes off the rack!

Thanks for the lesson, Peggy!

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.--John 10:3-4

Our Rock and Refuge

2011-12-27T17:19:00.000-08:00

My favorite part of the Christmas season is the Sunday School program. I just love working with the kids to create something magic out of the Christmas story, which really doesn't need any "magic" added to it, at all. But it's fun to see how the kids pull together, amidst the chaos of the season, to slow us down for an hour and remind us all of the Reason for the Season.

Pastor Mark and Nate were great about accompanying the kids on "I Will Call Upon the Lord" and "The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock".

Before the play started, we had an "open mic" time for any of our S.S. kids who wanted to sing or play an instrument. Ally sang "We Three Kings", and...

Paige, Shae, and Wynne sang one verse of "Silent Night" a cappella. It was good practice for them!

The play was called "Our Rock and Refuge", with several references to God as our Rock. Jesus is prophecied throughout the Old Testament as our sure foundation.

The boy playing Joseph even brought along his new sister to play Baby Jesus!

Shae played Jesus as a boy (kinda like last year). Here she is in a scene with her father, building a stone wall. (Remember, they used whatever building materials they had on hand...which for them would have included lots of basalt stone.) It was kind of poignant because she asked her father "Why would the builders reject the Chief Cornerstone?"

Jesus as a man was portrayed by Cy. He even drew himself a fake beard! Cy did a pretty good job (except for the cue cards). Peter and the rest of the disciples were asked "Who do you say that I am?" Of course Peter did not hesitate to say "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God." Jesus responds, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:18)

You can't talk about the Rock without singing "The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock"! Not your standard Christmas music, but definitely appropriate for the subject we were studying.

We ended with Aaron Shust's "My Hope Is In You". It was a powerful ending, and a reassurance that He will be with us through drought and storm. "The peace that passes understanding is my song, and I sing my hope is in you, Lord!"

This could have been our Christmas card picture? If not for the blotchy gray backdrop. (pathetically painted last year by yours truly)!

Blotchy drop and all, it was still my favorite part of Christmas!

Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your

truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in

you all day long.

– Psalm 25:4-5

6 Events, 5 Days, and a Root Canal

2011-12-27T11:49:00.000-08:00

Last week was rather busy. I mean, busier than usual. It started out with Monday at school, where the 3rd graders had a special guest, their favorite tutor from 2nd grade--Jake B.! Jake was a high school senior last year and is a private in the army right now. He came back from Georgia for the holidays and surprised the class with a lunchtime visit. They were just a little excited to see him!

Monday was also the day that the kids presented their big colonial projects to their classmates...and Tuesday we took the show on the road! Here's the "Colonial Village of 1711" out in the hall, a "living history museum" open for tours!

Each of my students was given over a week to research, report, and create visual aids describing a colonial occupation. Everything from cooper (Ally in the purple, at right) to tanner (way down by the exit door)!

Paige was the housewright/carpenter. She did a great job of researching the various facets of her job, and she & I built a little wattle-and-daub miniature house for the museum. Did you know that the early colonists didn't build log cabins? Oh no, they didn't come until the Swedes started settling the New World. (See how much we learn in elementary school!!) Anyway, be sure to ask Paigey what daub is made out of. ;)

Shae was the village apothecary and doctor. She understood that this is like a pharmacist, but she also took on researching the various medical practices that a doctor did at that time, like blood letting (YIKES!). Shae made a jar of homemade cough syrup and gave out spoonfuls to willing tourists. It was actually pretty good and sort of like the home remedy my mom uses!

Later that afternoon, I slipped down to Dubuque for the second half of my lovely root canal. About as fun as you would imagine. Let's just say, the 2nd time around was shorter and less painful, with no blurring in my left eye due to the Novacaine! For which I am very grateful.

By 5:00, I was back in town helping the No Strings Attached puppet group set up. Our middle school youth group fed the puppet team (about 20 people) and set up chairs/mats in the elem. gym. We were hoping to piggy-back off of the parent group's Santa's Workshop that night, and I think it worked. Look at the great turn-out!

"A Camel Called Donkey" was the production of the night. It was pretty good, and NSA always does a nice job with their music/soundtrack/production. I was grateful for them donating their time, with all proceeds going to the Alexander family. Between the Santa's Workshop and the puppet show, we raised over $200 that night!

Later that evening, Wynne vomited. Hooray for the Holiday Flu! NOT. Anyway, the next day was the rehearsal for the big elementary Christmas concert that evening. Poor little Woots missed her first Christmas concert. She cried and cried and cried. Sigh. I reassured her that we would have a little concert at home and listen to her belt out "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and the like. She is so fun to listen to, especially when she's improvising. I think she would make a great jazz vocalist. You should have heard her go on in different keys with "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" yesterday. When she doesn't have a formal audience, she kicks it! (Gee, I am not biased at all.)

But my other enthusiastic singers were a joy to listen to and watch. Paigebird...

and Shaebird. And again, I am not biased at all in my opinion that the 3rd graders sang the most on-key and strongest of all the classes. Not biased at all!

Their last number was with those boom-whacker things. They make different sounds (due to their different lengths/diameters). It was kind of a sports-themed holiday tune to rock music. Cool beans!

Cy's class was the oldest....and after subbing in there on several occasions, I have a special place in my heart for the fifth graders. They opened up with a jazzy spin-off of "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" called "Grandpa's Gonna Sue the Pants offa Santa". I know, not very sacred, but a fun tune to hear/watch! They acted it out with pizazz!

Rudolph (Cy) and Santa (Nate), the defendant!

The entire K-5 elementary school (minus several flu victims) sang the traditional finale, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". Mrs. Sturmer did a great job with all of them!

Finally it was the last day of school before Christmas vacation! We had a good (Crazy) day at school and finished up with a home basketball game for Ally that night. Marla and her kids brought good luck as we posted our first victory of the season!

The next night, Christmas Eve Eve, was mintmaking time with my sisters' families. We used to do this faithfully every year when the kids were all little, but it's been a few years since we gathered to make and dip mints. Julie is the leader of this project, and we are lucky enough to participate in the yumminess! Kaycie was back from college, and it was good to just get together and relax with family.

If mintmaking can be called "relaxing".

Cy said, "These taste just like York Peppermint Patties!" and they really do. It's an old family recipe which I shall not divulge at this time.

A jam-packed, frantic-yet-fun week!

HelpfulNot Helpful

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. --Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

Lots of Christmastime

2011-12-26T19:39:00.000-08:00

Okay I'm back! I'm on a massive blog binge today, but if you read the last post you could tell that I was pushed off for a while by my husband (who needed to see some woodworking plans for yet another project he just started today) ;)

We started family Christmas celebrations last weekend. As you can tell from the last 4 posts, I am working my way backwards through this month since I have been insanely absent from blogging during the whole substitute teaching thing.

So here are the littlest Siegert grandkids (both turning 2 in February, both with new siblings on the way in a few months)...Lauren and Tage!

Ally enjoys spending time with her Godfather Uncle Greg and his eldest Kierta, age 3. She's as tall as Wynne!

Everyone always fights for the couch spots....Sara, Joey, Taylor and Glenn are the lucky ones for a brief moment in time!

Christmas and Cousins go hand-in-hand! Brooke, Wynne, Kierta, and Trevin

Wynne is a big Sleeping Beauty fan!

Paige and Shae got beanbags from their godfathers/Uncles Jamey & Joey! Great idea!

We had a homemade gift exhange and it was fun to see what people came up with. I forget who gave Doug this personalized photo collage. Lots of inside jokes here ;)

Jamey (on the left) made matching t-shirts for his twin brother Joey and himself. Too funny.

I made an Girls Emergency Clutch that I stole from blogland. Here is Sara opening it, with Wynne's expert help!

Elle made Marin his-and-her pillowcases. Sweet idea!

Doug made Mark (or should I say, came down to our garage to help Mark make it for himself!) a Giant Jenga set. It was the hit of the party!

I think they made it 42-boards-high! Paige is down in the corner, protecting herself with cardboard in case of a fall ;)

We have a 2-day gig, Saturday at Mark's mom's and Sunday at Mark's dad's. Here's Lauren sitting on Uncle Jamey's lap opening up a present from Grandpa. She's such a little peanut!

Tage, Kierta, and Paige are getting in on the gift-opening, as well!

Ryan has spent the past two weekends rocking his ski sweater-with-shorts look. Only a young 20-something can pull this look off!

Ryan, Grandpa Donny, Aunt Diane

Paige and Shae were so excited to receive sketch pads and art sets from Grandpa!

And the little ones had their own version of Giant Jenga, floor style. A bit safer, I think!

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."--Luke 2:14

Twas the Night Before Christmas When All Through the House

2011-12-26T08:34:00.000-08:00

The cousins were shooting pool balls faster than a mouse!

The newest great-grandchild born December 2nd was there,
His mommy and daddy were so proud to share.

Mitch, Pam, & Logan Lee (with Kaycie)

42 stockings were hung in Grandma & Grandpa's new home,
While everyone laughed as Will Ferrell played the big gnome;)

The Christmas Eve worship was special for all,

A time to remember the Reason we fall

Onto our knees with thanks and cheer

For the blessings we encountered in the past year.

A late night drive home

Tuck the kids into bed

Merry Christmas to all

"Get off the computer," Mark said!

Eatin' and Greetin'

2011-12-26T08:14:00.000-08:00

We had another delicious Christmas Day dinner at Grandma Joan & Grandpa Jim's house. Grandpa Jim joins us from heaven, never far from our memories. Grandma Joan cooked up another wonderful meal that stays out all day so the eating continues and continues and continues....

while the family vegges out and visits. Jamey was going for the Cousin Eddie look with the white pants and velvet blazer (not pictured)!

Mark's brother Doug, cousin Jeff, Ally, and brother Jamey

These ladies all contributed sides, meat, candies and cookies. My waistline is aching today!

Grandma, Doug's wife Paula, Mark's aunt Linda, Mark's mom Jan, and Jamey's wife Elle

The look in their eyes makes Christmas so special.

Doug & Paula's daughter Madyson, 3 & Wynne, 5

The best gifts come in small packages!

Doug, Paula & their youngest daughter Lauren, almost 2

Great-Grandma's house has lots of fun nooks & crannies!

We were able to visit with Mark's other side of the family, too...at his Aunt Diane and Uncle Bob's house. Grandma Boots looked good and is always so fun to talk with!

Grandma Ruth "Boots" and Elle

Diane wins the award for best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. I was stuffed by the time we got to their house, but there's always room for a chocolate chip cookie!

Eatin' and Greetin' on Christmas Day!

We love because he first loved us.--1 John 4:19

Look What Santa Brought

2011-12-26T07:51:00.000-08:00

Oh Santa!! You shouldn't have!! (but I'm glad you did!!)
An autographed picture of Clay Matthews!

Okay, actually this was a present from his godfather, Uncle Brian. He carries it with him wherever he goes with pride. (including last night when the Packers defeated daBears) ;0)

Okay, Santa. You really out-did yourself this time. An IPOD TOUCH!!??

And a BB-gun for the boy? Careful, you'll shoot yer eye out!

Paigey got this adorable sock monkey hat from Mom and Dad (courtesy the amazing talents of a church friend), but Santa brought her a new DS game which she was pretty happy about, too!

Another adorable hat made by Mary Jo, but look at what Wynne got in her stocking! Her very own can of PRINGLES!! (and her first Barbie doll under the tree)

Shae got the flu bug for Christmas Eve. Major bummer. But she started to feel a bit better when she started opening her gifts...including her beloved boots! (and another adorable hat, this one a puppy dog)

Santa brought Paige and Shae a new Wii game, London Olympics. Daddy's always so good about getting the kids' toys up and running. Meanwhile Mommy was making doughnuts on her new SUNBEAM DOUGNUT MAKER and washing her new CUISENART KITCHENWARE!! Santa, you're too good to us.

Born Again!

2011-12-26T07:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus!

This year we made a new nativity scene, doing our best to replicate what the builders of first century Palestine would have used. Our Sunday School families came together during the Sundays of Advent to not only rehearse for the Christmas pageant, but also to build stone houses like Joseph the "Carpenter" (tekton) would have built and lived in.

It was messy but pretty fun!!

Of course the Dreckmans (2nd picture on right), McWilliams (below), and Siegerts had to make it a little competition. Diane put their family name next to our house after our first building session!
Our kids re-claimed our house and put the "McWilliams" sign back by their house, covered up with a pile of stones. So Christian of us;)

We were going to cheat and use glue, but we didn't have to. The mortar held nicely.

In our studies of the true meaning of the Biblical term used for "inn", we have learned that there was no inn/hotel as we think of in our western culture, but rather the word used for "inn" was "kataluma" which refers to the upper room. Many Palestinian homes would have had an upper room for guests, and since Joseph and Mary were returning to Bethlehem to register for the Census, it is likely that many of Joseph's other relatives would have gathered in a relative's home there...thus there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the guest room. They were given the lower room which was used for storage and to house the most valuable animals during cold nights. The manger? Yes. The "no-room-at-the hotel"? No. Yet still a humble beginning for the King of Kings.

Merry Christmas to all! May there always be room in our hearts for this Baby and His meaning!

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.--Luke 2: 1-7

We Gather Together

2011-12-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

I've been around.

Just not on this blog. Everytime I sit down at the home computer these days, it is to read e-mail. Then it's time to play catch-up with this house which is so filthy I cringe. Friday Cleaning Days are a thing of the past now that we're all Back to School!

I like Blogger, really I do, but somewhere over the course of the past half-year, they changed their format and it has become increasingly difficult to upload multiple pics...and increasingly easy to lose ones that you've already uploaded. It takes FOREVVAH to upload pics, and I'm sure there's an easier way to do this but I have neither the time nor the $ to hire a tech guru to show me the error of my ways. This post was started--and lost--a week ago!

Thanksgiving Recap: You're looking at pictures of the Siegert side of the family first, although not nearly as much photo representation as my side of the family. I goofed and left my camera at my parents' house so didn't have pictures of the Siegert/Buchheit/Waddick Thanksgiving, but here are some of the same people at a November gathering at our house a few weeks prior. Pretend it's Thanksgiving please!

Lauren (the baby in the next pic) is such a doll. She smiles a lot and I've rarely seen her upset. Her daddy calls her "Chubs" because she's on the smallish side. Such a cutie!!

Grandma Jan with Lauren, Great-Aunt Linda, Uncle Ryan and Aunt Sara

Lauren's big sister Maddy, my goddaughter, loves to play with her cousins. Wynne likes to pretend she's a big sister whenever they get together!

Mark's Grandma Joan turned 87 last month and still goes to most of his football games. She's probably been to more of Mark's football games than any other person! And she never wears a hat, even in freezing temps. I don't know how she does it--she rarely gets sick, still cooks up a storm (for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter), and is sharp as a tack! She's quite a lady.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

My side gathered 2 days after Thanksgiving, but this time it wasn't at our house...the gathering was at Mom and Dad's NEW house (new to them)! This is just a small portion of the shoes. And the scary thing is that not everyone was even there!

We put a space heater out in their insulated garage and ate out there. It worked well.

My mom is pictured here with her youngest grandchild, Annamae. Mae is five months old and certainly looks like an Engelke baby here! The gathering was bittersweet because my dad went into the hospital on Thanksgiving night and had a pacemaker put in a day later. We gathered in their new home, but he wasn't there...in body. He was certainly there in our thoughts and prayers! As we gathered to hold hands before the meal, the eldest sibling took Dad's place by leading us in prayer. My deepest prayer is that Dad can lead us in this prayer at Christmas and next Thanksgiving!

The basement of my parents' house has a beautiful, handcrafted bar. It was so good to just be together with loved ones, reminisce and look forward with hope.

Garrison, age 5, is a darn good Uno player!

My baby is getting too darn big. She has smaller cousins (and second cousins) who give her plenty of opportunities to play teacher and mother hen.

Wynne, Memphis, Hollie & Leila

Uncle Ken has always been so great about teaching kids how to play board games and sports. It was time to christen Mom and Dad's billiard table (that came with the house). The kids needed to learn how to use it properly, and Ken did a great job!

Ally, Ken, Catherine, Gabe, Claire

The basement also has a second "mini-bar" with Amish stools. Dan and the Rewey gang played Monopoly most of the evening.

Brady, Danielle, Sammie & Dan

In the midst of uncertainty and change, there is one thing we can be sure of. God's love for us, and the power of family!

For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.--Psalm 48:14

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-24T08:27:00.000-08:00

I haven't done one of these in a while, which is a real shame because I need to develop and maintain an "attitude of gratitude" as my dad used to call it!

I am thankful for...

*my Savior Jesus Christ who has already paid the price, if I just realize that and keep on sharing the Good News of my salvation through Him!

*my husband and children, my parents and siblings, my extended family on both sides and the ability to visit with them quite often as we don't live very far from any of them.

*my health and my family's health. Prayers for my dad and mom as they struggle with health issues on a day-to-day basis, and for all of those who deal with chronic illness. There's a saying that when you come to the end of yourself, God is all you have. I believe that with my whole being, no matter if you come to the end of yourself or not!

*our awesome church family and the fact that this "big guy" came together so well when I was preparing the Bible lesson on Jonah!

*the opportunity to brush up on my teaching skills on a more permanent basis.

*the great kids in Mrs. A's classroom and in our whole school! Plus the great people I get to work with!

*the fact that Mrs. A's son is coming out of his surgeries in the best way possible, healing and showing improvement. Thank God for his healing power!

*getting to "sleep in" this morning!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!--Philippians 4:4

Two New Seasons

2011-11-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

I miss my blog!!

But I have a severe lack of time right now because we are in the middle of two new seasons.

#1 Basketball.

This year is a little more packed because the boy is old enough to play interscholastic sports as well as the girl. So between shuttling them to practices and games on different nights of the week, plus confirmation class for Ally on Wednesday nights, that leaves us with approximately zero weeknights without driving somewhere. ugh.

However, it is so fun to see Cy and his friends playing for Potosi together!! Here he is in the middle of the key. I will not even attempt to use correct basketball terms because I don't know much about the sport (except that it is too long of a season and requires you to make sure your younger kids are occupied sitting in the bleachers).

Cy's best friend Will is bringing the ball up the court. Cy brought the ball in. They are running down the court to try and score in our basket. There; that's the extent of my basketball knowledge.

I'm not supposed to tell you how the game went because my son just told me "Just say that the other team was 7th and 8th graders." Which is a true statement!

Guess who's coaching Ally's team?
Last night they made their debut on the home court. Go Coach Siegert and the 7th & 8th Grade Lady Chieftains!!

Ally, I apologize that this is the only picture I took of the game. I was distracted by little girls who kept begging me for concessions money. Don't worry; there will be more games and more photos.

Speaking of little girls, here are three of them acting very crazily. Showing off their homemade tattoos and cupcake fingernails. Aren't they adorable??

Which brings me to Reason #2 for my inactivity on this blog. The second season--my new venture into full-time teaching!!!

On Monday, I was offered a long-time substitute teaching position at our elementary school. In my twins' third grade classroom!!!!

On Tuesday (after much prayer), I told the principal I would take it.

Then I scrambled to get a few loose ends tied up at home.....and at the dentist office (that toothache I've been putting off turns out to require more work....Guess what I get for Christmas? A root canal!!).........and in the barber chair. My son's friend's mom Lori is a hair stylist and gave me a great (and MUCH-needed) haircut. I figured, if I don't get stuff taken care of this my one day off, I will never get it done.

On Wednesday, I started teaching in Mrs. Alexander's classroom. Mrs. A's All-Stars are the BEST kids I could possibly hope and pray for....and they are so patient as I try to find my way around the classroom procedures etc. I love lesson planning and don't worry about that, except that the room is set up for a veteran teacher who knows where she put everything)...so guess what I'm doing today? Going in to make heads or tails (or hopefully both) of the classroom. }
Not sure how long of a stint this is going to be. I was told "it could be days, weeks, months, or the whole year".

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I have a new person living inside of my head twising the veins on each side of it now. Hello, Mr. Tension Headache! Please don't take up permanent residence in my skull....go away by next week, please!!

(Of course, the heavy dental work done on the left side of my face hasn't exactly lessened the pain.)

This requires two things:

* Prayer

* Patience by my family (and within myself)

I want to do the very best job I can do, at both home and at school. I wasn't looking for full-time work, but the need arose and I was given the opportunity. I will share the circumstances leading to Mrs. A's temporary (or permanent? we don't know yet) departure in another post. That also requires much prayer!!

Dear God,

You are in control.

I am not.

Help me to remember that.

Help me to treat others with kindness, patience, and compassion.

Help me to give my very best without sacrificing my sanity, stress levels, or faith in you.

Help me to cling to you like never before.

Most of all, heal Mrs. A's son and show us all Your love and glory!

Amen!

I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. --Psalm 16:8

Speaking of Creative

2011-11-12T06:42:00.000-08:00

Paige wanted me to run outside last week and take a picture of this.

I'm so glad she did. The multitude of colors, the sun peeking through the tree....how come we rush by and don't notice Him more often?

So a few days later, I saw with the eyes of my children. As I was driving up the driveway to park in the garage, I couldn't help but notice the beauty of it all. You can't see the windmill like I did, peeking over the roof, but it really set up the trees nicely. How lucky we are to live in a place with four seasons!

Too bad my favorite season of all--autumn--doesn't seem to last very long. I guess He wants us to appreciate it while it's here. (Because this week--it snowed! and it stuck around!)

His beauty, His creative power--how can you miss it?

How manifold are your works, LORD!

In wisdom you made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.--Psalm 104:24

Creative People

2011-11-12T06:20:00.000-08:00

We've been studying atoms, elements, and compounds in fifth grade (that's where I'm doing another long-term substitution), and it all points to one Intellligent Designer, Creator God. I find it fascinating and exhilarating that the inside of every single atom (be it elephant, person, or oxygen) has the same basic design. When those atoms are arranged in different combinations, you get all sorts of different substances (molecules, elements, compounds, etc.)...but you can tell that one Creator made it all. Just like you can usually tell an artists' work no matter what their creation (different paintings or different media), you can also look at the substances of this planet and tell that one God made it all. Isn't that awesome?? Isn't GOD awesome??

Since the Bible tells us that God made man "in His own image" (Genesis 1:27), it's no wonder that we as people like to create--to make things--as well!

Paige didn't create her whole scarecrow costume, but she did make up her own face. Do you see the stitches on her nose and mouth?

Wynne's class was assigned to hide the turkey for Thanksgiving. This was a family project, so Paige and I helped her glue fabric and beads onto her turkey to turn it into -- guess what -- a princess! Complete with a plume on her head and high-heeled pumps on her feet!

Ally's most recent project for life science class was to construct a 3-D model of the human cell. She looked on Etsy for inspiration and added her own twist. The back (cilia) is made from a car wash mitt found at the dollar store. Ally was able to take my box of scrap felt and create something that will help her remember the parts of the cell for a long time...maybe even on her college dorm bed in the future! (?)

Shae entered a local coloring contest with her drawing of Christmas. The left-hand side shows a cutaway view of a house's interior, as the family gets ready for the holidays.
Of course, I am especially fond of the nativity set sitting on top of the brown dresser;)

And then guess who created this Chieftain stadium (complete with arrow in the center of the field) out of Legos?

Cy makes up uniforms for the players, but my favorite characters are the SPECTATORS. Can you find Superman and Batman in the stands? And check out the big red scoreboard.

Cy made a special seating area for our family in the center of the bleachers, below the pressbox (complete with speakers). He even put his real MP3 player on top of the bleachers later to play Dad's pre-game music. It was pretty cool! And looky there--Yoda, Darth Vader, Indiana Jones, and Spongebob came to the game!!!

I didn't mean to give Cy more "press time" than the other kids, but there are so many details to appreciate, and this stadium is a constant work in progress. I really get a kick out of it (no pun intended), even if it seems to have become a permanent fixture on our living room coffee table.

No wonder we all are invigorated by creating. Last week I woke up extra-early because I was on a writing kick, finally getting a break-through moment to complete the Sunday School Christmas play. I hadn't felt that "writer's high" for a long time........and boy, was it fun. I miss it and hope to reclaim it again very soon!

Thank you, God, for creating us to be creative! Each in our own way.

I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts.

--Exodus 31:3

GDO 2011

2011-11-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Girls Day Out 2011 was a wonderful time! We didn't have an amazing turnout, but 70 girls/women of all ages came and hopefully were blessed by something that afternoon. I, for one, am very grateful for all of the good people who shared the vision and chipped in to make it a great event! Laurie did these girls' hair and "make-up" for the recycled/upcycled clothing fashion show....

Laurie & Lexi

Devany, Paige & Malaina wait for the fashion show to start

while Diane worked her magic on her own little girls, including "Sara Bear"......

Hold still, honey!

....and Kate & Wynne always manage to find something to keep themselves busy. This time it was pipe-cleaner jewelry!

Can you spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E? ;)

We had the beautiful sewing work of the ladies from Broken Hearts Ministries (Juarez, Mexico) on a table for purchase, and Joyce & Lonna were expert greeters. See the two tablecloths I borrowed from you, Mom? Thanks! ;)

Lonna, Joyce, Pat, & Mary

Angie & Megan served up a delicious soup-and-sandwich lunch, while Amy D. (far right) was our "emcee". Thanks ladies!!

Angie, Megan, Mandy, Shae, Laurie, Amy D

My camera battery died after this picture, so you don't get to see all of the girls in their thrift shop or handmade clothes, but it was a lot of fun and shows you that we don't need to spend a lot of $$ to put together a cute outfit!

The best part of the afternoon (for me, anyway) was the worship time we had after lunch/fashion show. Five girls from an area high school have come together to form a pretty good little praise band. Thank you, Living Proof! Also, our keynoter was our church's very own Leah S., who 3 years ago was told she would never walk again after suffering paralysis from a car accident the summer before her senior year. Leah shared how God has used this experience in her to make her a better person and to reach out and help others with her story. Jesus truly is "The Great Recycler" and we are thankful to Him and to Leah!

The afternoon concluded with break-outs for ages 5-8, 9-12, teens on up, and women. I led the tween (age 9-12) break-out session and put together a Bible study on Rahab. I called it "Recycled Rahab" and had a craft (braided red t-shirts into wristbands) to help the girls remember how Rahab (who put a red cord out her window for God's protection) changed her life around, once she recognized and accepted that there is only one true God.

All in all, it was a good afternoon and concluded with a special treat--Ally and I got to go (courtesy of our pastor) with the youth group to the Rebecca St. James concert at UW-Platteville that night. Rebecca and her brothers and husband and friend make a great band, and she had a powerful testimony about the importance of purity and waiting for marriage..........something all of the girls AND boys needed to hear!

What a special day! Girls Day Out could also be called God's Day Over because it was packed with reminders of how God has a plan for us and will work everything out if we trust Him to do so!

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.--Ecclesiastes 3:11

By Faith

2011-10-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

Thank you, God, for the good weather on Friday and Saturday. Moving is hard enough without having to deal with the elements! Here is the homestead........

...and here is my parents' new home!

We thought we might get a little start on the move on Friday, but turns out that we did MOST of the moving that day! It was a nice surprise, being ahead of schedule!
"
Mom and Dad did a GREAT job with the move. I know it is very, very hard for them to move off of the farm, the place where they have lived together and built their lives for 61 years (and for my dad, most of his 81 years)...but it was time. God gives us seasons for reasons. I am so proud of my parents for letting go and letting God!
The whole moving experience over these past couple of weeks has been very cathartic for us. Sifting through memories, laughing and crying. It is all good.

To have kids and grandkids come together to help out was very gratifying and much appreciated!

It doesn't take long to fill up a house, I'll tell you that!

But did you know that all that "stuff" isn't really important? And sometimes when we hang onto that stuff, it keeps us from being able to grab onto the things that really matter. The things that are eternal.

The big basement for family that Mom's always wanted....I think she's worked hard enough and long enough for it!

I have cried some good cries over this move. I will miss the farm, the place where I grew up, but I am so excited and happy for my parents to be able to get around in their nice, newer, warm, accessible home WITH A GARAGE. (What is a garage? They never knew before!) And I know that God will provide for us all, just as He always has done. Everything belongs to Him, anyway. I love you, Mom and Dad!

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.--Hebrews 11: 8 & 10

Trunk or Treat

2011-10-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

Because you just can't have enough Halloween candy....we bring you the 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat!

Scarecrow Paige, Sheriff Shae, and Princess Wynne

I ran out of time to decorate our vehicle but sure enjoyed looking at everyone else's!

I would give this "marsh" the award for Most Creative Trunk!

Mark & Astrid brought the "monster mouth" car back this year...this time with "movable mouth"! too much fun!!

Some of the businesses and civic groups got involved this year. The Citizen's Bank gals were all spidered up!

Spooky but fun :)

Coming Soon to a Church Near You!

2011-10-28T04:54:00.000-07:00

Our 3rd Annual Girls Day Out!

"Jesus, the Great Recycler" is the theme of this year's GDO and we are gearing up for this Sunday afternoon!!

The Packers aren't playing, so what's your excuse?

For a mere 5 bucks, you can get into this event and enjoy a soup luncheon, recycled fashion show, keynoter, girls praise band, and break-out sessions.

So what are you waiting for?

See you Sunday!!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

– 2 Corinthians 5:17

Pumpkin Pickin

2011-10-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

We went to the Tri-State Pumpkin Barn in East Dubuque on Sunday and saw all kinds of beautiful pumpkins...

...Then had a little de ja vu when I took this picture of the kids. Last time we took this picture, Wynne was in a baby stroller!

After gasping at the prices ($20 on up!), we backtracked to our neck of the woods. There's a little farm on County O that always has some good pumpkins for sale.

I think it was more fun for the kids to scamper about and pick their own pumpkin, anyway! (Sure wish our own weed patch would have sprouted some pumpkins this year....turns out we had a few volunteers grow up in the pasture, but nothing in the garden. Go figure!)

Here's a cute little pumpkin ;)

Paigey selected a very big fruit for this year's carving party!

Nothing like scooping out a slimy pumpkin to lower your stress levels.

Shae's pumpkin is crying for some reason. Don't know why because I think it's pretty cute!

Paige and her friend with the quizzical eyebrows ;)

Cy working on his guy...

He calls him Marco, which seems very appropriate with the thin Italian mustache.

Ally is turning into a carving professional, with her detailed templates and all.

See how it says "Welcome" ? I think she did a fabulous job!

Actually ALL of the kids did a great job carving their pumpkins. (with Dad's help;) This is one of my favorite pictures to take every year. The annual pumpkins-on-the-porch-pic!

Such big smiles!!

Happy Fall, Y'all!

A joyful heart makes a cheerful face.--Proverbs 15:13

Another Season

2011-10-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

Last week the kids and I went up to their cousins' volleyball match. My sister is the Panthers' head coach, and this lovely girl is my goddaughter. Sammie is a captain and starting setter too!

Sammie and my other niece Dani are both seniors on the team. Since this was a playoff match, you know what that means--one (loss) and done. So a lot was on the line here.

Here you can see Dani and Sammie playing together in the back row. Dani did a great job digging up a lot of balls, and Sammie was all over the court with her assists, blocks, and hits.

This is a very close-knit bunch, as you may have guessed. I think there were only eleven girls on the entire team, including my niece Rheann who is a sophomore. This photo was taken after the Panthers had just dropped two games to Belleville. Since it is best of 5, they were looking at possible elimination in Game 3. I was sooo proud of how calm and confident Sammie stayed, encouraging her teammates to keep pressing on.

Since we've already established that I am not a sports photographer, you just missed a great set and spike by our team. Sammie looks pretty happy!! They ended up winning Game 3 AND Game 4 to even the score! Way to go, Panthers!!

Just another one of Sammie's great sets. Since I was a setter in high school, I can really appreciate how great her sets are. And when she can't get her fingertips on the ball, Sam knew how to pass it or dink it over the net. She is very smart about every aspect of the game. Yes, I am biased. But I can tell you without batting an eye that Samantha is the BEST high school setter I've ever seen play the game live.

Game 5 was back and forth. I could feel the emotion of my sister, the coach. Marla puts a lot of time and effort into the volleyball program, and she does a lot of little "extras" to build relationships among kids. They did not want to let her down.

At one point during the evening, Sammie hurt herself going after a ball. It choked me up to see her cousin Dani run out to hug her and see how she was doing. Such a special duo!

The Panthers lost Game 5 after much back-and-forth volley. We waited a long while to see and console the girls and my sister. Another sad ending to a fine sports season. It was good to see some of my family there, including my sister who traveled a few hours south to see this (and Sam's older sister Kaycie who is a sophomore at UW-LaCrosse). Nobody wanted it to end this way, but they definitely played hard with some very bright spots.

Great season, girls! Proud of you! Somewhere down the line, you will see the benefits!

Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and wondrous things you do not know. - Jeremiah 33:3

What Can We Take Away From This

2011-10-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the last day of our football season. It ended several weeks too early. Mark, his staff and players had been working for years (in-season and off-season) to prepare for a long post-season. The past few months flew by, and it all came to a screeching halt on Saturday.

People around here are getting spoiled. Four straight conference championships. Twenty-seven straight conference victories. Eight straight playoff appearances. It wasn't supposed to end this way. Not with 10 penalties. Not with a 10-point lead with 6 minutes left in the game that dissolved with an interception, a fumble, and a false start. Not this way.

God never promised us an easy time here, and sometimes things don't go our way. Sometimes things are just downright unfair. They don't make sense, and why does the other person (or team) not have to deal with negative consequences? Why me? Why us??

What can we take away from this? What can we learn? It is a frustrating, painful ending. But is it the end?

How can a person keep putting themself into these situations? Isn't it too stressful being a coach or a player? Why bother putting in all that work, if bad things can happen? what's the point?

The point is: We set goals. We work hard. We push our bodies and minds and spirits past the places where we thought they could ever go. We win some, we lose some. We are not put on this earth to judge others or worry about what other people get to do or don't get to do. We ARE, however, put on this earth to give glory to God and to bring others to Him through our words, thoughts, and actions.

The lessons learned by being a part of this team will go beyond this season. Hard work, accountability, respect, pride, strength, courage, commitment, passion. These can never be taken from us.

We never take the wins for granted.
And we should never take the losses for granted, either.
Because they all add up to experiences that build us into better people.

Thank you, 2011 Chieftains! Congratulations on a successful season!

To my husband, thank you for shaping boys into men. May they use what they have learned for His good.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. -- Romans 12: 17-21

Random Observations

2011-10-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

I've been substitute teaching a lot lately, and this blog and my house definitely show the neglect! I start a post with intentions of coming back to it, but then I get interrupted with the business of life. So today's post--written while subbing in a middle/high school math class--contains random observations I've made over the past few months, just for the heck of it.

1. When you work outside of the home, you are still expected to do all of the work you did at home. Nobody helps to pick up the slack unless you beg, cajole, or threaten them.

2. When you start making a little extra income, something breaks down and requires that extra income.

3. When I sweat, I smell like onions. (see, I told you these were random!)

4. A smile goes a long way to put people at ease. It really does. I don't think this one can be stressed enough.

5. Kids of all ages are inherently good. Even though as a Christian I know that we are born into a sinful nature and can definitely have tendencies to do/be bad, the kids I have encountered -- elementary, middle and high school kids--are for the most part good people just looking for your encouragement.

6. Everyone should get a dog and love their dog, as he/she loves you. Do you know that Bible verse, "We love because He first loved us?" well, the apostle John should have included "We love our dogs because they first love us."

7. Just when you get all of the walnuts picked up, the nursery stops buying them.

8. In a group of kids, whether at home or at school, someone always has to be unhappy. Has to, or chooses to.

9. I've never met a leftover french fry that I liked.

10. There is always something to learn from every situation. Use it to make you better, not bitter. (Thanks brother Dan for that last part!)

Brighter Than the Brightest Star

2011-10-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

The brown-eyed girl turned 13 yesterday. She celebrated the weekend by having some friends come over to go shopping, play with Bill the bunny and just "hang out".

The girls were so fun to take shopping. We just drove to a few spots in Platteville, beginning with Farm & Fleet where Toyland just opened that morning. It was a little crazy there (early Christmas shoppers--how do they have money for this? I have to join one of those Christmas clubs for next year)....but Ally and her friends did manage to find some treasures there. They went in on a few trinkets and some "sea monsters" which are supposed to turn into some sort of organism when you drop them in warm water. As of this writing, I believe the sea monsters are still waiting to take shape, but the girls had fun in the anticipation!

Alyssa, Jacy, Ally & Brooke

We did some Halloween costume browsing at Goodwill, then hit Dollar Tree for more goodies. I dropped the girls--and Cy--did I mention that we had a stowaway in the vehicle??--at Walmart while I did some quick grocery shopping at Aldi's and Menards. (Yes, you can buy groceries at Menards. Occasionally they have great deals on pantry items like cereal. And you are all invited over for pretzels at our house. I bought the world's largest bag of pretzels there for $2.48 or something like that. We will have enough pretzels to last us through the winter, I think!)

By the time the youth group meeting ended on Saturday night, the girls had already conspired to stay overnight. Even though we had to get up early and go to Sunday School/church, the girls were okay with that. I was surprised that they were willing to go with us to church after a late night of talking and watching Sea Monsters hatch.

Sunday was the actual official birthday day. After church, we dropped the girls off at their homes and headed down to Dubuque for lunch with Mark's family at the restaurant of Ally's choice--Texas Roadhouse. It's a new establishment by the mall, and man was it packed. Great atmosphere there - lots of country/ranch charm and "yee-haws" for birthday boys and girls. Free homemade (fresh) rolls with cinnamon butter and all the peanuts you care to eat, too!

Grandma Jan and Great-Grandma Joan were at my table with Uncle Joe

The menu was full of scrumptious (if not healthy) choices of your standard country-western variety. I was impressed that the prices weren't terribly high, but I would suggest to Texas Roadhouse to please offer half-portions!! They say everything in Texas is BIG and they aren't kidding when it comes to PORTIONS!! Not complaining--we brought home 4 or 5 boxes of leftovers. I ordered a mushroom jack burger (I think it must have been at least a half pound of ground beef, smothered in huge whole mushrooms and monterey jack cheese.) with steak fries. Yum-dilly-icious!!! Did I mention they have all-you-can-eat fresh rolls and peanuts, too? You could seriously get full on the table treats and not even order anything, and still come out of there with a full belly. The "kids table" got full before they even received their ordered entrees!

Ally's friends warned her about the embarrassing torture method used at Texas Roadhouse for guests celebrating their birthday. She said she would "die" if she had to sit up on the saddle and have everyone sing "Happy Birthday" to her. That was all her Uncle Joe needed to hear to tell the wait staff about Ally turning 13 ;)

Uncle Joe (back left) the instigator of torture as we all sing "Happy Birthday" and give the Birthday Girl a big Texas "yeeee-hawwww!"

I don't think Ally minded it too much, as we were probably the 4th birthday party in there since arriving. Misery loves company!

We dropped the boys off at Great-Grandma Joan's house and went shopping so that Ally could spend some of her birthday money. Her dad and I gave her cash, which sounds so trite and sad and un-personal, but when you saw the excitement on her face and heard her say "I am SO HAPPY!", you knew it was the Universal Gift. We headed over to a trendy consignment shop and let Ally pick out an outfit, then to Target and the Dubuque version of Dollar Tree. Because the Dubuque DT has a whole lot more of a selection than the Platteville DT. My husband would say that they are all of junk, but believe you me, there are some quality items in DT sometimes. Plus Wynne had a chore ticket to buy fingernail polish! (Or shall we say, "Singernail polish" like her big sister used to call it. Oh my, how can she be THIRTEEN already??!!!)

My beautiful girls. Am I lucky, or what?

If our computer hadn't crashed, I would have been able to post some old pics of Ally when she was a baby and a little girl. Those pictures aren't all that old. Thirteen years may seem like a long time to a kid, but to moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas, it's the blink of an eye.

I love to catch her in those candid moments when she is not worried about her appearance or what others are thinking. So real, so refreshing!

I look at this girl and not only wonder where the time has gone, but pray to God that He gives me the wisdom to help her & not mess her up!! She is a great kid and excels at nearly everything she does, but will she stand firm in His love and truth when the going gets tough? when she is on her own and has to decide which road she will travel? Will she grow in her own identity and not let those outside voices influence her?

One of my favorite singer/songwriters Matthew West wrote a song in response to an agonizing letter written by the mother of a middle school boy who was teased a lot at school. Luckily, Ally is not the recipient of that much teasing, but I remember those teenage years and I know how every little thing is amplified inside of your mind. You want to just fit in and go with the flow and not be noticed (unless it's for an outstanding athletic feat or a cool new pair of shoes). If someone picks on you or gets mad at you, you think it's the end of the world.

When I heard Matthew sing "To Me" live this spring, I cried because I could so relate to his words as a parent who wants their child to recognize and love themselves for who God made them to be. To my darling daughter, our eldest, our teenager, I want to reiterate Matthew's words from the refrain:

To me you are
Heaven's finest invention by far
So much brighter than the brightest star
And what I'd give to make you see
Who you are to me

To me, Ally, you are a beautiful, intelligent, hard-working, kind young lady. Your dad and I are so proud of you, and we love you. Happy Birthday, Honey!

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.--Ephesians 2:10

Never Too Old to Be Bold

2011-10-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Mark said, "Come take a look at Mickey. We should get a picture of this."

The pictures don't do it justice. This dog was halfway down the hold, with only his backside sticking up out of the ground. He is a Jack Russell Terrier, born and bred to hunt rabbits, foxes, anything that stays close to the ground. Even though he's 13 in human years and "getting up there", he still has enough energy to enjoy a good hunt.

My camera was acing a little wonky that day (or maybe it was just the photographer), but I love this picture anyway. It captures the joy of running, of chasing, of being alive and going after something. Sure, Mickey rarely tracks down varmints anymore, but every once in a while we'll see a carcass lying around courtesy of the chase.

I just finished up youth group tonight with a lovely group of young ladies. This month's topic was about taking risks, going through the narrow gate for Christ. In the risk-taking, in the non-conformity, in the standing up for Jesus, that is where we are most alive. Mickey's youth came rushing back to me when I watched him in the chase, and I could sense that this is where he discovers that HE is most alive.

We're never too old to step out in boldness for Jesus! The narrower the gate we pass through, the better. Even an old dog knows that. :)

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.--Matthew 7:13-14

CUTE THINGS THEY SAY, KINDERGARTEN EDITION #1

2011-10-11T06:28:00.000-07:00

"I hope your students appreciate the new things in this classroom!" --Wynne, age 5 to her former preschool teacher upon observing the new materials for 4K this year

"Thank you Mom! I will work for you FOREVER!!"--Wynne after being given a treat for doing some chores correctly

"GoChieftains! Go Badgers! Go Packers! BOO Bears!!" --Wynne every weekend when the NFL comes on TV

"I'm changing into different pajamas because I'm so freaking hot!!" --Wynne after hearing her mother say that adjective too often (probably shouldn't use it at all, but it sounds kinda cute when she says it)

UPDATED THURS. OCT. 13
"Today's not Chieftain Day, Mrs. Muldoon. But that's alright--you probably didn't know that." --Wynne to her teacher upon seeing Mrs. Muldoon wearing a Chieftain t-shirt on Monday not the usual Friday (game days are Chieftain Days at our house;)

Hello Rat Race

2011-10-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

I miss writing here. I've been doing several consecutive days of substitute teaching, for which I am grateful, but man it's been kicking my @#$%!.
I've always considered myself an industrious person who stays busy, but not this crazy busy. I mean, gone all day and then gone most nights, running a girl to volleyball, a boy to football, a girl to confirmation (and usually lugging the younger kids along, which is fun for everyone NOT)....oh and once in a while, we see their father/my husband. Not complaining (oh wait, maybe I am a little!), just really need a day off to catch up on housework, sewing, card writing, prayer time etc. God doesn't take a day off and He's been waiting for me to re-connect with Him. Thank goodness for Sunday mornings at the very least!!

There will be no pics on the blog for while because the main house computer is down. AGAIN. Happened a few months ago and we lost everything I hadn't saved on the external hard drive (including the most recent pictures. It's a wee bit frustrating. Just a wee.

This blog post comes to you courtesy of my husband's work laptop. I really shouldn't be taking the time to write this, but it's my goal to get a post up at least once a week (if not more)....so here it is. The Rat Race. Up in the dark hours doing my usual workout, but then hustling to get outside chores done so I can shower and get the kids ready for school, getting myself ready for school at the same time. Breakfast? A thing of the past. Lunch? Twenty minutes if I'm lucky. Bathroom breaks? Welcome back to elementary school teaching, where bladders are tested along with your patience. I'm telling you, the people we entrust our children to from 8 to 3:30 every day deserve a big fat raise and luxury suite in heaven someday. Not to say that I have not enjoyed teaching--I've loved it--but come on, these people need a few minutes off to breathe once in a while!!

Funny thing is, the money I've just made subbing is already gone. Tractor repair bill is still waiting to be paid and guess what? The washing machine broke AGAIN. Second time in about a month. I know what's wrong with it and tried to fix it myself . Big mistake - now the already-too-loose-seal is even looser and there is a spring sticking out that shouldn't really be there. >Insert flushing sound here (for money flushing down the toilet)< Why oh why can't I have one of my gazillion relatives be a PLUMBER?? Please !!
Hey I ran my first 5K yesterday for the area rescue squad fundraiser! fun time, kinda weird to run in a run that wasn't a "race". Everybody started running whenever...it wasn't timed. I timed myself (because truly, what is the point otherwise?) and actually had a decent time despite a stiff back. 21 minutes 23 seconds, I will take that! (I'll also take a new back, while I'm asking!)

My niece Crystal is healing....long road ahead of her but she's a trooper. My mom and dad are packing up a lifetime of memories and getting ready to move into a newer, easier-to-live-in house. The kids and I went over yesterday to "help" with more packing. I say "help" with quotation marks because I'm not sure if we really were helping or frustrating my mom! Ha! She has to be so patient with us! The kids love looking at the wonderland of memories in the house and all over the farm. I told my dad, "It's like a museum here". He nodded and smiled. I know it's going to be tough for him and Mom to move, so they need some extra prayers if you have any. We are all so lucky and blessed.

Girls Day Out is coming up in 3 weeks! I'm one of the organizers--it's kinda my pet project, having all these girls as offspring here. God put it on my heart to have a time of uplifting, Christian encouragement for girls ages 5 on up....and you should see what He's doing with it this year. #1 it's in the afternoon and not at night this year, so that's different and yet probably a better move since we should have a more relaxing time (Sunday afternoon, October 30)....#2 the Packers aren't playing so there's no excuse for anybody NOT to attend !! :) .......#3 we have an all-girls praise band coming to lead worship (high school girls, how cool is that).....#4 the keynoter is from our church, a beautiful young woman currently attending college in Madison and ready to share her personal story of how God has been working in her life since a debilitating car accident a few year sago....#5 we have a recycling theme and I can't wait to see what our girls/moms put together for the "recycled fashions" show! My girls are already set with the dresses/shrugs we wore to the wedding last month. I sure hope I can talk my mom, sisters, nieces and goddaughters into attending this event. Looking forward to it so much!

Time to sign off- I just hit a button somewhere on this laptop that shrunk this screen down to about 1/8th the original size. Forgive me for misspelling anything because I can hardly see it anymore!

God doesn't want us to run the Rat Race, I don't think. I just have to figure out how to balance everything and take one more crack at the washing machine--
till next time--;)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Lots of this Lately

2011-10-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

The blog hasn't received the attention I would like to give it because I've been extra busy lately with football and subbing. Yes, the one thing I always dreaded doing -- being a substitute teacher -- is now a part of my near-daily existence. It's not so bad, really. In fact, I rather enjoy it. I just wish that my home team would pick up the slack a bit when we all finally come home at night!!

Here's the new pressbox built over the past few months on $ raised by the sports booster club. Isn't it a beaut? The biggest pluses are a) safety on the 2nd and 3rd stories and b) BATHROOMS within a decent walking distance from the game!! Now if it just had a family suite on the upper level, we would be all set ;)

Speaking of the family, here we are on a paver in front of the concession stand/pressbox. Yay family!!

Mark's family has a reunion every Friday night, it seems. There's always a good turn-out for the Chieftain games.

I have to give them credit; I think it would be tough following a bunch of players I don't even know. But they are great support for the kids and the coach (and assistant coach Ryan)!

I've been doing a lot of subbing in Cy's class (the fifth grade) lately. They sang the National Anthem at the game the other night and did a pretty good job!

The National Anthem is a tough song to sing! Good job boys and girls! (And remember to go easy on your sub;)

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another,agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.--2 Corinthians 13:11

Precious Gems

2011-09-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

The girls spent a "sick day" a few weeks ago getting some fresh air and designing their own garden stones! Paige received a kit from her godmother Aunt Deb a while back, and she was kind enough to let her sisters "share" some of the concrete.

Paige's mold (green) was full of pretty butterflies and flowers. It came in a kit with the concrete and some shiny colorful stones.

We made the other girls' molds by cutting the bottoms off of some flimsy plastic flower pots.
Ally took hers one step further and lined the pot (which had holes in it) with paper, to make an even surface for the top of the eventual garden stone.

The finished products are delightful! Thank you Aunt Debby! (The girls are pretty precious, too;)

She is worth far more than rubies.--Proverbs 31:10

For the Love of the Game

2011-09-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

He has four sisters and is especially good to the littlest one...when he's not teasing her.

His dad's coaching ability is rubbing off on him!

Turn off the TV. Why watch college ball when you can get this good stuff LIVE?

The running back picks up a lot of sideline yardage...and a lot of giggles, too!

When the TP is picked up and the grass is cut, the yard beckons for some play time.

It's cold enough for hats, but apparently warm enough for short sleeves and shorts. ?

Somebody just learned how to throw a spiral. I hope she can teach her mother!

They talked their mom and dad into playing kickball later that evening. It was the most fun I've had in a long time. We need more of that. Kid-constructed, outdoor play time. It doesn't get any better than this!

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.--Mark 10:15

Can't Get Enough of Living Waters!

2011-09-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend our Sunday School families took a bus up to Westby to visit Living Waters Bible Camp for Animal Kingdom Day. It was an excellent way to cement the lesson we're learning this month about God's creation being "Very good"! Don't you just love this Bucket Brigade?

Shae in car 2, Wynne in car 5

Every single staffer at Living Waters is friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and devoted to sharing God's Word and His love. Tim led the session on birds and reptiles, where we met a friendly parrot and Ziggy, the box turtle. He's 12 years old, about 25 pounds, and still growing! It was fun watching him eat colorful food off of the ground with his tongue.

Wynne was terrified of the snakes, even this little milk snake. Can't say as I blame her; I don't appreciate snakes either!! But Brie was very good about touching the snakes.

When Tim brought out Veronica, Wynne ran outside and watched through the window!!

Andrew led the session on brown trout raising. After showing us the part of the camp where the spring literally bubbles up out of the ground, we walked a bit to see a larger stream where they raise these trout from eggs (in the picture) to sac flies (in the jar) to little baby trout (I can't remember their technical name) to trout!

Here we see the trout being fed as naturally (with a electronically-timed shaker) as possible. Andrew emphasized that they are trying to get the trout used to not being fed at one spot, but through many spots sprinkled throughout the water. This will help the trout to survive in their natural environment (the river) at maturity. Andrew did an excellent job of pointing out all of the features that God designed into the trout to enable them to survive.

Joy led the session on mammals in the science center. Ally is a bit apprehensive about petting the skunk, but don't worry--she's been "de-scented". She still scared me when I held her and she held up that big furry tail....there was a smell there, but Joy assured us it was just the rest of her natural scents and hormones. !!

This little monkey is on loan from a zoo, and he's still a baby (and was wearing a preemie diaper). He didn't stay still very long...

...as you can tell!

Just like human babies, he likes to put everything in his mouth;)

The executive director is my friend Dennis. The nature center/Creation Museum wasn't supposed to be open that day, but Dennis did us a personal favor and took us on a quick tour through it anyway. I wanted the kids to walk through the 6 Days of Creation that they have masterfully crafted into exhibits in this building. Dennis is a pro at fielding all kinds of questions, scientific, doubting, etc....an engineer in his former life, he is extremely intelligent and welcomes our questions. He's also on FIRE for Jesus!! I could listen and talk with him all day.

On the 6th day, God capped his Creation by making US--male and female--in His image. Isn't it awesome and humbling ??

There was a bit of rain, but we managed to dodge most of it and had a great day at camp. Several kids and parents asked, "When are we going back?" as soon as we boarded the bus again. Hopefully soon! Thanks Living Waters!

For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight… Ephesians 1:4

Upcycled Fashions

2011-09-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

Last month the girls and I went shopping for wedding outfits. We were working around a pretty black dress that Shae wore, and we built the other girls' outfits around that. Ally had a dress closely resembling Shae's, but she chose to wear a different black top and skirt that were given to her by another friend. Yes, we are the House of Hand-me-downs and proud of it!! When we saw the white dress on e-bay, I just knew we had to get it for Paige. It was a few sizes too big, but all I had to do was shorten the shoulder straps. So the black dress was free and the white dress was $12.00 total (including shipping). Plus the ribbon which I picked up at Goodwill for 69 cents a spool, so add $1.38 to that.

Wynne wanted to wear something of similar fabric and design, so we set about looking for the perfect dress. I wasn't willing to go online and spend $40-50 for a brand new dress (the designer is Amy Byer), so we were limited in that regard. One day we were at the Platteville Thrift Shop and my eyes fell upon this tube top in the juniors department. Could I make it work, with my limited sewing skills?

I gave it a shot, and I think it turned out pretty sweet! I cut it at the side seam, took it in, and added some black ribbon shoulder straps. Total cost = $1.25.

The triangular hem was a cut off on one side, so her skirt went down on just one side, but the lacy overlay gave it a Bohemian feel. Go with it, friends. Just go with it!

I scored three black t-shirts at the Bargain Nook in Platteville for 25 cents each, so I wore one under a top I bought at the thrift shop, while I turned the other 2 into shrugs for the twins. (You didn't think I was going to let them go bare-shouldered in September, did you!!) I found an easy pattern somewhere online (look up t-shirt shrugs) and threaded ribbon through them. Finding a black t-shirt for Wynne was a little tougher (smaller size), as I scoured 4 different thrift shops and finally caved and bought a new shirt at Target...however, it was on clearance for $2.25 so I guess I can live with that. (It's just hard to justify cutting up a brand new shirt! But the shrugs turned out so cute, I think!!) Total cost of 3 girls' shrugs = $2.75. I found a wonderful swingy black skirt at the thrift shop, too...so my outfit total was $2.75 as well.

I was proud of the fact that Cy wore his pink shirt to "go" with my colors...I was hoping we'd all fit in the silver/black/pink/burgundy color scheme, but Mark and Ally had other ideas. Everyone looked really snazzy and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. If I had a decent head of hair this could be our Christmas family picture!! (Actually, we are hoping to put black long-sleeved shirts under the girls' dresses...or throw on black or white cardigan sweaters...for Christmas.)

How To Dress Four Girls for $20.13, the new e-book coming your way from AJS Publishing;)

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” --Revelation 21:5

Truly a Badger Wedding

2011-09-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday we attended my nephew's wedding in Madison. Kyle and Mary met as students at UW-Madison, so the festivities were held in our capitol city. Aside from the parking, Madison is a fun town to visit. The whole affair was gorgeous and it all started at this exquisite church, Luther Memorial on campus.

Kyle is in his second year of law school, and Mary works for an insurance company (but don't be bored--she is an art history major!). They have dated for several years and are a very sweet couple. Mary is just a nice, nice girl and--thank the Lord--she chose to NOT wear the usual strapless gown. Thank you Mary for choosing a beautiful, flattering, modest yet elegant gown!! (Have I told you lately how much I hate the strapless dresses?) Okay, back to the wedding. There was a choir in the balcony singing as the bride walked down the aisle, her own pastor read Scripture, and this pastor pictured (the resident pastor) gave a very special message on how Kyle and Mary can commit to each other like Ruth committed to Naomi, relying on their loved ones for help through the trials that inevitably come our way.
Mary loves books (I may have mentioned in the shower post last month), so everything was book-themed, with a vintage feel. Instead of signing a guest book, the couple requested their guests to bring an old book/favorite story and sign our names on the inside cover. How unique and thoughtful! The cocktail hour was held in the Hall of Ideas at the Monona Terrace, where young ladies welcomed you and escorted you to the library area (where you could either drop off your book or sign the guest book they had just-in-case), then over to a board of keys. Each key had a tag on it with your name, and on the back was written your table number for the reception. Again, quite unique and charming.

The young ladies working at the cocktail hour reminded me of the Price is Right Girls....all dressed similarly, with big friendly smiles, eager to help :) I should have taken a picture of the Price is Right Girls.

Okay, back to the wedding. Show me the cake!! Love me some cake. Here is the cake, I guess, although I didn't see the bride and groom cut into it. And there was no stuffing-into-each-other's-faces part. This wedding was a bit more sophisticated than that;) (Actually, now that I think of it, Mark and I never stuffed cake into each other's faces, either. Gee, I guess that makes us sophisticated, too!)

The panda cake was for the groom. Kyle and his dad (my brother Ken) went to Australia last year, and somebody told me that Kyle's nickname is Panda. ?

Ah, the food. Here are my little lovelies (and big hunk-a-love in blue in the back) ready to be served their chicken tenders or sirloin. I didn't know I missed Cy's face, but you can see it in the cork container if you really squint!;)

Six years ago, we attended Uncle Jamey & Aunt Elle's reception is this same room. The view of Lake Monona is breathtaking!

I will have to write a separate post on how we prepared the girls for this wedding. The excitement of dressing up for a wedding and dance built up for over a year. Paige looks a lot taller than Shae in this picture, but there isn't that much difference in reality. She was just wearing heels, while Shae wore flats. See the yellow wristbands? They are for their cousin Crystal (who we visited in the hospital between the wedding and the reception). Love you Crystal!!

I found out last week that my son's current favorite color is pink. I didn't know that, but I don't dispute it...I think he looks fantastic in pink! (It happens to be a favorite of mine, as well;) As you can see, the dance was super-fun. The DJ did a great job of involving everyone, and there weren't awkward moments. For example, the wedding party dance included everyone, not forcing groomsmen to dance individually with bridesmaids who may or may not be interested in them. ;) There were a lot of group dances to avoid those awkward moments.

The bride and groom are a lovely couple. I especially enjoyed how they asked every married couple to join them on the dance floor, then you had to leave if you were married "5 years or less", 10 years or less, 15, 25, 40, .... The last couple on the floor should have been my mom and dad (61 years), but they had just left. So Kyle's maternal grandparents took the crown with 55 years.

Aren't they the cutest thing?? And let's talk about this dress again. I mean, how delightful is this bride in her gown??!

The cousins get down....it's been a few years since a family wedding!! Always a BLAST!!

And look who crashed the party!! BUCKY BADGER!!!!

The garter removal...(Bucky's covering his eyes)......

...and the Engelke Outlaw skit. I can't remember when this started, but whenever you marry into the Engelke family, the in-laws have an initiation at the wedding dance. For Mark, it was the Packer Polka (because he's a Bear fan). They took it easy on Mary, going with a Cinderella theme where everyone tried a shoe on her until Kyle came out with her shoe and proved to be her true love. My girls gladly gave up their shoes for the skit ;)

Cy has dreams of playing football for the Badgers some day. Even if that dream doesn't come true, it's good to have goals and it sure doesn't hurt to dream a little bit!

Best Wishes, Kyle and Mary! Thanks to you and your parents for throwing a great party!

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.--Ruth 1:16

See You on the Flip Side!

2011-09-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

Our niece Crystal turned 27 on Tuesday and spent 14 hours in surgery on Wednesday (yesterday). Having neck and back pain for years, she went in for an MRI last week when she noticed her fingers on both hands getting numb. Doctors found a pinkie-sized tumor growing between cervical vertebrae 3 and 4 on her neck. Is it cancer? They don't know for sure, but they are thinking not because of its slow rate of growth and isolation.

Crystal (or "Trystal" as her big brother Jared used to call her) is a sweetheart, always ready with a bright smile and a hug. She is a lot like her daddy (my brother Brian), very passionate, and I cried when I read her blog post last week that spoke about "one of the hardest things I could ever do...tell my dad". As a parent, I cannot imagine the shock, the anger, the confusion, the fear that my brother and sister-in-law have been feeling for their daughter.

When you become an aunt at a young age and grow up playing with your little nieces and nephews, you think it's the best thing in the world. For me, these kids gave me a chance to play mommy, play teacher, and play game organizer. I had willing and eager students! These two little ladies, Crystal and her sister Lacey, grew up in my middle school summer theater program. It was a joy to work with them and see their talents flourish!

Fast forward a dozen years and we see college graduates in successful careers, beautiful young women who take the time to return the favor. Now they play with MY kids!

That same smile and twinkling eyes. Some things never change! We are praying so fervently for you, sweetie!! We know that God has a plan and will carry you through surgery and recovery!

In the wee hours of this morning, my cell phone chimed. It was a text from my sister, telling us that Crystal was awake, the tumor had been removed, and there looked to be no signs of paralysis. PRAISE GOD!!

Megan and Crystal are cousins and pretty big buddies. Megan had a great idea for us to chip in and get Crystal an I-pod Touch for her birthday. When she is able to use her hands, this will be a great way for her to listen to music and keep in touch with everyone. She has a huge network of friends and family who are pulling for her, and she likes to keep in touch with her clients, too (as an interior designer in Madison).

We love you, Crystal!! As you like to say, we'll see you on the flip side....hopefully Saturday when we come to Madtown!

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." --Jeremiah 29:11

The Boys of Fall

2011-09-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

It felt so weird not being there Friday night to see all of this. But alas, some of the girls of fall have strep throat!

Thanks to Dave and Tab for taking the pictures. They make me feel like I was there. And thanks to Mark's Aunt Linda for the phone updates!

It's good to see that Spencer is back after a pre-season injury!

Hunter makes catches that you wouldn't believe. Such a wingspan!

This is one of my favorites of the defense. Mark is not only the head coach, but the defensive coordinator. I am biased, but I think the defense has done a pretty darn good job of keeping their opponents out of the endzone this year. So far in 4 games, they've allowed 25 points. Not perfect, but working on being stingy!

Tom is the heart and soul of this team. Dave got a great shot of him right after recovering a fumble.

I love it when you can see teammates encouraging each other.

The next morning while the girls were sleeping (and Ally was in charge), I managed to sneak out to take Cy to his first football game. Touch (not tackle, much to Cy's discouragement) but still very fun to watch. Mark joined us after making a film exhange with another coach. Uncle Greg was there, too! Cy is red #89.

The coaches make sure that each kid gets to try each position on the field. Here we are on 10 reps of offense. Looks like Cy gets a shot at running back!

More action with the Cobras and the Blue-heads (I didn't catch the other team's name yet)...

We have 4 boys from Potosi playing over in Lancaster this fall. Here are two of them, Cy and Brady. Aren't they just the cutest thing?? (Sorry Cy; I am a mom and can't resist)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. --Ephesians 6:10-11

Thankful Thursday

2011-09-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Even though this isn't posting till Friday morning, I need to get back to my Thankful Thursdays.

*First of all, I am thankful for my mother and her birthday on this Thursday. I am so thankful for all of the important things that she is teaching me, like how to be patient, kind, hardworking, loyal, honest, and humble. I love you, Mom! Happy Birthday & many more!!

*I am thankful for these crazy kids and for the fact that The Morning Of Picture Day is now over for another year.

No, these pictures weren't taken on Picture Day. (Thank goodness!) I didn't have the luxury of a camera on The Morning Of. No, I was ironing vests for a last-minute-clothing-change, digging through drawers and laundry baskets for a son who decided to find a t-shirt that must have vanished into the Black Hole, even though he stayed up later than everyone else the night before and could have given me a day's notice ("You lose EVERYTHING, Mom!"), curling hair, and doling out children's pain relievers for 2 sore throats as the bus came rolling down the hill. Sigh. No matter how much prep work we do the night before, we still can't get it right.

*I am thankful and prayerful for all of my extended family.

*I am thankful and prayerful for my friends who are facing a big transition in their life/work/home right now.

*I am thankful and prayerful for a new year of Sunday School coming up this weekend. So thankful for my husband who gutted the church basement, cleaned, made platforms and installed theater seating in the movie room for the kids of our church. All in "spare time" after football practice and school. I hope other people are as thankful for this ministry as I am!! Love you, Mark!! Good luck Friday night!!

*I am thankful that my Mom and Dad have enough grace, courage, and love to consider a new home that is more accessible to their needs and contains opportunities for a happy future shared with their growing family. Change is not easy, and when you've been around a little bit, it's even harder. I am thankful for their positive example of "Let go and Let God".

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.--Romans 8: 37-39

New Faces on the Farm

2011-09-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

A neighbor has brought over six beef cattle to chew on our grass for a while. Here they are discussing the events of the day with our jersey calves! Aren't they colorful?

I'd never seen this breed before. They're called American British White Park, a cross between American White Park and British White cattle. Breeders claim that the beef is superior to angus and other traditional forms of beef cattle.

This guy is what you would call "under-marked"....meaning, he doesn't have as much black marking on him as the average ABWP would.

That would make this fella "over-marked". How cool is this !!

I am no beef breeder; I am still having a hard time coming to terms with the freezer full of beef we now have, thanks to the guys that just lived with us for the past 2 years. I'm not much of a farmer, I guess. But I do appreciate good beef AND watching the cattle graze in our pasture. The blue skies, green grass, fresh breeze...we are so lucky to live in this beautiful country!

The LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.--Micah 6:8

Breaking in our "New Kitchen"!!

2011-09-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday night our refrigerator sounded like an airplane making a crash landing. Mark unplugged it and ordered a new one the next day. We got a significant discount for purchasing its oven counterpart, so here they are installed on Thursday afternoon! Aren't they beautiful?

I don't deserve a kitchen like this. I really don't.
I love baking and cooking if I have the right ingredients, but for the most part I am not a domestic goddess who deserves and fully utilizes her kitchen. But some days I try.

For the past few weeks I've been harvesting Mark's garden (remember, we can't call the weed patch I planted a "garden"), and the tomatoes are really coming into abundance. I froze 26 quarts of them and have run out of freezer space, so it was time to try..gasp...canning.

I bought a dozen jars at Walmart and scoured the internet for easy canning recipes. Thought I would try this recipe for salsa using our Romas and green peppers. I had to ask some ladies at the grocery store how in the heck you cut garlic--that's how ignorant I am--and they pointed me in the direction of jarred garlic. I bought one and threw them in the chopper, along with a few jalapenos. The jalapenos are something I would definitely leave out next time. Too spicy. I threw half of this mixture into another pot and added a few cans of crushed pineapple to sweeten it up a bit.

So here we have half salsa and half pineapple salsa. (Three jars on the left are not showing.) Only one jar didn't seal properly, so I guess that isn't too bad of a percentage. Not sure why they call it canning when you're using glass jars, but I'm sure there's a logical history behind it. These twelve little jars took me eight hours to do. (granted, there were 2 meals, garbage collecting, stove cleaning, and dish washing in the middle of that, but still a full day of work) I couldn't help but feel a oneness with my mother and all women who've put up a little summer for the winter. Actually, there are plenty of men who "can" as well...my brother just did tomatoes a few days ago, and the Walmart clerk's husband did, too ;)

Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. --Genesis 9:3

Bringing Up the Rear

2011-09-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Tab for taking great pictures at the football games! This one would look perfect if you could crop me out of it. You know, for working out 5-6 days a week you'd think my butt would look smaller.

Mark's brother is an assistant coach, so Grandma Jan has 2 sons on the sideline this year!

We had our home opener and Parents Night the other night. The Chieftains emerged victorious, but sadly one of our boys rode out in the ambulance with a bad ankle sprain. We have been fortunate to say that's the first major injury in 14-some years of coaching, and we pray that Chase will be on the mend to a full recovery soon!

For I will restore health to you,

and your wounds I will heal,

declares the Lord,

because they have called you an outcast:

‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’--Jeremiah 30:17

Baby Cakes & The Big Dough-nies

2011-09-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

She was soooo ready for school.

I could barely tear her away from Kindergarten Open House the other night!

I look at this little girl and wonder what happened to MY BABY!!

Here she is on her very first day of kindergarten. Exterior french braid courtesy of Creative Elements Salon!

All of my girls got their hair cut/fixed at the student salon yesterday afternoon. Sure saved us time in prep this morning!

Look at the camera, Mickey!

I'm surprised these kids got up early enough for the bus today. Yesterday was a LONNNNG day of appointments (dental, eye, hair), errands, and 2 meals on the road (Kwik Trip breakfast in the park and Walmart make-your-own sandwiches in the Burb, sorry Mark). I had a list of about 12 things to do, and we managed to get them all done...except by the time we got home and I sorted through our first football clothing order, it was 9:00 p.m. and we still hadn't eaten supper. So I whipped up some vanilla milkshakes before bedtime (which should have happened at LEAST an hour before that). Bad Mom, I know!!!

They clean up pretty well, though. Baby Cakes and the Big Dough-nies.

Ally (7th grader), Paige (3rd), Wynne (K), Cy (5th), and Shae (3rd)
The five little loves of my life.

There goes my heart this morning.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.--1 John 4:12

Favorite Scenes from the Past Four Days

2011-08-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Another shot of the boys from the other night. Moms, couldn't you just eat em up??

The girls all pitched in to buy Cy a new Lego set for his birthday. What a lucky young man!!

Our varsity offense trying to make something happen against the Warriors

We put the first score on the board in the 3rd quarter!! I was watching the play and trying to take a picture at the same time;)

Post-game celebration...such a special last-second win for our kids!

My nephew and his daughter at her 2nd birthday party...Hollie Hollie HOLLIE :)

A Good Work-out For Your Heart

2011-08-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

If you want to get a good cardiac work-out, just watch your little boy put on a set of shoulder pads and a football helmet.

Watch as he and his friends get ready to play a little game of tackle in the yard!

Pinch yourself a few times and ask, where did the last 11 years go? Who IS this young man??

Ladies and gentlemen, here are your 2017 Potosi Chieftains. And cheerleading squad ;)

I don't know how you could get bored watching football, played in its purest form.

Our son is lucky to have sisters who support him in scorekeeping, photography, and cheerleading. Maybe they're just happy to have him tackle somebody ELSE for once!!

Maybe it's that I'm not used to it, but gosh boys are fun to hang around with sometimes. They give it everything they've got, and they are not self-conscious about it. As Dr. Leonard Sax writes, in fact, boys tend to over-estimate their abilities. That is a great thing in most instances (but can lead to risky injuries in others)!!

We kept score because, what is the point of playing a game without keeping score? My heart stretched out for both teams to win. Every kid was a friend. Every kid played their heart out. They were sooo much fun to watch and listen to!

Mark did a great job of keeping the boys focused on the task at hand. Referee, timekeeper, coach and equipment manager all in one!

Cy's stats at age 11 are weight: 110 pounds and height: 4 feet 11.5 inches. He is not afraid to make contact with other kids. Not the nimblest of fingers, but one of the quickest to make a tackle! The last play of the game, in fact, he tackled this same boy (Brady, a very good little ball player) out of bounds, right into the riding lawn mower. Brady didn't respond for a few seconds, and by the sound of the hit, we were afraid someone was seriously hurt. Parent's heart nearly stopped... Thank goodness everybody was just fine!!

My heart swells with pride, amusement, joy, frustration, confusion, and elation with this kid. He makes life a bit more messy and a lot more interesting.

The night after this celebration, our hearts got another workout at Mark's varsity game. Blackhawk is always a tough place to play and an excellent match-up. We were 0-0 after 2 quarters, then 6-6 at the end of three. We went up by a field goal and were driving for another touchdown, when one of our backs fumbled on the 2 yard line with 2:50 left on the clock. The Warriors drove down the field and scored a touchdown, going up by 4 points with 31 seconds left in the game. What a heart-ache to see their receiver make a great play to score, with little time left to come back! But my husband never gave up, his kids never gave up, and I held onto the hope that with time left on the clock, anything could happen. Two plays and 55 yards later, our quarterback threw a "hail mary" into the corner of the endzone, where our back jumped up, caught the ball, and scored!! TOUCHDOWN CHIEFTAINS!! The clock was empty and our hearts were full. The players, coaches, managers, statisticians, and fans flooded onto the field to celebrate. What a thrill!

Cy will not soon forget his 11th birthday weekend. Football, family, friends, fun, and faith to never give up hope. What more could your heart ask for?

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. --Psalm 37: 3-4

Super Heroes Never Get Old

2011-08-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

Sportacus at age 5, Superman at ages 6-8, and now Holy Time-flying, Batman! Look who's ELEVEN today!!

Facing the forces of evil and not-so-evil with his You-tube-inspired Bat mask.....

Is it Bruce Wayne?

What a goofy, funny, awesome kid.

And look what Grandma and Grandpa got him!! In just minutes, our son turned this...

into THIS. The Bat Cave!! (all he added were the people)

That bag of assorted Legos even had a pulley system, which Ally used to make an elevator going down into the cave. It is awesome!!

In the foreground is a Batmobile that Cy made, and in the top right under the green tree (it's hard to see) is a Lego bat that Cy happened to have from another set (maybe Indiana Jones?).

Cy has been making mini-figure clothes & faces by printing off images from the internet onto paper and gluing them on his Legos. Here we see Alfred the butler, Bruce Wayne, and the batsuit in the background!

I'd post more on the birthday boy, but he's outside playing "ghosts in the graveyard" with his friends right now...so I better sign off! Happy Birthday, Cy!!

AJ, Phone Home

2011-08-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

I never thought any of my kids would get a cell phone before they were teenagers, but she worked so darn hard for it!

"Never" should not be in the parent's vocabulary, I guess.

Especially when your eldest comes to you with an invitation to attend a presentation at the end of the week.

A few weeks ago, Ally started researching Trac Phones (and other pay-as-you-go phones) on the internet. She left a written invitation to her meeting on each of our pillows, and last Thursday we walked down to the basement to find a presentation board, card table set up with a folder, note pad, pen, place card, and ice water for each of us. Oh, and I can't forget the fresh cut flowers in a vase! This kid knows how to give a good impression.

Ally had narrowed her choices down to three kinds of telephones, and she had hand-outs prepared with such topics as "Which phone do you believe is the best?", "Discuss Pro's and Con's with your husband/wife", and "If Ally received a phone, what days of the week should she NOT use it?" Mark was feverishly writing down questions for Ally as she presented her reasons for wanting/needing a cell phone at this time (primarily because she is in a lot of after-school activities which require her to call home for a ride). I wrote down a few questions, and after her proposal we all talked about the options.

Going into the meeting, Mark and I were both against our soon-to-be-teenager getting a cell phone at this time. Even though she planned to pay for it herself, we did not think it was necessary for her to have a telephone. After sharing many valid reasons for having a phone, we tabled the discussion for a few days. We didn't want Ally to be "rooked" (paying to keep a trac phone service plan going, even if she didn't use up all the minutes on her card). After taking her to Radio Shack and discovering that simply adding a cellular phone onto our family plan wouldn't cost us anything (including a free phone) if we lowered our monthly time by 100 minutes, we decided that Ally had earned the right to have a cell phone.

Ally paid the $30 activation fee and will give us $5 a month to use her cell phone. We don't have a texting feature, and we have put a "curfew" on her use of the phone. We also told the other kids not to expect a cell phone by age 13! We still think that driving age (16) is a better time to start having a phone, but with all of the extra activities (including confirmation class starting up this fall in a neighboring town), we knew it was going to come in very handy for her to be able to communicate with us. We told her little brother and sisters that Ally showed a lot of iniative, did her homework, and is working to pay for this privilege. She's growing up so quickly!!

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?--Luke 14:28

Easter Eggs in August!

2011-08-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. Psalm 104:24

Lego Maniac

2011-08-18T06:23:00.000-07:00

When it was super hot a few weeks ago, the kids brought the Legos downstairs and started building houses. Cy was happy to have some companionship for his day-long building sessions. Early in the morning, throughout the day, and late into the night you can hear him rustling through one of the big Lego totes that are kept in his room. When he's not building Legos, he is online looking at Legos. He adds costumes to personalize mini-figures (or "mini-figs", to the Lego aficionado), and he even added freckles to make a miniature version of himself!

Yep, Cy is a Lego Maniac. Check out our whole family! The likenesses aren't too far off, but he did inform me that he's convinved the twins to purchase new hair for themselves on e-bay (do they make light brown plastic?). Plus Mickey needs to be a bit smaller and more colorful. Don't you like Dad's crewcut and red bomber jacket? It almost takes me back to our high school days....just leave the shirttails out and he's a dead ringer!

Not sure about Wynne's evil grin. Pretty darn resourceful kid though, isn't he? I will have to take a picture of his house-slash-compound. He has a weight room, basketball court, football field, huge kitchen, and secret passageway from the back of his refrigerator. I wish I could shrink myself down to live there!!

Ally did a good job making our yellow house, don't you think?

The Bounty of the Season

2011-08-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

No, we didn't eat ALL of that corn. Some of it made its way into the freezer last week :)

This is what my garden basket looked like the other day. Isn't it marvelous?

The more colorful your plate, the healthier your meal as they say!

And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. --Genesis 1:29

The Next Chapter (A Wedding Shower)

2011-08-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

My nephew Kyle is getting married to his college sweetheart Mary next month. They are a very nice, fun-loving couple and we are so happy for them!

The bride-and-groom-to-be's! Such a sweet couple.

The girls and I were invited to a wedding shower for Mary at my brother's house. My sister-in-law and 2 nieces (Kyle's sisters) threw a fabulous party! Kelsey was serving up some delicious raspberry sherbet punch to Wynne here.

The table spread was delightful. Chicken salad croissants, spinach and artichoke dip, hummus wraps, veggies and desserts including....

Boozy Chocolate Tart! I think I heard it had some bourbon in it and some other chocolate liqueur. You don't need much of this to taste the "boozy" :)

Wynne is right at home with any amount of people, any age. She can make great table conversation, and...

she also helps deliver and clean up at gift openings! We decided that she would make a great MC for the wedding reception. :)

Ken & Kellie have a lovely backyard! The weather has been gorgeous, too.

My girls and my sister's girls grew a little bored of the gift opening, so they ended up about a half block down the street at this very fun park!

It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. --Phillippians 2:2

America's Fun in the Country

2011-08-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Right before football season started, we snuck away for another "daycation". If the kids could caption these photos....

When I was 12 years old, my Mom and Dad made my brother and I lug this humongous cooler to our picnic spot.

This was fun for about 2 seconds!!

Is this going in your blog, Mom?

Hurry up, take the picture, and let's get going!!!!

I can't believe we're at LITTLE AMERRICK-A !!! It's been six years since we came here!!!

If I knew who Rube Goldberg was, this would remind me of his mousetrap!

I finally figured out which direction to drive this thing!!

"Wow, Mom, this is so cool...you and me riding on the roller coaster together!!" (She went on to ride this at least 20 times total. I kid you not. The lady attending was sooooo patient & kind!)

But Mom! Safe driving position is not very ladylike. I have a reputation to uphold!!

Is this one of your 80s songs..."Eye of the Tiger"?

Jeepers Paige, you're hogging the motor!

Let's see if I can get their boat to flip over...

Hey Mom, this could be our Christmas card picture!!

What are you scared for, Mom?!

Cheeeeeeese.........

Why are you so dizzy, Daddy? What's wrong?!

Wildlife Photographer

2011-08-12T04:48:00.000-07:00

Ally snapped these the other day. Isn't the subject magnificent?

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?--Matthew 6:26

Good Christian Friends, Rejoice!

2011-08-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

(Scenes from our Sunday School Family Summer Bash taken 2 days ago......)

Good Christian Friends, Rejoice

with heart and soul and voice;

Give ye heed to what we say

Wagon rides are fun today;

We're almost back to Sunday School,

where learning about God is really cool...

Friends in Christ are great!

Good Christian friends, rejoice

With heart and soul and voice;

Throwing bags is fun for all

No matter if you're big or small;

Another game for everyone

would be croquet; it's fun fun fun!

Friends in Christ are great!

What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. --1 John 1:3,7

As the Stars in the Sky

2011-08-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

My Grandpa died when I was 5, and my Grandma died when I was 10. I remember Grandpa always smiling and listening to a ballgame on the radio. Grandma was an expert seamstress, crocheting doilies well into her later years. She was a great gardener and had ain impressive display of African violets in her apartment, I recall. I enjoy hearing stories about them raising their 12 children in 3 different states (Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) over 4 decades. Needless to say, Grandma quit teaching to stay home and raise her children! The amount of work that was done as a farm wife just boggles my mind. Here I complain about doing the laundry & cooking for 5 kids, whereas my grandma had a wringer-washer (in her later years) and cut the heads off chickens, tending a massive garden in her "spare time"! No wonder my mother made raising 9 kids look like a breeze. She learned from one of the best!

**

Here we are, 100 years after that marriage, and into our 30th year of family reunions. They are held every 3rd year, and what a blessing it is to see this extended family come together and keep Clarice & May's memories alive!

Clarice & May's youngest child Jeanne (my mom), 8th child Clarice Jr. "Jupe", daughter-in-law Nancy, & nephew (who surprised us, coming all the way from South Dakota!) Iden Jr. "Buddy"

My first cousins Ron & Lynn (on the right, behind her husband Rick) are so good about flying back to nearly every reunion from their homes in Northern California. Ron and his wife Pam (on the left) hung out with us at our family campout and all week. Fun times!

Every branch of the family tree gathers under the gazebo for a picture. The 12th branch (my mom's) has a few offshoots, as you can see;) The scary thing is that at least a dozen family members (including my Dad) were not even there!!

I sure wish Dad was there, but he just wasn't feeling well enough to join us that day. My sister Marla had some awesome family t-shirts made in honor of my parents' 60th anniversary last year. We are a crazy bunch, and I don't think you'll ever get a picture of all of us looking in the right direction at the same time!! I look at this picture and think of all of the hard work my Mom & Dad went through raising us, then I think of how God has rewarded them with the picture up above :)

Grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren playing together....if May and Clarice are watching us now, imagine the joy in their hearts!

I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. --Genesis 22:17

When Clarice met May

2011-08-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

I never saw the film "When Harry Met Sally", but I was reading about it yesterday, which is what made me think of this posting title. I was just trying to be creative ..... :)

A few months ago, my mom gave me a treasure to borrow. It is a one-year diary of her mother (my grandmother) May. The year was 1908, and May was a 16-turning-17-year-old girl attending the Platteville Normal School (teacher's college). I eagerly typed up Grandma's words and thoroughly enjoyed getting a glimpse into her life!

I tried to pick out a few entries that show the kind of life that was lived in a rural area, 1908. Grandma May lived in town while going to school, but during the summer she went back home (to the farm northwest of Platteville, somewhere in the Ellenboro area for you locals). My notes are in parentheses; the rest is exactly what she wrote in her beautiful penmanship.

Fri 17 (January)School. Played basketball with H.S. 8-2 Normal. Went to Athenaeum and then to Sophomore contest. (Lesson for the day: an athenaeum is a literary club, scientific academy, or library. I'm going with library here.) Wm. Livingston 1^st Donald Orpett 2^nd. Virgil Willis 3. Carl Andrew sat by me and talked. Bright moonlight. (My grandpa's name is Clarice and she met him in 1909-10 while teaching at his school in Nebraska. So don't get too excited about May and poor Carl!)

Wed 22 Wrote a final in Arith from 10 to 12 and in A reading from 2-4 oclock. Anthony Smith got gripp. Snowed some enough to cover the ground. Not much colder. Bought silver belt buckle. 25 cents. (Can we go back to the 1908 prices, but keep the modern conveniences? I wish.)

Sun 2 (February) Stayed home all day. Cold but in evening warmer. Charlie Mundon was up during day. We made ice cream. He would not have anything to do with me very much. (Sounds like Grandma had a little "thing" for Charlie!)

Sat 15 Went with Victor to the normal to work in zoology in the laboratory but Dudley was not there. Ironed and sewed in afternoon. Colder. Snow about all gone. Byron (her brother) came in with two teams. Will went out and took two loads of lumber. Papa killed Spot. (That's IT, Grandma?! No back-story?? A woman of few words!!)

Tues 14 (April) School got mad at Tamar. hot. (I just thought this was kinda cute. Short and to the point, just like Grandma!)

Mon 20 Quite warm. Went to school. Pres. Livingston gave us (the girls) a lecture on doudiness in dress etc.

Mon 13.(May) School. Nice in forenoon Had a cyclone in afternoon did not touch Platteville but blew our barn to pieces and the sheds. Was real cool after it. Alma went home in evening. Frank Livingston’s father’s barn was also blowed down. Cried all evening. (Not an easy life!)

Fri. 5 (June) Went to High School commencement exercises with Alta & Ida. Charlie took me home afterward. We took Alta home. Charlie was very good until we got home. He asked me to kiss him good by. I would not do it and he said I was stingy. He did not kiss me after all. Will W. spoke the farewell by the juniors. He did swell. (Okay, where do I begin?! Sounds like Grandma was playing hard to get! Then she goes right into a comment about the commencement address. Not a whole lot of soul-pouring here. Too funny!)

Sun. 7 Did not go to church in the morning for there wasn’t any in our church. Girls came up late in afternoon because it had rained before. Went down to Ida in eve. Alta was there. Met Charlie and went out walking. We had a hot time. I was mad at him. The girls saw him with Ethel Averton in the park in the afternoon. He had his arm on the back of the seat. Went out Pine Street. He apologized and said he was sorry but did not blame me for getting mad. I told him that I didn’t care. I said he could go with her if he wanted to but he wouldn’t go with me afterward. He told me he did not want to go with her. He said he loved me and meant it. He tried to put his arm around me all the time and I would not let him. He wanted me to tell him what I thought of him but I would not do it. Went home made a date for Wed night and he kissed me good night. I fought but all in vain. Went to bed but golly I felt funny. (Finally, an entry with some meat on it. Thanks Grandma!!)

Mon 20. (July) Quite warm. Washed out my tan skirt among other things and ironed it in the forenoon. It shrunk real short so I wore my brown skirt and went to try and get a school. The British was taken. Went to Mahrs a little while then went to town. Saw Mr. Loy and he said for me to go out to Stumptown in the morning Mr Loy and wife rode up town with me. Stayed all night with Verna Clark (This is fascinating to me because, as a teacher, I can relate to the job hunting. I think "the British" was British Hollow School, which would have been about a mile south of where I live today! Not sure, though. I do know that Stumptown is four miles east of here (between Platteville and Potosi). Very, very cool!

Mon 7. (September) First day of teaching school. Got very tired because I stood so much. Did not have such a hard time to keep them quiet. Made some of them stay in for whispering and the like. (Way to go, Grandma! I can't imagine teaching a whole room of kids, some even older than myself, at the tender age of 17!)

Sun 8. (October) Walked around by cave in A.M. I pressed my suit. In P.M. Albert brought Verna and I to town. In evening I went down to Mundons. It started to rain just as I got there. It soon cleared off and was so bright as day. It was very cold. Charlie and I went out to Harms. We stopped just at the end of the woods and talked. He asked me to promise I would marry him. I told him I could not do it and then he wanted us to quit going together. This hurt me very bad and I would not do that. So he said to let it go six months, which would be until May to decide. Went home.

(Grandma May and ...Grandpa Charlie?? Not quite. There were a few more entries for the year, but nothing of much substance. The neat thing is that a few entries mention of her trying to get out to Nebraska for a teaching position. Grandma liked Charlie, but maybe she didn't want to marry him because she wanted to move west and teach out there. Turns out she met her future husband of 65 years (and 12 children, and umpteen grandchildren, great-grandchildren etc etc etc!!), out in Wayne, Nebraska. I sure wish she'd written a diary of her first year in Nebraska. We know that she met Clarice, and the rest is history!

Grandma May & Grandpa Clarice with my sister Marla, 1971

She is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.--1 Corinthians 7:39

Together Time

2011-08-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

July is gone and it was my lowest month for posting all year. Just so dang busy around here!! There aren't any more ball games (for a while), but we've had swimming lessons, gardening, feeding the animals (or should I say HYDRATING the animals and plants in the continual HEAT), renovating, job interviewing, and just plain old non-stop something-always-going-on. Plus the fact that this computer is used by a child playing a game or designing their next "howrse" banner or Lego mini-figure from sun-up to bedtime, it seems. Whenever I do have a few free minutes, one of my offspring is already using the machine. Or my husband getting ready for football season. So the poor blog has sat unvisited for a while!

Needless to say, the annual Engelke Family Campout post is almost 4 weeks late. Here's an abbreviated version. July 8-10 we all camped at the Rustic Barn Campground by Kieler, just 20 minutes away from home. It was nice to not have to travel so far (you should see our aching Kwik Trip account!) and yet feel like you were "getting away"! (Mark and Cy had to miss most of the action because they reported to all-star football camp on Saturday.)

Luckily, it wasn't as hot as it's been the past few weeks...but it was still hot enough for a dip in the pool to feel pretty darn good!

Marla, Julie, and I grew up together, so it's kinda neat to see our sons play together now. Payton (far left) is the oldest (12) while Cy is almost 11 and Gabe (far right) is 2 months behind Cy.

Tim & Maryellen (in the back with their baby girls) were the hosts this year. They selected a great location, a nice quiet family campground. They also provided hot meat sandwiches and hosted a wonderful supper on Saturday night! (and their newest daughter Annamae was less than 2 weeks old at the time!!)

The boys played bean bags well into the night (thanks to a strobe light/extension cord)!

I broke down and bought some cheap water guns at Walmart for the kids. I think they had a little fun with them;)

It's fun to see the different age ranges of my nieces and nephews get together and have fun. Whereas the younger kids ran around the playground and had water fights, the older ones hung out and talked. Or texted on their phones LOL

Some of my nieces and nephews are married and have children of their own, like Brett's son Memphis who is a few years younger than Wynne. They enjoyed some "beach time" together! Wynne always has to give me a pose when I'm trying to take a picture.

My brother Ken (standing in the back) brought a projector and showed a few movies on the side of one of the campers. How much fun is this?!!

The best part about the Engelke Campout is just being together, not having to worry about anybody driving home late after a day of visiting. Every year is in a different location with different activities both planned and spontaneous, and that's what makes the weekend so special! Thanks to Tim and Maryellen for hosting this year; our kids are looking forward to when WE get to host in 4 more years. Let's see, Ally will be 16 and Wynne will be 9.....oh boy that sounds so far-off! and yet I know it is not!

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.--Psalm 145:18 ESV