Easter Get-together

Last Saturday we had a great day with the extended family, although we missed some who couldn't make it. Here is a link to more pictures.

Kid-sitting in March

Ralph and Sharon went on a special trip together to the Middle East tracing Paul’s Missionary Journeys! They got a taste of the “Holy Lands” which they found to be a very enriching, enlightening experience bringing the Bible to life. See their blog for photos….
We were very glad to “aid and abet” their departure so we that could have their kids J and Ralph could get a very much needed break from his busy and stressful work/life.

It was enjoyable having R&S’s well-behaved, well-adjusted, sweet kids living with us over the 2 weeks they were away. All of them except Timmy stayed with us – no, not all 6 at once! – R&S had worked out a complicated, detailed plan of care between both sides of the families!

The first week we got to enjoy Andrew & Daniel

We appreciated Andrew’s unexpected humour and his willing helpfulness. J  Here he’s pumping the pedals to make the sound come out so Daniel can play the old pump organ! There’s team work for you! 

He was also very ready to help Oma in the kitchen – what a fine husband Andrew will make some day!

Andrew's attempts at keeping little brother in line were amusing at times.

LOL! Daniel’s knows how to relax while he works too!  Altho, trying to write in the air while balancing on a 2 separate uneven surfaces – 1 rocking and 1 rolling – uses a lot more energy than writing on a desk!  Maybe it was just that he found his math so easy that he needed make it more challenging!?!

Daniel has great enthusiasm for everything! He especially delighted in playing with & teasing Tia, and feeding her and he was also the self-appointed “official poop-scooper” for one day – which was much appreciated!

“Wave, wave bye-bye!”

 He was also quite eager to help make delicious applesauce - something he obviously had experience in already!

It was a delight to have David and Bethany the 2^ndweek – so cute and relatively easy to care for (if it weren't for sicknesses).  David was really talking now and it was so neat to be able to get to see his sweet character emerging – very intelligent little guy too, he hardly missed a thing!  Sometimes I called him "puppy" by mistake - or sometimes on purpose just to hear his cute "I not puppy! I little guy David!"  Wish I had writen down more of the cute things they said!
David figured 2 years old was not too young to do dishes too! He did a very thorough job - also of soaking his pants and the floor as well!   

(sorry, I can't turn it)

Tia soon learned that her ratings fell drastically when real kids are in the house! And she found out that she had more bosses to obey and perform for – but also more fun and playmates! Thankfully she was very obliging and good with the kids, letting them do what they pleased without protest and not nipping or barking at all! The puppy classes we just finished before this were helpful and just in time!

Bethany was really good at telling Tia what to do - and getting the desired result!

 “Good bow!”“Here’s a treat"

“Shake a paw”

Puppy kisses :)

Cozy, reading time – Tia wasn’t too interested and retired to her proper place warming my feet J

Watching fascinatedly as Tia laps up her food and licks her bowl clean!

Warning: DO NOT let your kids get this close to just any dog while its eating! 
I trained Tia from day 1 to be very polite with her bowl/food and to allow us to take it away mid eating, or to touch her etc so I knew it was safe for these two – but, I still instructed them to keep their hands together and not to touch her or her bowl while she’s eating.

In between, Betty came with her kids, staying at “the M_ _  _ _ Cres hotel” (run beautifully by Tinie in their absence :)) overnight and visiting us and the others during the day and swapping kids everywhere she went! What great cousin time this afforded them!  Worked out really well!

"Betty" & Joanna had fun together - as usual!

Who’s walking who?

Daniel came back again – he couldn’t wait to get back because “Tia will miss me”

So, as you can see Tia puppy is still very cute and delightful but she doesn’t come close to the kiddies!! How much more precious are they, created in God’s image and with a surpassing real capacity to love & obey & communicate and to worship Him with their childlike faith & trusting ways.

Thanks again, Ralph & Sharon, for entrusting your children to all of us while you were away. And we thank the Lord for keeping both you and all of us safe!

Top Ten for 2011

Here are the Top Ten resources that positively influenced me in 2011: (in semi chronological order)

1) Runner from Ravenshead - DVD with kids as actors – very well done and good allegory of our part in helping lost people find their way to freedom in Christ’s kingdom.

2) The Orphans & the Ravens, Julia Francis – incredible account of the Father’s care for His children in communist Romania

3) Wings Like a Dove by Christine Farenhorst – riveting historical novel set in the 1500s during the Reformation struggles. Portrays the courage of Queen Jeanne D’Albert of Navarre in helping to establish a protestant refuge while France & Spain on either side were ruthlessly stamping out the “Huguenots”.

4) Tramp for the Lord by Corrie TenBoom – encouraged my faith & prayer life

5) Lord, Change My Attitude by James MacDonald – very practical excellent book that Liz & I are still working thru

6) Lamplighter Rare Collector books – proof-reading a bunch to find that special one for each of the kids (all 21 eventually plus my sibs)!

7) Which None Can Shut by Reena Goode - a missionary in an Arabic country shares remarkable true stories of God’s miraculous working in the lives of Muslims there. Brought tears to my eyes many times - so amazing and motivating!

8) Making Life Rich Without Money by Phil Callaway –hilarious personal accounts and tidbits to help the reader see just how rich he is! -even if so poor that the cupboards are bare and we don’t know how the next meal will come – which none of us have even remotely experienced!

9) The Very Best of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan DVD – fascinating and inspiring. Seeing how a dog’s behaviour can be changed and directed helped us feel more confident in getting a dog.

10) Rev. Harry Zekveld’s sermons - very Christ-centered, Christ-exalting, challenging, encouraging, inspiring both contrition & joy, tying the Bible together - particularly in the 2009 Easter series.
* * * * * *
And Regulat – from Dr.N. in Switzerland - a special enzymatically-alive liquid concentrate that played a huge role in my rapid recovery from bacterial pneumonia last year, and in healing Mom’s chronic leg ulcer. It regulates the immune system, balances pH, breaks down pathogens in the blood… therefore promotes healing from many ailments. Ask me for it.

Tia (pronounced Tee-ah)

Yes, Tia is my cute, sweet, crazy puppy! I can hardly believe it myself! But the fact is, there’s this cute little thing following me around, sleeping on my feet, trying to “kiss” my neck, cavorting with her green giraffe and/or Opa in the yard… and there’s all these puppy training books & videos waiting to be read/watched…. Thankfully she’s so quiet & good most of the time and sleeps thru the night. Tho she is extra work, she’s also good stress relief (& warmth!)

Here she is at almost 14 weeks - she loves romping in the snow!

and below at 11 weeks when we got her

Curled on my lap after we got her home. She weighed around 7 lbs - just like a newborn baby!

Kenny was her first introduction to our kids - he's just tickled with her!

Josh is good with animals and helped raise their golden retriever puppies a couple years ago.



Maria loves animals too

Joanna is quite brave - can tell she's used to pets too - tho kittens are much less fragile than puppies!

Josiah's lap fits a little better! He sat so nice & still and she kept coming back to him. So cute! She also did that with Sarah - sorry no photo

She remembered Anna & Jo and was quite content with Anna. Willy was a little too hyper and timid to come too close - tho he did actually feed her a treat!

So she's met all the kids except 2 and she loves them all!

She's so social & friendly and gets so excited-spazy-hyper when anyone comes to visit - so you have to be calm, then she'll calm down too. We're still trying to train her proper dog etiquette! :)

Kara's golden-doodle, Zoey, helped Tia get started with walking on the leash outside - before Zoey motivated her & she showed her how, Tia refused to bunge! Now she loves going for her "walk"

Romping & playing makes her tired quickly & she finds a cozy place to sleep - often on my feet - I love that - warms them up!

She's soo good & quiet at nights too and hardly ever barks - not even when strangers come to the door!

Thanks Ralph for the nice family photo! :)

I'm thrilled with my little puppy - we all love her and can't imagine life without her anymore!

Christmas celebration & gift exchange

Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Joyful and Triumphant...

Our family gift exchange was simplified (family to family) and combined with our Christmas celebration this year. It worked out quite well and as the gift giving didn't take up so much time this way, we still had time for chatting, playing/dress up, a nice turkey dinner and singing Christmas carols....

Very nice day! Too bad that John was sick! missed ya!

Hard to get a shot where all 21 grandkids are looking good in but these did turn out quite good!

The creative gifts where even the wrapping counts!:

Great job, everyone!

Thanks for having us, Maurice & Chris! and Sharon for the photos, and organizing food...