It's been forever since I've posted anything on my blog because I've been putting all of my pictures on facebook. Well, my facebook is being absolutely annoying, so back to the blog for now.....

here are some pics from Kids 4 Truth tonight. We were playing the "freeze" game. The kids love it! I'm glad I had my camera with me!

Enjoy!

Kids 4 Truth Quote of the Week:

"God created man in His own spinach."

Tidbits from Texas

Here are a few great moments from our trip to Texas. I recorded them in a little notebook so as not to forget anything highly entertaining!

I had the joy of sharing a room with Nils. This meant that I was awakened very early each morning. I am not a good morning person......therefore I was rather whiny about my situation. But after reflecting on what happens early in the morning with Nils, I must admit that it was fun to spend that time with him! He is so "awake" and just starts talking about whatever pops into his head. The first morning I awoke to hear: "Our Father Who art in Heaven, halllowed be thy name.......who should we pray for?" He then started naming people. Then out of the blue....."what does the cow say? Moo." Another morning he woke up and walked into the bathroom. While sitting on the toilet, he said, "Jesus was sitting on a donkey." It took me awhile to catch on to this. He repeated himself a few times. We wandered back to bed and he kept talking about Jesus and the donkey. "Yes," I said. "And the people were happy and saying 'hallelujah'" (I guess they were actually saying 'hosanna', but it was too early for me to get it straight). Then I said, " I don't remember what else the people said, but Jesus was riding into Jerusalem on the donkey." To which Nils responded, "Jesus is King!" I was pleasantly surprised at his good memory. He must have heard the story either at school or church the week before. He kept saying, "Jesus is King!"

Later that same day, we were sitting around eating lunch. Nils had finished and was running around. He spotted a camera on the counter and grabbed it, dashing out of the kitchen as fast as he could. I jumped up from the table and ran after him, chasing him to the guest room, where he had deposited the camera on the bed. He was jumping up and down and turning toward me he shouted, "Jesus is King!" I had a hard time keeping a straight face. He was totally trying to make me forget about the camera by saying something which I had reacted to positively before. I am often impressed by how his mind works!

We had an Easter egg hunt before we left on Saturday. We gathered them together for a group picture after they had found all the eggs. When we told them to smile, Annika proudly held up her basket and shouted, "I love Jesus!" Then she continued, "Do you know why I said that? Because it's Easter, and Jesus rose from the dead! We get to see Jesus tomorrow!" She was so excited.....I don't know if she was disappointed the next day or not!

When we were at Sea World, Annika, Marta and I were waiting for everybody else to get off of a ride. We had been trying to see which boat they were all in when they came down the big waterfall. Annika was sure she had spotted them: "That's them. It is. But don't get mad at me if it's not cause I'm not God. I don't know everything."

While eating out at a Mexican restaurant, Marta was sitting next to her daddy. He took a spoonful of mole' sauce and held it out to her."Taste this, Marta. It's chocolate!" Marta is a very picky eater and is not usually willing to try something new. But without any hesitation, she took a bite. Her happy expression at the thought of chocolate quickly changed to confusion.....then she burst into tears! Admittedly this was not a very nice trick, but it was pretty funny!

We stopped at a Starbucks drive thru one morning. When Kendall started to order coffee, the lady immediately asked him, "What are you eating?" They had picked up some breakfast tacos from this place called "Super Donut" ( I know, weird.........) Super Donut's coffee could have been terrible, so Starbucks was a must. We just laughed and laughed because the lady talked on and on about the taco and wanted to know if it was good.......Diane accused Kendall of chewing really loud.

And all throughout the trip we would hear this from Nils when he was seemingly frustrated.......
"Ahhhh....I need a cough drop!" I'm pretty sure he's never had a cough drop, and we have no idea why he was saying it, but it was his favorite phrase.

All in all, it was a very entertaining trip! I was exhausted when it was over, but it was great to visit new places and hang out with the whole family. And I could do it again......just not really soon!

Haiku Memories

I was going through some papers this week and found some haiku that was written over 6 years ago. I had a good laugh reading it again, and thought it would be fun to post it. Joy and Karyn should especially get a kick out of it- there are inside jokes.....you can ask if you feel the need, or just be content in knowing that we are strange!

Haiku for Mel (written by Joy)

You are the tall girl
Who gave me a lift to my
First Rockford party.

I pretty much liked
You right off, but I must say
Some things have changed since.

For instance, your rear
View mirror probably
Displays lipstick words.

Your salad's great. But
What I really like? Lime chips.
I could eat them all.

Karyn gets one aft-
Er I get my large, fair share.
(Don't tell her, OK?)

I know all of Z's
Nicknames now, like Monkey-Butt.
(That is the first time

I have ever used
Gratuitous language in
A haiku, mind you.)

An Alias is
A nice thing for Z to have,
But I recommend

Finding one that's fine
To mention in Dave's presence.
Reminds me of prize

Pigs. Which reminds me
Of sweet corn, glowsticks, music
Videos, and hay.

It's been a great fall-
I mean that from the bottom
Of my heart- so thanks!


Haiku for Joy (written by Mel)

Oh joyous, joyous
That is what I think of your
Personality.

It's quite a riot.
Just like The Cheeseburger Song.
How can it compare?

Is it a wonder
That you enjoy that song so?
Food is a blessing

You always tell us.
And yes, it is so true,
Mandarin oranges

Are orange- like pumpkins.
The word "haiku" makes me think
Of toy samuris,

Fighting at the boys
Ridiculous instructions
And video stores.

But still, Praise the Lord,
And what fun we have had, right?
I shall not forget!

Haiku for Karyn (written by Joy)

I want to start out
With a tiny correction,
Tiny and needful.

That is simply this:
It was not I who first caused
The felt need to coin

The word "annoying."
It was truly invented
In the Dark Ages

As a magic charm,
Said to rid people of plague
And of broccoli

And box elder bugs.
That being said, please proceed:
Once upon a time,

There was a girl with
Pumpkin-colored hair and a
Blue BYWAV sweatshirt.

She was a nice girl,
Especially when JAG aired and
Benadryl kicked in.

She was a good cook,
Overly generous with her
Vacuum and dryer,

And best of all, she
Drove cute and reliable.
Oh!- and she lingered.

One fine day, Karyn
(For that was indeed her name)
Accidentally ate

Her BYWAV sweatshirt
During a treadmill mshap.
But not to worry!

Nine Dr. Peppers
And one white-iced chocolate cake
Helper her wash it down.

After good-luck hops
On the rubber mat, she was-
BOING!- herself again.

Fairytale Time

Annika wrote a little story yesterday at school. This is how it started:
"huosa pona time....."

Don't you love it?

The 2 girls always seem to be talking about princesses. They are very good at pretending. Sometimes I have to be a princess; sometimes I have to be the prince! Tonight I was drying Marta's hair, and she was complaining because she thought it was taking too long. I told her that it had to be all brushed and dried and beautiful because she was a princess.
"Yes, " she replied, "and that is my castle." She pointed to the bunkbeds. There is a cover over the top bunk that makes it look like a castle.
"Is there a prince?" I asked.
"Yeah, but he's somewhere saving another princess," she answered.

Thinking on Good Things

Today would have been my grandpa's 82nd birthday. Yesterday was the 3rd anniversary of his "promotion to glory." I was thinking about him last night before I went to bed. My brother sent me a message- part of a song that had been sung at grandpa's funeral. It's a song about a faithful preacher who never gives in to new religious fads as times change. He still stands for the truth of God's Word- and is not afraid to preach the whole truth.

I really didn't spend a lot of time with my grandpa because he lived so far away. Usually I would see him once a year. And I didn't agree with him on everything- though I never had the audacity to start a debate with him! I would keep my NKJV Bible hidden when I was at his house! I remember when I went down for the funeral- I walked into the house, through the kitchen, stopping at the dining room door. My eyes immediately fell on his open Bible on the table and the empty chair next to it. It was the strangest thing that he wasn't sitting there reading......that's where he usually was. I realized how thankful I was for that memory. He was a man who pastored for 55 years, never deviating from the truth that men are sinners who need Christ. He wasn't afraid to walk up to people and talk to them about Jesus. He consistently wrote letters to the editor of the newspaper when he felt the need to speak out about something. And the paper printed his letters. Everyone in town knew this old preacher and what he stood for.

At his visitation, there was a record number of people in the funeral home. People from law enforcement and government offices were there. And at the funeral people lined the back walls of the church. Pastors and preachers came from all over to say goodbye to someone they highly respected and loved. I am thankful for those memories too. I am especially thankful that the Lord gave me such a godly example in my grandfather.

Now the old preacher man stands there in that city
The city he's preached of so long.
But he's never seen such a great congregation
All gathered to welcome him home.
And he's never heard more beautiful singing
Than is coming from that heavenly band.
He's preached his last sermon, carried his last burden,
He's at rest in that heavenly land.

Who's Calling?

Nils has this thing lately with the phone......any phone he can get his hands on. We have been locking the cordless phones in the kitchen cabinet because otherwise he'll be carrying one around the house trying to call people. If someone leaves a cell phone lying somewhere, it will disappear....and so will Nils. He has called several of my friends by accident. He never talks to anyone- just pushes buttons and listens to people.

A few weeks ago I was home with all the kids while Kendall and Diane were in Chicago. We were eating dinner, and I got up to go to the bathroom. The phone rang as soon as I got into the bathroom......oh well. I figured it was Diane, and I could call her right back. I made my way back to the kitchen and started talking to the kids. I walked over to the sink to rinse some dishes- still talking to the kids but not really looking at them. Then I heard a very faint voice......."Melody!"
I turned to look at Nils and saw him standing next to the phone. He had answered it while I was in the bathroom. His parents were trying to talk to him, but, of course, he wasn't talking to them- he had put the phone down on the table and was watching the seconds tick by on the screen. He really loves to watch numbers.
I ran and grabbed the phone. Kendall said they were having a lovely one way conversation with Nils. Some day we are going to get him to talk on the phone. Right now, he just laughs!

The boy is very good at laughing. I was watching t.v. one night last week when my phone rang. I saw that it was Diane and answered it -it wasn't really Diane. I said hello several times and then started calling his name. Laughing.......more laughing......finally I heard Diane's voice in the background, " Nils, how did you get my phone? Are you calling Mel?"

And then there was the phone episode this week: The Mystery of the Caller ID. I was preparing dinner for Nils and Marta while Annika was at gymnastics. The phone rang, and I went to check to see if I recognized the number. If Kendall or Diane or someone I know is calling, I'll answer. Otherwise I'll just let it go to the machine. I looked at the number- 979....... yes, I recognize that number. I can answer that ..... My mind was racing to figure out who's number it was as I reached for the receiver. Wait......that's MY number!
I turned and looked across the dining room to see Nils standing next to my cell phone, excitedly watching the seconds tick by. He didn't even realize that he was calling his own house. I picked up the phone and loudly said hello. He looked at me and smiled. Then the chase began. I retrieved my phone, found my purse in the t.v. room and proceeded to hide them both in the closet. And what was Nils doing? Laughing.

For Anouk :)


Nils and Annika and I were in the basement, writing on a white board. Nils thinks he is writing words. He does fairly well with letters B, O, P, N, and S. We practice words that he knows- I write, he identifies. I wrote his teacher's name and he said it right away. Annika sat for a moment and then started writing. I thought she was going to write her teacher's name, but instead she wrote:
"Mrs. Onuk". I was confused- it wasn't even close to her teacher's name.
She said, "There. Miss Anouk. I love Miss Anouk. She is so sweet.........and...... cuddly." Then she busted out laughing.

I laughed, too. I'm pretty sure "cuddly" was not the word she was looking for! She really cracked herself up, which resulted in serious giggling about one thing or another for at least half an hour!

Another Joke from Marta

Q.: Why did the camel go down the chimney?

A.: Because he wanted to get his butt fired!


i don't know why it was a camel......i asked her if she made this up, and she said "that silly girl Annika" told it to her. Annika denies knowing about it.

Good Things to Know

1) Never put a bottle of hand soap in the toilet and then flush. This will result in an overflowing toilet and puddles of water on the bathroom floor. Other results may include: Nils laughing- until he has to sit in time out.

2) Never put toilet paper in the bathtub while you are taking a bath. This will result in a soggy mess and clog up the drain. You may then have to dig around the drain with your fingernails to retrieve the toilet paper. If it is still clogged you may have to use a knife......or just give up and let someone else handle it.

Word of caution- if both of these things happen on the same day, you could end up slightly frazzled.