A Few Years Ago

We had out some old pictures and videos tonight and it reminded me that I hadn't ordered prints for awhile from all of our digital pictures. I don't order many, but I've consistently ordered enough for the kids to look back and remember times whenever they want to pull out their box of pictures. After things were cleaned up and the kids were in bed, I trolled back through my menu and found out that I last ordered pictures in the summer of '07! Yikes, more than a little behind. I decided to just finish out 2007 tonight and will go on to the other years some other cozy 'winter' night.

In reviewing the old treasures of two and a half years ago it dawned on me that the kids always make the blog and the grown ups rarely do. I found a couple worthy of being resurrected in this little post.


This picture was taken at a children's museum in Rockford when we were back in the fall of '07 for our family vacation. It is appropriately Papa John's that these big kids are serving up.

My parents surprised us with tickets to the Green Bay/Vikings game while we were home on vacation. There were 9 of us, plus baby Sam, and Mom and Sally stayed home with the other 11 kids (all 10 and under) while the rest of us spent an almost 24 hour journey leaving early in the morning on game day and coming back late that night-- more like early the next morning if I remember correctly. It was great because it was the game where Favre broke the touchdown passes record and we got to see it in person. Little did we know that two years later he'd be suiting up in the other colors! There were many memorable moments-- some of the best include Dad's trip into the women's restroom (oops) and the crazy storm on the looooong drive home-- that coming from me, one very tired driver.

That Christmas we drove out to the Waymeyers for our 'Christmas Eve' get together. I'm not sure what they're doing here, but I'm sure it has something to do with a sporting event.

Alex and Deanna visited right after Christmas and they brought their Wii and the addiction began. Jack loved it, of course, but he had a hard time wrestling some play time away from the adults... mostly Derek. :)

Derek and I have often joked that it is easy for us to remember different events and their timing by pictures because we've moved every two years in the nearly 10 that we've been married. I'll never have trouble identifying a child in a baby picture because they were all babies in a new house-- well, not Anna and Jack, but Jack wasn't too old before we moved to our Saugus house. If the above picture wasn't taken in our AZ house, I'd be guessing as to what year this was. I guess there are some benefits to all the moving!

Dad Came AND...

The mantle and trim got put in (I'm priming to paint),

the mysteriously missing electrical box was located, the drywall repaired and the light was finally mounted,

baseboard in two bathrooms was put in,

and the cabinet door was saved from the children's attempt and permanent demise.

That is the short list. I frankly can't remember the long list since Dad was running circles around me and I was struggling to keep ahead of him, and on some days just stay awake! Thanks again, Dad.

Anybody ever have success painting tile?

The Tower

The tower that Jack created...

and destructed.

Typical boy format.

A First Haircut

Leah has been begging for months to have her hair cut and until recently it really didn't need to be cut. That's right, below you will find 'first haircut pictures' for my 62 month old. Or you could call her a 5 year old (plus 2 months). I just evened out the bottom a little to make it look less straggly-- if that is a word.

She loves her new hair cut and has been fond of fixing her own hair recently and wanting me to do more with it. I think she is more girly in that way than Anna. Anna might be a little tomboy-- she even prefers hanging out with the boys at church (instead of the girls) and sitting at their table. When I asked her why, she told me it was because the boys play games that are more fun. Makes senes... should I be worried?



That hair at the bottom has been around since birth. It was the peachfuzz on her head that slooowwwly grew out to this beautiful, curly strawberry blonde hair.

Clip, clip.

Being a good little client.

Death that is not Dying

In the last week or so, death has become a regular visitor to our days. Dear friends losing their wives, mothers, children and others at times has seemed an unbearable weight of sorrow for those left behind. The mom and dad who had their little three year old die in their arms, the husband and father of four little ones watch his wife bravely fight to the end of a battle with cancer, an old friend lost his wife to inexplicable causes, and the list goes on.

But we have hope! And so many times in the last two weeks I have been reminded of the following passage that I memorized years ago with a friend as we took after-work walks around Pasadena.

1 Peter 1:3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance that in undefiled and imperishable and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed at the last time.
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen him, you love Him, and although you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

1 Cor 15:55
Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting?

Those, of course, are rhetorical questions. And two of my favorite ones! For our dear friends whose hope was in the Lord, they have received their prize and victory in glory. Their death was not dying.

Are you kidding??

The kids had a blast at the Fall Festival at church on Saturday night. They played games and 'won' more candy than we can eat in a few years, I think. Here they are with their stash. Disguised behind one of the giant bowls is another prize of the night-- more goldfish! They're still alive, but I don't know how long they'll last in a flower vase eating bread crumbs.