The Habluetzels

Seminary Update

2011-11-06T15:36:00.002-06:00

Hello friends,

I have not written an update for a while and it is time. We hope you are all doing well!
First off, we want to thank you for your prayers for us in these last few months. Last time I wrote, I mentioned how we had been looking for jobs since we arrived here and had not had any success. It was a very discouraging time for us. Shortly after I wrote that, within a period of two days, three different jobs became available to us. I began working two part-time jobs and Lisa began watching my friend’s toddler during the day. I am working a few hours a week in the Academic Services Dept. on campus and then I am washing windows for a company one day a week. This has been a great help to us in making ends meet and we thank God for this provision. Both jobs are flexible with my class schedules, which was a huge problem with other jobs I had looked at. So again, thank you for your prayers about that!

This school year is different because I am in what’s called the “Call to Ministry” process, which includes all kinds of extra work and expenses alongside my regular class schedule. So it is kind of exciting, as people are more intentionally walking alongside us to help discern calling and prepare for the future, but it’s also more stuff to take care of. The whole process is good in that it is shaping us in ways we didn’t expect, and God continues to work in us according to what he wants. We are excited as we continue to dream about what’s next and where God might be leading us.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the church, specifically the reputation that it has. Some people will always scoff at the church and find reasons to reject her. Whether it’s the notorious phrase, “It’s full of hypocrites,” to the many scandals that have surfaced over time, people can always find a reason to think they are above participating in the life of the church. And there are so many expressions of the church. I think that is a biblical and beautiful thing. It can also be messy. But just what is the church supposed to look like? Jesus prayed earnestly in John 17:20-23, as a sort of last request before his death, that his church would live in oneness together--even as he is in perfect oneness with his Father. And above all else, this is the thing that will cause the world to believe that Jesus is the real deal.

Stanley Haurwas once said, “The purpose of the church is not to prove that Christianity is true, but to demonstrate what the world is like if it is true.” Do you see the difference? This is why Jesus said in John 13:34-35 that we are to love one another as he has loved us, and that BY THIS people will know that we are his disciples—and this will in turn show that Christianity is, in fact, true. If the church does not live out its claim that it follows Jesus in this way specifically, nothing else we talk about matters because it comes from people who do not practice the most distinguishing mark of Jesus.

We easily grow dull to the command to “love one another” because it becomes too familiar to us. It is easy to reduce it to being nice to each other, even faking it to an extent. But Jesus wants his church to love each other sacrificially, in a way that draws them into “oneness.” Therefore, anything that gets in the way of this and causes unnecessary division is sinful, whether it is selfish preferences, conflicting ideas, prideful arrogance, self-righteousness, or whatever. God hates it (strong language!) when we sow discord among each other (Proverbs 6:19). There are a billion things that can divide God’s church but it is the self-sacrificing love of Christ expressed to each other that unites us. So the Apostle Peter said, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). One of the distinguishing marks of a mature congregation is the ability to live in unity amongst great diversity. This is the picture we are given in Revelation 21:24-26. It is a church that has learned to “bear with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). What could be a more beautiful expression of Christ to the world, and a more joyful community to participate with? It is not the “coolness factor” or how “relevant” it feels or any other side issue that will ultimately produce fruit for God’s kingdom. It is Spirit-driven love for one another that spills out into participation with God’s mission to the world. How awesome would it be if you heard someone describe the church as “those people who really love each other” or “those Christians who are willing to lay down their very lives for each other?” Wouldn’t you want to look into a community that was known for that?

There is a kind of smugness that is popular in the evangelical world these days. It can be incredibly satisfying to prove someone else wrong, or to appear more intelligent and less ignorant by our smug remarks and our superior doctrines. This kind of thing is rampant on social media and is the path the world gives us to make it to the top. It is all an attempt to save our own skin and the very opposite of what the church is called to. It is utterly unloving. May God help us to repent of self-centeredness and playing the one-up game with each other. May we lose that kind of life so that we may gain Christ, who is our very life. Amen!

Love in Christ,
Mark, Lisa, Samuel, & Judah

First Haircut

2011-10-28T15:12:00.005-05:00

I finally broke down and cut Judah's hair a couple weeks ago. I kept putting it off (even though he had a mullet/rat tail/ wings going on) because I loved the curls. Fortunately, his hair is growing back some, and there's still curls! I'd love for him to have some awesome curly, rocker hair, so we'll see.
Before the haircut......

After.....

First day of Kindergarten!

2011-09-12T17:38:00.004-05:00

Today is the beginning of Samuel's 2nd week of Kindergarten.... and he is LOVING it! He started off rough (getting a warning his first day of school), but made it his goal to stay in good behavior, and he's been doing great. He's making friends, having fun, and enjoying his teacher, Ms. Goodfriend. Isn't that a perfect teacher name? :)

A seminary update is coming soon, as well as some pictures from our trips to Kansas and Ohio last month.

Brief Update

2011-08-04T17:14:00.006-05:00

Hello friends!

Summer's getting near the final stretch (though it feels like we live inside the sun lately), and school will start back up at the end of the month. I just finished up week 5 of a 6 week summer intensive on Biblical Hebrew, which crams a full year of Hebrew into 6 weeks and tells you that you like it. Seriously though, it has been a really cool language to learn so far, very engaging and artistic. My professor is amazing, and she reminds me of my Mom with her passion for God's Word and some of her mannerisms. I think they would get along well if they ever met.

The North Park campus has always had lots and lots of crazy squirrels. When I was in undergrad, we would see them everywhere and joke that they were plotting to take over the university. Well, nine years later they haven't diminished one bit and they are a bit more bold than they used to be. Sometimes when I go out back to dump some garbage in the dumpster, I inevitably encounter one in a predictable but always surprising encounter that goes like this: I walk out my back door with a bag from the kitchen trash, usually thinking about something for school or whatever, and when I lift up the lid to the dumpster, there sits a suddenly panicked squirrel who was helping himself to some morsels of food. As soon as he sees me, he jerks back and forth looking for an escape route and then leaps into the air with claws and incisors outstretched, which causes me to freak out and drop the garbage bag as I cover my head. Then the lid to the dumpster, which I have let go of in my panic, slams down with a BANG that adds one last element of terror to the whole encounter, as the squirrel darts off into the bushes. Of course the squirrel never leaps directly AT me when it escapes, but it doesn't help that some of them actually have red eyes and I swear they are smiling at me when I walk by them on the campus.

Pray for us... that we would be protected from the squirrels, yes, but also just for our family as we have been tested in our faith lately. We truly appreciate all of you and your prayers for us. We hope your summers are times of refreshment and rejuvenation (and that you are keeping cool!).
Much love,
Mark

Happy Birthday, Mark!

2011-07-19T23:31:00.004-05:00

Studies show you are the best husband and dad EVER!
We love you sooooo, sooooo much!
Love,
Lisa, Samuel, and Judah.

Jam Session

2011-07-01T12:27:00.009-05:00

Nope, not Sam jamming this time, just Mark. Mark was long overdue for some guitar playing. So, I thought it'd be fun to take some pictures (and videos!) of him. Judah wanted in on the action too, and desperately wanted to play with those guitar pedals! :) I tried to get Judah to imitate Mark with his own little guitar, but he just had more fun pretending it was a broom. Oh well.

If you didn't catch what Mark was doing, it was a sweet little rendition of this. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n40qpIJIvNw

Seminary Update

2011-06-03T21:03:00.002-05:00

Dear friends,

Thank you for your prayers as I finished up first year finals here at seminary! I have not received all of my grades yet but will find out in the next few weeks how it all turned out. I feel pretty good about my final papers and tests and am glad I had some prayer support for the long hours and energy needed to complete everything. So thank you.

These last few weeks I have been catching up on rest and spending some quality time with Lisa and the boys, including playing outside, wrestling, and Lego constructions. I am teaching Samuel how to play wiffle ball and Judah is still trying to eat everything he gets his hands on. Samuel is really excited to go to kindergarten in the fall.

A couple weekends ago I went on a men’s retreat with my church family here up to the wilderness of upper Michigan. It was a good time away from the city to rejuvenate and reconnect with God’s good creation.

Plans for this summer include a few intensive courses, some time with extended family, and hopefully making some money. I have a job possibility with a company that I am currently in dialogue with. They have very flexible hours and past seminary students have worked with them. Please pray that this might work out for us.

It is amazing to me to think that a whole school year has gone by since we moved up here last August. God has been faithful and present in more ways than we can recount. We have been stretched and molded in ways that are both challenging and exciting. Thank you for your continual prayers as you remember us.

In Christ’s love,
Mark

Ju-dah!

2011-05-05T15:45:00.001-05:00

Soooo tired...

2011-04-16T20:17:00.004-05:00

Quick update....

Last weekend, Samuel was a ring bearer at a friend's wedding. He was a little stud in his suit.

Judah was just soooo tired after the busy weekend. :)

Right now, Sam and Mark are in a blanket tent in the living room, eating ice cream, and watching Star Wars. They're sleeping out there tonight. It's become a tradition for them now. I think this is the fourth or fifth time they've done this? So fun, great memories. :)

Update on the Boys

2011-04-05T15:44:00.007-05:00

SAMUEL....
While in Kansas last month Samuel lost his first tooth! It seemed a bit early (he turned 5 in February), but he got his first two teeth before 4 months old, so I shouldn't be surprised. Samuel pulled his own tooth the first night we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house. He was quite excited that the tooth fairy left him fifty cents, and when I asked him what he was going to do with his money, he said he wanted to give it to God. Awww..... In actuality though, he is not usually that surprisingly sweet. :) No more loose teeth yet, but his adult one has already popped through.

Last Friday, we all went to visit the school Samuel is going to go to next fall. It's not our neighborhood school, but is around a 15 minute drive and really close to the lake. When it came down to it, Mark and I hesitated with our neighborhood school because we haven't heard very impressive things about it.
So, through the crazy Chicago school lottery system, Samuel got into a different school, which has an emphasis on fine and performing arts. Everyone was uber nice when we visited and Sam was excited when he saw how fun the classrooms were....ESPECIALLY because they have computers. :)

JUDAH....
Judah has starting walking... sort of. He still enjoys crawling (because he's fast at it), but he's walking more and more. Right now he can take 6 or 7 steps at least. Here's a video of him a few days ago. I have a more recent video of him walking more, but this one was cuter. :)

Judah also got to play drums with Dad for the first time yesterday. He is already a drummin' fool. :)

And finally, here is what Samuel did while Judah drummed. :)

Judah's Birthday

2011-03-27T20:56:00.005-05:00

It still amazing that Judah is already one! We celebrated his birthday (actual date is March 9th) over Spring Break in Clay Center, Kansas.

Judah, you are absolutely amazing. You are beyond cute, with your big brown eyes and cute little nose. You are so joyful and laid back, and we're already noticing how much you balance out Samuel's more serious, perfectionist nature. On our worst days, one look at your smiling face, and our day gets soooo much better.
We thank God for you. We didn't know if we'd have any more children after Samuel. While we were still grieving the loss of our baby through miscarriage, God gave us you. We pray more than anything, that you would love God first and foremost in your life, and your love for Him would be your guide. We pray that we will raise/train you well, the way God desires us to, and when the time comes for you to follow God's call on your life, that we will let you go with our blessing. We can't wait to see what all God wants to do through you, and we feel so humbled and blessed that we get to be your parents. You are a beautiful gift and we love you so, so much!

Update 3/7/11

2011-03-07T23:57:00.004-06:00

We are long overdue for sending out an update to you all… we hope you are doing well!
We stayed in Chicago over Christmas break and Lisa’s family came to visit for several days. I also took a week-long intensive course on Ruth and Esther in early January and then had a week off before classes started back up.
My second semester is halfway over and going smoothly so far. I am thoroughly enjoying my classes again and finding more and more that this is what I want to do, and feel called to do, with my life. Lisa and I have had many good conversations about the future, wondering what it might look like. We are excited about that and look forward to how God may lead us. Her support to me is amazing and life-giving. I thank God for such an incredible wife.
Samuel and Judah keep growing up into little boys who are wildly fun. Judah is completely mobile on all fours now and is starting to play with big brother quite a bit. His laugh is quite hilarious and contagious. Both boys love to wrestle Dad and snuggle Mom, though sometimes the roles do switch so that I get snuggles and Lisa gets attacked.
I was recently struck with a renewed sense of wonder while reading Romans 5:6-10. Basically, it says that at “just the right time,” when we were still powerless sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. Why is our condition of powerlessness considered to be “just the right time?” The passage goes on to explain that while we were still sinners—at our very worst—Christ died for us. And this is the demonstration, the absolute best picture, of the love of God. I have been meditating on this passage for days now, and my perceptions of God’s love are still way too small. I cannot get my mind around this. How could anyone do this? And if he was willing to do this for his enemies, the passage explains, how much more can we have confidence in God now, after being reconciled to him? Enemies with no hope suddenly become permanently adopted family. What else can they do, but celebrate?
We want to continually express our thanks to all of you for your continued prayers and support. We have been so blessed to have the kind of encouragement that we have been given. We ask that you continue to pray for us, as we always need it and desire to be covered with God’s protection and provision.

Much love to all of you,
Mark, Lisa, Samuel, & Judah

Weekly photos

2011-03-01T22:04:00.007-06:00

Not really much photos to share right now, but I do have a pretty cute one of...

Samuel with Pony, who by the way, has had his tail fall off three times now. All were completely traumatic for Samuel, so I played "doctor" and mended Pony up as quickly as possible. Then, after Pony's fixed, I become Samuel's hero for a while, which is lovely.
Also, in this picture, you'll notice that Sam is in nothing but a towel. That's because he just had a bath, and always after his baths, he loves to come sit by the radiator for a while and get all toasty warm.

Another picture of Sam...

He's totally into Star Wars legos and here are his legos after a pretty intense battle. Notice how Annakin, Snow Troopers, and others are now decapitated and dismembered as a result of the wrath of Optimus Prime (located by Sam's right arm). Ugh. Boys. :) I can't wait to have a little girl someday that wants to play with dolls and do fun girly things. Boys are especially weird at times.
Here's a closeup of Annakin. Poor Annakin.

Here's Mark, following in the tradition of his Grandpa Decker by taking a nap on the floor after lunch. :)

And finally, I'll leave with a video of our little man Judah.

In Process....

2011-02-16T21:47:00.003-06:00

Yes, it's a miracle.... we've actually written on this thing.
We're actually in process of revamping our blog and turning it into an "our life in seminary" blog, with photos and a monthly update. This is our sincere desire, intention, and our hope. We'll see. :)

Chainbreaker

2010-01-24T20:04:00.002-06:00

In the video, Sam and Mark are playing to Chainbreaker by Charlie Hall, Sam's favorite song. The video quality isn't very good so you can't hear the bass drum well, but you can hear Sam's transitions into different parts of the song. He's quite the little drummer.... we're so proud. :) Oh, and he just started playing the bass drum a few weeks ago.
Sorry it's such a long video. I'm sure it's more interesting if you know the song pretty well.

Whistlin'

2009-06-15T09:24:00.005-05:00

Look at what Sam can do now!

Silly

2009-04-01T15:22:00.002-05:00

Sam is all about making funny faces lately. I was especially impressed with this one, with exception to the food in his mouth. :)

Go Sam!

2008-12-05T22:49:00.003-06:00

Here's a video of Sam going down the big inflatable slide at our church carnival last month. I didnt realize at the time how many people were there cheering him on! Go Sam!

Busy, busy, busy

2008-11-23T11:04:00.000-06:00

Busy. That pretty much describes our life this past month and a half. Between church stuff, family stuff, working, and traveling, our days have been full. So, here's a few highlights of this past month.
Walter's Pumpkin Patch - This was our first time at the Pumpkin Patch and we had so much fun... especially Sam. He's a little bit too small to do some of the fun stuff they had for kids, but there was still loads for him to do.

Wedding in Tulsa/Tulsa Run - Mark's cousin Spencer got married the end of October. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was lots of fun. They had a live big band style orchestra which was awesome. Mark also participated in the Tulsa Run with some other fam, including the groom. He was super sore afterwards because he didn't train at all beforehand, but still did really well.

Halloween - Sam dressed up as a very cute dragon this year and we are still working through his cookie jar full of Trick or Treat candy.

My birthday/Pastor's Retreat in Estes Park - In the beginning of November (on my 29th birthday), Mark and I headed to Estes Park, CO with our pastor and his wife for a few days of relaxation and renewal. The speaker there was excellent and the views of the Rockies were beautiful. We took a quick picture on our way out of Estes.... unfortunately, we never really had any time to enjoy the mountains up close.

Building Hope Carnival - To end our church's building fund campaign, we had a big carnival to celebrate. It's so great to see what God is doing in people's lives at Hope!

Well, that's our lives right now in a nutshell. Next week, my sister is coming to visit and then we're heading up to Clay for the big Habluetzel Thanksgiving get together. I can't wait!

Oh... and Conan is still flipping upside down and still alive. :)

Conan

2008-10-04T00:15:00.000-05:00

Conan is our goldfish - I won him a year ago at the State Fair. I used to win fish all the time at the fair when I was a kid (throwing ping pong balls into the fish bowls) and wanted to see if I could still do it. I won Conan on my last throw. Well, yesterday Mark and I were talking in the dining room with Sam and I glance over at Conan's tank and Conan is just floating on the top of the water clearly looking dead. So I ask Mark, "Is... Conan.... dead?!??" We watched him for another ten seconds and we agreed he was definitely dead.
Now, I never thought I would get emotional over a fish, but the next thing I know, I start crying and have to leave the room. I always wondered how I would feel when Conan died, but I didn't think I would get THAT emotional. Well, about 20 seconds pass and then all of sudden Mark says "He's okay! He's okay!". I rush into the kitchen and there's Conan swimming around like nothing ever happened.
Is this normal? Are fish known to play dead like dogs do? Are fish known to come back to life? Do fish sleep upside down on the top of the water? Was Conan trying to liven up his mundane day by playing a trick on us?
We may never know.
(And yes, Conan is doing just fine and I'm very happy he's still with us.) :)

He's gonna be a rockstar!

2008-09-13T11:17:00.000-05:00

Samuel is getting pretty good at playing the drums.... and he's only two!

Nebraska/Colorado pt 1

2008-09-07T00:23:00.000-05:00

Here's a few pics from before (and during) our visit to see Mark's brother Adam. We totally slacked on pictures in Alliance, but Mark took plenty of Colorado pics that he'll be blogging about soon.
Here's Samuel singing/doing the motions along with the Wiggles. He's starting to sing a lot more now... it's so cute!

We took THREE pictures on our Nebraska trip... how pathetic. :(
I think this is on our way to Alliance. Sam was very excited to see Uncle Adam, who he affectionately calls "Crazy Adam".

While in Alliance, Mark and Adam played disc golf...as always. Sam liked following Mark around and picking up the discs for him.

Alliance has a really big, pretty park. Sam was having fun looking out on the lake and watching the ducks.

We had lots of fun at Adam's. Hopefully, Mark will blog about his guy's camping trip in Colorado soon. I guess one of the guys is putting everyone's pictures together onto one CD, so it'll be fun to see all the pictures we get!

Sam

2008-08-20T10:30:00.000-05:00

Mark, Sam, and I are heading out tomorrow to see Mark's brother Adam in northwest Nebraska. We're going to hang out for a few days and then Samuel and I will come home while Mark goes on to Colorado for a week of camping with Adam and some other guys. He should have lots of fun... and be very sore from all the hiking and climbing mountains they're going to do.
So, here's a pic of Sam and a video to hold you over till we return. Enjoy!

This is how Samuel prefers to watch TV in the mornings.

Sam

2008-08-05T10:52:00.000-05:00

Since Mark and I have stopped using our blog for bickering... at least for a while, I thought I'd post a fun pic of Sam. This is from our church's Vacation Bible School this year called Power Lab.

Revenge...

2008-07-31T17:57:00.000-05:00

Well, I wish I had some goofy picture of Lisa to post so everyone could laugh and leave comments, but the reality is that Lisa looks extremely hot in every photo I have of her! What can I do? If I post them, people will just be in awe of her glorious beauty and leave comments like, "Wow, Mark sure is a lucky guy!" or "I have seen the face of an angel! What must I do to be saved?"... and that would only make it more difficult to get back at her. I will have to think of something else.

-Mark

Haha

2008-07-31T16:27:00.000-05:00

Whatever do you mean?

2008-07-23T20:35:00.000-05:00

I'm still here, thank you, my dear Lisa. It is only because I am so enraptured by your blazingly glorious baby-blue eyes that I haven't had any time (or ability) to write on our blog. I am sorry my dear, but if you would like me to be more productive, you should really not look at me so often with that stunning flutter in your gaze... I simply do not have the capacity to handle it and will quickly drift off into la-la land should you continue to be so beautiful.

A little behind....

2008-07-18T21:01:00.000-05:00

Now that Vacation Bible School is done, I finally have time to update the blog. This WAS supposed to be a shared blog between me and Mark.... haha. Mark did really well the first couples weeks, and then.... well.... it was nice while it lasted. :) Anyway, I thought I'd post some pictures from Fourth of July weekend. We got to go up to Clay Center for a few days and be with Mark's parents, grandparents, sister Carrie and her family, and lots of friends. It was a very fun, very busy weekend.

Here Sam is making Mickey Mouse dance. You would probably say he is attacking, even strangling Mickey..... but Mickey is dancing.... I promise.

We had a picnic over at Grandma and Grandpa Habluetzel's house July 4th. What a blessing to have all four grandparents still with us! (Boy, that corn must have been good) :)

This is a picture of our youngest nephew Caleb. It's amazing that he has been with all of us for almost a year already! And he LOVES to get his picture taken!

All the nephews with Sam. It's hard to get them all smiling and looking at the camera at the same time. :) I'll take what I can get.

Four generations of Habluetzel men. How cool is that?!?

Here's a few videos from our weekend as well.
Samuel thinks Caleb is chasing him, but he's totally not. :)

Awwwwww... boys. :)

And for the finale, Sam's first experience with SPARKLERS!!!

5 Years

2008-07-01T22:07:00.000-05:00

5 years ago today my mom passed away. I thought I'd be super sad and depressed, but I'm really doing okay. I actually forgot that today was "the day" until about an hour ago. I know that things like this get easier with time, but I think a huge reason I'm doing okay today is because I KNOW where Mom is at. She is in a place I can't even begin to imagine, a place more absolutely amazing than anyone on earth could even start to dream up. And although I do still miss her a lot, and can't get past the joy of where she's at. Instead of today being a day of sadness, I want to celebrate the day she went HOME.

I was so blessed to have a mom like her. Her spiritual wisdom and guidance made a HUGE impact in my life, and I know I wouldn't be absolutely, sold-out, in love with God if it wasn't for her own love for Him. Thanks Mom! :)

Boating

2008-06-24T23:49:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, our friends Jason and Michelle Daniels took us out in their boat and we had soooo much fun. Highlights were: getting to swim in the very brown El Dorado lake water (yuck!), outlasting a HUGE boat party (there were at least 10 boats tied together), Sam helping Jason drive the boat, Mark cutting his foot on the propeller, eating tons of Animal Crackers, and the Daniels getting Sam a brand new Thomas the Tank Engine beach towel! Woohoo!:)
Here's some pics of our relaxing day.

Mark and Samuel enjoying the boat ride

Could Sam be any cuter? :)

Having fun in the brown, brown water

Sam chomping down on animal crackers

"Helping" Jason drive the boat

This is one of Samuel's favorite people.. Braylon. Samuel LOVES Braylon and talks about her everyday. :)

We all had so much fun!

Florida

2008-06-09T22:09:00.001-05:00

Soooo... first off, Tyler and Erin - you can stop waving now, we're back from our vacation. :)
Well, I've been feeling pretty cruddy and tired since we got back from Florida and so this blog is way overdue. Turns out I had sinusitis pretty bad and my thyroid levels were low (which is not good), so I'm on some medicine now to make me feel better; but enough with boring health stuff. :)

We had an awesome time on vacation with my sister and her family and thought I'd post some pictures of our time together. :) Most of the pictures, of course, include Samuel.

This is my sister Lori, her husband Jeff, and their boys BJ and JoJo. No, those aren't their real names... and yes, this is the first family picture I have ever had of them. :)

Here, Sam is completely flirting with the princess at Medieval Times. He gave her a flower, danced around a little bit, and then proceeded to hi-five her, the king, and all the royal guards. It was awesome. :)

Samuel is ready for the beach!

Having fun at the beach. The beach was BEAUTIFUL! The sand was super, super fine and practically white. It was a private beach too, so there weren't a lot of people around.

We stayed at my aunt and uncle's condo down in Siesta Key. It was very private and quiet which was great. Sam had lots of fun playing basketball and ping pong, but had the most fun playing in the pool! His favorite thing was to jump in the pool... over and over and over again. :)

Mark got incredibly, crazily burned while we were in Florida. Here he is feeling sorry for himself.

Mark, BJ, and JoJo are showing off their muscles....

and here, Mark is showing off his mad boogie board skills. haha. :)

Me and Sam at Animal Kingdom

The last time my sister and I had a picture of just the two of us was probably 20 years ago. This picture was long overdue!

Florida, here we come!

2008-05-09T11:34:00.000-05:00

Well, we're off to Florida today to spend a relaxing week with my sister Lori and her family. Woohoo!

Silly Samuel

2008-05-05T22:39:00.000-05:00

Here's a couple fun (and a little disturbing) photos of Sam. :) I promise... Samuel accessorized all on his own.

Failed Attempt

2008-05-05T22:04:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm down to watching just one baby instead of two now. Maddie's last day with me was a couple weeks ago, so I decided to get a picture of Sam and the babies all together one more time before she left. I tried to get a picture of all three of them looking at the camera at the same time, but I failed miserably. I still got some cute pictures though. :)

Sam

2008-04-14T22:27:00.000-05:00

Just some photos to share. :)

Here's a video of Sam and Mark playing drums. Sam is going to be an awesome drummer someday! :)

Our Wonderful Week With Adam

2008-04-10T22:15:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, Mark's older brother Adam and friend Kirby came to stay with us. We all had a great time spending time with family and friends and thought I'd share a few of the photos. Enjoy! :)

THE END.

Helping Daddy

2008-04-03T19:43:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, Mark decided to rake up the rest of the dead leaves in the backyard. Sam really wanted to help, so I gave him the mini-rake. He did such a good job helping his daddy. :)

Last week Mark's brother Adam came to visit and we had a blast. I'll get some of those pics posted soon.

Slug

2008-04-03T19:33:00.000-05:00

As I was walking out the door to Wal-Mart tonight, there was a slug at the bottom of the steps. It was pretty big and thought Sam (and Mark) would think it was pretty neat, so I brought it inside. Mark took it over to Sam and Sam did think it was pretty cool. Sam then decided to touch the slime with his finger and then stick his finger in his mouth. He was not impressed. :) Hopefully, it's the last time Sam will try to eat a slug.

Love it!

2008-03-06T21:21:00.000-06:00

I just had to post this pic! It makes me laugh everytime I look at it.

My Dad

2008-03-06T20:07:00.001-06:00

I (Lisa) had a really amazing dream the other night about my dad. If you didn't already know, Dad died in 1995 from cancer.
This is pretty much how my dream went: I was in a room talking with my mom (who is also deceased) and decided to walk into the next room. When I walk in, my dad is standing there smiling at me. He would have been 74 years old today and looked around that age in my dream. Anyway, I was hysterical and crying a lot (I think it was a mixture of pure joy and shock all in one). :) He talked to me(wish I remember what he said) and then I walked up to him and was able to actually touch him! I "knew" that my time with him would be short, but that was okay... I just remember being so thrilled to have the little bit of time with him that I did.
Well, that was basicly all of my dream... it was short.
The reason I tell this dream is because it gave me a whole other glimpse of what heaven will be like. In heaven, I don't have to relive moments with my dad through a two-minute dream, but will have all eternity to spend with him. Also, my dad and I didn't have a good relationship while he was alive. One reason is because he was never around and I barely knew him. The other reason is because I always felt that he never saw me as much (he never praised me or encouraged me that I can remember). However, in heaven I know that our relationship won't be the same.... it will be the way God intended for a father/daughter relationship to be. And that is absolutely awesome. :) I can't even explain how amazing this revelation is to me, but know I have tears of joy while writing this. :)

Babies and more....

2008-02-17T23:34:00.001-06:00

I wanted to post a picture of the babies I get to watch everyday AND get paid for doing it! How sweet is that?!? :)

Jaymison is on the left and Madelyn is on the right.

Also, here is the latest mess that Samuel created. We forgot to put the lotion up this time.... oops. It was EVERYWHERE and he was completely covered in lotion. Our house smells nice though... like tangerines. :)

I took this picture last night at the ShortStop in Clay Center. Sam is actually saying "cheese!" while I'm taking it. What a little stud!

Two

2008-02-12T13:46:00.000-06:00

Well, Sam turned two this past Thursday and he started it off with a bang. He's in his big bed now and decided during one of his naps he'd open up the baby powder and have some fun. The baby powder is definitely getting put up on a shelf from now on. :)

Fee

2008-01-11T21:23:00.000-06:00

Everyone in the universe (including the aliens on planet Zukron) should get the new album by Steve Fee called "We Shine." It is excellent.

Nice Day!!!

2008-01-06T14:11:00.000-06:00

Wow, it's like 60 degrees here today! Absolutely beautiful outside. It's weird how in the summertime 60 degrees feels kind of cold but in the winter it feels extremely warm. This is one of those days that a nap just feels like the only possible option. I think I'll grab a hot cocoa, sit down on the couch, and read until I drift off to sleep... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Community

2008-01-05T10:42:00.000-06:00

I am laughing as we begin this whole blogging thing... communication in our world has gone crazy. The internet and cell phones have absolutely revolutionized the way we live and connect. I wonder what Amish folks or desert people would think about our lifestyles... these people still travel on horseback or walk for a good day just to get to town and buy some groceries. It's a lot more work to go over to someone's house to visit for an afternoon... but then again, they take the time to do it. With our crazy, instant avenues of communication has come a pace of life that is hard to keep up with. Solitude and quiet are almost gone. A relaxing Saturday afternoon is easily stripped away with piles of work that need to be accomplished. I guess I just want to be careful that the pace of the world does not define my life for me. I do not want to lose the value of personal, face-to-face contact and the refreshing, life-giving substance of silence where God seems to speak the loudest. I do not want to be a relationally shallow person. It's not that I wish I could "bring back the old days." After all, I do like the amazing convenience of the internet and cell phones. At the click of a button, everyone in the entire world who has internet access will be capable of instantaneously accessing what I'm writing down here. Not only that, but as I type, I am jamming to Red's "End of Silence" album (which is really good, by the way)... all in the convenience of my little lap-top computer which is portable and weighs maybe 5 pounds. I can also call my sister on my cell phone, who lives in Germany, from just about anywhere I'm standing and it'll sound through the phone like she's in the next room. Or I can get on Skype and literally have a "live" face-to-face conversation through the computer. Amazing.

We launched a new small group last night, which is what got me thinking about all this. For those unfamiliar with the term, a small group is a small community of people who come together consistently to grow in friendship with each other and with God. With a new group starting comes lots of excitement, the possibilities of new friendships, and the possibilites of deep and lasting change through a community that begins to know your heart and love and support you. Lisa and I just came out of a previous small group where some wonderful friendships were formed as well as some deep spiritual growth. And after last night's wonderful meeting with our new group, I am reminded of the deep ache for friendship and intimacy and for the body of Christ. I am thankful for email and cell phones but nothing beats flesh and blood contact.

Our first blog!

2007-12-27T22:59:00.000-06:00

With family and friends now living all over the world, Mark and I have decided to start a blog to keep everyone up to date with our life here in Kansas. We have been incredibly blessed while living and what to share all that's going on in our lives with you! I can't promise that the blogs will be very often, but we'll make sure to include lots of pictures of Samuel as he grows into an awesome little man. Here is Sam yesterday with the new watch he got from his Great-Grandma and Grandpa Habluetzel!