News From the North
The stomach flu has run rampant through our home. First it was poor Eli. Then came Lisa, a bunch of kids, and now me. I’ve decided that there is something wonderful about your kids being old enough to get to the toilet on their own when they are sick. Eli’s not there yet!
Speaking of Eli … While I was getting ready in the bathroom I splashed water in Eli’s face. He ran out of the bathroom, then re-appeared and said, “You bwak’n my heawt, and you bwak’n my fweelings huwt!" (You’re breaking my heart, and you’re breaking my feelings hurt)
It’s April 20th – and we woke up to snow. I mean snow that accumulated on the ground and on the trees. This has been one long winter!
I went with Lydia to the University of Minnesota Moorhead so she could get registered for classes and learn more about the campus and university life. We went up Sunday afternoon and stayed in a hotel. The program started at 8:00 am. There was a separate agenda for the parents, of which I intended to skip out-on and head back to the hotel. The program actually ended up being interesting, so I stayed for the entire thing. Moorhead is a nice town/city when combined with Fargo, which border each other (the Red River runs between them). The school has about 6,000 students. The campus is compact and well-kept. The students seem friendly and the atmosphere of the campus just felt good. I think it will be a nice school for Lydia. She only has two minor hurdles left to get over: 1) graduate from high school, 2) figure out how to pay for it.
Last week Luke had his school concert. A lot of the kids really got into it. There were hand motions, and props to wave around. Luke mouthed the words, but barely moved. He was the most non-enthusiastic kid on the stand. At one point the students all free-styled danced. You should see him dance. He barely moved – just a little arms moving back and forth. He’s too cool for all that!
Combined with the concert was a activity-night for the kids. Luke was really excited leading up to the event. He had built this up in his mind to something really fantastic! The kids were given a mask as they entered the event. They were to go around to various games and win small items that they could use to decorate a mask (feathers, pipe cleaners, jewels). Luke was especially excited about the spinning wheel. We had to find the spinning wheel first! We found the room with the spinning wheel, which was just a small wheel with maybe 6 to 8 possible spots to land upon. Luke spun the wheel. It only went around maybe once and landed on a two. He won 2 items to glue to his mask. As we walked away I asked him if it was as fun as he expected. He quietly mumbled, “No, not really.” We made it through all the games, which included eight stations of things like a ring toss, a fish pond, and a can toss. As we left for the evening I asked him again, was it as fun as you thought it would be?” He quietly mumbled, “No, not really.”
Sophia is back on Dakota, the horse she showed last year. She will be riding twice a week. She starts each session by cleaning the stalls and various other chores. Then she finishes with about an hour of riding with her instructor. Sophia is in her element with horses. It is so fun to see her and the confidence she has working with the horse.
We will be spending Easter with just the nine of us. After church we’ll have a nice meal, then the traditional Easter egg hunt. I always fill a bunch of plastic eggs full of candy, and then hide them. Some years we are stuck inside, but according to the weather forecast, it should be a nice day. It is no substitute for Grandpa and Grandma’s egg hunts, but I did learn a few of my hiding tricks from Grandpa.
If I don’t talk to you sooner, have a wonderful and Happy Easter.
1 Peter 1: 3-5 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (NIV, 1984)
Love,
JR
The stomach flu has run rampant through our home. First it was poor Eli. Then came Lisa, a bunch of kids, and now me. I’ve decided that there is something wonderful about your kids being old enough to get to the toilet on their own when they are sick. Eli’s not there yet!
Speaking of Eli … While I was getting ready in the bathroom I splashed water in Eli’s face. He ran out of the bathroom, then re-appeared and said, “You bwak’n my heawt, and you bwak’n my fweelings huwt!" (You’re breaking my heart, and you’re breaking my feelings hurt)
It’s April 20th – and we woke up to snow. I mean snow that accumulated on the ground and on the trees. This has been one long winter!
I went with Lydia to the University of Minnesota Moorhead so she could get registered for classes and learn more about the campus and university life. We went up Sunday afternoon and stayed in a hotel. The program started at 8:00 am. There was a separate agenda for the parents, of which I intended to skip out-on and head back to the hotel. The program actually ended up being interesting, so I stayed for the entire thing. Moorhead is a nice town/city when combined with Fargo, which border each other (the Red River runs between them). The school has about 6,000 students. The campus is compact and well-kept. The students seem friendly and the atmosphere of the campus just felt good. I think it will be a nice school for Lydia. She only has two minor hurdles left to get over: 1) graduate from high school, 2) figure out how to pay for it.
Last week Luke had his school concert. A lot of the kids really got into it. There were hand motions, and props to wave around. Luke mouthed the words, but barely moved. He was the most non-enthusiastic kid on the stand. At one point the students all free-styled danced. You should see him dance. He barely moved – just a little arms moving back and forth. He’s too cool for all that!
Combined with the concert was a activity-night for the kids. Luke was really excited leading up to the event. He had built this up in his mind to something really fantastic! The kids were given a mask as they entered the event. They were to go around to various games and win small items that they could use to decorate a mask (feathers, pipe cleaners, jewels). Luke was especially excited about the spinning wheel. We had to find the spinning wheel first! We found the room with the spinning wheel, which was just a small wheel with maybe 6 to 8 possible spots to land upon. Luke spun the wheel. It only went around maybe once and landed on a two. He won 2 items to glue to his mask. As we walked away I asked him if it was as fun as he expected. He quietly mumbled, “No, not really.” We made it through all the games, which included eight stations of things like a ring toss, a fish pond, and a can toss. As we left for the evening I asked him again, was it as fun as you thought it would be?” He quietly mumbled, “No, not really.”
Sophia is back on Dakota, the horse she showed last year. She will be riding twice a week. She starts each session by cleaning the stalls and various other chores. Then she finishes with about an hour of riding with her instructor. Sophia is in her element with horses. It is so fun to see her and the confidence she has working with the horse.
We will be spending Easter with just the nine of us. After church we’ll have a nice meal, then the traditional Easter egg hunt. I always fill a bunch of plastic eggs full of candy, and then hide them. Some years we are stuck inside, but according to the weather forecast, it should be a nice day. It is no substitute for Grandpa and Grandma’s egg hunts, but I did learn a few of my hiding tricks from Grandpa.
If I don’t talk to you sooner, have a wonderful and Happy Easter.
1 Peter 1: 3-5 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (NIV, 1984)
Love,
JR