Friday Funnies

Some of my friends sometimes post "Friday Funnies" and this morning Levi gave me some prime material...

We were sitting at breakfast just eating and talking and I was asking him some questions like his name, how old he is and when I asked what his favorite color is...without missing a beat he says,
"Bob the Builder yellow"...I about choked on my breakfast! He doesn't even watch Bob the Builder.
Usually I can figure out why is says certain things, but this one came out of no where!

He is too funny!

WE HAVE NEW TEAMMATES!

Our hearts are overfilling with joy and thanksgiving tonight...as God has answered our prayers for teammates! The "unnamed couple" :) that we asked you all to pray for, has been officially accepted by World Harvest Mission as missionaries to Vienna. We can hardly wait to tell you more about their family, but first they must announce it officially to their home church. Be patient, we promise to fill you in on all the details after the first of the year!

Thanks for praying for all of us.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

We love this time of the year...and this weekend was filled with all sorts of special memories.
Saturday morning started with dancing in the kitchen (a family tradition) as we waited for warm sausage bread to come out of the oven. After we devoured the bread, Brad and the kids went to SNOWFEST 2006 (click here to see a short video), while mom and I stayed home to make "cracked sugar cookies" and almond bark pretzels.

This morning we went to worship at Uncle Rick's church and then this afternoon we had our Hunter Family gift exchange and dinner.

















The day ended with the St.Andrews Christmas concert...Luke, Abby and Neena were all part of the choir. It was a much different holiday season last year with both of our moms recovering from major surgeries...so it was such a treat watching Neena sing praises to our King. After the concert, we drove around to hear the children say the "oohs and aahs" of seeing Christmas lights and we topped off the night with Farm Stores Egg Nog and more cookies:)
Doesn't get much better than that!

Viennese Dessert

Last night our great friends, Dan and Julie Smith opened their home up and hosted a Viennese Dessert party for us. It was great to see old and new friends...share about what God has been doing in our lives and present our vision for Vienna. We were very encouraged by the turn out, the questions that were asked and the prayers that were lifted up on our behalf! The desserts were really yummy too! :) A special thanks to the Smiths and all who took time out of their busy schedules to be with us!

Cheer, Cheer for Old Notre Dame!

I'm very lucky compared to most wives I suppose, the only sport that my husband is addicted to is Notre Dame football. Tonight the #5 Irish play the #3 ranked USC...big rivalry! This game determines what bowl they play in. OOOH!

So a bunch of fellas are arriving soon and you may be asking...what do you make for a bunch of guys while they watch the big game? Something with Velvetta of course! Nothing satisfies like some Nacho Chip dip with Velvetta cheese "product". What the heck does that mean...cheese product? Anyway, if you didn't consume enough lard at Thanksgiving...here's the recipe:

Nacho Cheese Dip

2-3 lbs. of hamburger
2 lbs. Velvetta cheese
1 (8oz.) tomato sauce
1 (8oz.) taco sauce

Fry hamburger and drain. Add the cubed Velvetta to the warm hamburger. Stir on low heat until melted. Add the sauces. Serve warm with Doritos or plain tortilla chips.

(If this recipe didn't give it away...you now all know that I am still a good ol' Mid-Westerner at heart!)

Go IRISH!

On another note entirely, click HERE to see a video tip for the holidays.

Face the fear, but not feel scared...

Why is it that we usually wait until we want to sell our house to do the projects we've been talking about for years? Last week the house was painted, today Brad and "Uncle" John Couric cleaned out a lot of the garage, a screen repair company was here to fix leftover damage from hurricane Wilma, and Mom and I (along with a little help from the kids) cleaned the windows inside and out. The house is really starting to shape up...just in time to put it on the market!

I recently was playing "Doctor Kiang" with Levi. This is when he pretends he is his pediatrician, and he checks out Elmo and Abby's (usually unclothed) baby dolls. He likes the ones without clothes because he can put bandaids all over them without any difficulty. When you ask him if he wants a bandaid he always says no. I asked him why and he said..."it hurts!" Meaning in Levi language, it hurts when you take it off...

Sometimes that is what this process of getting ready for Vienna has been like...taking a bandaid off really slowly, instead of just ripping it off so it won't hurt so much! Everyday something reminds us that we are preparing to say goodbye to those we know and love. Last Sunday, it was that my name was taken off the nursery list at church because of all of our upcoming travels, this week it has been all of the work on the house, Thursday it will be the "last" Thanksgiving as we know it for awhile, along with the last Hunter Family Christmas card photo. So many reminders that everything will soon change.

I know change can be good. Usually it produces growth...spiritual and emotional growth. We tend to cry out more to our Savior when we have the "unknown" before us. Unfortunately for me, I have a tendency to fear the unknown. Right now we have a lot of unknowns before us... a lot of BIG unknowns (like when will we raise all of our support, when will we move, where will we live in Vienna or even know for certain where the kids will go to school.) I feel like I can relate to some of the lyrics to the song Wild Horses, by Natasha Bedingfield. She sings that she wants to "face the fear, but not feel scared".

I think it is pretty normal to fear the unknown. Still, I want to learn to move beyond the fear, to draw closer to Jesus. I want to really believe that He knows EVERYTHING and He actually has our well-being in mind, even when circumstances challenge that belief. That's my prayer tonight.

Thankful Thursdays

This is what I'm thankful for this week.
Click to see.

Ideas for the Holidays

It is hard to believe that once again the holidays are just around the corner. On Wednesdays, I like to check out this site: www.rocksinmydryer.typepad.com. Lots of people contribute to "Works for me Wednesdays". Today is the Christmas edition. Hope it helps get your creative juices flowing!

"Yes, Jesus Loves Me"

Levi strums and sings his favorite Jesus song. Click HERE.

Thankful Thursday

A friend reminded me that it was Thursday again, so I guess the pressure is on to share some more random things I am thankful for on this particular Thursday, in no particular order...

1. a painter named Willy...(if you drive by our house in a few days, you will understand why)
2. Clorox Disinfecting Wipes...(if you have kids, you understand why:)
3. Girl's Night Out at Chili's
4. the book "Praying the Scriptures for your Children" by Jodie Berndt
5. playing frisbee tag with my kids
6. a little girl named Abby who asked me to put her to bed at 6:45 because she was "so tired"!
7. "Stacy's Chocolate Chip Cake" pg.42 in the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook
8. the health of my children
9. the chance to catch up with old friends that I hadn't talked to in awhile
10. finding last years gift cards that I never used...so I could buy some gifts this year
11. that our almost 8 year old can read to our almost 3 year old at bedtime
12. the priviledge of praying for a good friend who is going through some trying times
13. the humbling experience of raising support to be missionaries in Austria
14. the scripture verse 1 Thes. 5:18..."give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"

Pray for Ashley and Mackenzie

Levi's latest obsession is puzzles...the "airplane puzzle", to be exact. It isn't just an airplane...it is a motorcycle, a firetruck, a bus...you get the point, 9 different types of transportation. He loves to complete one and then say "give me five!" I love to hear his sweet voice asking for encouragement in is accomplishment. Over the weekend when he was sick, he didn't do much but lay around and I realized that I often take our children's health for granted.

I have recently been reading, Ashley's Journal, one family's journey as their daughter continues to recover from a transplant operation. I do not even know Ashley, but this family has challenged and encouraged my faith, as I have seen her share how God is giving this family joy and thankful hearts in the midst of extreme trials.

We also have seen how God is answering prayers for our friend, Mackenzie Beatty. She was born with only one lung a few months ago and Drs. are encouraged by her progress as they try to inflate her expander. Please pray for these families with children who are too sick to play, laugh and even be "naughty". And may these children remind us all not to take chips crushed on the carpet or marker on the table too seriously...

Slumber Partaaay!

I awoke to the sound of "sprinting" footsteps down the hall and I rolled over the check the time...it was exactly 6:00 am. One by one, sleepy heads started to emerge from their rooms and by 6:15 all were ready to start the day with powdered sugar donuts. That is, all except Levi-who was in the "isolation" bedroom. His ear infection is getting the best of him. Thankfully his antibiotics have already been started! I just feel bad for him because he missed out on all of the fun with Ethan and Mackenzie, and so he isn't in any of the pictures.

The pictures never do the fun, giggles or mess justice...but here's a few shots of our sweet time with friends...



Ethan says, "I wike donuts!"

Abby & Mackenzie dance to Bella Dancerella (the perfect gift for any 5 year old girl)

Memoo experiments with the kids--a dirt volcano with baking powder+red food colored water MAGMA!

Thankful Thursday...

Because the kids have been sick and it has been raining all day...I had some time to check out blogville a little more than usual. I came across a few people who have "Thursday thanks"...nothing profound from me, but these are a few things I am thankful for on this particular Thursday in no particular order:

1. No barf today
2. Clean carpets
3. Dancing in the kitchen with my sweet Abby
4. Children's Motrin
5. Leftover Villa Rose pizza
6. A mom who calls to ask if she can pick up anything for me at the grocery store
7. Cream cheese frosting
8. A husband who prays for me
9. The "Red Po" stick
10. A 2 1/2 year old who likes to cuddle
11. Luke and Abby's teachers at SHCS
12. A nap while it was raining outside
13. A washer and dryer that works
14. An appointment for Levi with Dr. Kiang tomorrow
15. A Savior who provides me with the strength and patience I need to get through a trying day!

Isn't it ironic...

WARNING: This blog entry contains graphic material and is not suitable for those with weak stomachs.



So our kids have been extra needy since we returned from Austria. Last week they all had a different strain of what seemed to be the same virus...a virus that involves "barfing" (our family's favorite term for emesis), and or/ a fever and a sore throat. Luke first, three days later Abby and two days after that, Levi. Levi seemed to get it the worst and being the littlest, had the hardest time making it to the bathroom. Without going into too many details...Levi left a "trail " in his room. After repeated applications of Carbona 2 in 1 carpet wizard, 1/2 a bottle of Orange Miracle dog waste stench remover, a few squirts of foamy soap, 14 seconds worth of Lysol "Summer Breeze Scent" deodorizer spray, 8 Super Big Gulp cups filled to the brim with warm water, a 7 year old shammy from the Iowa State Fair, and a wet vac that Brad decided to empty 3 times into our bathtub (only to clog it royally), the room still reeked of... you guessed it... barf.

So today the carpet man came...when Abby walked in the house she actually said "Mom, what smells so good?" I proudly answered, "The carpets were cleaned today". I must step back a little and say that the time of this conversation took place at 2:20 pm...not the normal time of 3 pm when the kids usually get out of school. "Why?" you may ask. Because Brad got the call from school, letting him know that Luke had a "tummy ache". We of course attributed it to the 3 Snickers, 4 tootsie rolls, 2 bags of Skittles and a package of pumpkin candy corns that was consumed during the Fall Festival last night. Luke still has not gotten sick yet, but a garbage can is in bed with him tonight. I have threatened to make him pay with his own allowance to get the carpets cleaned again if he gets anything on them...yes, I really did say this. Some compassionate Mom I am.

So we thought everyone was down for the count and we had escaped anything from getting on the carpets...only to hear a whimper from Levi's room...run in and find a horrific site...drum roll please--more BARF! Much to our amazement...he only got it on himself, his blankets and the bed. Nothing on the carpet! I almost let out a cheer when I saw that the carpet was ok! Then the first song that popped into my head was "Ironic" by Alanis Morissette... but I of course changed the lyrics to, "It's like baaarf on the day you cleaned the caaarpets..."

Now we have 2 kids with garbage cans in bed with them. We're praying for a miracle tonight...NOTHING ON THE CARPET!

Fall Festivus

Click HERE to see a quick slide show
of the St. Andrews Fall Festival

The Munchkin meets Cap'n Bonz

Today SHCS had their "book character" day.

Abby's class celebrated the "Wizard of Oz" and she decided that she wanted to be a munchkin. Her teacher mentioned to us that for years she has tried to persuade any number of students to be munchkins, but to no avail...until Abby came along. Go against the flow, Abby!

Luke read the book Pirates Past Noon and donned a pirate outfit "Cap'n Bonz". (Really it's Cap'n Bones, but Bonz looks more ridiculous.) Conveniently, Luke will dress up as a pirate for Halloween too, along with Abby and Levi.

Enjoy the photos!

Austria Trip Photo Gallery w/ Comments

We've been home for a few days now and have had a little bit of time to process what God just brought us on during our October 5-16 trip to Austria. Thanks for your prayers! We definitely felt them. It was a great trip...just exhausting.

-Brad did a great job preaching in German at the Evangelical Reformed Conference in Western Austria...at least I didn't hear any mistakes! Ha! We were very encourgaged by the believers from Austria, Holland, Switzerland, and even Liechtenstein who came together for the weekend. Here's some pictures:





-It was also good to catch up with the Sondereggers who lived in South Florida for a couple of years and have now returned to Austria.

-The leaders of World Harvest Mission who joined us were very helpful and encouraging...and we laughed a lot together! Our time spent with them only further confirmed in our hearts and minds that WHM is the right sending organization for us. (Though our trips on the Viennese subway brought us closer together than we might have wished!)



-We really loved praying, evangelizing, worshipping, getting to see the city, and just hanging out with our potential teammates. (Bear with us as we withhold their names for now)...We are super excited that one couple will be heading to World Harvest's assessment week in December, and the others are still in the process of discerning God's call for mission.




-God again confirmed in us that Vienna is really ripe for the Gospel, as we met a family new to the faith who live just outside Vienna, as well as a student searching for Jesus and looking for a Gospel-teaching church, and as we met with several other people on the streets...

-We decided that we will probably live in the heart of the city very close to the university, that Brad will attend the university both to build relationships with students and to study the culture and history more. We also decided that our kids should go to a bi-lingual school so that they can get to know German more quickly. The day we looked at housing and schools was the most draining day for me...just realizing how dramatically our lives are going to change was a bit overwhelming (for the good I suppose).



-Seeing our friends the Dossetts and Dali and Tabea was also very helpful with giving us insight and direction with housing and schooling decisions.




I definitely left Austria more excited than overwhelmed (and of course Brad did too)...but as we came home to our sweet but needy children and I started to realize all the things that have to happen before we leave, the enormity of it all is starting to set in... Now we need to continue support raising and getting our house ready to sell... I also really need to get a handle on German as well as purposefully start to work with the kids in German. Thankfully our burden is carried on the shoulders of a capable Savior!

All to say, it was a GREAT trip, and we saw God answer many prayers and confirm our calling to Vienna again...But PLEASE keep praying for us!

In good hands

We knew our kids were in good hands, but it's nice to be reminded how good we have it. While we're here in Vienna, here's an email we received from Memoo (Stacey's Mom). At least the kids will be in better shape when we return!

-------

Brad & Stacey,
The kids are doing great! Abby has had the most difficult time but is accepting that you will be home any day now!

I made a "Better Behavior Wheel" for them to spin for their punishment:
10 push ups, 20 sit ups, march around the house 5 times, 25 jumping jacks, stand in the corner 5 min., room time 15 min., write out what they will NOT do again. The first day, Abby did 40 sit ups, 50 jumping jacks, marched around the house 5 times, and stood in the corner for 5 min. Luke 'got it' after he had to do 20 sit ups! :) Sunday was the first day that Abby went all day without having to spin the wheel! She was sooo excited! Levi was down by 6:30, Abby down by 7 and Luke down before 7:30 last night. They really have been doing well!

I was feeding the kids breakfast this morning, when the doorbell rang at 7:02. The Orkin man was standing there handing me the morning paper. I told him that I wasn't expecting him today! This was the only hickup for this morning.

Abby had a great time with Mackenzie. They went to a pumpkin patch and were up at 6 in the morning! Matt thought he was going to be able to sleep in...NOT!

Jonathan, Luke and Levi had so much fun! We went to the movie "Open Season" and then I made octopus on shells and had them drink sea water (Blue gatorade). They loved it! Levi tried very hard to keep up with the big boys as they dug holes and filled them with water and made sand rocks and mud balls. They cleaned & shined pennies with lemon juice and sea salt. They thought this was cool!

We have been doing many experiments and having fun. They haven't had time to watch much TV. :) We've been to the parks, making Birthday cards for Kyleigh and Mackenzie. I have been documenting our experiences with photos!

The first night we made a "Hobo meal" and ate it outside on the grass. The kids then made paper kites and ran around the back yard to make them fly! I had forgotten how creative they are!

We went to IHOP with Neena on Saturday night. Levi got a smiley face pancake and developed a chocolate mustash I told him that I wanted to take a picture of his
"stach"....he said, "Hey! Where's my stach?" He is talking up a storm and is so cute!

Like I said ... the kids are doing great! They miss you and love you and are anxiously awaiting your arrival home! I'm glad to hear that you are having a
good trip! Tell Dali & Tabea "Hell-o" for me!

I Love YOU! MeMoo

Wilkommen!

We arrived safely in Europe two days ago, and took a train to Bregenz, Austria. All went well with the conference that we participated in there. We certainly felt a spirit of unity and joy with the brothers and sisters from Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Holland. It's cool hearing several languages and dialects thrown around the same table at the same time. They're good folks, and it's been good seeing Tami and her family again.

It was a huge thing to be able to preach to the whole group (about 60-70 people) in German...went better than I thought it would. Tami's mom Bernadette claims I only made "minor" mistakes! Ha! Stacey has been doing great too, except when she asked where her "Frau" (wife) was. Oops!

Today we spent the day with Tami's family eating traditional Vorarlberg cuisine and hanging out with an Austrian family we got to know when they lived in South Florida. It's been great here in Western Austria. The view of the mountains is spectacular, the weather as well, but now we're looking forward to our next leg of the journey.

Tonight we'll take the night train to Vienna, and that'll begin the World Harvest part of the trip. We'll also get to meet up with our friends in Vienna, the Dossetts and Dali and Tabea.

Thank you all for praying for us and our kids on this trip. Go to www.visionvienna.com and click on Prayer Journals, then October, to find out more on how to pray for us. We'll upload pictures later if we can.

If you get a chance, please leave us a message on the blog!



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Happy Fall?

Ok, so in Florida the weather is basically hot and hotter....but since it will be October tomorrow we thought we'd better break out the fall decorations (plus Abby has been begging for days).
So the day was spent putting out pumpkin placemats, hanging skeletons in the kids' rooms and coloring and cutting out bats and cats to hang all over the french doors. I must say, we are getting into the "fall spirit"... as we watched Notre Dame romp and went Halloween costume shopping too. All of the kids want to be pirates this year, so you'll have to come to the St. Andrews Fall Festival to see the unveiling of the mateys.

Some of you have asked for the pumpkin apple streusel muffin recipe so here it is...May it get you in the mood for fall! (even if it is 80 outside)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups peeled, finely chopped apples

Streusel Topping:
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons butter

To make the streusel:
In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in softened butter until mixture is crumbly.

For batter:
In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt, set aside. In med. bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add liguid ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Stir in apples. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin tins. Sprinkle streusel topping over batter. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 18 muffins. (taken from the "Best of the Best from Iowa" cookbook)