I'm in love....

For no particular reason I feel really in love today. I've been in love for over 8 years now with the same wonderful man. As in most marriges there are ups and downs, highs and lows, great times and not so great times - but for me it's been wonderful, every bit of it. We've hit our pot holes along the way but, wow, have we been on some mountains! For no particular reason we both seem to have certain times or days when we just feel like we can't hug tight enough or say "I love you" enough, we even say to each other, "Today I really love you, a lot!" That doesn't mean that we don't love each other sometimes - but just that there are some days it's extra special. Lest you be fooled, I've also said "Right now I love you because I have to, but I don't like you!" ~ yes, I have honestly said that.

So today I was thinking about several marriages - some I look at and smile, some I look at and cringe, and others just make me want to cry....There's my grandparents, both sets of them, married over 50 years(!), there's some friends that make us wonder how they can stand each other, there's the couple facing cancer after 25+ years together, then there's my parents who faced it after only about 7 years together, there's those that gave up and now live with the consequences, there's those that stay together but are miserable because they are not following God's marriage guidelines. I want my marriage to be one that makes people smile, I want it to be an example of what marriage should be - I want my marriage to be the greatest marriage this side of heaven. One day the Lord will take me as His bride, as He will all those who believe on His name. If I can be this in love with a flawed man here on earth then I need to be so much more in love with my Lord, who even now prepares a place for me.

Storms & Snakes

It's been an adventuresome last few days, to say the least. On Wednesday evening, while we were in Hot Springs at prayer meeting, there was quite a storm in Buffalo Gap. The typical day lately has been hot, but then cool in the evening with a rain shower during the night - that being the case we left most of our windows open, hoping to come home to a cooled off house. Well, we did - it was cooler....and it was soaked! Our bay window had water pooling in it while the floor was soaked for about 4 feet out from the window, our computer desk was saturated along with all the many papers on it (thankfully the thick curtain had blown up against the backside of the computer and kept it completely dry), the keyboard had water all down in it but I turned it over and drained it and it was fine =), only our 'mouse' bit the dust. I think it must have rained sideways! Even the basement had areas of water as well as the ceilings in the kids bedrooms.....YUK. As for my garden ~ it looks to be completely obliterated but time will tell.

Our neighbor said there were 60 mile-an-hour winds and the sky was green and swirling....I love a good storm! Man, I wish I'd been here!

Anyway, last night we had a smaller version of the same thing. We had company here and ended up throwing all their kids as well as our kids into bed and waiting out the storm with Tod and Tarin.

The most exciting part of the storm clean-up came yesterday afternoon....There were several large branches down in our yard and Zach was in the process of cleaning them up when he almost picked up a snake....a bull snake that is. Once again Mathew 'just happened' to be home and quickly came to our rescue=)

WARNING: Grammy Jane, don't look at these pictures!

Here it is, all coiled up and hissing and striking to beat the band. The hissing noise is meant to imitate the rattlesnake as they look somewhat the same.

Here are the brave ones in the family, besides Daddy, who wanted to hold the snake - once Daddy had 'incapacitated' it! It was soooo disgusting! By the way, Alana does NOT take after me...I got as close as the zoom on the camera let me get!

Our brief garbage-side ceremony...may he rot in peace!

PS for David Flinck: "Can you make out Matthew's footwear?"

Bienvenidos

This morning Dan and Diana Kunnari will arrive in Santiago, Chile to begin their first term as missionaries with Gospel Mission of South America. I wish I could adequately put into words how that makes me feel! Chile is 'la tierra de mi corazon', land of my heart and GMSA is the mission I grew up with - therefore it is full of my 'family'. For them go and have a desire to reach the Chilean people literally makes my heart smile=)

Here they are on a bit of a survey trip almost 5 years ago....

And now heading down with their two youngest kids and some one-way tickets!

So welcome to Chile, Kunnari family ~ Bienvenidos a Chile!

Chile Trip

As I just mentioned, there is another Chile trip in the works for sometime this fall. Our family is hoping to go down there for 6-8 weeks and coordinate other teams to come and go while we build a cabin on the campgrounds belonging to Union de Centros Biblicos located in Lican Ray, Chile. The newly arrived missionary couple, Dan and Liz Thompson, were just granted permission to live on the camp property which would help them immensely as they seek to get this camp back on its feet, in more ways than just maintenance and new cabins. Over the years it has not been run well and this young couple wants nothing more than to have a thriving camp ministry in Chile, through Gospel Mission of South America, the mission they serve with.The goal of NTI would be to go down and take on the building of a new 50' x 30'cabin ~ it would have two divided sleeping areas, each capable of holding up to 10 people, and two attached bathrooms.

There is a great need on this trip. Electricians, plumbers, masons, finish carpenters, etc. But even if you don't do ANY of those things there are tons of other ways to work and minister. I'm hoping to take on some the cooking duty, alongside Liz and any one else that would be willing. There is general clean-up at the camp, minor repairs, painting, and on and on. It is a great trip to go on as a family. Here are a few more pictures to help show the current state of the camp buildings....

The top left picture is often used as a classroom for children, I attended and later taught lots of classes in there for the children of the missionaries during their conference meetings. The top right is the men's bathroom and then the bottom two are of the cabins, their broken steps and the mold along the bottom from years of a wet climate and no maintenance.

These pictures do not do the camp justice, though. As much as the buildings themselves are in need of help the camp itself is, to me, the most beautiful place on earth. I rode horseback, (this is Monica last time we were there) dove off rock cliffs, paddled in canoes, built tree forts, laid on the beach, laughed my head off at skit night, hiked through the volcanic rock at the base of a volcano, swam like a fish, attended/taught the kids classes, (here's Logan taking part in the classes) and basically had the best times a kid could have. But, more importantly, the missionaries were able to get away from their responsibilities for a week of fellowship among their co-workers. Devotionals, prayer meetings, business decisions, all took place here - things that would impact the ministry of GMSA for the following year. And that was just the one week of camp we were there - not counting the many weeks that followed each summer as group after group was able to go to camp and be blessed. I want so much for our family to be able to be a part in keeping this camp going and being a blessing to the missionaries and the many nationals that will go there in the years to come. Any one want to join us? =)

NTI

The last several days I've had one thing I keep thinking about, I honestly don't go very many hours without stopping to think about it again. It's a trip. I love traveling but this isn't just any trip ~ it's a trip to Chile, my favorite place! Matthew has been home for almost a week and he has spent most of it here at home, catching up on paperwork for the mission, organizing his office, and trying to get the plans for the next trip well underway. Thanks to Dan and Liz Thompson we've been able to do just that! This next fall, Oct./Nov. time frame, Matthew is planning on leading another trip, this time down to Lican Ray in southern Chile. There would be, again, another campground to work on. This camp belongs to Union de Centros Biblicos (Bible Center) and has been in use for many years. It is on a lake, with volcanoes in the background, surrounded by trees - amazingly beautiful property. Sadly, the years have taken their toll on the campground itself as well as the cabins and other buildings. I grew up going to this camp on a yearly basis and it was the absolute highlight of my year. Ask almost any other MK that was there and they would agree. The missionaries from Chile would get together for their annual conference the first week of January and thus the camping season would begin. The week that followed was a pastors conference and so on and so forth through out the summer.

Now that I've introduced the camp let me introduce the trip/project. The ideal plan is as follows: NTI, specifically Matthew, has been asked to take on this project by the missionaries that have just arrived to help get the camp back on its feet. They recently got approval to build a new cabin and do some other projects as well. Since this is a bigger project than we have tackled in the past it is going to require more time on the field - ballpark one or two months. Matthew would like to coordinate several teams to come down in succession specifically geared to tackle a certain part of the building process. Ok so far, but here's the problem. Our family cannot do the couple months apart thing. We do not believe that is good for our marriage or for our children. So, we desire to pack up the whole crew and go down to live at the camp, providing a continuity of leadership for each group that comes and goes throughout the building process.

Now, I've blabbered on a whole bunch but I wanted to be clear about the specifics and about what this would mean for our family. We want to go, we desire to be able to do this as a family unit. This camp means the world to me, NTI means the world to my husband and therefore to me also - but our family comes first and we need to find a way to make all this work out together. Please start praying now for this possibility!

I'll write more about the project specifics in another post but now for some pictures...selected specifically to tempt you to join our team and come with us!

This stream empties into the lake which borders Camp Lican Ray.

Two pictures of Volcan Villarica, smoking in the daytime, and then - as the Chileans say - in her evening dress.An ox cart, quite a typical sight in southern Chile where things are a bit more remote.
A picture taken from a hill behind the camp, looking down on the Lago Calafquen - taken the last time we were down there 2 1/2 years ago.

Some local flowers, the red one is the copihue, Chile's national flower.

Now, don't you wanna come?

A laugh a day....

I've got kids - five of them, actually - therefore my daily quota of laughs is usually filled. In case yours is not I'll share a couple of the things my kids have said this past week to make you smile!

Last week we went to a friends house for a few days, while we were there they served some milk that was given to them - it came straight from the cow and not from the store like my kids are used to. After having a drink Logan came to me somewhat quietly with a wrinkled up nose and said, "Mommy, is this homemade milk?"

During our evening devotions as a family we hand out prayer cards for different missionaries and each take turns praying for them. Alana was to pray for the Kotvas in Peru ~ this is what she said, "Dear Jesus, please help the Hotloves in Pewu..." They do have seven or eight kids....=)

The two culprits, over three years ago!

Some new looks!

I've tried a couple of times today to sit down and write this but the weather has not cooperated. We've had some major thunderstorms today, one came with really big chunks of hail! Anyway, I meant to post about some new do's our family is sporting - thought you'd like to see some pics!The day before Daddy came home Monica got a new hair-cut. Since everyone liked her new hair so much they all decided to try out some new hairstyles and, why not, new outfits while they were at it. =)

Monica before:

Monica after:

And all the rest of the weirdos...in no particular order!

I have no further comment....

Happy THIRTEENTH birthday, Zach!

As many of you know, yesterday was Zach's birthday. I did not forget to post but was waiting for the official birthday meal to take place at noon today....and yesterday was quite busy! So, Zach's 13 - now what?! The teen years have sprouted wings and are ready to fly, for the second time in our family. I've heard it said that teenagers have the desire to change the world and think they have the 'know-how' to do it, but can't get up early enough to make it happen! I can't make a prediction yet as to how it will go, we'll just have to keep you up to date as time passes. Honestly, though, it is an exciting time. I don't want my children to grow up and get older and change, but yet I love watching them start to become the adults they will one day be. It is healthy for them to become more independent, take on more responsibilities, have more freedom - we just pray as parents that we will have the wisdom to guide them through this process is a way that will be pleasing to the Lord. Our desire is to see them grow up to have their OWN relationship with Him.

And now for the pictures....Yesterday we packed a picnic lunch and headed to Wind Cave National Park to celebrate Zach's birthday and Father's Day as a family. I think the camera setting wasn't quite right, I was sooo excited about some of these pictures but they are not as clear as I had hoped. Boohoo....

We ate lunch....

gave out presents... went for a 'mini' hike... saw some wildlife...
enjoyed God's creation...

It was a beautiful day! I made a comment on the way home saying that my favorite thing to do was to spend time with my family doing something special, like this kind of outing...then I realized how much I sounded like my grandmother! Of course, Matthew and I are pretty happy to be back together, too=)

Today we finished off the birthday celebration. Zach had a friend over to spend the night - they stayed in a tent until around mid-night when we had a massive thunderstorm. Then they spent the day in the pool, trying out Zach's new bow, eating birthday cake and are now on their way to spend Zach's birthday money at Flags and Wheels which is a go-cart place.

So, Happy Birthday, Zach - Daddy and I love you and pray for you. There are several things over just the last few weeks that you have done that have made us so proud of you. Keep choosing to do right, keep giving it your all, keep being a good example to your little brothers and sister, and most of all keep walking with the Lord.