The Life of a YL Staff Wife

Strange things happen when your husband is on Young Life staff. You learn to ignore them, ad move on. :) The other morning we were talking about our plans for the day. Lance said, "Well, I will be gone all day. Three pizza lunches at school, then Goodwill and Value Village, then I THINK we need a hamster for club tonight." Course being the supportive wife I am, I didn't reply, thinking he really didn't mean that.

So then I hear from his student staff, we are getting a hamster, but looking for a home. HMMM......

Next thing you know, I am opening the trunk looking at what seems to be a Kentucky Fried Chicken box, with a teddy bear hamster inside. The kids had already had a lesson on holding the hamster, not picking up when he is asleep to avoid being bitten, and washing their hands. Lance signed a piece of paper (not in my presence) that said he would be a good hamster parent.

I don't think he told the gal at PetCo that the hamster was jumping thru a ring of fire that evening.

P.S. it was a replica from Joannes Fabric :) Pictures of "Checker" to come.........

A Thought From Sami

The other day Sami came and sat on my lap, I could tell something was on his mind.

Sami: "Mom, did you know that in Ethiopia when you get old like Jessica (16, our friend) your Mom and Dad make you leave the house, get your own house, and get married?"

Me: "Do you think we are going to do that when you are 16?"

Sami: Shrugs his shoulders.

I went on to explain that is not how it is in America, and he can live at home and go to college, live at college, or whatever he wants to do. Then I said...."someday you might not want to live with me and Dad."

Sami: "Nope, I am going to build a house over there in the woods and live right next to you."

I am going to have a lot of boys living in my back yard...... :) I am sure Tsion will be another story!

So I am Slow....

and somehow missed this book when it came out....Red Letters, Living a Faith That Bleeds.
I am off to order it on Amazon, I loved Fields of the Fatherless. Check it out!

Young Life Ethiopia 2000

Here are some great pix that we got from Peter tonight. This is the room where we attended club last January, they redid it for the new year. Last weekend we had our area fundraiser for Young Life (Lance's salary as well!) :)......about 9,000 was raised towards the Ethiopia camp costs. Our goal was to fund the camp so they would have no expenses. Thanks God! The initail # Peter had given us was 8,444. Picture captions are compliments of Peter!

Ethiopia Mission Trip

Help Send Us To Addis!

Our family has created a fundraising blog for our 3 week mission trip in December. Find out more at Send Us To Addis! We will be putting on a Young Life Camp for 200 kids and helping out with CYM as see below. Check it out!

Having Fun with Nana!

Josh's Turn

"Oh, yeah....this isn't my team." Same coach, wrong team! ;) -Tsion

Josh's turn for soccer pictures! Sami's game was so intense I forgot I had the camera!! We had a busy day with 3 games and Lance's YL fundraising banquet. All the boys won hard fought games....Sami got a "hat trick" and Josh scored a goal in the last few seconds from mid-field. What a day! Besides the weather, I am glad soccer is the boys favorite sport, one of these days my life will be easier when they get on the same team!! Bring on indoor. :))

CYM Pix

First Trophy

I finally got to order a pink trophy! And yes, she slept with it. :)

HOME School Report

One of the things we have been reading (uninterrupted, since Tsion is at school) is Listen to Us, The Worlds Working Children.

Here is a recent example of "restaveks" in Haiti that was recently in the news.

School Update

"Tsion is an angel! She's working on her sounds A-K with good success. :) I enjoy her bubbly attitude!!"

I am so glad Tsion is GOOD at school. Because if I was her teacher, that is not what her weekly report would say. ;) My girlfriend was her sub for three days and was shocked at how well she sat, behaved and participated! Love her to pieces, but like her family in Addis said "she has a lot of energy!"

Compassionate Youth Ministry Kids!

You can visit cymethiopia to read about how to help these kids!

How Rich Are You?

Check it out at the Global Rich List for a bit of perspective!

Tsion's Goal

Tsion's team has lost every game....BAD. And after every game the team asks "Did we win?" Tonight I heard the coach reply, "No, but it was really close." NOT. Like 20-2. If her brothers were there, they would have kept track and made sure she knew the score. She did score a goal tonight though....And she does have a great stiff arm, and she will take the ball from whoever has it! Thankfully, she has learned not to score into the opponents goal anymore. ;)

What is Hyperventilating?

The other day we were listing to Adventures in Odyssey in the car (we don't go anywhere without it!) There was a guy who was hyperventilating and using a paper bag to breathe in and out of.....

Zach: Mom, why is he doing that?

Me: When some people get really stressed they have a hard time breathing, that helps them breathe and calm down (not the scientific explanation I know).

Zach: Well...it is good thing you don't have that problem when you are stressed out. ;)

Down $1

I had to buy Zach a candy bar to post this picture. :) Yes, he has two black eyes. An anonomous sibling gave him the one of the left, and Tsion gave him the one on his right. Whenever we see his friends, I made sure they know that his SISTER gave that to him. My girlfriend said she was going to call CPS....I s'pose not something to joke over. Her comment..."Who lets their kids jump on the trampoline with a sleeping bag over their head???"

Does it count that I didn't know?

Too Much to Post.......

7 soccer games in 7 days, school, home school class begun today. I have no new pix to post because every time I go to use the camera, the batteries are dead (after charging!). I can't sleep because I am up planning our ETH trip all night. Yesterday, after a severe shortage of exercise, I swam 3/4 of a mile (while the boys swam safely being watched by the babysitter (oops, lifeguard!) I know I over did it cuz now I can barely move and am off to take a Tylenol PM!

Haile Gebrselassie Breaks World Record

"Cruising alone for the final seven miles on the Berlin city streets lined with damp, golden leaves Sunday morning, Haile Gebrselassie shattered the world record in the marathon by 29 seconds, securing a mark he has coveted since he was a teenager in Ethiopia."

**You can read the rest of the NYT article HERE.