Paris

Over the past few years, we have accrued a nice amount of frequent flyer miles and so we thought we would cash them in and take a little trip. We were able to book two free tickets as well as free lodging to Paris. It was only for a few days, but that was enough just to get away and enjoy one another and see some sights. Magdala and Annaliese graciously took care of the boys and Josie stayed with the Gollans. So, we took Justin and toured around the city, packing in as much as we could in 3 days. We saw the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Musee D'orsay, Sacre Couer, the Louvre and took a boat tour on the Seine River. But I think our favorite afternoon was spent at a beautiful park by our hotel where we just relaxed under a tree and played with Justin. We are thankful that we had the chance to get away together and see this beautiful city. Check out our picture link to see our photos...

No more babies...

Well, folks, we spoke too soon. No more babies. Our four little baby hamsters did not make it. We thought Alyona was acting strange and neglecting the little guys. And she actually ate them. Yuck! But as we have read, that is pretty commom for the first litter. Maybe she will have more in the future... Oh, and Anya is now named Sasha.

Those aren't apricots.

As you know we purchased 2 hamsters a month ago. I thought it would be fun to bring them home and surprise my kids...maybe even give them some responsibility. Well my kids named them after two girls in our little town, but have yet to clean the cage. I guess it just defaults to dad on a weekly basis. We have enjoyed them a lot but today we were in for a surprise. My wife called me in hysterics to say our hamster was having babies. At first she said she thought I had placed some apricots in the cage to be funny but after a closer look, they began to move. Well, we are a little surprised because we have (or are supposed to have) 2 females. Christy and I have been online looking up info about hamster babies. We now have four little additions to our family!

Survivor Ukraine

After 1 week of camping I have returned refreshed and pondering the events of my adventure. For those who may be unaware as to where I camped...I will explain. Take 120 students and teens, boat them all out to an island (on the Dnipro river), add mosquitos, games, camp fires, tents, Bible teaching and fellowship. Mix together. What do you get? Survivor Ukraine! Its all good though because no one gets voted off and we all come back home encouraged in the Lord. This year's theme was Love and Go. Love God (vertical), Love others (horizontal), then Go and spread the good news. It was a great camp!

I took my daughter Josie this year. She is 5 going on 12. She supplied endless entertainment and displayed her drama skills often. These were some comments made by Josie-Jo (made while in hysterics)...

"I don't want to go into the deep part of the water with my floaties on." Why Josie? "Because the fishies might bite my floaties and pop them and I will sink."

"I don't want to eat Rzhshiv's food, I only to eat want Kaharlyk's food."

She is quite a character, that is for sure! Next year we are thinking about taking the whole fam!!!

What's that smell?

Recently our family returned from a week long trip in Hungary. Upon entering our kitchen after the trip, we noticed a pungent odor that filled the room. Our search of smell led us to a package of milk that had broken and leaked all over the floor. It was in the cabinet above the fridge, so it left its trail down as gravity ran its course. Christy and I quickly pulled the fridge out and began cleaning. After the whole ordeal we thought we had solved the problem only to find the smell continued to flourish days later. I decided to do a more thorough cleaning and search for the problem. I discovered that the broken milk package left its "trail" down the back of the fridge and collected itself in a catch basin. It was a cesspool and pretty gross. After carefully removing and cleaning the catch basin...we now have a clean smelling kitchen. So...whats the point? Well, the Lord seems to minister to me a lot through the experiences of life. As I was cleaning this is what came to mind....

Everything the Lord created was good. He called it that because He created it in an environment where it was intended. But when sin entered the world, the environment was disrupted, and death came as a result. The refrigerator is a safe environment, the place where milk will stay fresh and good. But when it is removed from its intended place, it begins to sour and get disgusting over time. What is intended to be good turns gross. Its kind of like how our flesh fights against what God directs and commands. When we follow the flesh, we begin to justify our behavior and say its not so bad at first, but time reveals the extent of the problem. Going against God always stinks. It always leaves a "trail" as well. We may try and clean it up, but the real smell lies at the catch basin (the source). Its until the source is cleaned, (repentance and forgiveness) that the smell will go away. And we again realize, yes...God is always right, even when our flesh says otherwise.

A little about me...

I am five months old now and my life is such an adventure. I am experiencing new things every day. I am a happy baby and everyone says I have a cute smile. My sister and brothers like to play with me, but sometimes they get a little crazy. My mommy wants me to share about some of my first experiences...

~ I just got two teeth! With a little pain and a lot of drool!!!
~ I started crawling! I have places to go, people to see...
~ I started eating cereal! Yummy, yummy!
~ I am a world traveler! First to Ukraine, then a road trip to Hungary!
~ I swam in water! At the Blue Lakes and the pool at the Bible College...

That is just the beginning, folks! There is a whole world out there for me to explore. I'll keep you posted on my new adventures!!!

Love,
Justin