We are here with three other families for a week of fun in the crazy hot sun… it is supposed to be 92 degrees the next two days (and sunny). We have three "houses" filled to the brim with food, diapers, sleeping bags and people. There are eight adults, and eleven kids, from 9 years old to 2 months old… it is CRAZY!!!!
We have been having a lot of fun and look forward to the remainder of this week, we still have five more days to go!
We are loving it here at the lake (of course, don’t we always!)! Every year we seem to have incredible weather and just a great time with family and friends (the Essenburgs). This week we have spent a lot of time on the water, playing with the kids in the shallows, fishing, and on the seadoo. Have yet to crack the water with the skis, but that soon shall happen too!
We are enjoying watching the kids grow and learn. The way they play, the way they are learning how to swim so well makes us so proud. Natalie is a fish, swimming all over. She’s perfected her backstroke and can swim for several yards on her back. She can swim under water for about two yards at a time. Amy is fearless of the water, jumping in the deep end and walking into water clearly over her head… so we do worry at bit and have to keep an eye on her, she thinks she can breathe under water!
So much fun, we’ll post pictures soon when the time comes. A modem connection makes uploading painfully slow.
Time away. Time alone. Here we are in the Northwoods for some good family time. So nice.
This past weekend was long, I did not get much sleep… Saturday we were with my family all day at Magic Waters.
That evening, Walter and I went on the Chicago L.A.T.E. ride, a 25 mile loop through the city, from 12 am to 6 am. It was late, and I was saddle sore, but Walter and I were both glad we did it.
See post here on Garmin’s website for more details, the route, etc. -Nate
Last night I was blessed with 60+ high school students and staff invading our house for quite possibly the last time. Jonathan, our middle school director and my wife Kara put on an open house here from 5-10 pm that brought students back together to share with me their experiences and joys from 10 years of high school ministry.
We ate, we watched pictures of the past seven years in ministry, we shared stories and inside jokes, we shared what a blessing the ministry has been to a variety of high school students. People shared how the ministry had encouraged them in service and love of others, had saved them from hurting themselves, how it created an awe of God, a fascination with the Gospel, had built up and exhorted believers by reminding them of their identity in Christ. The young men and women over the years has ministered to countless others in an eternal way.
God was good to me when he gave me, I don’t know, over 300-400 students and staff over the course of 10 years who challenged me, frustrated me, hurt me, blessed me, strengthened me, cared for me, and loved me.
They threw water balloons and snowballs and their backs, ate weird things to make me laugh, took random bets (and I paid out), played PS2 and N64 deep into the night, they crammed marshmallows into their mouth, nearly choked to death at my kitchen table, broke their knees, fingers, hands and feet and knocked themselves out trying to impress me skiing (or not skiing as it were), playing football, and running games at VBS. They tackled me, wrestled me, were patient with me as I learned very little sign language, (but learned to read lips well), they schooled me in basketball, made fun of my hairy body and pointy nose (I did too, so it was okay). They sang for me, played my stupid games, they ministered to others, they helped me do the work of God.
He gave me young men and women who loved me and my family relentlessly. They cared for my children, watched over my wife when she struggled through her biopsy results, they sacrificed their time, they gave their own earned money, they welcomed me into their homes for months on end and never charged a time, they prayed for me, they read me scripture, wrote me wonderful notes that I read often, they bought me gifts, they hugged me and kissed me. They made me weep into the night: tears of deep pain and feverish joy. They made me better. They helped me fall in love with Jesus more, and they helped make me more like Him. For that I am deeply grateful.
Thank you all, for loving me, for loving my wife and my children, you may never know the depth of how each of you has changed me. You have shown both mercy and grace, have forgiven and forgotten many wrongs. I love each of you.
It was my birthday yesterday, July 10. It was a wonderful day with my family, I am so thankful for Kara and the girls, they were very sweet.
I got some really neat things like iTunes cards, "Planet Earth" DVD, "One" by Bono, the ever-awesome, 6-D cell Maglite (I am an addict and collector)… and more. For dinner, Kara and I both had 16-oz ribeyes, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, strawberries and ice cream at Oberwies. It was a good day. I am very blessed.
Thank you, Kara.
And to all who wished me well over facebook and/or email, thank you as well! :)
On the way home from PA today, Amy had some bowel issues… we had to stop three times for her to poo on the side of the road. We decided to put a pull-up on her and let her get it out en route instead of stopping every 6-10 minutes for a poo break.
At one point I believe Amy passed gas… she said, "Mmmm, smells stinky!"
Natalie graciously corrected her by saying, "Amy, you don’t say ‘mmmm’ when something smells stinky; you say ‘mmmm’ when something smells nice!"
That interaction says loads (no pun intended) about each of our children! ;) -Nate
We are in Lancaster with family for a couple of days… I always like coming together with everyone and sharing what has been happening, what God has been doing, and how things are changing in the lives of loved ones.
We have another couple of opportunities this summer to be with my family as well. More to come, off to the pool again!
-Nate
It has taken us almost 9 years, but I think Nate and I are learning to compromise. Yesterday was a very rare Saturday. We had absolutely NOTHING on the calendar. When realizing this, Nate’s first thought was: Wow! I can get so much done around the house! My first thought was: Great! We can do so many fun things as a family!
This is our normal dilemma since having children. You see, Nate is a "doer". He wants to be productive and feel like he has accomplished something. I am relational. I don’t care what I accomplish that day as long as I am in relationship. Now, both of these are good qualities to have, but they allow for major miscommunication within a marriage.
Waking up yesterday morning, I knew that we could have a great day if I was willing to compromise and work around the house (I am typically pretty lazy…which makes being "relational" a good excuse to not get anything done). So, when Nate got up (I let him sleep in too!!), I recommended that we TOGETHER clean the house from top to bottom and then after lunch we could spend the day as a family. The girls would be wiped out, so we could put them to bed and then have the whole evening for just the two of us.
Whoa! What a fantastic day! I actually worked hard cleaning all morning and the four of us had a really nice day together. We went to downtown Naperville and played at the park, walked along the river, got Starbucks, free Baskin Robbins, played Frisbee in the grass, and then went to McDonald’s. Whew. So fun.
So…thank goodness Nate and I are slowly learning to compromise! I’m sure it will take us another 40 years to get it right!
