Check out the link posted below for blog updates this week.
Thanks for all the prayers!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Ukraine Blog
http://usnof.wordpress.com/
Here is the link to the blog for our Ukraine trip. There will be several of us blogging so you will be able to read about our adventures. We can't be too specific on locations for safety reasons, but we will try to write as much as we can.
Thanks for the prayers!
We will be back July 8!
Here is the link to the blog for our Ukraine trip. There will be several of us blogging so you will be able to read about our adventures. We can't be too specific on locations for safety reasons, but we will try to write as much as we can.
Thanks for the prayers!
We will be back July 8!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Life according to Ansley
Each time the kids take a bath, there is a discussion (ok, an argument) over who gets to get out of the bathtub first. Its not like whoever gets out first gets a prize. Honestly, whoever is the first one out is the one who must stand there wrapped in a towel longer, but anyway. This is the conversation between my children this morning:
Ansley: Who's turn is it to get out first?
Me: I can't remember.
Stephen: it my turn! I get out first!
Me: Ok - Stephen can get out first today.
Ansley (talking to Stephen in her "mama" voice): Stephen, don't you want to learn patience? It's not about who gets out first; its about who gets to learn patience. Don't you want to learn patience today? And make Jesus happy?
Stephen (falling for her speech hook, line and sinker): Ok - Sissy get out first.
I don't see him falling for this much longer.
I must admit that when I was a kid I got Luke to do stuff for me for a long time by saying, "Run and get my backpack out of the car; I will time you to see how fast you can go." He would take off running. Now, he would go get it just becuase he is a pretty nice guy. :)
Ansley: Who's turn is it to get out first?
Me: I can't remember.
Stephen: it my turn! I get out first!
Me: Ok - Stephen can get out first today.
Ansley (talking to Stephen in her "mama" voice): Stephen, don't you want to learn patience? It's not about who gets out first; its about who gets to learn patience. Don't you want to learn patience today? And make Jesus happy?
Stephen (falling for her speech hook, line and sinker): Ok - Sissy get out first.
I don't see him falling for this much longer.
I must admit that when I was a kid I got Luke to do stuff for me for a long time by saying, "Run and get my backpack out of the car; I will time you to see how fast you can go." He would take off running. Now, he would go get it just becuase he is a pretty nice guy. :)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Questions, Questions, Questions....
This conversation takes place in the car while I am driving:
Ansley : What is a death angel?
Me: Um, what? Where did you hear a phrase like that?
Ansley: On my Bible verses CD.
Me: Really? Hmm...
Ansley: God told the king to let the people go and he didn't so God sent the death angel. Is the death angel real or pretend? Is God the real death angel? Did the death angel make them all dead or just the kids? What is a first born?
Me: Um......Who wants Chickfila!?!?!?!
Ansley : What is a death angel?
Me: Um, what? Where did you hear a phrase like that?
Ansley: On my Bible verses CD.
Me: Really? Hmm...
Ansley: God told the king to let the people go and he didn't so God sent the death angel. Is the death angel real or pretend? Is God the real death angel? Did the death angel make them all dead or just the kids? What is a first born?
Me: Um......Who wants Chickfila!?!?!?!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Summer days
Today I think is the first day the kids and I have done nothing but sit at home and watch cartoons. We were not up early enough for an outside activity before the heat got too much. Our neighbors baby is staying with us today and Ansley is such a big helper! I think she will be a great teenage babysitter in the future.
We spent last week at Fort Morgan at my friend Linde's house. (Thank you Linde!) It was so nice. We went to the beach each day, went swimming, ate ice cream and watched the ferry launch and Fort Morgan, watched the sunset. It was a great time. Luke and Sara came for a few days before they moved to NC. We are going to try to ride up there toward the end of July to see their new house near Fort Bragg. Judy, Steve and Elizabeth came over for dinner one night too which was lots of fun.
Before we left for the beach, Ansley had a dance recital. This was her 3rd year of dance and she did really well. She took tumbling, ballet and tap this year. She is opting out of dance next year so she can try Upward Bound cheerleading and then maybe gymnastics.
Here she is on stage so the picture is a little dark
Here she is with her friend Shannon before their tap dance.
And ready for her tumbling routine. I can't get my scanner to work, but her "official" pictures from the dance studio are cute, so I am going to put them up when Jamey figures out the scanner.
8 days til we leave for Ukraine!
We spent last week at Fort Morgan at my friend Linde's house. (Thank you Linde!) It was so nice. We went to the beach each day, went swimming, ate ice cream and watched the ferry launch and Fort Morgan, watched the sunset. It was a great time. Luke and Sara came for a few days before they moved to NC. We are going to try to ride up there toward the end of July to see their new house near Fort Bragg. Judy, Steve and Elizabeth came over for dinner one night too which was lots of fun.
Before we left for the beach, Ansley had a dance recital. This was her 3rd year of dance and she did really well. She took tumbling, ballet and tap this year. She is opting out of dance next year so she can try Upward Bound cheerleading and then maybe gymnastics.
Here she is on stage so the picture is a little dark
Here she is with her friend Shannon before their tap dance.
And ready for her tumbling routine. I can't get my scanner to work, but her "official" pictures from the dance studio are cute, so I am going to put them up when Jamey figures out the scanner.
8 days til we leave for Ukraine!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
The Lakota Indian Tribe - South Dakota
The Duke family spent last week on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota - home to the Lakota Indian Tribe. The week was spent on service projects throughout the area from construction, to clothes closets, to soup kitchens to nursing homes. It was a great week for all of us and Jamey and I have said several times that we both feel called to participate in mission trips together and with the kids. Actually, by Thursday, I was a little worried that Jamey felt called to move to South Dakota and teach there! :-) Of course, I would follow him gladly wherever he went. I was so in love with him last week - he worked so hard and spent much of the time working on scaffolding 2 or 3 stories up. And heights make him extremely nervous!!
I learned so much about the hardships of Native Americans. Until the late 1970s, it was still illegal for Native Americans to practive their own religion/spirituality. The people there was so kind though. It was great to meet them and learn about them. Many of the people in their 50s and 60s endured horrible abuse and forced religion at mandatory boarding schools set up by the church. It has taken years for the people there to accept kindness from white people (understandably).
I am going to post a few pictures below. Of course, I took over 200 so this is just a small amount.
Here is a little prairie god popping up! They were cute, but made this weird chirping noise. They also kiss each other!
This was a town we visited one day that was set up as a town from the 1880s. Many movies have used this town as a set.
This is a Catholic church on the reservation near the house where Jamey worked on the siding. It is purple! And the reason it is purple? When it was time to paint the church the last time, the adults argued fiercely over the color choice. Finally, the committee decided that bc the adults were arguing so much, the children would get to decide the color. And the kids voted for purple!
Here we are watching the sunset on the Missouri River.
Here we are entering the Badlands National Park. It is hard to describe, but so very beautiful. There was an ocean and underwater volcanos many years ago that casued this rock layer formations. They are still finding fish fossils today.
The Duke family at a waterfall
We went to a Buffalo and Elk preserve. The buffalo would walk right up next to us! There were signs everywhere warning that the buffalo will kill or seriously injure you if you got out of the car. So we stayed IN the car!
Here is Ansley and Jen (a friend from church) working on one of the service projects making pillows for the children on the reservation.
After Ansley finished her pillow, she brought it to the mission to put behind the counter. A child from the reservation will come in and pick out the pillow that Ansley made and take it home! She was very proud.
My two cuties -
At a random dinasuar park in Rapid City, South Dakota. Apparently after the war (in the 1930s)the WPA was all about creating jobs, and one of those jobs was to make these giant dinasaurs. Very strange, but the kids loved it and the view was pretty.
And here we are at Mt. Rushmore - it was beautiful and really impressive. It was cold, raining, and very overcast, but we all enjoyed it. The kids even seemed to be impressed with Ms. Rushmore.
We are glad to be home! Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and prayers for safety.
I learned so much about the hardships of Native Americans. Until the late 1970s, it was still illegal for Native Americans to practive their own religion/spirituality. The people there was so kind though. It was great to meet them and learn about them. Many of the people in their 50s and 60s endured horrible abuse and forced religion at mandatory boarding schools set up by the church. It has taken years for the people there to accept kindness from white people (understandably).
I am going to post a few pictures below. Of course, I took over 200 so this is just a small amount.
Here is a little prairie god popping up! They were cute, but made this weird chirping noise. They also kiss each other!
This was a town we visited one day that was set up as a town from the 1880s. Many movies have used this town as a set.
This is a Catholic church on the reservation near the house where Jamey worked on the siding. It is purple! And the reason it is purple? When it was time to paint the church the last time, the adults argued fiercely over the color choice. Finally, the committee decided that bc the adults were arguing so much, the children would get to decide the color. And the kids voted for purple!
Here we are watching the sunset on the Missouri River.
Here we are entering the Badlands National Park. It is hard to describe, but so very beautiful. There was an ocean and underwater volcanos many years ago that casued this rock layer formations. They are still finding fish fossils today.
The Duke family at a waterfall
We went to a Buffalo and Elk preserve. The buffalo would walk right up next to us! There were signs everywhere warning that the buffalo will kill or seriously injure you if you got out of the car. So we stayed IN the car!
Here is Ansley and Jen (a friend from church) working on one of the service projects making pillows for the children on the reservation.
After Ansley finished her pillow, she brought it to the mission to put behind the counter. A child from the reservation will come in and pick out the pillow that Ansley made and take it home! She was very proud.
My two cuties -
At a random dinasuar park in Rapid City, South Dakota. Apparently after the war (in the 1930s)the WPA was all about creating jobs, and one of those jobs was to make these giant dinasaurs. Very strange, but the kids loved it and the view was pretty.
And here we are at Mt. Rushmore - it was beautiful and really impressive. It was cold, raining, and very overcast, but we all enjoyed it. The kids even seemed to be impressed with Ms. Rushmore.
We are glad to be home! Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and prayers for safety.
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