Recently in Kodak Moments Category

I know I am dating myself (which is easier and easier to do these days) but do you remember Hawaii Five-O? Can you hear the theme music? Can you feel your heart beat and the surf break? I still can - but Hawaii Two-O is even better.

Well, even if you missed the epic TV series Hawaii Five-O, here is a glimpse of our epic: Hawaii Two-O.

2010 is an epic year for us. We will celebrate our twentieth year of marriage. Sarah will graduate from high school. Rachel will start high school in the fall. Tracy and Nate will bless us with our first grandchild any day.

2009 was kind of rough: Sarah rolled her Jeep, Tracy had gallbladder surgery, Eric was laid off, my nurse of 17 years retired, Sarah injured her knee and spent most of her summer recovering from surgery and in a full-length knee brace, Steve tore his Achilles, Steve spent 5 days in the hospital with pneumonia, Grampa David was in the hospital, Gramma Jane was in the hospital, Gramma Bev was in and out and in and out of the hospital, Shadow (our dog) was in the hospital, Gramma Mary died, Rachel entered the public school system, Steve turned 50, Steve tore his Achillles again, Steve had his Achilles tendon repaired........

Nonetheless, we also had some very positive things happen: Sarah and I went to Guatemala on a mission trip with Hands of Hope, Eric and Angela were married, Sarah was honored with the Hearts of Gold award and my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

Although I am a firm believer that "the glass is always half full," I will admit that I was not disappointed to see 2009 come to an end --- and did not set any high expectations for 2010.

Ergo Hawaii Two-O was an especially nice surprise Christmas present from Steve. (After all :o) I think he deserved to take me some place really nice.) This was not even touted as an anniversary trip, but that's OK. I won't even pout if he forgets Valentine's Day this year . . . . I'm just happy to be with my hubby. (Being in Paradise is just a perk --- as is having friends invite us to join them in Kawai!)

Now that you have made it through my long-winded preface, I hope you enjoy the rest of our journey . . . . we did.

Hawaii Two-O began with a few days alone on Maui.

The lava fields..........We saw an octopus while we were snorkeling!

The road to Hana (Nothing much there, but the road around the island is spectacular --- and an adventure!)

Then we headed to Kauai to spend a week with some very gracious friends (and mentors).
This was our home for the week on Poipu Beach.

. . . and my favorite surf shop.

Of course, I didn't spend a lot of time just sitting on the beach.........

One of many awesome running trails.

Our hosts, Brent and Karen, on our hike along the Napali Coast. (We left Steve on the beach down below.)

Spectacular even though it was hazy. (Gotta go back!)

Java stop :o)

Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea

and frolicked in the autumn mist

in a land called Hananlei . . .

I didn't see Puff, but I would go back in a flash to continue my childhood quest --- that I didn't know was real until now.

Thanks for Hawaii Two-O, Love

Angela's Christmas present from Eric.........

(Duke isn't sure he likes sharing his toys........but he loves teasing his new playmate!)

Obvioulsy, Steve isn't the only goofy one!!!

(For those of you that don't know, Eric is now the proud father of a Georgia Bulldog Lawn Gnome!!!)

We're all characters!!!

iPod, iPhone, iMacBook, iEat, iLatte, iLove, iLucky

Within hours of his doctor's appointment, Steve was on his way to Disney - but this time with the doctor's permission. It's definitely not the way you want to see Disney, but we still had a great time. We also have a much greater appreciation for the everyday challenges that the handicapped face. Wow!!! What an eye opener.

When the girls found out we were taking them to Disney, the first thing Sarah said was "I can't wait to ride the Tea Cups and go to the Tower of Terror!"

Our last trip to Disney was in 2003, so Rachel wasn't tall enough (and neither girl was brave enough) to do a lot of the rides. Well, Rachel let her down this year and didn't let anything (except the Tea Cups) slow her down!

This trip was all about riding roller coasters and "adventure rides."

The Tower of Terror is still one of the most exhillarating experiences at Disney (see hair-raising photo above) but Expedition Everest, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (G-force acceleration and upside-down hair-pin turns), Soarin' and good ole Space Mountain are all worth doing over and over again --- unlike It's A Small World which the girls wouldn't even consider!

The only thing as exhillarating as the rides was American Idol. This was also the only attraction that we were glad to be in a wheel chair for because it put us front row and center for the finale!

It was rather obvious when he made direct eye contact with Sarah --- the camera-man saw it too and quickly zoomed in on Sarah!

This could be the next American Idol. By winning that night, he earned a golden ticket to the front of the line at any American Idol audition.

Christmas lights on steroids!

The most beautiful princesses of all

Magical memories

The Edgewood Tigers 8th Grade Volleyball Team finished their season today with another win.
Rachel, #13 and a newbie on the team, earned her spot as setter on this almost perfect team.
Today's victory in the conference championship put the Tigers 29-1 for the season.

Only one problem..............the #13 jersey was empty today because Rae was home sick with the swine flu :( As you can see, though, Rae's teammates kept her jersey on a chair during the entire tournament and even called her during a huddle!!! It still hurt to miss the grand finale to such a great season, but #13 still felt pretty special.

Rachel's setting style stuns the other team :)

The team, with #13, celebrating a victory earlier in the season

Today was also the finale for the Lakeland Christian Academy Cougars which means it was the final volleyball game of Sarah's senior year. (GULP!)

Unfortunately, the Cougars lost in the first round of the tournament. Unfortunately, (or fortunately) I was not there to see the end of the season because I was at home in the H1N1 infirmary with Rachel.

It was a tough season for the LCA volleyball team, but even though they did not close with a winning record, I saw Sarah come out victorious in every single match.

Despite the attitudes, antics and drama of her teammates (remember, they are teenmates), Sarah rose above it all in every single game. Despite being a strong hitter, she changed to setter early in the season to provide more leadership on the court. More importantly, however, she was the team's spiritual leader on and off the court. She never stopped cheering them on and her words of encouragement could always be heard above the crowd during every point of every game.

We all wish the team could have scored a few more points, but the most important victory was Sarah's.

Steve tried to escape, but he survived another birthday afterall..............

Admittedly, it has been a tough couple of months/years for the birthday boy: hamstring tear skiing with Rachel, bike accident, Achilles tear and 5 days in the hospital this July with pneumonia, just to mention a few. For a guy who has been empowered by the endorphins of exercise for years, it has been a painful lesson in patience and perserverance.

So . . . . . . . last week, Steve and Eric escaped to the upper penninsula of Michigan for a father-son, I don't-want-to-be hassled-about-being-?0-years-old camping trip.

The scenery was spectacular as the photos attest. They said the sand dunes in the UP make the dunes on Lake Michigan look like ant hills and marveled at the eroded/sculpted cliffs and beaches on Lake Superior.

The boys are already talking about the second annual UP camping trip, but they were glad to finally return home . . .
. . . where they were ambushed upon arrival for a family game of paintball!

(Thanks to Sarah's boyfriend Joel for equipping our SWAT team)

We finished this untraditional birthday party with dinner, old photos (of course) and an untraditional birthday cake.

Looks good, eh? (The "cake" too.)

(He still gets asked if he is Eric's brother.)

Dreams really do come true . . .

And thanks to Tracy, trouble melts like lemon drops . . .

(The wedding planner went AWOL, but Tracy stepped in and orchestrated all the final details with perfection and passion. I guarantee she did NOT bite her lip for very long.)

All the pretty bridesmaids all in a row

. . . skies of blue and clouds of white . . . (and maybe a few white knuckles as the groom patiently waits)

. . . waiting and pacing

. . . trees of green . . . . . roses too . . . .

(The Best Man thought he had lost one of the rings but discovered it nested inside of the other.)

. . . watch them bloom . . .

What a wonderful world . . .

. . . and what a wonderful honor and privelage for Steve to stand beside his son as Best Man.

. . . faces of people passing by . . .

. . . friends shaking hands . . .

. . . saying I love you . . .

Bella Notte was the theme for the Junior-Senior Banquet (prom) at Lakeland Christian Academy this year. I'm sure you know who we think was the Belle of the evening, but in more than the obvious way.

The Junior class is responsible for planning and executing the banquet each year. Sarah has been a class officer ever since she entered LCA five years ago, so her attention to detail and organization was instrumental in helping to make Bella Notte one of the best banquets in LCA history. They broke tradition and not only transformed the gym into a quaint Italian restaurant complete with valet parking but they also danced the night away - another first in LCA history - and even had professional dance instructors! Even the sceptics conceded that it was a Beautiful Night.

Steve "offers" some fatherly advice while the belles finish primping.

Perhaps you recognize Sarah's date, Joel . . . he was in the background of several photos from the NCSAA track meet and in the NCSAA "3rd runner up circle" with Sarah. (They even scored the same number of points.)

Fortunately, they're not too serious . . .

Just got back from vacation . . .

While some of us get burned while on vacation (YES, that is Tracy's handprint on Nate's back), I get burned when I return home. (No time to blog, Bubby, but I will try to catch up this weekend!)

Steve surprised me with an early birthday present this week......He crossed the picket lines and presented me with a new MacBook. He has always been the Apple of my eye, but now more than ever.

Here's some fun Rae and I had with "Photo Booth."

Last Saturday, after I left for Guatemala, Steve put the pier in. He is always the first one to get the pier in and taunted me from thousands of miles away about how warm and calm it was that day and that I would have skied if I had been home.

Then the rain came. And it rained some more. And some more.

Lake Tippecanoe is notorious for high water in the spring because so many lakes feed into Tippy --- which is part of the reason Steve puts the pier in so early. He likes to put the pier in early when the water is low. (Otherwise the ice-cold water sneaks in over his waders!)

Every year we watch the water rise and then listen to everyone else complain that their their pier is under water. Our pier, however, is about 6 inches higher than everyone else's on the lake so we have never had a problem. We just wonder why everyone has not learned to either raise their pier or wait until the water recedes before putting it in.

This year was a little different:

The lake level was about 18 inches below the pier last weekend. This weekend the water was so high that Steve had to swim out to remove the pier that was floating away.

The water rose nearly 3 feet and went over our seawall which was built above the 100-year flood level.

The first picture shows the water level almost to our neighbor's house. The water also reaches up the lane and nearly surrounds the shops in the back yard.

We are high and dry . . . and will stay that way for a while since the lake is now closed to motorized boat traffic. (No spring skiing for me . . . yet.)

The road to Panajachel has been rough but not without rewards.

Lake Atitlan

We set 2 new benchmarks this year: I took the photo on the coldest day of the year and it was the fastest photo-shoot yet!

Christmas Eve, Candlelight, Crystal and Cards before Midnight Church

Critters......Cuddles and Cousins

Cute Couple (with custom stockings)

Christmas Cuties and Crazy Kids and Classics

. . . and of course, Cookies, Chocolate and lots of good Cheer!

This was perhaps the scariest Halloween I have ever encountered. Both girls went in different directions with different friends and it was only AFTER the night was over that I was privy to their costumes.

Rachel gave me the first scare last week when we were visting Eric and Angela.

Even though I may have been little afraid to let my girls go out on their own, the streets of Warsaw were safe on Halloween thanks to Charlie's Angels. Charle himself even showed up for the night......and it looks like he really enjoys his job.

Although they didn't take nearly as many pictures as I would have, at least my favorite Angel and Gangster/Rapper/??? made it home safe and sound with enough loot to keep me happy.

This however, is my favorite costume of the year . . .

Duke had a busy, busy day. We left for the dentist at about 1:30, ran a few errands and then went to see the vet for the first time. He enjoyed the car ride and every time I came back to the car he was stretched out in the driver's seat snoozing and enjoying the autumn sun.

At the vet he weighed in at a whopping 1.5 pounds and I am certain that he has doubled in size since we adopted him last week.
Next, we stopped by the Y and then the school where he attracted a crowd like a celebrity. He is quickly winning Daisy's heart and every other man, woman and child that he sees. At school, he was passed between no less than 40 hands and never stopped purring.

We finally got home at 6 o'clock. I had several bags to carry in from the car, so I loaded up my arms and tossed Duke in my canvas tote to carry him into the house. Several minutes later when I returned with the rest of my things, this is what I found.

I quickly snapped the photo and then dashed off to Sarah's volleyball game. When I came back home at 9, he was STILL THERE and still pretty groggy.

"By the way . . . I brought home a stray kitten today. No one else would take it, so I threw it in the back of my Jeep and before I got home, he was sleeping in my lap. Isn't he cute?"

That was Steve!!!

When I discovered the "cute" little kitten was infested with fleas, Steve even ventured out to Wal-Mart at 8pm to get supplies. The kitten, of course was instantly quarantined into a box in the garage. But when Steve returned, the kitten was no where to be found. Steve searched and searched but went to bed forlorn.

Several hours later, the girls and I repeated the search and traced a pathetic meow to an open cabinet in the garage.

After a late-night pedicure, flea treatment, shampoo, fluff and massage, we tucked the little kitty into a box with a heating pad and finally went to bed.

Since sleeping beauty Steve missed all the fun, he walked into work the next morning and had to confess to everyone that he had lost the kitten :)

Daisy, of course, has been growling and hissing at this intruder since it first stepped on her turf. She runs away when it gallops her direction, but she keeps sneaking back to watch what it's doing. She seems to find the kitty annoying but irrestistable.

We think it's a boy, so the girls chose the name . . .

Although this is how Rachel began her 13th birthday (with the traditional birthday cinnamon roll and always at least one small package to open), she actually began her celebration weeks ago when Tracy & Nate were here.

Tracy primed her well:

I had also done a little priming four years ago when Sarah turned 13, so the expectations had been building for four years that Rachel would also get to skip school for a mother-daughter shopping spree. (Fortunately, Rachel has LOTS of shoes to help deal with the stress of anticipation.)

So............when I delivered lunch to the girls on Thursday like I usually do, BOTH were stunned, surprised and speechless when I told Rachel to pack up her things to leave. The expected still came unexpected!

We made it to Chicago in time to do a little shopping before Rachel's birthday dinner of coconut shrimp and lobster followed by "Wicked."

After a good night's sleep and a Carmel Macchiato from Starbuck's, Rachel shopped 'til she dropped while I got shopper's elbow from carrying packages and swooshing my credit card all day long.

Bubby, you better start getting ready for Sweet 16 . . . you have a lot to live up to!

The Lake City Skiers closed their season today. The last show is always filled with a little bit more fun and frolic than usual. Today was no exception.

Throughout the season, the supporting cast is sometimes under-appreciated. The pick-up boat crew, for example, works hard, but hopefully is barely noticed -- either because the skiers have very few falls or because the pick-up crew is so smooth and swift when they do have to pick up a fallen skier . . . . . or because they spend almost the entire show washed up on the beach with a dead engine.

So seemed to be the fate of veteran pick-up boat drivers Betsy and Juergen Voss more times than not. This left the other pick-up boat with Steve and Penny, stealing the show and all the skis.

To officially recognize Betsy and Juergen's hard work, dedication and perserverence, Steve bought them new twin rig motors so they would never be beached again . . . . . . and he presented the Golden Plug Award to the 2008 show director Jakim Wilson for the time he sank Betsy and Juergen's pick-up boat by forgetting (???) to put in the drain plug!

Steve also did a little pre-show entertainment by showing off his pick-up boat doubling as a tow boat for a jumper! The landing was soft and successful. The next challenge will be to pull barefooters and pyramids!

But the real tow boat drivers with the real twin rigs got the last splash.

All the boats quietly circled together before the start of the last show . . . . . and then Penny opened fire!

Captain Randy warned Steve and Penny not to taunt his twins . . .

. . . but it was too late! Captain Kevin's twins attacked from the back and his tidal wave into Steve and Penny's boat quickly declared him victorious!

Better start scheming for next year now as Lake City Studios presents: James Bomb and the evil Dr. Bombuster.

. . . or at least there have been times when I wish I could have sunk him for giving out frivolous tickets ("The color of your boat registration numbers don't have enough contrast . . ." "You can't fish off the end of your pier without a license . . ." "You must display your temporary boat registration . . .") instead of ticketing reckless wave runner drivers and others that endanger the safety of our lakes.

The Lake City Skiers are back on the water this year with "Robin Hood, Prince of Skis."

Since we have moved up into Division I with the "big dawgs" this year, we are working hard to make our little team unforgettable.

Our newest recruit is my niece, Samantha. She is two years younger than Rachel and about half her size, but strong, agile and the perfect "topper."

Tonight, Sam slithered her way up to the TOP of her first three-tier pyramid. (Pardon the blur, but we barely caught the picture since we were running between acts.)

Sam was AWESOME and stood TALL. Keep climbing, Sam!!!!

Some one from St. Croix found my blog and asked for permission to use a few of my photos on HIS web-site. Check it out at www.stcroixsports.com.

No money, no credit, but I'll consider it a compliment.

We knew it would happen, but we still weren't prepared. We only had 16 years to get ready!

About two months ago, Steve heard a knock on his door at work.

"Mr. Jungbauer, may I talk to you?"

"Oh . . . "

So Steve quickly switched gears and proceded to inform Dylan of what he expected from any young man that thought he wanted to date his daughter. I'm sure anyone else would have called it a lecture, intimidation or an outright threat and might have never called Sarah again or come within 100 miles --- especially if they also knew about Grampa David, big brother Bubby and Uncle Barry.

When Steve told me about his visit from Dylan that day, I was caught off guard.

"Oh my gosh! We have to let her go, don't we?!?"

We knew it would happen, but we still weren't prepared. We only had 16 years to get ready!

Tonight was Sacred Heart School's spring play, "My Friends in the Sea."

Guess who was the star!

This was Rachel's last performance on the Sacred Heart stage. We are glad she made it over the hump . . . . . . . from a camel in the fall play to a shining star this spring.

(But I'm a Wii bit biased!)

. . . and don't let yourself be subject to peer pressure, even if it is a cute blonde!

Stay tuned . . . there's a lot more to come

During one of their snow days last week, I commissioned Sarah and Rachel to shoot their own Christmas photo.  Didn't they do a fabulous job?  This is it and it's the only one they shot............before they dropped the camera in the snow.

Fortunately, the first photo was a keeper and the camera eventually dried out.

Christmas hugs to you.

To my faithful (though usually silent blog visitors.........hint, hint) I apologize for leaving you to ponder and squander your time on other venues. I attest that our life has NOT been quiet or boring but just that other matters have usurped my blog as a priority.

BENCHMARKS

You may recall from previous years, the annual photo of Sarah and Rachel with my niece and nephew, Samantha and Jeff. It benchmarks the amazing changes of childhood and now adolescence, but also pays tribute to their grandparents (my parents) for whom we placed a bench and planted a gingko tree at the library in North Manchester in 2000.

                                                                     Sarah, 15    Jeff, 7    Samantha, 10    Rachel, 12

In November, my Dad decided to set some benchmarks of his own as he describes below:

November 27, 2007: You can read about us every day: kids who leave home, then, for a variety of reasons, move back to live with their parents. I'm shooting for a place in the Guiness Book of Records as the oldest Boomerang kid at age 67! As you see, I'm now in the same recuperation unit as Mom & Dad at Peabody Retirement Community.

The femur repair was accomplished by insertion of a Zimmer titanium rod device. Everything is inside the bone; I need no external brace/cast. This type of repair is incredibly stable, but needs at least 6 weeks of healing before I can put weight on it. That means that I'm learning a bunch of new mobility skills and working some muscles that are not used to this effort. Yes, it's quite painful! I make sure I don't miss a single allotted pain pill!

Some of you have asked what impossible feat of athletic prowess or domestic clumsiness caused this incident? The fact is that I'd grabbed a late-night bite of licorice on my way to bed. As I turned from the snack drawer, I HEARD the crack of the bone, knew instantly what had happened, and hit the floor, ka-boom! Whether by luck of the way I landed, shock, or some combination, I did not suffer excruciating pain over the next two hours until Jane got a nature call before she heard me yelling!

So, what's next? As my family doctor said it, 'David, you've got a long road ahead of you.'

That journey has begun with incremental strengthening of muscles, and with tiny hops on my walker. I have a great team of professionals and a cadre of friends at my side. Here we go!

December 6, 2007: Fast forward (how long will that term still be in use?) nine days: It's amazing what 3 hours per day of ever-more-challenging therapy can do! If I can reach my walker, I am able to get in and out of bed, my wheelchair, my recliner, or the bathroom, basically unaided.

The meals here are very good and friends have made sure they're supplemented by ample licorice and other goodies!

December 12, 2007: Today was my follow-up visit with my surgeon. Everything is positive! The X-ray looks perfect, I can increase weight bearing from near-nothing to 25% tomorrow. I'm cleared to fly to Atlanta for Tracy's wedding on December 29. And I'm going HOME on December 23! It's no small irony that it was December 23, 1981, that I returned home following my coronary artery by-pass!

 

In 1981, I also received a novel graduation gift from my dad............a few shares in a treasure-hunting operation run by the now infamous Mel Fisher. As a share-holder, I actually had the chance to spend the day with one of his crews off the shores of Vero Beach, Florida. As we pulled away from shore, the crew faithfully proclaimed Fisher's mantra, "Today's the day," implying that today they would find the mother lode. I have a few Spanish coins circa 1700 from that adventure, but we did not find the mother lode. Four years later however, after many years, dollars, and personal tragedies, Mel Fisher hit the "Atocha" mother lode with over 40 tons of silver and gold.

Dad is going home today. The titanium in his leg is worth more than it's weight in gold and although he is eager to put this personal tragedy behind him, he has seen the silver lining in almost every painful step along the way. That is optimism............that is faith.

Today's the day  -  rejoice!

Little Miss E makes an adorable chickadee!

The first time we met Tracy's fiance, Nate, was at Eric's graduation from law school last May. We were impressed by his quiet, gentle nature and the way he took Steve aside to profess that his intentions toward Tracy were honorable. We were a little worried though, that he was a little too quiet to join such an outspoken, opinionated and frequently ostentatious family.

Worry no more. Nate has proven that he can hold his own and that we will still love and respect him when he's gone back to Georgia!

Nate's Labor Day weekend challenge began with a tour of Tippy in the Boston Whaler. The look on his face as they departed was a little uncertain, but with Captain Rachel at the helm, Sarah as First Mate and scurvy dog Shadow just along for the joy ride, somehow, he managed to return without turning green.

Next stop: Lake Tippecanoe Country Club for a round of golf. No photos available, but Eric retreated to the men's bar after only a few holes to watch football instead. Nate lost (???) the lead on the 18th hole to let his future father-in-law win. Tracy says Nate is quite the competitor, so the next match might be a bit different.

Then for the REAL challenge: coming home to a deck full of "family."

Not only did Nate have to meet the parents, but also the grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and a few extras. We even had 8 Minnesotans. (Senator Mike and Vicki, Josh and Sarah, Aubrey and her fiance Eric, Ariel and Caleb) In all, we had a quaint group of 21 for dinner the first night and the crowd just kept revolving for the rest of the weekend.

We also tubed and ate and played Nintendo Wii and ate and went to "boat church" and ate and Jet Skied and ate and even gave Nate a hair cut.

. . . and of course there were just a few photos taken.

This is one of my favorite snapshots.

Josh, however, "Jungbauered" all of us (even my father) by proving to have the biggest toy in his backpack!
(Click thumbnail below)

Nate and the rest of the clan even formed their own cheerblock for the seaon finale of The Lake City Skiers. (It probably seemed a little hokey to a landlubber like Nate, but it was best for him to see all sides of his future in-laws before he says "I do.")

Obviously, Nate is to be commended for enduring so much in just 3 days. He was thrown into the midst of our family feet first and quickly learned to swim, but he really won my heart when he learned to barefoot too!

I told Nate that I could teach him to barefoot on the first try if he could just do two things: #1) Sit in a chair (What man isn't already a pro at that?!?) and #2) Listen (Ohhhhh.......not so easy!)

Well, Nate was up and barefooting on the first attempt and if he hadn't already endeared himself into my heart already, that sealed the deal!

Nate was not the only competitor in the crowd. Bubby took the gold at sunrise.

Josh also glowed with the sunrise.

.....but nothing compares to the glow on Tracy's face.

Welcome to the family Nate.

The Lake City Skiers had their final show of the season over Labor Day weekend before an overflowing crowd. Here are some highlights of the National Championship show.

In the exhibition "junior show" before the main event, Sarah decided to jump. She had tried it 3 times, so why not?

(Hey, we're a low budget club . . . so I don't get to quit my day job!)

 

My 7 year old nephew, Jeff is one of the youngest members on his baseball league's all-star team.

He is already having a hard time keeping the girls away!

We may be back in the lowlands, but the girls and I are still on a Rocky Mountain high after spending the day barefooting with Ron Scarpa.

We got home from Colorado at about 11 pm last night so I was dreading the thought of trying to get Sarah and Rachel up this morning for the barefoot clinic with Scarpa. I was out the door before 6 am to make the first ripples in the lake, and the girls were to drive the Boston Whaler over to Little Tippy by 8:30. Amazingly, they were up and walking out the door when I made my first "wake-up call" at 8:00. (Very encouraging!)

Both girls quickly got back on their feet (literally) even though they really had not barefooted at all since Scarpa's clinic last year. They both did short-line deep-water starts off the boom and ended the day with long-line deep-water starts on shoe skis not much bigger than their own feet! The water was a little choppy, but they were fighters!

Both Sarah and Rachel even said they might practice again before Scarpa comes back next year.

Great day, but I stopped by the office . . . the mountains are calling.

Sarah and I spent the weekend near Michigan City at a volleyball tournament. The girls played 8 games on Saturday and were so pooped that they could barely even shop the outlet mall. Even with three teens (Sarah, Logan and Kaila) in one hotel room, it was a quiet night.

This morning, while the girls were still sleeping, I headed to Lake Michigan for a run. I pulled into the park at Mount Baldy where I have been several times before, but was amazed at what I saw.

Full-grown trees were "swimming" in the sand. (The early morning lighting was so awesome it even made a great photo on my cell phone, but unfortunatley, I left my real camera at the hotel. I went back to Mount Baldy about an hour later, but the lighting wasn't nearly as good.)

My running trail . . . . .came to an abrupt halt.

The living dune smothers anything in its path; the shifting sand is stunningly and clearly powerful.

Don't let the 2-D photo fool you. These dunes are definitely, dwarfing 3-D!

I was surprised to discover that neither Logan or Kaila had ever been to The Dunes. I drove them by for a quick peek but I'm sure they still cannot fathom what is on the other side and beyond.

Meanwhile, Rachel stayed home so that she could go to her friend Miranda's house for the night . . . and spend the night on the town in the limo!

I left her my camera.

(There were lots more.)

Steve was left behind to do guy stuff --- clean the garage, fertilize the yard, play with fire . . . . .

Still not sure what happened, but soon after we got home tonight, the back forty was in the midst of a wildfire. The Jungbauer fire department responded promptly and decisively. No casualties or property damage other than an acre or two of burnt grass.

Sorry the postmark is a little late!

2002

2003

2004

2005

Auntie Carol had a momentous birthday in January.

BBB

Fifty is nifty
Because it’s the only word that rhymes,
But we still hope your birthday was happy
And filled with real good times.

Bucky’s had quite a few adventures
And made a friend or two,
But home is where the heart is
And Bucky belongs with YOU!

If you are rabid with curiosity, click HERE for more insight into our family secrets!

BIG WORLD (little me)

About a year ago, Denny Wilson, the senior pastor at WCC challenged our congregation: "Step out of your comfort zone. Stop focusing on yourself." He challenged us to look at our world and our lives from a different perspective and to help refine our focus on living a purpose-driven life --- a life with signficance.

Steve and I just returned from our first mission trip. The experience was beyond what words or pictures can describe, but it had an eternal impression on our hearts and our faith. Here is a glimpse of our week in Honduras. We extend a sincere invitation to share our experience with you personally.

First of all, since the trip involved Jungbauers, you know that there HAD to be drama. This time the drama began before we even left. One week prior to leaving, we discovered that you cannot travel to Honduras unless you have at least six months before your passport expires. I will spare all the sordid details, but after many phone calls and FED-EXs we received our passports just hours prior to departure.

We flew into San Pedro Sula, a city of 800,000 people founded in 1536. It is about ninety minutes from the northern coast of Honduras and in the lowlands surrounded by mountains and banana plantations. Temperatures never dip much below 80 degrees.

According to the guide book, it is the most dynamic business city in Honduras and and much maligned by travelers as a place to get out of as quickly as possible. It has the highest crime rate in Honduras, so armed guards seem as common as stop signs.

Forty percent of Honduras' GDP is generated in San Pedro Sula primarily from banana plantations and maquilas. Maquilas are factories that assemble clothes from fabric imported tax-free and then re-exported tax-free. Forty percent are owned by the US and indeed, many of Steve's NIKE wear was "Made in Honduras."

Local vendors and mobile vendors

Honduras is full of contrast. Modern yet primitive. New yet old. Rich but poor. Hopeful but hopeless.

Icons like Coca Cola, Pizza Hut, Wendy's, and Office Depot seem to dot every corner yet are frequently adjacent to abandoned, dilapidated shacks. Peddlers stand on street corners selling fruit or water. A Catholic church stands in the center of every town. Just a few blocks from our hotel was this Warsaw icon.

Obviously, San Pedro is not a tourist town. You won't find menus in anything other than espanol and even a NASCAR driver would be challenged to survive the roads, sidewalks and parking lots. (Headlights and tail lights are optional, drivers create their own traffic lanes and one-way streets are just a suggestion.)

We were very glad to have interpreters, taxi drivers . . . and Guardian Angels!

Trinchera, is a village about 30 minutes outside of San Pedro Sula. This is where we spent our week working. Most of us would call it a ghetto. You cannot tell where it starts or ends; it seems to go on forever, but just runs into another village that looks the same with a different name.

The houses are rarely more than a few feet apart or more than a few crowded small rooms. Most have dirt floors and are constructed from scraps of wood, metal, fabric and plastic. There are open sewers that the children cheerfully run through like mud puddles. Many cook over fire pits. Laundry is done by hand and strung anywhere to dry. Children take care of the children. Trash and chickens are everywhere and despite the primitive living conditons, most houses have a TV --- and a barbed-wire security system. The "affluent" have houses of cement (with broken glass and razor wire security systems) and maybe even have a car. Large public buses from "outside" squeeze through the moguled streets of the village multiple times daily, but for most, Trinchera is the only world they will ever know.

The streets are studded with small shops in the front part of the houses. Some sell handfuls of groceries and many sell Coca Cola or Pepsi. Some serve food or have a small selection of clothing or other small household items. In one form or another, you'll find all the modern conveniences of home like a cell phone vendor, electronics store, barber shop, bakery, billiards hall, gym and of course, an internet cafe. There is even a meeting place for AA and a strikingly new medical clinic, though it's usually closed due to lack of staffing.

You can even get ice cream and cotton candy.

Our first interaction with the people of Trinchera was in small groups walking through the streets and stopping at houses to share staples of beans, rice and prayer. No matter how meager their living status, we were always warmly welcomed inside of their homes.

Sunday night we attended one of their church services. We arrived after the service began and were escorted through the crowded congregation to reserved seats in the very front of the church. Our comfort zones shattered and we were acutley aware that we had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into. As we looked out at the congregation, however, their overwhelming love, energy and passion for worship --- their love of God --- quickly calmed our insecurities. We later discovered that they expected us to arrive late so to show us special attention and honor.

The little girl in green, Alejandra, immediately stole my heart that night. I sheepishly snapped this photo trying to capture the passion of the moment. Note how their focus is not on us or anyone other than our Almightly God.

This is the Pastor and his "Praise Team" standing on the cement-block stage in the open-air dirt-floored church. Note how crisp, clean and white everyone was despite the primitive living and sanitary conditions.

The offering baskets overflowed that night --- a fore-taste of things to come.

Monday morning we returned to Trinchera. Most of the men were on the construction team and the women, teens and a few brave men were on the children's ministry team which held a Bible School for the kids. We were told to expect about 50 kids for the first session and perhaps another 50 for the second session.

Here is the church in daylight . . . . with at least 50 kids already waiting for us the first morning.

Before long, the church was busting at its seams with at least 150 kids on the first morning.

When we returned after lunch, the church was completely empty. Our hearts sank.

A few kids started to trickle in, but then Wilmer, one of our locals, drove around town in a pickup truck playing his trumpet like the pied piper. Within minutes, we were overflowing with kids from all directions.

The following morning when we drove in, not only was the church FULL of kids waiting for us, but they loudly clapped and cheered for us as soon as they saw our van. We could barely even get to the stage because they had put their chairs right up against it.

They could never seem to get close enough to us. We felt magnetic.

During our time with the kids, we taught them songs, watched a movie about the life of Christ from a child's perspective, colored pictures, made beaded cross necklaces, played with balloons and bubbles, made a prayer tree and shared the love of God.

The kids' favorite song was Yo Tenga Un Amigo, (I Have a Friend Who Loves Me) which they also learned in English. They loved to sing and when they did, it gave all of us chills despite the blistering heat. (You HAVE to see and hear the video.)

While we were busy with the kids, Steve worked with the construction team to "remodel" a house and put a new roof on the school. He redefined dirty and smelly. In keeping with Jungbauer "traditions," he was also the only one that got injured. (He cut his finger on a piece of sheet metal so I had to glue his finger back together.)

He also spent alot of time playing ball with the kids hanging around the construction sites.

The kids loved hanging out with (and on) Steve --- especially Darcy. (Talk to Steve for details.)

At the end of the week, we were all honored with a special ceremony and meal prepared by patrons of the school.

This church on the top of the hill was irresistable, so one afternoon, the ladies and I went on an adventure hike through Trinchera (and beyond).

Along the way, we ran into a helpful teen on a bicycle that redirected us (in a safer direction) and then a little further down the road we ran into another kind soul that then become our tour guide to the top.

She even recruited her family and more umbrellas for the journey.

Atop the summit, we found these boys flying their home-made kites.

And on the way back down . . .

. . . this is what we found laying in the middle of the steep downslope.

Mingling in the streets on the way home

On Thursday, we took the day off and drove out to the beach. It rained. (My typical day off.)

On our final night in Trinchera, we held in a "Crusade" with multiple local churches. At least 2000 people attended and the locals performed in a special dance ceremony while "our kids" danced with us.

All the gringos got up on stage and sang the kids' favorite song "Yo Tenga." The crowd begged for an encore. Some of us gave personal testimonies and all of us collected countless hugs and kisses.

More special faces and memories:

Our driver Javier with his sons, Javier and Gabriel.

Steve Petty and his fiance Reina

Steve is the pulse behind our mission in Trinchera. Reina grew up along the tracks in Trinchera.

Estella and her family outside their family store

Estella was a meek teen that barely spoke a word, but graciously helped us every day during Bible school. We tried to buy something from her store, but her mother insisted on giving us something instead.

A proud mother . . . full of hope, holding her six-week old infant . . .

I'm still trying to process our experience. It seems that what we received far exceeded what we gave. I don't know what kind of lasting impact we had on their lives, but I know they made a permanent impact on our lives. We were overwhelmed by the out-pouring of love and generosity: no matter how little they had, they joyfully gave.

But there is another world in Trinchera that is easily overlooked. It is not the world we want to remember, but the world that we should remember.

They did not choose where they were born, but we can choose how to use the gifts that God has given each of us. No act of kindness is too small. To love one another is to love God --- and if we refuse to extend love and grace to one another, we refuse to love God.

Love is more than a feeling. Love is a verb.

We must all live more simply so that others may simply live . . .

May your Christmas be filled with love that keeps you warm all year long.

No, we did not get hit by a freak snow storm.

These are the infamous Jungbauer potato dumplings --- THE most important part of a Jungbauer Thanksgiving dinner.

Father and son bond over the art of making the perfect dumpling.

On my side of the family, the only real holiday culinary tradition is trash . . .

This is the "trash" that Gramma Stands always brought to family gatherings along with her ginger-soy veggie dip. The tradition continues.

Today, however there was something even more appetizing ---- served chilled at 46 degrees but under a 60 degree sunny broiler:

Steve's brother Mike joined us from Minnesota with most of his family: Vicki, Aubrey, Ariel and Caleb. Add Eric, Angela and Gramma Bev and we had an even dozen.

Pre and post dinner entertainment.

For the third year in a row, Ron Scarpa spent the week barefooting in Warsaw.

Most all of you know by now that my world revolves around Ron during the week that he is here. (I'm so glad that Steve understands.) Even Sarah and Rachel become zoned in on his every word and motion and tempoarily turn into androids! This year, Ron even got them to take the first step toward barefooting backwards --- and they loved it!

Ron reminisces over what it was like to have hair! And yes, Ron, Sarah IS taller than you.

The Dukes are back . . . . . . . Daisy is gettin' hitched . . . . . . . . . and the Lake City Skiers were back on top again this weekend in their first tournament of the season.

Not only did the Lake City Skiers take home the big trophy, but they also took home the awards for Best Barefoot Act, Best Pyramid, Best Jump Act, Best Individual Act, Best Sound Crew, Best Showmanship, Best Tow Boat Driving, Best Pick-up Boat Crew, Best Dock and Equipment Crew, and Best Overall Show.
(The only award we did not take home was for Best Ballet Line, but that won't happen again! They just had a very rare, off day.)

Since we have only run through the show a handful of times, we are off to a strong start --- and Regionals on July 8th. In the meantime, you can catch the LCS show on Hidden Lake on Tuesdays at 6 pm and Sundays at 5 pm.

You may not catch as many pictures on my blog this year though. I have been "Deputized" to join the team and I can't seem to keep my head above water!

Meanwhile, Steve is nursing his hamstring back to health and serving as the team physician --- fixing skis.

We are proud to announce the graduation of Eric Steven Jungbauer
from the Mississippi College School of Law.

It was a weekend of celebration with an extended, blended family plus two special friends.

But there is something extra special about sisters . . .

. . . and that "something" is part of the reason why we also packed a U-Haul to move Bubby back to Indiana.

Not only will he be completing another year of post-graduate work in healthcare law, but he will also be busy keeping an eye on his two littlest sisters. (As you'll see below, it seems that someone else is keeping a very close eye on his other little sister.)

(Hopefully his friend Angela, won't get jealous.)

So after all the work was done, we played . . .

We ate . . .

And we finally got to meet Nate!!!

(I think he was a bit overwhelmed, but not enough to sway his unofficial, but honorable intentions.)

Law and Order . . . . . . Celebrate!

O my gosh!!! My daughter will most likely threaten to disown me (again) for posting this, but how could I resist? (Please help me out and cast your vote of support by posting lots of comments.)

New Year's Eve is typically a non-event for Steve and I. (Steve can barely stay up past 9 pm on a "late night," so New Year's Eve requires an extra-rigorous training schedule of multiple naps before midnight.)

New Year's Eve IS a big deal to Sarah and Rachel. When they were younger, they loved the challenge of trying to stay awake until midnght. They quickly learned that "if you stop, you drop." Staying up past midnight is certainly not a challenge anymore -- except for Steve.

Several years ago Anna (who is also my Godchild) came over for New Year's Eve and another tradition was started. Apparently, Anna is the only one her household that likes to stay up late --- or perhaps it's just that Anna is the only one her house that doesn't need beauty sleep????

Enough rambling. Here's what I found in my camera from New Year's Eve.

(Steve was sound asleep on the couch and I was at the hospital waiting to catch the New Year's baby. I had 2 ladies close to delivery at midnight and then my colleage did a C-section to bring in the first baby of the New Year. I hate cheaters!)

Not bad for amatuers, eh?

We've had an interesting week of weather . . .

School was actually CLOSED today because of fog that lingered well into the afternoon.

Here are the results of Sarah's fashion show and "photo shoot" back in August.

Fortunately, she did capture a glimpse of our enduring moment on film.
(Click on "enduring moment" to refresh your memory.)

Notice the fan AKA "wind machine" behind Judge Rachel and the lights on the runway.

This is another VERY LUCKY guy who has three little sisters that WORSHIP him!!!

We were fortunate to have a visit from Bubby for a few days. The girls clung to him the entire time. We all miss getting to see him more often. Ditto for Big Sissy Tracy. Unfortunately, she couldn't get away for the holidays, but at least we got to see her in Atlanta over Thanksgiving.

Rachel show off her culinary skills

You may not be able to see the details in the photo, but Rachel made "chocolate cups" by dipping balloons into melted chocolate. Once they cooled she popped the balloons and filled the cups with fresh fruit . . . and then had fun topping them with Reddi Wip and then served them to us on Christmas Eve. (She learned it all on a TV program the day before.)

You can guess what she did next . . .

Daddy helps Rachel program her personal "ATM" bank.

I guess the ole piggy bank just isn't sophisticated enough for this generation!

Who would have ever thought that we would give our pre-teen a cell phone?
What kind of precedent are we setting?
Do we really understand what we are doing????

Yep, it's all about connectivity!

(If you don't have a teen or pre-teen yet, just wait. You'll understand.)

Jeff, Penny, Rick, Samantha, Gramma Jane, Grampa David, Steve, Sarah, Erin, Rachel

We've been VERY GOOD this year Santa!

On Christmas Eve, there is some magical power that somehow overcomes their usual reluctance to pose for Mommy.

There is a reason people flock to Aspen in the autumn. Even though we missed peak Aspen color by a week or more, it was still spectacular - especially with the contrast of any early snowfall.

This is Maroon Bells . . . the most frequently photgraphed place in Colorado.

Say HELLO to Eileen, Rex and Donna who were attending the same seminar as Steve. We enjoyed several hikes and dinners together when they weren't hunting for bear.

I decided to try some mountain biking while Steve was attending a seminar. After climbing continously for about two hours, I decided to turn around. I will confess that I had to walk part of the way up, but it sure was an express trip down.

This is Gramma Jane as an 8-year old little girl. Who else do you see?

A picture is worth a thousand words but a thousand words could not begin to describe what I saw in my living room this morning at 4 AM.

Imagine 2 pre-teens girls and one wanna-be little sister who just returned from an evening of shopping . . .

They were delighted to model their bargains --- and indeed, they were frugal, not foolish in their expenditures. (Steve and I were delighted that they were finally home so that we could go to bed.)

We then agreed that they could stay up until 11 PM. (Next time I will be sure to specify in which time zone.)

By the time I realized why my sleep was so fragmented, it was 4 AM and my living room had been transformed into a fashion stage complete with runway lights and a wind machine. It was a colossal mess with clothes, furniture, clothes, food, clothes, CDs, clothes, make-up and clothes everywhere!!!

Finally at 5 AM, the girls tucked themselves into bed and Steve and I started our day. Steve went downstairs to let Shadow outside and returned. "You've got to go downstairs and see what the girls did." I cringed at the thought of the mess that was left behind despite my no-nonsense orders to clean it up.

Much to my surprise, the fashion stage was miraculously transformed back into my neat and tidy living room and despite the restless night, I still went to work refreshed and with a smile.

Anyone who knows anything about Steve and I, knows that we are active people. We encourage our children to be active as well, hoping that one day, they will also enjoy some of our hobbies. (Believe it or not, we have never owned anything like a Game Boy or Nintendo and only have rabbit ears for our TV.)

My passion, of course, is (almost) anything on the water. Unfortunately, the "tube" has poisoned our youth. They would much rather bounce mindlessly behind the boat than learn the skillful art of carving through the water on a ski ---or better yet, your feet.

Sarah learned to ski a few years ago. It was kind of like toilet training - she did it when she was ready, even though I know she was capable for a long time. For a short time, we thought we had created a monster. She would typically ski around our little lake 10 - 15 times without stopping. The next year, she wanted to ski in April when the water was still in the 60s. BRRRRRRR!!!!! She then proceded to ski around all of Big Tippy and has only skied a handful of times since.

So, I've been patiently waiting for Rachel to show some interest in something other than tubing. Finally, last year on the last day of summer vacation, Rachel finally decided that she would try to water ski. It only took a few tries and she was making us dizzy with laps around the lake too.

She was a little timid about trying it again this year, but popped right up like a pro. So how about the wakeboard, Rae? SURE!!! Two tries later she was jammin'. So how about footin' with us in the morning, Rae? (Obviously, I just couldn't resist.)

Sure enough, my girl Rae popped out of bed at 5 am the next day and the rest is history!!

Here's Rachel barefooting off the boom.

It didn't take long before she was strutting her stuff like a pro . . .

Look at me now!

OK, so maybe I got a little carried away, but I bet I fooled you for a second.

The style credit goes to Kyle Downey, who was also there to cheer Rachel (and Mommy) on.