Recently in Making Memories 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

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!!!

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

Wasn't this just last year?

Nope.......1997........which was also probably the last time Steve and I went to a Halloween party!!!

Nowadays, we cater our schedule to our hallowed teens and their parties.

This year: Napoleon Dynamite (and his pet llama, Tina) with cohorts Deb and Kip.

Sandy and Danny from Grease

But the most "important" part of Halloween????

The Pumpkin Farm!!!

This Presidential parade of pumkinheads is amazingly close to real life!
(and they also kinda look like the presidents too)

The Wonderful World of Disney . . . and more beyond your wildest imagination!

Nothing quite measures up . . .

For years, Sarah and Rachel shared the pilgimage to the pumpkin farm with Gramma Jane and Grampa David . . . . . for memories beyond measure

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.

The cinnamon roll birthday breakfast and the poppyseed chicken birthday dinner are about as constant as the twinkle in Rachel's eyes.

Sarah made the day even more special by getting up early to have breakfast with her sister and then prepared a beautiful birthday table for dinner. She gave Rae a special "Sister Twins" birthday card and a "sisters" necklace followed by a manicure and pedicure.

When the girls were small, they wanted to dress alike and ran around singing "We're the sister twins!" Now they are appalled at each other if the other one wears something even remotely similar and they yell at each other if one of them wears the other's clothes without asking or doesn't return an item to it's proper place. But when there is some important event, they each consult the other about what to wear and how to do their hair.

Sarah has already admitted that when she goes to college next year, she will be lost without Rachel . I'm thankful I had a brother, but even more thankful that I was blessed with girls and the chance to experience sisterhood vicariously.

When Rachel was only 3 or 4, we were having a very important family discussion about how we care for our bodies.

After the usual lecture about food, nutrition, exercise, etc., the conversation took a turn and queries were made about body piercing and tatoos . . . . . . .

Sarah thought for a few moments and then deducted that if you got a bunch of tatoos all over your body, you just wouldn't look like a Gramma when you got older.

Translation: It is more important to be a Gramma than to "look cool" when you are younger. Sound logic in my book! (Maybe I have done something right as a parent.)

However, Steve twisted the conversation and taunted the girls by telling them that he wanted to get a tatoo: a NIKE swoosh on his bottom.

"Daaaaad," Rachel quickly replied, "all you have to do is get a straight line because it will turn into a swoosh when you get older."

True story.

Steve has continued to threaten the girls with a NIKE swoosh and swore he would get his tatoo when he turned 50.

Did he?

Or didn't he?

Kinda . . . . .

Surely, you expected a couple of cracks about Steve's birthday, didn't you?

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.)

July 19th, 1959.

Fifty years later there are a lot of memories.

As I put together a photo essay for our family's Grand and Golden Gala, it became an incredible testimony of love, faith and family.

My parents have lived and shared their love and faith. They have taught us by example that love is patient, kind........and forever. Relationships are not perfect, but love prevails, forgives and heals.

So, having been taught that time together as a family is one of life's most precious gifts, that is how we selfishly celebrated fifty years of love.

Simple gifts . . . . .

Thanks for teaching by example.

Even when you know something is coming, sometimes you still can't prepare yourself for what is about to happen.

I remember the first day of school --- not mine, but my daughter's. I knew it was coming, but how do you really prepare yourself for the flurry of emotions that such momentous occasions evoke?

Well, after almost 18 years, another one of those momentous days that you try to prepare for happened. It felt a lot like the first day of school: sad to see something good come to an end, but happy to see something new and exciting begin.

Today was Pam's last day of work. Pam has been my nurse since I first opened my practice in 1992 and has blessed me and my patients with infinite kindness, gentleness, patience and love. She has undoubtedly spent more time with me than my husband in the past 17+ years yet has never even begun to utter a stern word. She has been beside me during every milestone in my medical practice --- as well as in my children's lives.

Today was another milestone marked with almost 200 cards and letters from patients who also find it difficult to adequately express their gratitude.

Some people come into our lives
and leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never ever the same.
~ Flavia Weedn

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 . . .

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."

.....to give without expecting anything in return.

.....to give even though the receiver has done nothing to earn or deserve what is given.

.....to give life even when precious life has been taken away.

Our week in Guatemala with Hands of Hope was a lesson in grace.......amazing grace.

I don't think most Americans understand grace. Most Americans either expect to work for everything and are skeptical of anything that is "free" or they have a sense of entitlement and obligatory fairness. Neither paradigm is compatible with the concept and gift of grace. Life is not fair. The people of Guatemala understand grace --- perhaps because they also have an intimate understanding of death.

Aron's father shared a dream he had several days before Aron's death: He was standing in a river with Aron and the pastor of their church. The water was crystal clear which meant that they would soon receive a great blessing. Now, in the wake of his son's death, Aron's father believes that the blessing was our mission team.

Even in the darkness and despair following his death, Aron's mother also poignantly and repeatedly praised Hands of Hope for the care we gave to her son. She gave heart-felt thanks and praise to us despite her own personal pain and grief.

Admittedly, grace can be difficult to understand . . . . but also to accept. We certainly did not feel worthy of the gift we were given and feel we received much more than we gave.

Although we may never understand everything that happened during our time in Guatemala, God's grace gives us comfort, hope and inspiration to exemplify grace in our daily walk --- wherever we are and in whatever we do.

Today we visited Amor del Nino founded by Steve and Shyrel Osborn. This is an orphanage primarily for special needs children. Many were abandoned and left to die but for the mercy of Amor del Nino. You can only begin to imagine the tragic story that nearly each child has to tell, but as the photos attest, the lives of these children are now filled with comfort, love and acceptance plus stories of astounding growth and progress.

The next stop on our "tour" was the city dump.

The dump in Guatemala City sits below a cemetery: what a paradise for vultures.

Countless truckloads of trash are dumped here every day and countless numbers of people scavenge through the trash hoping to find something they can salvage and sell for a few quetzels. Many children have been killed rummaging through the trash so laws were finally enforced that prohibit children from entering the dump.

Life and death take on strangely similar appearances in Guatemala.

Sally, Christian and I also made the trek to Chichicastenango......to visit Christina.

Christina, now in her 20s, has spina bifida. She was "adopted" by Hands of Hope and a local family in Warsaw about ten years ago and brought to the US to have surgery so that she could walk.

Once we made the drive down the steep, narrow, bumpy, serpentine road into the valley where Christina lives, we had to get out and walk the rest of the way.

It was about half a mile to her house on a well-worn path, but . . .

Did we turn at the right corn stalk???

Fortunately, two of Christina's sisters came to meet us and lead us the rest of the way. (Even in remote areas of Third World countries there are cell phones.)

Christina is the oldest of eight children. Her father left eight months ago to find work in the US and has not been heard from since. Her 16-year old brother is now the man of the house. He and his mother are working hard to try to support the family. We found Christina working on some embroidery which I assume she sells. She is able to walk with crutches and has remained fairly healthy, but rarely leaves the house because of their remote location.

For Christina, it is a very small world.

Today we held a clinic in San Pablo La Laguna but instead of packing all our daily clinic supplies into pickup trucks, we hauled it all down to a boat that took us across Lake Atitlan for the day.

It was a beautiful day and a wonderfully relaxing contrast to the thrill of travelling in the back of a pickup truck.

Once we arrived, we hauled all our supplies back up a hill and re-loaded them into pickup trucks.

You know it's hair-pin turn if you have to 3-point it! (And NO, that person in the passenger seat is NOT waving at us. He is desperately trying to stop the truck barreling down the hill!)

Our clinic for the day: time to move supplies . . . . . . again.

The view from the street in front of the clinic:

Patiently waiting. Notice the kids trying to crawl in through the windows.

Because of the local dialect we had had to work with two translators today. This slowed us down a bit, but by the end of the week, I was so "fluent" I could diagnose a lot of problems without my translator. (OK, so I learned a few key words like "dolor" and "picar" and got really good at charades!)

David shows off his skills in dentisty --- and as an artist.

I saw a 34 year-old mother of six with a nagging cough and a large, hard, irregular mass in her neck. Cancer until proven otherwise . . . . ."but no access to proof."
Even though I know the power of prayer, I still feel powerless.

A fun way to end the day: Trina and Sarah blow bubbles with the kids while we wait for our trucks.

Time to load the boat --- a small price to pay for the magnificent commute back to Panajachel.

The director of Hands of Hope, 1 nurse, 1 physician, 1 minister, 1 retired teacher, 1 retired railroad worker, 1 retired power company worker, 1 retired nurse . . . and 1 teen. Age 16 to 71. Nine diverse backgrounds and three generations separating us but one common mission that bonded us ALL together.

In Panajachel we were also joined by a Guatemalan dentist, the founder of a Guatemalan orphanage and a Guatemalan boat captain to make . . . . .Twelve disciples.

The 30,000 vitamins and other medications that were taken from us by customs when we arrived . . . . turned into over 130,000 vitamins through a donation from the founder of an orphanage in Guatemala when heard of our plight.

Small but mighty, our team saw nearly 800 patients in just four days and shared the Gospel with each one. Over 100 accepted.

We worked, laughed, cried, ate, slept, prayed and praised together along with an amazing team of young, passionate and incredibly sensitive Guatemalan interpreters.

Jonathan began working with Hands of Hope ten years ago at the age of 16. Every team has fallen in love with him and Hands of Hope takes credit for raising him up to be such a fine young man. He is passionate about his country, coffee and computers . . . as well as a lucky young lady back here in Warsaw, so we hope to see him again soon.

Christian is quiet, gentle and equally as lovable, but a man of few words. He has also been instrumental to HOH for many years and we look forward to getting to know him better.

Demetrios just started working with HOH a few years ago. He was our boat captain when we went across Lake Antitlan to San Pablo La Laguna. He also served as a translator, dental assistant and helped in any other way he could. He shared in our grief when our team attended Aron's viewing ceremony. On our last night together, he expressed his heartfelt thanks to our team for helping his people --- not just with material things, but with genuine love.

Norma is an English tutor and Sigrid works at a call center but hopes to be a chef and own a restaurant one day. These two young ladies worked primarily with the Evangelism team and are wise, sensitive and compassionate beyond their years. They each have an amazing gift for touching and mending broken hearts.

Each person made an eternal imprint on every other team member's heart.

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

Lake Atitlan

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Aron died today. I do not completely understand God's will right now, but I have faith that good will continue to grow out of this experience.

The road to Panajachel is twisted, rough, steep, curvy, bumpy, chilling, inspiring, unpredictable . . . and life-changing. That also describes our day.

We packed up in the back of two pick-up trucks and had an adventuresome ride to La Jorge La Laguna. The ride while standing in the back of a pickup truck going up, down and around the road to our clinic today was not for the faint-hearted. There are no guard rails, rules or reason.

Our clinic today, including the dentist's office, was much more primitive.

The people we saw were traditional Mayans and all of their faces have a story to tell.

The face with the most important story today, however, belonged to 2 year-old Aron. He was my second patient of the day. He was lying limp in his mother's arm and was burning with fever. Once I was able to get him unswaddled, it was obvious that he was struggling to breathe due to pneumonia and was gravely ill.

Sarah quickly assisted in giving him a breathing treatment while Trina, our nurse, gave him an injection of antibiotic. He perked up, but we knew he needed more than what we had to give so we made arrangements for more antibiotic shots and breathing treatments for the next several until he was hopefully well enough to take oral antibiotics.
When we checked on him again several hours later, however, he was again limp and struggling for every breath as he laid in his mother's arms. Within minutes, we were loading Aron and his mother into a surprisingly modern ambulance that was stationed less than a quarter mile away from our clinic. As I began to close the door, however, Aron's mother let out a heart-wrenching cry . . . He had stopped breathing.

I jumped in the ambulance and did CPR all the way to the hospital while Aron's mother sobbed in the back seat. He was still lifeless when we arrived and handed him off to the team of doctors in the emergency room, but we were able to revive him enough to give us hope. When we left, he still was not able to breathe on his own so a nurse was continuously at his side "bagging" him because the hospital does not have a ventilator. They were trying to get Aron transferred to a larger hospital several hours away, but the ambulance that was supposed to transport him broke down on the way to get him and the volunteer ambulance that brought him earlier in the day, couldn't afford the gas to get to the city.

As I said above, the road to Panajachel is very rough . . . . unpredictable . . . . . and unsettling.

No matter how great your faith, moments like this still make you wonder "Why?" We left money with Aron's family hoping they could use it to buy gas for the ambulance.

After the clinic, five of us, including Trina, drove to another town to pick up vitamins that had been donated. (Our supply of medications is still in the hands of the Guatemalan government.) It was not any easy drive and it was late, but we insisted that we make one stop along the way. We stopped so that Trina could see Teresa.

Teresa is a vibrant, healthy 9 year-old Guatemalan girl that Trina met on her first trip with HOH. At that time, Teresa was only 2 months old and weighed a mere 5 pounds. Like Aron, she came to the clinic struggling for every breath and close to death. Trina ended up taking her to the "local" hospital more than an hour away and stayed at her bedside all night breathing for her with a hand ventilator. It seemed hopeless so after 24 hours so they decided to remove Teresa's breathing tube and return her to the comfort of her mother's arms and God's hands.

When they returned the next day, Teresa was still alive --- and when Trina returned a year later, Teresa was clearly thriving without any signs of permanent impairment.
When Trina made her first came to Guatemala with Hands of Hope, she did not believe in God but now she gives one of the most moving testimonies you will ever hear.

As I write, I still do not know God's will for Aron's life, but when we stopped to see Teresa, we also found her 14 year-old sister very sick in bed with fever. "Luckily," I had a supply of antibiotics with me because I had done mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on Aron.

Luck and coincidence are for those would do not believe in God.

Even before we left Warsaw 3 days ago, Sarah was connected to Guatemala.

A friend from school who had been on a previous trip with Hands of Hope gave Sarah something to give to Jonathan, one of our translators here in Guatemala. Sarah promptly found him on Facebook and began chatting with him on Thursday night before we left.

She also added Trina as a friend on Facebook. Trina is a nurse at KCH and comes to Guatemala with Hands of Hope three times a year. Consequently, Trina has many friends here in Guatemala including the aunt of Sarah's boyfriend who is a missionary living in Guatemala City.

One of our other team members, Gloria, lives across Oswego from us and is in a Bible study with Steve's mom.

I am the doctor for Jonathan's girlfriend's grandmother.

Tonight however, my head really spun around when the brother of one of my high school classmates walked in during our after-dinner meeting. Also, a "HOH junkie," he was here for a few days working to get fresh, clean water to one of the nearby villages - a project that arose from a previous trip with HOH.

What a wonderful way to start the day. This is the view from our hotel here in Antigua.

After breakfast, we packed up all the supplies and meandered through the cobblestone streets of Antigua to a small school that would serve as our medical clinic for the day.

As expected, we were warmly greeted by a crowd of people awaiting our arrival. There were mainly women and lots of children, but they all waited patiently and quietly as we set up the clinic.

We saw 176 patients today. (I don't know how many we had to turn away.) Most came with fairly simple complaints like cough and cold symptoms, but many also came simply for reassurance or to be prayed for.

I met a 12 year-old boy today named Alvado. He is the oldest of 7 and came to me with a humble request that I simply pray for his family, and especially his mother. His face and body were sullen and his eyes welled up with heavy tears as he made his humble plea: He wanted to bring his mother to the clinic today, but she could not walk: Alvado's father is an alcoholic and beat her last night. He also beats Alvado and his siblings. "But" Alvado reassured me, "I know God."

It was obvious that this little boy, barely 4 feet tall or more than 50 pounds, was the real man of the house.

We weren't able to get Alvado's mother to the clinic, but we were able to get Alvado more help through his school and we all felt hope despite his despair.

Meanwhile, Sarah was assisting the dentist and got to pull her first tooth. (She quickly decided that she does NOT want to go into dentistry.) She also experienced her first thrill: she listened to a heart murmur that was so loud and caused so much turbulent blood flow that she could feel the "thrill" (vibration) through the child's chest wall.

A glimpse of Antigua from outside the clinic.

Before dinner we had a little bit of free time, so Sarah and I walked around downtown Antigua for a little while. It is a quaint town surrounded by several volcanos.

Tomorrow we head to rural areas near Panajachel . . .

Sarah and I left shortly after midnight today for Guatemala with Hands of Hope. This Winona Lake based group has been doing medical mission work in Guatemala since 1999 and now travels to Guatemala four times a year to touch hundreds of lives at every visit.

In today's medical world, US privacy acts preclude any type of personal observation, much less hands-on experience until you are actually in medical school, so when Sarah declared she wanted to pursue a career in medicine, I knew we needed to join Hands of Hope.

Sarah, our "Sleeping Beauty," has always loved to sleep. In fact, at the age of 4 she declared that she NEVER wanted to be a doctor because she didn't want to get up in the middle of the night!

Well, Sarah just pulled her first all-nighter as we arrived at O'Hare around 3 am and then tried to doze on the hard, cold terminal floor until they opened for our 6 am flight.

Next stop: Miami where we were greeted with "Love" and we were in Guatemala by 2pm.

Three hours later, we finally made it through customs......

We had ten 50-pound suitcases filled with medication, formula and other medical supplies. Never before has a Hands of Hope group even been questioned, but today we received uncustomary treatment by Customs and they confiscated nearly all of our supplies!

We took an inventory of all our supplies and left them behind, but hope to retrieve them soon. In the meantime, HOH has supplies here that are left over from previous trips.

Lessons learned: 1) Patience and diplomacy 2) Government interferes with the good of the people 3) Man cannot stop the momentum of God's work.

The morning will come early......Good Night.

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 . . .

"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 . . .

Today we celebrated Eric and Angela's engagment by gathering together both families and some of the wedding party for a wonderfully relaxing, enjoyable and perfect day at the lake.

We rented a tent, so of course, the weather was absolutely divine. And since we had the tent, I decided to make good use of it and throw a 50th birthday party for my friend Lynnette, the night before. Eric and Angela joined us Friday night, so they were able to enjoy both festivities . . . and the guitarist, Charlie, who added the crowning touch!

Nine months from today, Eric and Angela will officially tie the knot. At the engagement party, we guaranteed that Angela was our for keeps (I think we love her almost as much as Eric does) by making her put her permanent imprint on our Bubby-built cornhole boards! (Obviously, ALL our kids had to put their prints on!)

The Lake City Skiers made their debut in the Division I Show Ski National Championships this weekend. After years of competing (and dominating) in the Division II level, our back-to-back D-II National titles in 2006 and 2007 launched us into a whole new tier of competition.

So . . . . while most of you were watching the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Olympics, the Lake City Skiers were busy preparing for our "opening ceremonies" on Lake Wazeecha with 13 other teams. For the LCS members that have been faithfully building the team for over 20 years (and dreaming of competing with the "big dawgs" in D-I), it was clearly an olympic moment even though we were in Wisconsin instead of Bejing.

As the tournament logo implies, the flooding this year caused a lot of havoc at many ski sites and caused both D-I and D-II national tournaments to change locations. (LCS hosted D-II last weekend.)

Lake Wazeecha is interesting because of it's red sand "stadium" seating.

(Sorry I don't really have any photos from the tournament, but I was kinda busy.)

The entire tournament was webcast and is still available for viewing for a limited time at www.webcast-tv.com/sports/events/showskiusnationals2008 (Unfortunately, you won't even see much of our signature barefoot pyramid slingshot because the camera man cut out too soon, but you can always catch the clip at www.lakecityskiers.org)

The Lake City Skiers finished in 10th place. (We could have easily placed 7th based on our usual scores and performances, but we admittedly had a few jitters and glitches.

(Pardon me while I whine for a minute.)

Our signature act, the barefoot slingshot pyramid, was only scored as an 8 out of 25 by one judge. Though many have tried, we are the only team in any division that can do the slingshot. (That was just one of several scoring inconsistancies.) Our sound board died less than a week before Nationals so our sound guy made his debut on a new sound board during our D-I debut performance. Hence, our typically award-winning sound was less than stellar. I didn't even get to barefoot because my boat driver got cut off after my dock flyer.

Enough whining! We still put on an entertaining prime-time show and put Lake City on the map.

Here are a few glimpses from our home shows:

Jeffery is hooked too and made his debut with the Lake City Skiers this week!

Deja vu

When Rachel joined the Lake City Skiers four years ago, Sarah watched the first few shows with a scowl on her face. At first she didn't even want to go to the "stupid ski shows." Then the transformation began: she "grudgingly" started going to the shows and started to laugh and smile. She knew all the dance routines in just a few weeks and before summer's end, Sarah was proud and excited to be a Lake City Skier.

In 2006, they recruited me. In 2007, they recruited Steve and now we have the other half of the family eating, breathing and sleeping LCS style: Samantha and Jeff are skiing. Penny helps Steve in the LCS pick-up boat and Rick helps wherever he is needed.

Gramma and Grampa remain loyal fans . . . so it really is all in the family.

. . . and forever celebrating!

Sarah's 16th birthday celebration continued this weekend with a special get-away weekend in Indy with Bubby and Sissy. Tracy drove up from Atlanta for the weekend and we all met for dinner (after a few gigs on Rock Band). Sarah, Tracy and Angela then had a girls-only day and looked for bridesmaids dresses (for Eric and Angela's wedding) followed by a trip to the spa and a girls-only dinner. (Can you believe that none of them took any pictures?!?!)

The next day, it was off to the races: The INDY 500. Eric assures me that he never let Sarah look at the infield with the binoculars.

Steve, Rachel and I drove back to Indy Sunday morning. Rachel surfed the cable channels while Steve and I cycled the Monon trail and then Rae and I shopped while Daddy surfed....

We had Bazbeaux pizza waiting when the crew returned from the race. They were so tired they acted like they ran the race, rather than watched it. Not much post-race commentary, but it was definitely a winning weekend. (I'm sure Rachel is wondering what Bubby and Sissy will do when she turns 16!)

We ended up spending the night so we could jam some more on Rock Band and we definitely ended on a good note.

My first real Mother's Day was 16 years ago. Today we celebrated that anniversary by also celebrating Sarah's 16th birthday (again) with (almost) the same nucleus of family that welcomed her into the world.

None of us will ever forget Aunt Penny's first remarks upon seeing Sarah for the first time: "Wow! What a cone head!" She also proclaimed that even though she vowed to love Sarah, "All babies are ugly." Five years later I had the privelage of being in the delivery room when Penny delivered Samantha . . . . Penny's first words when she saw Sam were: "She's so cute."

Perhaps one of the reasons tradition has such a stronghold in our family is because some of us never forget.

So, in keeping with tradition, we celebrated with a dinner of Poppyseed Chicken and the birthday number made out of bread . . . . followed by presents and cake.

Grampa David helped uphold a tradition older than me by presenting Sarah with a "closet gift." The #16 brass key chain was an "artifact" from the famly rendering business that was founded in 1917. Grampa David was the third generation to own and operate the ultimate recycling business and so another three generations later, this bovine ID tag was recycled into a key chain for Sarah. (I'm still not sure if the brass ID tag was worn in the cow's ear or around its neck, but we lead Sarah to believe the latter.)

One of the best gifts I received for Mother's Day was that Sarah helped get everything ready for her own party while Steve and I were playing in Chicago.

She even made a 3-layer cake all by herself to rival the fruit-jeweled crostini Rachel made me for my birthday.

I've said it before. I'll say it again. Life is Good!

I knew this day was coming, but it still happened way too fast!

At 1616 today, Sarah turned 16. (I think this is more difficult than childbirth, but equally as miraculous.)

May Day started with plenty of sunshine. Sarah popped up out of bed early and without any prompting and was greeted by a new full-length mirror. At 7 am, her boyfriend, Dylan, greated her with fresh flowers......and chocolate. Breakfast was a freshly-baked, warm lemon poppyseed muffin with the obligatory birthday candle and a present from Sarah's favorite little sister, Rachel. So far, so sweet.

We kidnapped both girls from school and the four of us had lunch at everyone's favorite: Cerulean. The complimentary chocolate-mint gelato was divine.

When Sarah arrived back at school, she was called down to the office and for a bouquet of 16 ballons (and chocolate) from our friends Courtney, Barry and "little e."

A few hours later, we headed off to a track meet. At Sarah's first meet this year, she set a new school record in the high jump at 4' 10". The only thing better than icing on her birthday cake, would be to break the 5' barrier..............Close, but not tonight.

So we ended a nearly perfect day eating dinner at Wendy's with the track team and then warm, molten lava cake at home.

What more could a girl want?

Oh, yeah . . . .

I guess Sweet 16 does mean
some kind of driving machine,
but she'll just have to wait
while we procrastinate.

Remember poor Dad and Mom
still aren't ready for prom,
so please let us get through the first date
and then we'll negotiate.

(Sorry for the bad "poetry")

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

The Boomerang Kid brought tradition back to Grandview Court today. We gathered around the table and gave thanks for togetherness, faith and healing. Everyone, was happy to be home.

The Ten Grand Clan

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!

Check it out.............The October issue of USA Water Ski

http://www.usawaterski.org/pages/WaterSkier/October07Articles/24-27.pdf

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.

School starts tomorrow. Sarah has already had 3 volleyball games and the girls have been "Back-to-School" shopping at least 5 times in the past week.

In between, they sqeezed in some time with Gramma & Grampa. Even though Gramma & Grampa always wander off the beaten path, the girls genuinely love the journey. The 2 most recent trips were to Auburn to visit the bronze sculpures and to South Bend where the exhibit at the art museum "was really cool!"

And if you know my parents, no trip is complete without something to eat.

School gets out early tomorrow. Gramma and Grampa are celebrating with Sarah and Rachel --- at Cerulean for lunch.

Division I, here we come!!!

We all have friends that we love to hate.

You know, the ones that are perfect, but they're SO perfect that they're genuine and humble.

Well, my perfect friend Carole hosted a little surprise birthday party for my other perfect friend, Lynnette . . . . . . and it really was a perfect surprise!

The birthday girl was prepared for a casual boat ride, but she looks perfect for the party, doesn't she?

Notice the perfect table setting and the perfect weather! I'm sure can guess how the dinner and dessert were too!

Carole and Lynnette. (They, along with Marsha in Steamboat, are the top 3 hostesses in the world!)

Dave shows his soft, sentimental side and raises a toast to "The Love of My Life."

And as Dave frequently says,"PERRRRRFECT!"

School's out for summer . . . and while everyone else was enjoying 90 degree weather in Indiana, we enjoyed an unexpected winter squall on our way to Steamboat Springs, CO.

The climate (and temperament) however, quickly changed.

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Everyone says that if you love Colorado in the winter, you will love it even more in the summer.

I first fell in love with Steamboat as a teen. For almost twenty years, our family spent a week every spring skiing in and out of Townhouse 28 in Storm Meadows. We made moguls of family memories together and my dad and I celebrated many birthdays together on the mountain. Steamboat and I even shared our 40th together a few years ago --- and even though it had been almost ten years since we had been there, it still felt like home.

So . . . for a homesick, homebody like me, I was elated when our friends invited us to be their guests on Storm Mountain.

The unexpected winter weather proved to be short, but dramatic.

Our hosts, Bill and Marsha, redefined "all-inclusive" by showing us overwhelmingly genuine hospitality and 10-star accomodations. We quickly felt at home and immensely enjoyed their company over gourmet dinners, hiking, horesback riding, fishing and while simply enjoying the view. I truly believe that they enjoyed pampering us as much as we enjoyed being pampered!

Marsha and Bill in the kitchen --- one of Bill's favorite spots.

Brandy (and Rachel)

We were also blessed to share this time with my parents.

(Mac always goes on vacation with us too.)

HIKING

HORSEBACK RIDING

MORE HIKING . . . more challenging

TRADITION: Stones from June Falls

Along the way . . .

FISHING

CATCHING!!!

Life is Good!

ONTO THE NEXT ADVENTURE:

White-water rafting down Clear Creek in Idaho Springs.

Rachel had a BLAST and is ready for bigger rapids. Sarah doesn't like the wetsuits, helmuts or cold water, but still had fun too.

From Clear Creek, we headed to Longmont to visit our friends Brandon & Kim and their girls Sydney & Reagan. We were greeted with HUGE hugs and kisses from the girls even though the last time we visited, Sydney was just a baby and Reagan wasn't even a twinkle yet.

Our reception was so warm (94 degrees) that we headed to Water World for the day.

The Lazy River

The Lazy River ala Reagan & Steve

The next day was 50ish and raining --- a good day for 4-wheeling.

Steve and I chickened out when we hit these rapids the first time, but Brandon and Steve went back and powered through it.

Sarah and Rachel were content to stay on the fire trails while we chased in the Hummer.

We also amused ourselves playing Nintendo Wii on Brandon's BIG screen . . . . and playing with Sydney and Reagan.

Our last look at the Rockies: the view from Brandon and Kim's house.

Rachel recently entered an essay contest. In my opinion, she is the winner, hands down!

I get tears in my eyes every time I read this. What an awesome gift!

Sorry the postmark is a little late!

2002

2003

2004

2005

Ten Grand returned to Akumal, Mexico. This year we were almost at the end of the road (Akumal only has one main road) and overlooked Yal-Ku Lagoon.

There wasn't quite as much solitude as the photo would suggest, but it was still very peaceful and a pleasant change from the pounding ocean-side surf of the past two years.

During the day, the lagoon swarmed with almost as many snorkelers as fish. Whatever your pleasure, there was plenty to watch.

Our "penthouse" view of the lagoon

Guess who was usually on the sun deck

Guess who you couldn't keep out of the water

Guess who was content to enjoy the water from the distance . . .

Gramma playing Sudoku. Grampa playing on his Mac.

. . . and when we needed a break from the sun, countless games of "Golf" and "Spite & Malice."

Samantha got to SCUBA for the first time

Jeff was content to stay on the beach . . . with the babes!

One of our favorite beach bars . . .

Steve and I got the bird's eye view from La Buena Vida

. . . and the kids got a swinging view

Another fun adventure: a day on Cozumel.

Two years ago we explored Cozumel by scooter. Last year, Eric and Steve ventured back to the island to explore the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma. Not surprisingly, they rebuilt Cozumel very quickly. We were disappointed to see the quaintness of the "undeveloped" side of the island devoured by real highways heavily patroled by police.

Nonetheless, we were still carefree as we journeyed around the island topless . . .

Body surfing was great too!

A fun day . . . but we were glad to return to our placid little lagoon.

Time to go home . . .

Adios . . . . .

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 . . .

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.

Tradition with a Twist

We began Rachel's birthday celebration last week at Winona Lake's newest Mediterranean-Sushi fusion restaurant, The Cerulean.

Rachel began planning her sushi celebration a year ago. Every year she puts a new twist on tradition, and every year the celebration seems to last longer and longer.

The traditional slumber party: complete with Poppyseed Chicken, Hide-and-Seek, facials, a dip in the hot tub, "The Worst of American Idol," charades, Silly String fights, ice cream "cake," cinnamon rolls and hazelnut chocolate chip scones for breakfast and a fresh bouquet of roses from Big Sissy, Tracy.

Rae ended the day with an afternoon of shopping in the city with Mom, Dad, and Sarah.

Just one of many rainbows we saw that day.

We closed the week-long celebration with home-made sushi and Gramma Stands' chop suey.

Since we somehow missed the traditional breadstick birthday photo, the chopsticks worked just fine!

Last weekend I taught a barefoot clinic for the Lake City Skiers.

I had a dozen footers from fourth grade to forty-something . . . I didn't make any money, but the pay-off was still great.

I had so much fun, I barely had time to get cleaned up for the 10th annual Cancer Gala.

Steve and I always go by boat and it is about the only time that I actually get in the picture!
(Who wouldn't want to be photo'd with such a handsome guy?!?)

From the Central Region Show Ski Association . . .

Lake City Skiers Win DII Nationals

The Lake City Skiers gave a stunning performance Saturday at the 2006 Nationals held at the Water Hawks show site in Evansdale, Ia.

With only two falls in their entire show the Lake City Skiers brought the crowd to their feet from the opening act as they did a barefoot pyramid slingshot around the jump. Things didn't stop there as act after act left the dock and returned to the main stage.

The Lake City Skiers won with a score of 1704. The team also took home every piece of hardware at the tournament with best male skier going to Jakim Wilson and best female skier going to Angela Malcolm. If you missed this tournament, you missed one of the best water ski shows ever performed. Congratulations to The Lake City Skiers from Warsaw, In.

The Ski Broncs finished 2nd with 1428 points and the Bayside Skiers finished 3rd with 1344 points. The Hartwick Huskies rounded out the competion with 1284 points.

Details to follow tomorrow . . . . . on the front page of the Times Union!

Despite high winds, river currents, recreational boaters and a few unexpected guest appearances by the LCS swim team, the Lake City Skiers still held their reign as the Central Region Division II Champs.

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.

Thursday, June 1: The headlines of USA Today read:

That means the Jungbauers must be going on vacation. (And true to tradition, Steve injured himself 5 days ago. He tore a hamstring skiing with Rachel on his shoulders.)

Friday, June 2 . . . A long day of travel by airplane, taxi, ferry and finally by Jeep. Even though we were still on the same time, the sun set 2 hours earlier than at home (I hate DST!) and St. John was already asleep.

After 15 miles of steep inclines, sharp curves and rapid descents (Centerline Road alone, though only 7.5 miles long, has 179 curves!!!) we arrived at Estate Concordia on the southeast end of St. John at about 11 pm. Just like our "Cool Breeze" car rental, this was a self-serve check-in, deal-with-the-details-later island-style operation. (They don’t even leave the lights on like Motel 6 --- though they do remind you to bring your own flashlight.)

We grabbed our linen bag (no maid service) and before making the 104-step descent to our "Eco-Tent," I went to move the Jeep out of the middle of the road only to discover the transmission cable broke and wouldn't move out of Park. (Remember, it's a Jungbauer “adventure.”) The good news: at least we made it to our destination first!

Surprisingly, "Cool Breeze" had a replacement Jeep to us by mid-morning the next day and “fixed” the transmission cable with plastic wire ties before driving it back to Cruz Bay.

So WHY St. John in June? (Remember, I am a major homebody once the lake thaws!)

Last fall, Steve and I did a long get-away weekend in St. Croix. While there, Steve also did a triathlon and as the competitor that traveled the furthest, he won a one week stay on St. John. Sweet! (But it had to be used between June and September --- and it was for a campground.)

FREE is my favorite 4-letter word, so with a gift certificate for free lodging and free airline tickets (frequent-flyer miles), we ended up here, in the Concordia Eco-Tents. Fodor’s probably doesn’t give it a 5-star rating, but we gave it a 500 star rating.

The Eco-Tents are like a network of treehouses perched on the mountainside overlooking the beach and ocean. There are well over 100 steps from the top of the matrix to the bottom and once perched inside our Eco-Tent, we felt like we were on our own private island.

We had 3 bedrooms (including a loft), a private bath and shower, a kitchenette with running water and a porch. No electricity, but solar power for lights and a reservoir of solar-warmed rainwater for showers --- and for the techno-junkies among us, the office also kindly served as a charging station, if needed.

It was a vacation from the TV, phone, computer, hairdryer, traffic lights, sirens and fast food, yet we felt like we were in the lap of luxury with unlimited panoramic views, refreshing ocean breezes, pristine private beaches and casual, yet gourmet dining.

Amazingly, my very girly teenagers, who would love to be pampered all day at a spa, did not miss the modern conveniences of home either. Instead, they enjoyed old-fashioned pastimes like reading and playing cards when it was time to get out of the sun and did not complain once about our eco-primitive accommodations. They thought our “treehouse” was cool!

Four-wheel drive is essential on St. John. Even most of the paved roads require 4WD and revel any rollercoaster. The roads on the less-commercialized east end are particularly steep and winding. "They" say the reason you drive on the left side of the road in St. John is so you can see how close to the edge you are.

I won't tell you how close to the edge we were here, but it was a LONG way from everybody else! Remember, it's a Jungbauer adventure . . .

--- and we thought Sarah and Rachel needed to learn how to change a tire.

If we had paid closer attention to the signs, perhaps our fate would have been different . . .

(Duh! You dip sh.......)

This is the salt pond below our Eco-Tent. The salt content is so high that salt crystalizes along the shoreline. It is rich in the minerals of the sea and reportedly very tasty, so we harvested some salt to take home. The brown color of the salt pond is not because the water is muddy. It’s actually very clear, but gets its unusual color from red algae.

From the salt pond, we hiked over to Drunk Bay. It is covered with “bodies” and all visitors are expected to leave their mark behind. The girls made a turtle, Steve resurrected a cross, and I left behind my footprint.

We cooled off by snorkeling in Salt Pond Bay and swam with the turtles and large schools of fish.

After lunch, we went to Cinnamon Beach where I saw a 5-foot shark --- but didn't have the camera to prove it.

Cinnamon Bay was very crowded compared to all the other beaches we visted, like Hawksnest . . .

. . . and Lameshur.

We eventually returned to Cruz Bay to deal with the sharks at the rental car agency --- and left with our third Jeep in four days (and another spare tire).

Our favorite dining spot was Asolare which overlooked Cruz Bay.

Lucy's was also spectacular despite it's humble atmosphere (that didn't even warrant a photograph except for the view.)

. . . and Haagen-Dazs can always be found in even the most remote locations.

We spent one day with Captain George touring around St. John by boat. He took us to beaches and reefs that you can only access by boat. We had originally hoped to island-hop in the British Virgin Islands, but high winds and ten-foot swells kept us close to home.

Amazingly, St. John is only 9 miles long and about 5 miles across which makes it similar in size to Lake Wawasee --- but with a much greater surface area (the highest altitude is 1300 feet.) The island feels much bigger than it is because of its vast topography but is largely unspoiled since 2/3 of the island is National Park.

Ram Head is the cliff we overlooked from our treehouse. It's a safe, but spectacular hike to the top which takes you across a blue pebble beach. The rocks make a unique soundd of "applause" as the waves wash over them.

We give St. John a standing ovation and hope to do an encore soon!

. . . for an Easter Egg hunt!

This year, however, the girls informed me that the Easter Bunny needed to make the hunt more challenging. He (she?) sent them on a scavenger hunt a few years ago, and they thought that was really fun.

So this year, I was commissioned by the great white rabbit to organize a more challenging adventure. Sarah and Rachel had to follow a series of clues hidden inside eggs (along with chocolate, of course) until they found their Easter baskets. I think Rachel figured out the clues faster than Sarah could read them.

Each of them found their baskets in the form of new purses loaded with goodies: Cheetos and Biscotti for Rachel and chocolate and soda for Sarah. (Since Sarah gave up chocolate and soda for Lent, this is what she then had for breakfast --- along with a few Peeps!)

The EB also spoiled each of them with a COACH wristlet.

After Easter Brunch at Gramma and Grampa's, each of the grand-daughters got "closet gifts" in their Easter baskets: each received a printer's box from Gramma Mary's collection and then took turns choosing trinkets to fill it.
(Jeff received an antique baseball bat, so we didn't let him come close to getting in the picture, but he's still as cute/handsome as ever.)

Buying gifts for parents is kind of like buying clothes for a teenager. I think they are tied for #1 on the List of Nearly Impossible Things To Do.

Time together, however, is a priceless gift that is easy to lose in today's hectic race from one "obligation" to another.

Hence, it was our pleasure (all 8 of us) to host a Ten Grand weekend for Mom and Dad on Chicagos's Magnificent Mile.

We don't really have any photographic memories of the weekend (No photos allowed at The Blue Man Group and too cold and windy to stop, much less take my hands out of my pockets for a photo on the Mag Mile), but Dad captured this from his hotel room overlooking Lake Michigan.

. . . and this should be the next ad for Westin's Heavenly Beds.

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?

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.

No school today because of snow!

Since it also happened to be my "day off," I took the girls BOWLING!

(For me, this was quite a sacrifice. There are not very many things in life that I really dislike, but bowling is one of them. It's the whole atmosphere that is appalling to me: the smoke, the shoes that hundreds of grungy feet have worn before me, the "athletes" who have more tatoos than teeth . . .)

As parents, we make incredible sacrifices for our children.

Rachel shows off her perfect bowling form . . .

. . . and finishes in style!

Sarah bowls a STRIKE!

Obviously, these are not ordinary bowlers . . .
Only teenage girls have to make a fashion statement when they bowl!

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

It has become a Jungbauer tradition to build gingerbread houses before Christmas. In years past, we have transformed the entire garage into a gingerbread studio --- and filled it with a flurry of giggly, wiggly girls.

The tradtion actually began with our friends, the Myers, who hosted our first gingerbread party. It was a wonderful multi-generation afternoon of making memories with our dear friend Pat Oppenheim and her 90-some year-old father, Mr. Harrison.

We quickly discovered that the adults were much too helpful --- and needed their own gingerbread houses to build!

Here is Steve's masterpiece from last year.

This year was just as chaotic as always despite a smaller number of construction workers. My nephew, Jeffery was definitely the most intense worker, and also the youngest at age four. He outlasted all the girls and paid the most attention to detail.

Jeffery proudly displays (and tastes) his masterpiece along with his sister Samantha.

Obviously, all that work was exhausting . . .

One of our newest traditions is to attend the hospital's Cancer Gala each year. It's a fund-raiser held every September at the Lake Tippecanoe Country Club. I refer to it as "Prom Night" as it is usually the only black-tie affair we attend each year. Even Steve enjoys donning his tux . . . and I adore how he looks in it!!!

The most important part of the tradition, however, is that we ALWAYS arrive at the Gala by boat. I'm sure that some people just think they have sun stroke, but others give us a toast of approval as we cruise by. Even the fishermen are briefly distracted.

The pre-Gala cruise is definitely a highlight of the evening, yet very few believe us when we tell them how we arrived, so here is the photo to prove it.

We talked our friends, Buzz and Jane Kauffman, into joining us for the pre-Gala cruise a couple of years ago . . . and they have not missed it since.

In years past, we've also had some wonderful post-Gala cruising . . . sometimes with a boat full of friends and other times just with the full moon. One year we skiied five guys in tuxes after the Gala!!! (That was before Steve bought a tux.)

Last year's Gala was memorable for a very different reason. One of the auction items was a new pontoon. We had actually been thinking of upgrading our "vintage" pontoon for something a bit more spacious, comfortable and "Shadow friendly" i.e. it had to have tan carpet to conceal our Golden Retriever/Lab's hair. The pontoon had ALL the features we were looking for. It also seemed like the perfect time to make our donation to the Cancer Care Fund as my grandmother was dying from colon cancer.

She never got to take a ride on the "Marge Barge" and died only a few weeks later on September 18th, but we all remember her fondly on every cruise we take.

Rachel and I enjoyed the annual Winona Lake Art Fair last weekend where we learned how to "marble."

It was REALLY cool!!!

Carefully drop your paint onto the water. (There is a secret ingredient in the water that helps to keep the paint floating.) Use a paint brush, stick, comb etc. to create designs in the paint.

Carefully place your fabric or paper on the water . . .

. . . and VOILA!!!