Tim is Home

Switzerland

Presenting the Wagner Sisters.... for those of you who have been wondering who I have had in my home this past month. 3 left and Beth is still with us but only for a few more days. The kids and myself will miss her!!

From left to right: Kate, Beth, Christie and Missy. I am not sure but I think Cole is our photographer.

Cole hiking in Switzerland

Mack and Me

Help

Hi all,
My hard drive crashed and I lost lots of email addresses. Please send an email to me so that I can put you in my address book. Any other info would be great!!!

timandanna@thesterners.com

Homeschool Science

Here is a butterfly that was donated to Science! The children caught the butterfly with their net, Mack was their hunting guide and spotted from afar first. The poor thing didn't make it but another hour after these pictures. They insisted they keep him for a while to watch him. Now he lives between suran wrap and they can view him whenever they want!

Put one more on top I can handle it!!

Soccer

Did you know Cole could play soccer. Beth and I actually enjoyed the game. It was exciting. If you are not a parent yet you will not find the joy in the fact that I can now go to a game and really tell its a game. Cole played most of the time and love it! His team won. He broke my heart when he told me he didn't want to play baseball this year. (like to see him get away with that with his Dad if he ever said he didn't want to go hunting) I have gotten over the blow and love to see him have a good time. Did I mention he was 9 but playing on a 10-12 year old team. (Do Mom's Brag on their kids?) Playing with the German kids across the street at the park must have paid off!

Easter

Easter week was great. Monday night we made Easter cookies which told the story of Christ death and resurrection. The children have been studying life in Ancient Israel so it was only appropriate to have a Passover Feast on Thursday. Beth our hero put that together. I forgot the camera so we have no pics of the event. Each child had a part and they are still talking about what a nice time it was. Saturday we spent our morning at Soccer, our afternoon at the squadron egg hunt and our evening getting ready for the next day. Sunday church with another year at the wonderful Trinity Reformed Church. The children sang but that clip will go on another time. I have handed over camera duty to Beth for the remainder of her stay. Maybe we can capture more memories that way. Where is Beth?? Behind the camera silly. We'll get her next time!!

Catechism and Potty training.

The Westminster Catechism for children goes like this:
(Mack has learned the first 3 questions)

Who Made you?......"God"

What else did God make?......"God made all things"

Why did God make you and all things?......."For his own Glory"


The past few weeks we have been really working hard on our potty skills.....Mack going and Mom remembering. Mack hasn't gotten it all figured out and....well, thank goodness for pull ups. One day Mack was walking around and he was smelly. Tired and agitated at the thought of changing an almost 3 year old's pants I asked, "Mack, why did you poop in your pants?"

Mack replies, "FOR HIS OWN GLORY"

Sweeping and Talking

More firsts for me....Today we call Tim from the shop phone so the kids can talk to him and on we don't have to pay!!! Here is our conversation:

Anna "Hey what's up"
Tim "Well at the moment I am sweeping for bombs out in the jungle."
Anna "Oh well could you just talk to the kids for a second. Mack really wants to talk."
Tim "UuuH ok."

Mack finally speaks to his father with a huge smile on his face
Sydney tells every small detail of her 6 year old world
Cole says hi but gets cut off short, hands the phone to me......"Mom, Dad needs to talk to you again"

Tim "Hey Honey, I am really glad you called but I probably need to get going. Love you"

Sacrificial or just plain crazy??? You tell me.

The Confession

Mack has been plotting against me. All along I thought I was going crazy. Every time I looked for a wooden spoon or other tool of discipline, I could not find one.....thus prolonging or forgetting the spanking altogether. Today Mack came clean. He had been hiding them and at a good place at that. "Under your bed," he confesses as his head is turned so he doesn't have to make eye contact.

What a cutie!!! Mack has his own agenda.


Pics of Mack and his buddy Alissa (the youngest of nine children).

Valentine's Day

So my husband has his friend/co-worker deliver flowers to me for Valentine's Day. Well this is not that weird because he has been deployed before and co-workers have delivered flowers to me on various occasions throughout our marriage from Tim. Today was a little different something new that has never been done before.....James who works for Tim not only buys flowers for me but goes one step further to buy a mushy card and sign Tim's name. Talk about the EOD close nit family. Those guys have no fear!! I just wonder if it is Tim's idea to send a card or did James just think it would be a nice added touch to the flowers.

Thank you James....you did a very brave deed! Tim owes you big time.

Down in Africa

A letter from Tim and how his day is going:

Just had a mini emergency. As I was sitting here typing the power shut off and apparently there was a surge immediately following the power loss. A cord and power converter (like for our laptop) burst into flames and shot blue electrical arcs all over the place. The power unit was near the edge of my couch so the fire started the couch to burning. I was able to kill power and get the power source away from the couch before anything major happened. I do expect that the hotel will want us to pay to replace the yellow couch that now has a large black scorch mark decorating the side. The fun never ends.

Sunday night question to the Pastor

Kids say the most impressive things.

Tucked away behind chairs and books at the upper room of the McQuade home is where Sydney makes camp during Sunday night Bible Study. I wonder at times should I make her sit with me, stop coloring or flipping through books so that she will learn to pay attention to what is being taught.

At the end of the lesson Pastor asks "Are there any questions?" We have just finished a series on the book of Jonah. Sydney pops up from behind the chairs and says to me, "I have a question!!!!" "If God knew Jonah was going to get mad and not go, why did God bother to send him anyway?" I reply, "That is a very good question Sydney.....Go ask the Pastor!"

I think I have got my answer to my first thought.....Sydney is just fine where she is!

Lady Sydney and Lord Caleb Host a Feast!!

St George's Medieval Feast

The huntsman plays the fiddle.





The Lords and Ladies enjoy the feast.

Sleepover

Curlers in our head and ready for Bed. Katie and Sydney are having a sleep over.

Mack's conversation with Beth

Beth was taking care of Mack in the living room this week and Mack procedes to tell her that Issak our dog cannot pray. Mack a 2 year old who speaks very clearly for his age has gotten her attention and Beth replies, "No you're right, Issak doesn't pray". But Mack was not finished with his declaration......Mack continues, "He can't pray because he doesn't have any hands!"

Question of the day....Who is Beth?

This is Beth....who came to save the day. She has the challenge of keeping Sydney busy. Sydney wiggled the whole time Beth was rolling her hair.
Beth is staying with the Sterner family to help us with schooling and whatever she can get her hands on. She is a great cook and very outgoing with the children. We call her our Mary Poppins.
I am thankful for her willingness to come and stay with us. We will enjoy having her here.

Fire in the HOLE!!!

Cole firing a shot!














Chaplain Hudson was there to bless the food.

Cole loved his tank cake!!












Thank you James for your help!!






























MRE's Robots and Tank Cakes!! A nine year olds paradise.

Cole's birthday

Cole's birthday was a blast! Wish you could have been there.

Cole had a military theme birthday party. After they got their dog tags they were enlisted.

Sterner Birthday Oath by Maj Jason Janaros
I, little big man, do seriously promise to defend all my toys and other cool boy stuff from girls of all ages, both foreign and domestic; I also promis to work hard, play hard, and most importantly pray hard; that I will alway make wise choices, especially when no one is watching me; that I will obey the orders of my mom and dad and the elders appointed over me, according to Bible alone, and not the DaVinci Code of useless information. So help me God!

The Logger

A walk in the woods in Germany!

Waiting for Beth

What is a plus sign?

Trying to teach Sydney math can be a challenging task.

Example: Rob read 9 books today, yesterday he read 8. How many did he read in all.

Sydney's answer: 17+8=9.

Sydney what is a plus sign? "I don't know" she says. Much explaining and visuals went into our lesson: 1. Cole acting as one number and myself as another then making a bridge. 2. Explaining how a marriage has 2 people who come together and make a whole new people (number).

Later that evening....Dinner with friends, the newleyweds are at our home. I proceed to tell them about how I wanted to bang my head against the wall with our math lesson.
Sydney interupts to say...."Did you know that the plus sign is the Pastor!"

Kids are great!

Jan 13th

Tim left early Tuesday morning and is now in Africa for 6 mths. I dont think it has hit us as we are resting from the long hours we put in just to get him prepared to go.

Beth Wagner will be coming this Tuesday to live at our home for 4 months. She will be a part of our family and help me school the children. I am very excited and thankful for the help. I hope she will tolerate my impromptu personality and disorganization.

Cole is getting ready to turn 9 next week. We will have a surprise birthday party for him! It is going to be great!

Christmas

Dresden Chech and Konigstein

Tim is 31

pitcures from this summer and fall