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