The Essence of ... us

Steve is often featured on facebook for various reasons - from getting in trouble with the park ranger by flying a kite on tour to his famous "slow clap" which has spread from band and orchestra into other classes. Most recently with this pictured with the caption:

"The essence of Willy"

He enjoys high school students:).

Along with that theme, here is

"The essence of Bethy"

"The essence of Anna"

The Swingset

We got a free swingset!

One of Steve's students, after hearing our "bee story" (ask us about this sometime) offered up her swingset to us - all we had to do was go get it. This was wonderfully awesome. Some of Steve's students jumped at the opportunity to help take it apart at her house, drive down here, and reassemble it here. It was quite a day.

The UHaul truck had 1 inch of space to spare...

Steve facilitated the moving.

Moving the "house"...

Tipping the "house"...

Group picture!

Anna's approach to the finished swingset:

Both girls love it!

The yard shots: still lots of room for the golf ball game and wiffle ball.

And we end with the classic high school guy moment...rapping the percussion ensemble song on the swingset.

London Trip

Steve took 16 kids to London January 7-13. They did a combination of ministry, performances, and sightseeing. It was a big hit!

The day Steve left Anna helped him direct the final rehearsal.

Steve likes planes of all shapes and sizes. He's a little obsessed. Maybe someday he'll fly one.

A string quartet that performed in Convent Garden - unbelievable! They were really good, and let's just say, amazingly agile!

Wheaton Academy performances at...

a homeless ministry

Convent Garden

Liverpool Station

and St. Paul's Church.

"Mind the step"(wherever)

"Mind the gap"(in the subway)

"Mind your head" (in the ambulance on the way to the ER)

There were a lot of things to "mind" while over there.

Steve's one time to be alone - he enjoyed an english breakfast from a cafe built in 1759.

Big Ben! At night, it was quite spectacular.


Instead of "Exit", it said "Way out" which is humorous because last year Steve's Winterim class loved this song "Way Out" by Justin Roberts.

Very big fish and chips. Joel, the choir director that works with Steve, evidently was the first person the waiter had ever seen that ate the fish without utensils.

The coolest part of the trip was the opening of our eyes to the spiritual condition of Europe at large. They had a fantastic tour guide who has a heart for Europe and took them to an area to which tourists don't generally go. At an open market, refugees from Afghanistan and all over the Middle East sell all sorts of things. They are basically slaves to whomever paid their way out of the country they came from, as they have to pay the person back. The refugee situation there and all over the area is grave, and many are without hope. Their tour guide was extremely effective in engaging and encouraging the refugees (see her blog at http://kylenanderson.blogspot.com/). God used this trip to open the eyes of the Wheaton Academy students (& teachers) to the physical and spiritual situation of so many people, and to impress upon them the need for missionaries in Europe.

A fantastic, fun, and eye-opening trip. Praise God for doing great works that we asked Him to do.

The Fisher-Price Doggy and stuff

This little doggy talks and sings.

Before Anna was born, he used to start singing suddenly in the middle of the night with no cause.

Thankfully now he waits until some part of him is disturbed.

Anna likes him:

The Ruges stopped by to share some good news with us on the way home from the U of W game, and Anna enjoyed Chris' bright red hat.

Steve's band and orchestra played at the DuPage Convalescent Center this weekend.

"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." - Matthew 25:40

The jazz band played too.  Steve plays piano for the group too, which is fun!

Elizabeth is still hanging...

Bethy has been enjoying the playmat, but it is possible that Anna enjoys it more.

Anna a year ago:

Anna now:):

Future WA students!

Anna's new favorite thing is Steve's backpack, "bapa".  I pointed out that she had one of her own, and that she could wear it just like Daddy.  It is now her very favorite thing.  

Steve and his daughters sporting their "Wheaton Academy Future Student" shirts.  Or, in Elizabeth's case, it is more of a dress.  Size=2T.  Maybe someday they will all end up at school together!

Some mom once told me that her kids used to "just fall asleep on the floor while playing."  When Anna took many hours of coaxing to sleep, I figured I would never have that experience.  Not so!  Elizabeth was watching us eat lunch from a nice cozy spot on the floor, and then, asleep she was!

Elizabeth and Daniel Thompson hanging out together at a recent bbq.  Steve wonders if they should be sleeping that closely...

Elizabeth was reading about nature the other night...