Have you ever received a gift you always wanted, but didn’t know you wanted it until you received it?

Peter’s buddy Luke came over yesterday with a birthday present for the newly minted 5 year-old–a real lightsaber!  

Incidentally, I get such a kick out of the fact that these things are still popular after all these years.  I still remember the Christmas my brother Brian received a lightsaber (on a side note, I think that was the same year I asked for the Barbie townhouse and never got it…but that’s a story for another time).  We were so excited to see it under the Christmas tree in the morning.  

Naturally, they’ve added a few enhancements since then. The modern lightsaber collapses, is battery-operated to make sound and light, and even rumbles when you hit something.

It didn’t take long for the sword fighting to commence.  Peter and Luke were a little unsure how they should handle it…they wanted to fight, but they also wanted to be good guys on the same side, fighting against the bad guys.  So they compromised by being friends who were practicing their skills.

Then Peter hopped in his spaceship and flew to the Death Star.

Maybe you’re wondering where Jeremy was during all the action.  Not to be left out, he found the closest thing to a lightsaber we have in the house and joined the big boys.

Some chocolate, please, and another round of Happy Birthday to You…

Oh, we do like chocolate :)

If you’ve ever seen the movie Cars, perhaps you are aware of “the story within the story”. We checked this movie out of the library and watched it for the first time last week.

The lead character, of course, is Lightning McQueen. But Peter insists that his name is Lightning the Queen. hmmm…kinda changes the way you look at the movie…

One thing I’ve observed about Jeremy is that he always has a toy in each hand.  Even when he goes to the potty.  The psychologist in me wonders if it’s because he’s afraid of losing his treasures to his three older brothers…but that’s off the subject.

The other day Jeremy was playing the Leapster and urgently needed to go to the bathroom.  So we went through the routine, and as usual, he was holding his toy while going potty.  Yes, holding the Leapster.  Go ahead, tell me what a bad idea it is; tell me all the what-ifs.  Well, the what-if became an it-happened.  The Leapster took a dive right into the toilet.

Mind you, this isn’t just any Leapster.  It has sentimental value, as it is the same one Judi and Dave bought Jake when he was around 4 years old.  Same batteries even, since they also bought the recharger pack (excellent purchase by the way, I would recommend the same to any Leapster owner).  So the fact that it has made its way down through four kids is, well, special.

I frantically took apart the big pieces in a vain attempt to dry everything off, but alas, there was no bringing back the Leapster.  It had fried in the waste water.

BUT when one is resourceful, all is not lost in a seeming tragedy such as this.  I know Jake was secretly hoping that the Leapster was truly fried.  I’ve never seen anyone so giddy at the thought of taking a toy apart.  He knew there was bound to be a mother-load of chips and wires and microscopic thingamajiggers in it.  He showed such restraint.  And then he finally asked, “Is it okay if I take it apart?”

I had given up on trying to restore the thing, so I gave him the go-ahead.  Then the precious boy asked again, as he held the Leapster in one hand and a screwdriver in the other, “Just to make sure, is it okay if I take it apart?  Cause once I do, that’s it.”

“Yes, Jake it’s okay.”

So that’s it for the Leapster.

After disassembling the complex web of stuff, Jake pulled out his microscope and studied the pieces under it.

Moreover, he has already recycled it into another toy by taking part of the screen and making a “weird-a-fying glass” (think magnifying glass, only weird).  It distorts everything you see as you look through it.  I’ll count this toward his computer science credit for the year.

Peter Stephen.  Five years ago today, he entered the world so quickly, my mom and I weren’t sure we would make it to the hospital before he was born.  But we did.  Then we wondered whether Jim would make it in from Chicago early enough to see the birth of his son.  But he did…with 10 minutes to spare.  God’s timing is perfect.

Peter came into the world swiftly, and he has been running fast ever since.  He is unique, and I love watching how God is shaping him to be a mighty young man.

Peter had his birthday flight the week before Jim left, so that left this morning wide open for  *drumroll, please*  letter pancakes!  Ever since the birthday morning flights took over, I haven’t been making the letter pancakes–it’s good to have the tradition back, at least this once.  Jeanine joined the boys and me in Peter’s first fifth birthday celebration.

Then Mom came by in the evening to wish the 5-year old a happy birthday.  We had pizza and apple crisp for dessert.

Light those candles again…

Now, the apple crisp, as delicious as it was, had some serious competition with these:

Mom came bearing huge, colorful cookies and a balloon.  Peter went to bed with the balloon and is probably dreaming of sugar cookies as he sleeps tonight.

Jim is on his way to Botswana, Africa right now.  He left last night, and at around 4:00 a.m. made it safely to his layover in London.  He’ll arrive in Botswana sometime Sunday.

Please be praying for him, the 25 college athletes, the team in Botswana, and the people in the villages.  Jim will be writing a blog regularly with updates and prayer requests here.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (words of Jesus, Matthew 28:19-20)

They are going to have some serious thrill issues when they’re older.

Peter says, “I’m thankful for our car.”  But the real reason I’m putting this on the blog is because I want to remember this precious stage of life and how he spells his name. To be honest, I’m a bit surprised he wrote out his entire name–Peter Stephen Johanik is usually reserved for when he’s in trouble!

Then in other kid news, Jeremy was playing “olympics” with his brothers today.  Derek asked him what country he’s from.  “Tie-na” (China), he replied.  Then he walked into the other room.  I asked him where he was going, and he answered, “To Tie-na and find Jesus.”

We had a full house of kids on Friday.  Actually managed to squeeze 11 kids around the lunch table!

Derek and Jake had some fun playing with Sam…

If ever Peter has found a kindred spirit, it is in his buddy Luke.  They share so many characteristics and interests, that it has been said they are cut from the same cloth.  A sampling of the many similarities:

It all started when they were both born 3rd–two older siblings ahead of them (insert birth order psychology beliefs here).  

Activity level: high–Peter runs, Luke jumps.  

Great imagination–from the time they were three years old, they have played in their own world…together.  

Willful *ahem*…no need to elaborate.

Big into anything that requires weapons, preferably guns or light sabers.

Uncannily good at video games.  Take a look at the concentration on their faces:

Peter has figured out that one of Luke’s favorite lunches when he comes over is mac and cheese.  He made sure we saved the box for almost two weeks so that we could make it today when Luke came over.  He even set the box on the counter this morning so I wouldn’t forget.  

I love what Luke’s friendship is developing in Peter.  He is learning what it really means to be a friend.  Peter and I are thankful for you, Luke!

Today we are mourning the death of the newborn daughter of Dan and Marceline, close friends of my brother and sister-in-law.  Baby Reagan was born yesterday afternoon with major health complications and sadly passed away today.  You can read their story here.  

As this dear family adjusts to life turned upside down, please pray for God’s grace to carry them.  Below is an excerpt from a book written by Andrew Murray, Raising Your Children for Christ. It comes from a chapter which deals with the death of a child.  Murray’s words are comforting, truthful, and lead us to see an occurrence even as tragic as this through God’s eyes.

In God’s great school of tribulation there are many classes.  In the section where God trains parents, there is one room which everyone greatly fears to enter.  Many, as they are led into it, are seen struggling and murmuring.  As its darkness closes in over them, they almost refuse to believe that God is love.  Many pass through it and come out of it without receiving any divine comfort.  They did not know why they were there.  They did not wait silently to receive the teaching and the blessing of Jesus.  Others, who entered trembling, can testify that it was the death of a little one that first led them truly to know Jesus…

What is the comfort Jesus gives?  He leads from the visible to the invisible.  Where we see only death, He speaks of life.  He comes to rouse us to faith and to reveal Himself as the living and life-giving One.  “Weep not; she [Jairus’ daughter from Luke 8:52] is not dead, but asleep.”  With these words Jesus draws near to the lifeless form of each little one over whom a mother’s bursting heart is weeping.  He reminds her that death has been conquered, and the loved one is not dead in the terrible meaning which sin gave that word.

Your little one is not dead.  Judge not by sight.  There is a better life than the life of this earth–the eternal life in which God dwells.  Eternal life and the glory in which it shall be fully manifested is something that has not entered the human heart.  In the same way, this sleep is something that passes knowledge.  We only know for certain that it is a most blessed rest, rest in the bosom of Jesus.  We are comforted to know that our little one, whom Jesus took into His covenant, is now resting with Him.

With all the teaching of mathematics that goes on in this house day by day, Heidi has discovered a new formula:

(Mom + Dad) + alone for 3 days + no distractions + rested + in Colorado + four well taken care of children at home + no worries + God’s hand =

-scroll down-

**Incidentally, Jim and I did not know I was pregnant when I wrote the post about our family continuing to grow.  This completely throws our “everyone needs to be potty-trained before we get a dog” rule out the window.  But really, 8 months is ample time to train a dog, right?  I’m sure life will have calmed down by the time the baby comes.

God is good and His timing is perfect.

Being the youngest in the family has its advantages and disadvantages.  When you’re the little guy, sometimes you need to take special measures to make yourself heard.

While Jake and Derek were working on their history quiz, Peter and Jeremy were playing cars and legos.  Jeremy needed help opening a box.  Rather than ask in his normal voice, he found a megaphone to project his voice to ensure that he would be heard.

This is what I saw as he pointed the megaphone straight at me and asked, “Mom, you open dis formee?”  The poor little guy had to wait until I was finished with my fit of giggling.

I enjoy cooking.  What I don’t enjoy is that sinking feeling when 3pm rolls around and I don’t know what to make for dinner.  It usually turns into a last minute thawing of meat, frozen veggies in the microwave, and rice.  Unfortunately, I lack creativity in this area.  I began to wonder if there is another way.

So I began reading about this once-a-month cooking craze.  Okay, maybe it isn’t exactly a craze, but there are people out there who do it.  Someone even wrote a book on the subject.  I checked the book out at the library and as it turns out, it’s filled with monthly meal plans, grocery lists, and recipes.  It even lists the number and size of containers you need to freeze your food.  Perfect.  Just what I was looking for–someone to tell me step-by-step what to cook and how to cook it.

Having to buy in bulk, Costco was first on my list of stops.  Have you ever wondered who buys those obnoxiously huge cans of ingredients?

Check it out–a 105 oz. can of crushed tomatoes for $2.50!  And I used the whole can.

After 10 1/2 hours of cooking on Saturday, we now have 28 meals sitting in our freezer, waiting to be eaten.  No more 3pm angst over what to serve for dinner, at least for the next 28 days.  Here’s a shot of our freezer (with room to spare…hmmm…I’m seeing a book-writing opportunity here:  Once-Every-Two-Months Cooking).

We will be bringing a puppy home next month!

The litter of eight labs was born January 27, and, Lord willing, we will bring one of the females home with us March 10. (the dog in the picture above is not one of the pups that was recently born; but it sure is cute)

Like with most new endeavors, I’ve been reading, making lists, and reading some more.  Sounds like we’re in for some sleepless nights and wet carpets during the first few weeks.  Any advice from you dog-rearing experts?

Because Jim will be in Africa when we bring her home, I’ve already tasked Jake with 3rd shift doggie duty every other night until Jim returns.  Our sound-sleeping son retorted, “But Mom, I’m never going to hear her cry when she has to go out.” 

He will if he sleeps downstairs on the couch…heh heh heh.  It will be a great bonding experience for them.

It seems that Jake’s and Derek’s commitment to read through the Bible this year has rubbed off on their younger brother.

Before being tucked in bed the other night, Peter tossed Jeremy his picture story Bible and told him, “Here Jeremy, you can have this Bible since it’s for little kids.  I’m going to read my Bible.”

What Bible is he referring to?  A black leather NIV Study Bible.

And for reasons unknown, he is reading the book of Job.  At least the words he knows.  So as he scans the words, I frequently hear him exclaim, “the Lord said…of the Lord…then the Lord…and the Lord…”

Seriously speaking, our greatest desire and #1 prayer for these boys is that they will grow up knowing and loving God.  Everything else is a distant second.  Distant.

Jim and I also know that any desire they have to know God by reading their Bibles comes from God Himself. Thank You, Lord, for hearing our prayer.

Check out this video Jim took while skiing down a green run.  As you can see by my cross-country ski method and pole action, it was a fairly flat beginning.  I’m still impressed Jim managed to make it down the run holding two poles in one hand and keeping the camera straight in the other.  It’s goofy, but fun:

…Jim and I were feasting our eyes on this:

The sun rising over the summit, the snow blowing off the top.  I can’t think of many things more beautiful than this.

The last time I skied was on our honeymoon, 13 years ago, so I did wonder if skiing really is “like riding a bike”.  And as we faced the mountain whose summit is over 13,000 feet above sea level, my knees shook.  

The pictures in this post are of Arapahoe Basin–a non-tourist-y spot with no resorts or commercial joints.  It’s just raw skiing.  Before even getting on the chair lift, I couldn’t help but look around at the other skiers with their high-end gear.  Yeah, they knew what they were doing.  I couldn’t have blended in if I tried…my rented skis with “Heidi” written in black marker on the top, snow pants that are, well, less than stylish (think michelin man), and no goggles (everybody wears goggles these days–wasn’t the case 13 years ago)…these things all betrayed my amateur status.

I felt better, though, after seeing this guy.  Imagine skiing up the mountain instead of down:

We opted to take the chair lift up:

Next is a shot of the area where both Jim and I totally biffed.  I tumbled so hard that not only did my ski fall off, but my boot came apart.  Three things going against us here:

1. it was steep

2. there was powder (great for experienced skiers, torture for the rest of us)

3. we fell almost directly under the chair lift (lesson in humility?)

Somehow, we made it down and had the nerve to try it again.  Though you can’t really tell from this picture, I am on the edge of a downhill here that gave me butterflies when I looked down:

And here is Jim on the edge of a back bowl that we skied down.  Granted, it was marked as a blue run, but hey, it was a bowl and we made it down in one piece.  And we were skiing with the big dogs (or rather, watching them pass us on the double-black runs next door).

Here’s a look at what lay ahead of us…not just steep, powdery terrain, but trees…

We had such fun setting tough goals and accomplishing them together.  Here we are on top of the world haha:

Then it was time to come home.  And we landed hard, so to speak.  A day after arriving home to our little guys, Jeremy began barfing.  Like any mom would do, I cleaned, scrubbed and sanitized everyone and everything for the next couple days.  But alas, it was in vain.  Two days later, Derek, Peter and I took our turn.  Then finally, Jim and Jake had a mild case of it.

There is a bit of irony to this.  And a huge reason to be thankful.

Maybe you remember three years ago about this time when Jim and I attempted a ski snowshoe trip to Colorado.  (snowshoe because I was pregnant with Bubbie)  Long story short, the trip was postponed a week due to barfing children the day before we were to take off.  Then our first full day out there we received a call from my dad saying that my mom came down with the same bug and was in pretty bad shape (which she was).  We made the decision to come home that night…it was the vacation that never was.

So this year, we enjoyed 4 days of vacation.  Everything went so smoothly.  If we had left just a week later, it would have been a sad repeat of our last attempt to get away.  How could I ever complain about the family getting sick now?  God doesn’t promise a life without problems or trials.  But I choose to thank Him for the blessings that He does give, like a few days alone with my husband.

After the downpour of snow last week, these boys couldn’t wait to go outside and play in it.

Jeremy began by asking someone to help him get into the snow.  It was so deep that he couldn’t climb onto it without help.  So Jake airlifted him into the middle of the yard:

As the look on his face shows, he was feeling rather stuck.  He couldn’t maneuver around.  So he stood in that spot for a few moments and then yelled for Jake to help him out of the snow:

Jake came to the rescue:

Meanwhile, Derek and Peter were kings of the snow-shoveled hills:

And being the good boys that they are, they obliged their shutterbug mother and posed for a picture together: