Joey's favorite sweatshirt says "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" ... and he certainly is! Joey loves practicing piano and playing outside. He also loves reading and playing outside with his brothers. We love you Joe-man!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Joey's Birthday!
Joey turned 7 a couple of weeks ago!
Joey's favorite sweatshirt says "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" ... and he certainly is! Joey loves practicing piano and playing outside. He also loves reading and playing outside with his brothers. We love you Joe-man!
Joey's favorite sweatshirt says "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" ... and he certainly is! Joey loves practicing piano and playing outside. He also loves reading and playing outside with his brothers. We love you Joe-man!
The Eye's have it
20 children and three mothers congregated in the Kunkel family's garage armed with scalpels and hand wipes. The object - dissect a bunch of cows eyes, and hopefully learn something in the process.
To read Megan's more detailed account of the dissection go here.
I LOVE Emily's face here! :P
To read Megan's more detailed account of the dissection go here.
I LOVE Emily's face here! :P
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
This blog needs heeeeelp ....
Look, people, I'm just hoping to get up pictures from Joey's birthday before Ben's this weekend, 'kay?
Pictures I have galore, but getting them on this blog seems to be a bit of an issue. So here's a few from the 600 I snapped this weekend (no, I'm not kidding)
Happy Wednesday!
Megan
Look, people, I'm just hoping to get up pictures from Joey's birthday before Ben's this weekend, 'kay?
Pictures I have galore, but getting them on this blog seems to be a bit of an issue. So here's a few from the 600 I snapped this weekend (no, I'm not kidding)
Happy Wednesday!
Megan
Saturday, March 20, 2010
What's up doc?
This past week I met with my new adult cardiologist. He agreed with the other doctors that there doesn't seem to be a clear explanation for my chest pain. It could be skeletal from having my arms above my head for the 3 hour surgery, on top of my body going through the surgery itself, but they don't think it's heart related. I can't handle the beta blocker for the fluttering so we're just going to hold out and see if things improve on their own. We're just over 4 months past the surgery so we're hoping and praying for that!
The hardest part is that I don't want the children to see or remember me in pain, but I believe and trust that God knows best, and He will sustain me and provide strength and endurance.
After spending the day at the hospital I always come back thanking and praising God, because you always see so many people in worse shape. And if God can make this beautiful world, and can take care of my salvation, He can handle this! Please don't cross me off your prayer list just yet, but I'm thankful for where I'm at and what He continues to do! Thank you for bearing my burden! You all have blessed and encouraged my heart immensely! There really has been so much good that has come out of all this, God is very evident! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Love you bunches!
Karen
Psalm 41:3 The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
The hardest part is that I don't want the children to see or remember me in pain, but I believe and trust that God knows best, and He will sustain me and provide strength and endurance.
After spending the day at the hospital I always come back thanking and praising God, because you always see so many people in worse shape. And if God can make this beautiful world, and can take care of my salvation, He can handle this! Please don't cross me off your prayer list just yet, but I'm thankful for where I'm at and what He continues to do! Thank you for bearing my burden! You all have blessed and encouraged my heart immensely! There really has been so much good that has come out of all this, God is very evident! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Love you bunches!
Karen
Psalm 41:3 The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Go Green
Or, as one of my brother's friends said jokingly "Nuke the whales!" But that has nothing to do with it, really ... I just wanted to work that quote in somehow. :P
Anyway, today's St. Patrick's Day (you might have already known that). We're not Irish, but who can resist the urge to wear green and encourage others to do so?
A tradition around here is turning our food green. Last year it was green eggs and green biscuits - trust me, if you've never eaten a green biscuit topped with strawberry jam, you're missin' out. That would have to fall under 'one-of-the-grossest-looking-things-I've-ever-eaten'. They still tasted good, they just looked ... gross.
Mom's suggested that we 'have cereal and turn the milk green'. We kids looked at each other, raised our eyebrows, and shook our heads. There are limits.
Dad took Mom to her doctors appointment, so they ended up not being here for lunch. So since we were fending for ourselves, we decided on french toast. And, of course, we turned it green:
Anyway, today's St. Patrick's Day (you might have already known that). We're not Irish, but who can resist the urge to wear green and encourage others to do so?
A tradition around here is turning our food green. Last year it was green eggs and green biscuits - trust me, if you've never eaten a green biscuit topped with strawberry jam, you're missin' out. That would have to fall under 'one-of-the-grossest-looking-things-I've-ever-eaten'. They still tasted good, they just looked ... gross.
Mom's suggested that we 'have cereal and turn the milk green'. We kids looked at each other, raised our eyebrows, and shook our heads. There are limits.
Dad took Mom to her doctors appointment, so they ended up not being here for lunch. So since we were fending for ourselves, we decided on french toast. And, of course, we turned it green:
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Lydia Faith
Lydia has been so entertaining lately! Today she stripped all her clothes off and I said to her, "Lydia Faith, you're naked!" and she responded completely taken aback, "I am?" like she had no idea! It was so funny.
Then she sings constantly, which is really adorable, but she sings everything she knows: "Don't hit, don't push, don't touch a knife honey, it's sharp, I like to go to church, don't go potty on the floor, Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so..." and on and on it goes!
Here are some more famous quotes:
"Uh-oh, oh, no, this is not good!"
"Don't argue with meeee!"
"I be the mom!"
"Mom, Robbie is obeying me!"
"You know what? I love you!"
"Yes! No! Yes! No!"
"Mommm! Benny's not obeying me!"
"Can I eat this?"
"Can I eat something?"
"I love you all day!"
Then she sings constantly, which is really adorable, but she sings everything she knows: "Don't hit, don't push, don't touch a knife honey, it's sharp, I like to go to church, don't go potty on the floor, Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so..." and on and on it goes!
Here are some more famous quotes:
"Uh-oh, oh, no, this is not good!"
"Don't argue with meeee!"
"I be the mom!"
"Mom, Robbie is obeying me!"
"You know what? I love you!"
"Yes! No! Yes! No!"
"Mommm! Benny's not obeying me!"
"Can I eat this?"
"Can I eat something?"
"I love you all day!"
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Consequences
There are consequences to everything ...
... and when you leave your hair in cornrows for 3 days - this is what you get!
... and when you leave your hair in cornrows for 3 days - this is what you get!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Soybean Rows
Well, that's what Dad calls 'em, anyways. This is what we do when we have a lot of extra time:
It took me and mom 2 hours and we made 23 braids. Can't wait to see how frizzy it gets when we take them out!
It took me and mom 2 hours and we made 23 braids. Can't wait to see how frizzy it gets when we take them out!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Valentine's
Daddy does special things with the boys during hunting season, so he took all of his Valentines out for dinner. :) L-R: Emily, Great Grandma, Lydia, Mom, Dad, and Megan (me). Daniel told Lydia that she was going to go to a 'fancy dinner' - so she was saying 'fanshy din-nuh, fanshy din-nuh!!' And when Great Grandma got the news she went up to put curlers in her hair! They are both pretty dog-gone cute. :P
Then, on the actual Valentines' Day, Dad and Joey came home with roses for all the girls - here's a picture of mine:
Friday, January 29, 2010
Eat Mor Chikin!
Guess where we went for dinner? :)
We were out driving and ready for dinner, so we made a first time visit to Chick-Fil-A. We heartily approved of the food ... and the play place. :)
Saturday, January 16, 2010
My heart
We went to our 'top gun' internist and two doctors spent a full 2 hours with us. They went from head to toe. They think it is nerve pain that I'm experiencing, a side effect of them tinkering around in a tender spot. For which there is no cure or solution, it is what it is. They also thought it could be my gall bladder, so I have an ultra sound on that on Tuesday. My heart and all of it's tests look good - praise the Lord!
I had to get a patient card, since I'm now a member of this hospital ;-), and Jeff went to get the car. As I walked down by myself I started to cry, wondering how I'm going to live the rest of my life with this pain. Then in my path was a women with her head screwed to a frame, a man missing a leg, and a child crying. As I looked around my pity party immediately came to an end. Things can always be worse and I wondered what example I'm setting for my children in case that worse ever comes. I know God's grace is and will be sufficient.
Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good [thing] will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
I had to get a patient card, since I'm now a member of this hospital ;-), and Jeff went to get the car. As I walked down by myself I started to cry, wondering how I'm going to live the rest of my life with this pain. Then in my path was a women with her head screwed to a frame, a man missing a leg, and a child crying. As I looked around my pity party immediately came to an end. Things can always be worse and I wondered what example I'm setting for my children in case that worse ever comes. I know God's grace is and will be sufficient.
Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good [thing] will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Musa Man!
Matthew has taught Lydia to follow him around the house (Matt would have his shirt off) and say "musa (muscle!) man, musa man!" so I (Emily) went and took a picture of "muscle" man-by the way those weights he has are only 4 pounds-he would say "quick take the picture! hurry! ow!"-those were his real words!
So now whenever Lydia changes and has her shirt off she claims to be "Musa Man!"
1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
So now whenever Lydia changes and has her shirt off she claims to be "Musa Man!"
1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Heart of the matter...
Well, the saga continues...My heart is still giving me fits, so when I called to see if I could move my doctors appointment sooner, after explaining all my ailments, the nurse recommended that I get to the ER immediately. I think it's just standard for them to say that when I call. There was no way Jeff and I wanted to leave in the evening and pull an all nighter, so we decided we'd wait until the morning. After all this has been going on for weeks, months.
We ended up being there the whole day. I had the attention of 4 doctors, and we came up with, well, nothing really. The good news is that it's not pertaining to my amplatzer, that seems to be healing just fine. So no infection, blood clots or position problems. My heart may still have trouble adjusting to the new arrangements and amounts of blood flow since things were sealed properly. I'll have another heart monitor to see what that shows. They also decided to graduate me to an adult cardiologist - I feel so grown up! Then they signed me up to their 'top gun' internist assuring me that this doctor is the problem solver of all problems. One doctor even said, "I need to keep that name for my own family!".
These doctors are so amazing and so kind, we've been very blessed with such wonderful care! Though we did get our bill from my surgery. I was in the hospital from 8am until 3pm and rang up a bill of $28,292.00 not including the doctor and anestician. Thank God for insurance!
Phillipians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
We ended up being there the whole day. I had the attention of 4 doctors, and we came up with, well, nothing really. The good news is that it's not pertaining to my amplatzer, that seems to be healing just fine. So no infection, blood clots or position problems. My heart may still have trouble adjusting to the new arrangements and amounts of blood flow since things were sealed properly. I'll have another heart monitor to see what that shows. They also decided to graduate me to an adult cardiologist - I feel so grown up! Then they signed me up to their 'top gun' internist assuring me that this doctor is the problem solver of all problems. One doctor even said, "I need to keep that name for my own family!".
These doctors are so amazing and so kind, we've been very blessed with such wonderful care! Though we did get our bill from my surgery. I was in the hospital from 8am until 3pm and rang up a bill of $28,292.00 not including the doctor and anestician. Thank God for insurance!
Phillipians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Hope you all have had a fabulous Christmas celebration! Matthew woke up at 5:30 and I got up to make sure he was going back to bed because I needed to, and he hooted and said, "Whohooo! Only 3 more hours!" And went back to bed taking a gift bag holding a gift that he made to bed with him.
Megan made cinnamon rolls, and we followed that with our traditional omelets: 3lbs ham, 30 eggs, 1lb cheese, 1 green pepper, and 1 small onion, 2 dozen english muffins and 2 large cans of orange juice! We had a wonderful day and had friends from church come over for dinner and had such sweet fellowship with them! What a glorious day!
Megan made cinnamon rolls, and we followed that with our traditional omelets: 3lbs ham, 30 eggs, 1lb cheese, 1 green pepper, and 1 small onion, 2 dozen english muffins and 2 large cans of orange juice! We had a wonderful day and had friends from church come over for dinner and had such sweet fellowship with them! What a glorious day!
Friday, December 18, 2009
20 YEARS!!
Well, this is a little late, but as with anything else, it just takes us a bit longer to get done.
It was 20 years ago, December 16, 1989, 4pm, that our vows were said and our fate was sealed and we were pronounced husband and wife. This anniversary was an exciting celebration as we got to go to Phoenix, AZ. We hadn't done something like this in about 8 years so we were very excited! Jeff had to work some, but when his boss heard I had heart surgery he was insistent that I come along for some special treatment! I had lots of R&R and a couple of massages!
When I asked Jeff what I should wear for dinner he jokingly said a 'prom dress'! So I went to Good Will and found the frumpiest, gaudiest, dark purplish satin of a dress (washed it!) and tucked it in my suitcase. For $5, it was worth his reaction! He came out and saw me in it and looked away not knowing what to say. I relieved him when I turned around and asked him to zip me because the dress was a few sizes too small. He laughed in relief and said, "I thought that was a bit out of your character!" because I haven't worn a prom dress, well, since the prom. Every night he wooed me with many compliments of how pretty and beautiful I was, but I think he was worried I might put that prom dress back on!
It was such a wonderful time together. We laughed how we never get to sleep in the same hotel room when we travel because we can't fit into one room as a family, we usually have a 'boys' room and a 'girls' room. The weather was pretty cold, in the low 60's, but I swam anyway. The water was heated and I had the pool all to myself!
It was great to have fun together, talk and not have to think of or mention medical issues. I had a detoxification massage thinking that would be a good idea to cleanse all the medicines and nuclear stuff that's gone through me lately. I was sick for 2 hours afterward. Though I hadn't felt that good for that long during the massage in a long time.
I also had the opportunity with 4 people to talk of and witness of Christ, that was wonderful and very exciting as well.
As good as it is to get away, it's awesome coming home! The little ones did great and were happy when we called everyday. The kids were all up waiting for us as we pulled in after midnight! We talked and hugged and nobody got back to sleep until after 2am!
There are so many blessings to count! It's been an emotional time for me as there have been many times I didn't think I would be here to celebrate Thanksgiving, our anniversary, or Christmas. It doesn't matter that I don't feel well, I'm here. I don't have tubes sticking out of me and I'm with my family. I had a wonderful conversation with a dear friend from church, she's a widow and her kids are grown and on their own. She was saying how much she looks forward to seeing her Lord and her husband again in heaven. She was ready to go! I just started crying because I feared that God might be offended that I wasn't as excited to meet Him, as she was. Not just yet, I wanted to raise my children, celebrate more anniversaries with my husband, I love my life here, feel needed, and didn't feel ready to leave it just yet. She shared that she felt that way as well when her children were young, and that's a God given spirit to fight for life and protect it, that what I'm doing is good and how important it should be to me, and how important it is to God. So God has had a lot of work to do in my heart still!
It's been hard on Jeff and the children I know. But how my heart is blessed how Jeff has taken care of me. In sickness and in health. Even when the airport lights and escalators gave me headaches and made me dizzy, he held on to me. He doesn't like to swim, but he was my lifeguard. As soon as he awakes he has started laundry, cleaned bathrooms, never letting his vacuuming wane! (He truly loves to vacuum!) I don't know how or why I got to be so incredibly blessed, but I thank God every day!
So since we were already so spoiled from our trip, on our actual anniversary we just went to dinner and did a bit of Christmas shopping. Then we topped it off with a stop to the ice cream shop! Very sweet!
1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
It was 20 years ago, December 16, 1989, 4pm, that our vows were said and our fate was sealed and we were pronounced husband and wife. This anniversary was an exciting celebration as we got to go to Phoenix, AZ. We hadn't done something like this in about 8 years so we were very excited! Jeff had to work some, but when his boss heard I had heart surgery he was insistent that I come along for some special treatment! I had lots of R&R and a couple of massages!
When I asked Jeff what I should wear for dinner he jokingly said a 'prom dress'! So I went to Good Will and found the frumpiest, gaudiest, dark purplish satin of a dress (washed it!) and tucked it in my suitcase. For $5, it was worth his reaction! He came out and saw me in it and looked away not knowing what to say. I relieved him when I turned around and asked him to zip me because the dress was a few sizes too small. He laughed in relief and said, "I thought that was a bit out of your character!" because I haven't worn a prom dress, well, since the prom. Every night he wooed me with many compliments of how pretty and beautiful I was, but I think he was worried I might put that prom dress back on!
It was such a wonderful time together. We laughed how we never get to sleep in the same hotel room when we travel because we can't fit into one room as a family, we usually have a 'boys' room and a 'girls' room. The weather was pretty cold, in the low 60's, but I swam anyway. The water was heated and I had the pool all to myself!
It was great to have fun together, talk and not have to think of or mention medical issues. I had a detoxification massage thinking that would be a good idea to cleanse all the medicines and nuclear stuff that's gone through me lately. I was sick for 2 hours afterward. Though I hadn't felt that good for that long during the massage in a long time.
I also had the opportunity with 4 people to talk of and witness of Christ, that was wonderful and very exciting as well.
As good as it is to get away, it's awesome coming home! The little ones did great and were happy when we called everyday. The kids were all up waiting for us as we pulled in after midnight! We talked and hugged and nobody got back to sleep until after 2am!
There are so many blessings to count! It's been an emotional time for me as there have been many times I didn't think I would be here to celebrate Thanksgiving, our anniversary, or Christmas. It doesn't matter that I don't feel well, I'm here. I don't have tubes sticking out of me and I'm with my family. I had a wonderful conversation with a dear friend from church, she's a widow and her kids are grown and on their own. She was saying how much she looks forward to seeing her Lord and her husband again in heaven. She was ready to go! I just started crying because I feared that God might be offended that I wasn't as excited to meet Him, as she was. Not just yet, I wanted to raise my children, celebrate more anniversaries with my husband, I love my life here, feel needed, and didn't feel ready to leave it just yet. She shared that she felt that way as well when her children were young, and that's a God given spirit to fight for life and protect it, that what I'm doing is good and how important it should be to me, and how important it is to God. So God has had a lot of work to do in my heart still!
It's been hard on Jeff and the children I know. But how my heart is blessed how Jeff has taken care of me. In sickness and in health. Even when the airport lights and escalators gave me headaches and made me dizzy, he held on to me. He doesn't like to swim, but he was my lifeguard. As soon as he awakes he has started laundry, cleaned bathrooms, never letting his vacuuming wane! (He truly loves to vacuum!) I don't know how or why I got to be so incredibly blessed, but I thank God every day!
So since we were already so spoiled from our trip, on our actual anniversary we just went to dinner and did a bit of Christmas shopping. Then we topped it off with a stop to the ice cream shop! Very sweet!
1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Friday, December 11, 2009
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...
While Mom and Dad were on their 3-day honeymoon, this was the project we did - gingerbread houses made from graham crackers.
Robbie's attempt, "My artistic career peaked a long time ago, and this ends it."
Then it collapsed:
You really can't tell how messy the table is from this picture - I assure you, it was well covered in icing.
This is the finished product - the ones that survived the move!
Robbie's attempt, "My artistic career peaked a long time ago, and this ends it."
Then it collapsed:
You really can't tell how messy the table is from this picture - I assure you, it was well covered in icing.
This is the finished product - the ones that survived the move!
Put away your clothes!
When you're on laundry duty, how do you nag your siblings to put away their clothes? Daniel decided to try a new tactic:
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thanksgiving Dinner
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration! So much to be thankful for! We went to the highways and byways and gathered all we could for dinner! We even invited the checkout lady at Wal-mart when we heard she and her husband were going to be alone! (She didn't come, but we'll try again for Christmas!) We cooked the biggest turkey we've ever had. We forgot to weigh it but it was over 30lbs! Daniel and I wrestled it to make it fit in the pan - that was hilarious!
Matthew 22:9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'
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