School is off to a good start!  So very thankful to be able to teach my children and watch them learn!  To see a new concept click in their minds is an amazing gift!
This morning I got them started at the table and moved to the couch to briefly switch hats and start folding the mountain of laundry.  Benjamin got up from his chair, grabbed his pencil, paper and verses and pulled his chair by the couch.  All in one impressive swoop!  I was waiting to see what he was doing before I commented or told him to get back to work.  He knelt on the floor and laid out his stuff on the seat of his chair, looked at me with an adorable grin, and resumed writing.
"Whatcha doing Benny?"
He grimmaced his lips and said, "Just wanna be close to you."
Needless to say I didn't send him back to the table.  And I folded laundry with renewed joy!
Not only am I so grateful for such moments, to be able to be close to my children, to have the time, but I'm ever so grateful that God changed my heart to want to! It truly thrills me!
I know it must sound ridiculous to the unsaved world because I hear the shocking remarks all the time of "I could NEVER do that!"  "you're crazy!".  There is nothing special about me.  It's all because of God and Him molding me, purging the old sinful self.  He put that desire in me, and I am ever so grateful!
It just makes me want more of Jesus!

Romans 8:13 (ESV)

13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

BOYS, listen up!!!

Ben and Joey were cleaning a closet and started playing tug-of-war with a broom.  Something went astray and Ben somehow got hurt.  Then Lydia stepped in.  "Boys, who started this?"  The Boys both denied it.  Then Lydia said "Who told the other person to stop first?"  Joey said he did, and Lydia turned towards Ben.  Then Ben said he did, and Lydia turned towards Joey.  Then Lydia said "Joey, Ben is always going to be right.

-Daniel

Girls new and improved room

Girls room:



 


The new and improved.



Catching up!

There are just some things that I don't want to leave out of these memoirs of our life so forgive the order, but don't want to forget the happenings!

Pictures!!!

I have made ANOTHER blog for all of our family pictures, just in case this computer dies.  Which would be sad. So, have fun looking through our random collection! :-)

kunkelbunchpictures.blogspot.com

Sunset Pictures

Here are some pictures I have taken of a few different sunsets.  And for those who haven't seen them, here is the link for Megan and Elijah's wedding photos. http://lifelightimage.smugmug.com/weddings/elijah-and-megan

-Daniel

;-)

Looking through old pictures and found this one of Lydia. :-) :-)

And another she'll appreciate when she's 15!

Life..........

Hi Y'all
Megan is married. Elijah is married. WOW!!
Sooo, What have we been doing? Nothing!! Not really. Since we had a spring break, a vacation break, a wedding break, a Christmas break, a Thanksgiving break, and a lot of other breaks from school, we are now doing school and laundry. We went to FL for a last family vacation and got home about 2 weeks before the wedding, so we were very busy!! If you would like to see the  pictures of the wedding, go to lifelightimage.smugmug.com/weddings/elijahandmegan these are the photographers pictures, and they are AMAZING!!!!!! Find Elijah and Megan and have fun!! Also, this is the link to the picture slideshow with music. It is very cool!     http://vimeo.com/41036647      There is about 400 pictures there. Here is a couple of pictures I took for you:

       A kissing bell, and Megan's bouquet.

This picture is highly edited, but I think it looks cool! (Ocean)

Shell on the beach.

            MEGAN'S drawing in the sand.

UNTIL, a wave came.

Mustering up courage to try to get closer!

Elijah and Megan came for church and lunch the Sunday after their honey-moon.

AND THEN, somebody, somewhere, SOMEHOW, not naming the person, Mom spilled the chocolate sauce. And did a very good job too. Dad helped her clean it up. It was so cute!

And that is our life.

Lydia was talking on the phone with Megan and said, "When we come see you it will be even better than talking on the phone!  Even better than holding a phone to your ear!" 

Proverbs  25:11  "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver."

I pray that we never allow sin to test God's grace.

I Spy

Jeff and Lydia were looking at an 'I Spy' book and this was their conversation:
Jeff,"Okay, I'll close my eyes and you spy something."
Lydia, "Okay now you find a telephone."
Jeff, "Okay, I'll spy it."
Lydia, "No Daddy, you have to find it!"
Jeff, "Hmmm...I don't spy a telephone."
Lydia, "Daddy, you have to FIND it."
Jeff, "I can't spy it?"
Lydia, "Nope, you have to find it..."  Shaking her head at the unthinkable.
"Here it is Daddy, now you find it!"
Jeff, "I wouldn't have spyed that without my glasses anyway!"

Daniel's Birthday

October 24th, Daniel turned 15!  Last year he made his brownies with a layer of M&M's that were an inch thick.  This year he had just one. 

Out of the mouths of babes...

In school Joey is learning about singular and plurals.  He went through the list and as I corrected them I saw that he had 'brush' listed as a plural.  So I asked him how he came to that conclusion.  "Mom, if you see a deer in the 'brush' there is always a lot of it!"
I now consider exceptions for such hunting terms!
Proverbs  17:22  "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

Amazing Grace!

It seemed to take longer than anticipated for them to call us back to meet with the doctor. We sat outside the door trying to be patient.  He sat us down and took a long explanation to share that Robbie does not need a pacemaker.  He has a hormonal imbalance.  The vagal tone (whatever the hormone is that counters adrenaline is called?  Will have to look it up!) that works to counter adrenaline is over compensating and that is what is causing his heart to slow and skip beats.  He just needs lots of water and caffeine!
Can you imagine when Robbie wakes up how he will respond to not having a pacemaker, but needing a Mountain Dew?  We're just waiting to see him now!
We feel as though we have just experienced a miracle!  How gracious God has been to us!
He was and is in utter shock!  Before surgery the doctor spent a bit of time talking about pacemakers, what kind he would put in, etc., so we were really anticipating a pacemaker.  We continue to rejoice!  And will do so for as long as He keeps us on this earth! 

Robbie

We're at Children's Hospital and it's so humbling to see so many hurting people!  One girl was processed along with us and was going in for back surgery, she was 13.  They took Robbie in at 8am, he had a mild sedation and continued with his humor.  The first part of the surgery will take 2-3 hours and will be definative as to whether he needs the pacemaker or not. 
We came up last night since we had to be here at 6am.  The hospital hotel could use a bit of renovating!  The shower head wouldn't turn on so we called maintenance.  Tyrone explained to me to just pull the lever.  I told him there wasn't a lever and I couldn't find any way to turn it on.  He came and tried it himself and said, 'I never in all my life seen anything like this!'.  So with the help of a tupperware bowl we eventually got a shower.  The heat was on high all the time, so we had to slept with the windows open. Makes for a short night with all the sirens and traffic. But we're here, and so thankful for all they can do to help Robbie.

This morning we read Psalm 103, his favorite.



Psalm 103
Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;  he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children,
to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!
Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

 

8-}

It all started out like this:  Elijah, his parents, and three sisters (one of them married with a little boy) came out the day after christmas.  2 days after christmas, Mom, Elijah's Mom, and Elijah's sister went to the "store".  
While they were at the "store", they really went to the local arboretum to decorate the gazebo with flowers, candles, etc.  Then, the signal that the gazebo was ready was mom called home and told Joseph to make cornbread and to get lunch ready.  Then Elijah asked Megan if they wanted to go do a photo shoot at the arboretum before lunch.  So Elijah's Dad went with them to take the photos.  They got to the decorated gazebo with snow falling lightly outside, took a few photos, then Elijah's Dad said he had to go see a fellow about a horse.  Then Elijah read Megan a letter he had written to her, then got down on one knee (of course) and asked Megan to marry him.  Megan of course said YES!!!!!!!!!!  The wedding date?  March 24, 2012.  So Megan has about a jillion-and-one things swimming around in her head and is VERY excited!

So what else is going on?  Robbie is going to have heart surgery Lord willing on wednesday. they will go in through a catheter and decide if he needs a pacemaker.  Then they will put the pacemaker in right away if he needs it. Prayer would be much appreciated!
---Daniel

WEDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Megan and Elijah are ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!! Tuesday, December 27, 2011 Mom, Elijah's Mom, and his sister Anna, went to the "store" actually the store and the arboretum in the morning and decorated the gazebo with roses and candles in every window, and on the table. About an hour later Elijah took Megan to the arboretum with his dad,  supposedly "to take some pictures"! Elijah proposed, and she said "YES!" Then the two of them went to lunch, and came home to tell every one! There is much planning going on and lots of excitement!

"Duck Babe"

Megan and Robbie were on a trip to Iowa to visit Elijah, so the rest of us were sitting around the table for lunch and Dad says, "Children, what do you say we turn your mom into a duck hunter?" Emphatic cheering began!

Mom says, "Oh, that sounds fun, but I think I feel the flu coming on!  You and the children will have fun, dear!"  Nobody fell for that so Dad gave Mom one of his hunting shirts and we packed up and headed for water. 

With our total crew in tow, it would seem most impossible to sneak up on anything, let alone suspecting ducks.  The first pond we went to Mom wasn't quite sure what to do, so we just stirred them up without any success.  The second pond, well, that was unseccessful too. 

So then we turned to fishing and that seemed much more fun than watching Mom miss. 

Than Daniel whispers to Mom, "I can take you to a pond and get you a duck!"  Mom, wanting to be cool in the eyes of her 15 year old agreed.  And they took off!

They traveled through swamp to another pond.  Mom said it was about 10 miles, but Daniel said it was 1/4 mile.  To sneak up on this pond it was important to squat down and walk up behind some reeds.  Now,  when Daniel squats to walk he's about 14 inches tall, so guess he figured Mom should do the same, that wasn't happening!  But they snuck up on the ducks and Mom got a good aim!

Lo and behold, 2 ducks went down, but one came up and flew away, go figure?  Still got one duck!  Daniel went to the edge of the water to retrieve it and it needed another shot.  Water, muck and mud flew up high all over him.  Dripping, he brought the duck to Mom and immediately took a picture!

Mom talked Daniel into letting her carry the gun, while he carried the duck, on the treck back to Dad and the gang. After a 5 minute walk, just as they connected with Dad, the duck started flapping violently so Daniel passed it quickly to Dad.  Dad immediatly solved the problem, as Mom struggled to resist the urge to vomit. 

The mood changed quickly as Dad shared his pride and joy of his wife's first successful duck hunt!  Now he affectionately calls her his "Duck Babe".

Duck Babe

It's not a true adventure with Dad unless something gets stuck!

The thrill of a catch!

Only SERIOUS duck hunters allowed!

                                                                               
                                                                                 

On this same day, Daniel got a turkey, and Emily got 2 ducks!

Cold snowy day =

COOKIES!!! And CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!!!!   I (Emily) made Chocolate Chip Cookies today! YUMMY! It was a perfect day for baking. If anyone is looking for AWESOME Christmas music, go to grooveshark.com and search " Celtic Woman Christmas" Beautiful!!

Sledding!

We had our first sledding of the year and it was fantastic!  7" of snow and a beautiful sunny day made a great combination.  Lydia eventually got tired going up the hill, but her desire to sled was still strong.  So I (Karen) pulled her up the hill numerous times which was great exercise!  I convinced her to lay on the sled on her back so she could look up at the sky and see an airplane and the early moon.  As we went up the hill she said, "Mom, the moon is moving!" Oh, to capture such moments forever!
It got cold quickly when the sun went down, which just made the hot chocolate all the better!