backyard kayak

There is a small open space behind our house that the kids refer to as "the forest." This spring as the snow melted and before the frost was completely gone part of it was pretty flooded. On a sunny Saturday Evan had a friend come play and the three boys talked Nathan into using the kayak in the "pond" that had formed. After hours of paddling and trying to catch frogs the boys warmed up near a backyard fire while roasting brats and marshmallows. Simple pleasures.

Continuing Easter

Lydia teaching Naomi how to use the new birthday blocks.

Jacob getting some love from Hans.

Grandma & Grandpa's+swinging=pure happiness

All three kids had a shooting lesson and shot the BB gun.

Our Easter celebrations continued at the Smiths. This year all of Nate's family was home to enjoy the holiday together. Kevin and Mary even bought a new table to seat us all. There were 17 of us around it and soon there will be even more! Not only is it true that the more the merrier but also the more people the more laughter and love abound.

Blessed Easter

Happy Easter from the Smiths.

Time managed to speed past before we took a family Christmas picture so, this year we took a family Easter picture instead. This was taken in the front of Nate's home congregation Easter Sunday.

Meeting Caleb at Davis Easter

Evan loving his newest cousin.

To start our Easter break we headed to my parents house on Good Friday. While we are always happy to see family we were most excited to meet the newest member, our nephew and cousin Caleb. Every picture I took while we were there is of someone holding Caleb. He is certainly sweet! We all took turns holding, snuggling, and savoring the precious little man.

Lydia taking her turn to check out the cutie-pie.

Aunt Cora saying hi.

Sleeping babies are always the sweetest.

We did also enjoy our traditional seafood feast and a tenebrae service on Good Friday evening. The rest of our visit was filled with playing outside, fort building, and making more memories.

Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday is one of my favorite church holidays.  I love the focus on the Lord's Supper. I love the privilege of coming to the communion table with fellow believers and being assured of my forgiveness of sins.  I love the deep, soul touching peace that follows.  Several years ago this was in the magazine, Forward in Christ.  Reading it then I was touched by the words.  Today, as we celebrate Maundy Thursday, may these words touch you as well. 

I could feel tears forming in my eyes as I watched him. He shuffled his feet like someone walking on ice, afraid of falling with each step. It was obvious each advance brought agony. But he was resolved. He would not be deterred.

I was attending a service in a larger Midwest congregation. It was a long walk to the communion rail from even halfway back. The elderly man I saw that Sunday was making his way to the front to receive the Lord’s Supper. I don’t know his name. But even as I sang the communion hymn, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was inscribing a lesson in my heart that I will never forget.

His was not a mechanical, habitual, thoughtless approach to the Table of his Lord. Mere routine could not have drawn someone forward through such pain and effort. Something stronger was drawing him, compelling him to come forward.

I am still able to walk briskly. My feet lift freely from the floor and spring forward with energy. Yet I wonder how many times my feet carried me when my heart did not always want to go or when I can’t remember what I did when I got there. How easily a repeated action like the Lord’s Supper can become meaningless and empty because of the sinful callousness of my heart.

This man’s resolve reminded me of the unfathomable gift that awaits us at the Table of our Lord. His feet carried him forward—dragging on the carpet as he struggled to keep his balance—because he longed to receive his Lord’s forgiveness. In previous years, when he surely walked as I now walk, he had not forgotten that his Lord was inviting him to a precious banquet. Now, after the curse of sin had transformed his strength into weakness and his spring into cruel crawl, he still did not forget the King who beckoned him forward. The words “given and poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins” pulled him like an irresistible magnet. Forward. Forward. One step at a time with a precious friend by his side to make sure he didn’t fall. The line of communicants slowed as they waited for him to move down the aisle.

Then, finally, he arrived. In deepest humility, he received the gift of his King. Once the Lord had been wracked with pain for him. Once the Lord’s feet had been nailed immobile for him. Once the Lord had taken away his guilt for all time. Again and again the Lord offers his body and blood because he knows that this man—we all—need that assurance. “Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me” (Christian Worship, p. 35). So those feet, barely strong, had carried him forward to “do this” again. 

He turned to shuffle down the side aisle. His Lord had blessed him with life. His body still bore the curse of sin. His feet still dragged on the floor. It took minutes, not seconds, for him to return to his seat. But a sparkle was in his eye. The spring was there. It was in the joy and peace that lit his face. The tears trickled down my cheeks.

Thank you, dear Christian brother, for teaching me a lesson that day. Thank you for reminding me again what a gift our Lord Jesus gives us in this Holy Supper. I know you didn’t intend to do that. Your eyes were focused on your Savior. But that day my eyes saw my Savior through you.

Contributing editor Joel Petermann is pastor at St. Paul, Amherst, New Hampshire.
 

Peep Nests

Baking...

..with..

.Mom!

Before we headed to visit our families for Easter we made some treats to take along. I don't remember where I'd seen these but even without an actual recipe they were easy. We melted some white chocolate, added broken pretzels and chow mien noodles, formed "nests" out of the mixture, added a few m&ms or jelly beans for eggs, and topped the entire concoction with a peep. Once cooled these were packed and taken to share with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins where they were a big hit.

First Kayak

Remember Nate's Christmas gift? On one random warm Sunday we put it in the water for the first time. Nate took each of the kids out for a little paddle around Sawyer Creek. Hans had the longest time in the kayak with Nate as they paddle up Sawyer Creek to the Fox River and to a boat landing pretty close to our house. I'm sure this is just the beginning of such adventures.

Just Dad

Each Sunday afternoon Nathan takes the kids, one at a time, on a Daddy Day. These days are as varied as the kids they were created for. One week he might be with Evan frog hunting in a local creek, the next week with Hans exploring the EAA Museum, and the third with Lydia playing at a playground. One cold and dreary Sunday a this late winter Lydia and Dad spent some time doing her favorite thing: reading. The stack was high, the bed was cozy, the imaginations ready, and they both were happy making memories.

The Mono-Ski Sled

Spring Break

Tasty Tuesday: Pretending to be Irish

We aren't actually Irish, or if we are it's pretty drowned out by all the German and Norwegian. This fact doesn't stop us from enjoying a good St Paddy's Day dinner though. We've made corned beef other years, but this year I came across another blogger's version of supper and was very inspired. Corned Beef, cabbage, carrots, Rumbledethumps (amazingly good potatoes), and Killian's Irish Red. Who needs green beer when we can enjoy all this? Lucky us.
**disclaimer: We celebrated early since the kids and I won't be at home on Thursday.**

Little Cousins Come to Town

Ethan, Hans, and Hannah.

Playing in the sunshine.

Attack Uncle James! Be careful, he tickles.

Lydia has the right idea.

 My brother James bravely loaded his two kiddos, Ethan (age3) and Hannah (age 1.5), into their car and headed east to Oshkosh. Call it a mid-winter break, call it cabin fever, call it a family vacation call it whatever you'd like, but I can name five kids who called it a blast. Eight people in our little house makes for busy and noisy but when five of those people are kids it makes for loads of laughs too. Big cousins and little cousins alike played together from one end of the house to the other and from the top to the bottom. We all had a great visit and while Ethan and Hanna missed their mom (who was home to work) they were all happy to know we'll be together again soon. We hope they all come back again.

Navarino Snowshoe

Michael & Tammy invited us to join them showshoeing in the Navarino State Wildlife Area.

We happily accepted their offer.

We hiked through the woods in search of a few hidden treasures.

We found one treasure in this hollow log. What was it??

A hibernating porcupine.

Nathan & Michael consulted the GPS and maps and decided we'd have more fun off trail.

Lydia took a brief break before we went on our way.

Tammy and I had a little picture war! Look how cute she is.

Then we got one of the two of us together. Maybe we'll call it 'Smith Wives.'

Blazing our own trail

Another treasure! A winter geocache.

No matter how you look at it, snowshoeing means a great day.

Flat Joe

Have you ever heard of Flat Stanley? It's a great book for elementary kids to read. Many teachers have taken it beyond the book and have their students create flat versions of themselves that the students send on adventures.  Our nephew, Joe, had been assigned to do just this.  We had a great time taking Flat Joe around Oshkosh and taking pictures before we sent him back.  Here we are with Flat Joe at one of our favorite Oshkosh places, the EAA Museum. 

That Peaceful Easy Feeling

A few ducks on the open water of the Fox River.

     My parents came for a visit. There is something about being with my kids and my parents at the same time. It's just neat.
     Mom and Dad left early enough to surprise the boys by stopping at school for lunch on Friday. Friday evening we had a movie night at school which they attended with us. Saturday we went off on an adventure and hiked around Thousand Island Environmental Center in Kaukauna. We had hoped to snowshoe there during the evening but with all the snow melt the previous week we ended up settling for hiking on the board walk along the river. Sunday the kids sang for church with their Sunday School classes. The only damper on the visit was that Mom and Dad left in a bit of a blizzard and the return trip took them eight hours instead of four and a half.
     One of the things that makes these visits so special is seeing my parents in my kids. Parents are the ones we are born to love, it's the nature of a child. Our children are the ones we bear to love, it's the nature of a parent. Link by link we create a chain that is family.

A Cuddle Night

Lydia has a double bed that is our "guest" bed when we have company. When needed, she sleeps on a small mattress on the floor in the boys room, freeing up her room. The boys are a little jealous since her bed is so big. We often cuddle together for nightly devotions and story time on her bed. On many such nights the kids have asked if they can have a cuddle night and all sleep in Lydia's bed together. Knowing that three kids in one double bed might not be the most conducive for sleep, I usually say, "Not tonight guys." We had a few days off of school in mid February with no big plans so when the kids asked, I (finally) said, "Sure." I tucked them in with the understanding that they could talk for awhile but then would need to settle down and sleep. If they didn't, it would be back to bed as usual. It was as fun for me to sit at the bottom of the stairs and listen to them whisper and giggle together as it was for them to do the whispering and giggling. There was a bit of smooshing so the boys switched places at one point but eventually they settled down and slept from about 8:45pm until after 7am the following morning. They haven't asked again so I'm not sure if we'll be repeating this or if it will just be remembered as that one special night they finally got a cuddle night.