Lisa's Blog

i moved.

2010-09-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

I hate to do this because this has been an ongoing journal for the
last 5 years, but I had to create a new blog site. The reason being I
have been doing all my posts via email while I've been away and in that
time away I totally forgot how to actually log into my blog which has
been an unending frustration to me. Believe me folks, I've tried
everything to log back in. I actually think the email address for the
log-in has been terminated.

soooo...

you can find me at www.lisadrewbillsnaxbeef.blogspot.com

we're closer to the ocean than we think.

2010-08-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Leave it to the Veeb boys. I love it when Snax talks in his serious
voice, looking at me with his serious eyes. "Mom, we found a lobster."
A lobster?! I ran outside to see. I was expecting to see a small
crayfish, but no. I think it actually might be a baby lobster. Maybe
it escaped from the Super Store lobster tank. I don't blame him. I
went to grab my camera. Snax held up the lobster for a photo and
accidentally dropped it on the pavement. One of it's claws fell off.
Snax spoke to me again in his serious voice with his serious eyes,
"maybe we can tape it back on."

Today is just one of those days that I'm completely in love with having
two boys. I love it that they are playing out in the rain right now. I
love it that they'll come in soon and I'll throw them in the tub and
throw their clothes in the washing machine. I love it that we'll have
hot chocolate together.

The other day I was looking at some old photos of them....Snax with his
too chubby cheeks and legs and rosy red lips, Bill with his round face
and impossibly big,round eyes. It breaks my heart that those days are
over and that Bill will be starting school in a matter of weeks and Snax
and I will have one more year at home together. I'll be an empty nester
before I know it. Sometimes I just wish they were little and chubby
again, but at the same time I love the stage they are in now. Their
personalities are coming out more and more and it's so beautiful to watch.

pre-tutu

2010-08-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

we took a few too before she was transformed into a ballerina.

the photo shoot....

2010-08-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

The photo shoot with my ballerina went great. What was there to be
nervous about?! Rubes was a precious gem to say the least and her mom
(not shown) rocked it in some skinnies.

Snax poses

2010-08-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

I'll be completely honest. In a world full of photographers it's easy
to feel a little insecure. Is it just me or does it seem like EVERYONE
has a huge, honkin' camera and has a photography website? And there are
so many talented people out there! Since coming home I rarely take out
my camera and maybe it's cuz I just don't want join the masses. I
dunno. I don't have the best 'equipment' and sometimes I wonder if I'm
just pretending, ya know? I have to remind myself that for me it's just
about a hobby. And there is joy in it for me. Tonight I have a little
photo shoot with my niece, which I'm excited about but also nervous.
What if I don't deliver? This morning I got Snax to strike a pose for
me just to get rid of my jitters. It didn't work. But here is my
favorite picture. It's hard to take a bad picture of such a cute face.

I'm a Tooth Fairy!

2010-08-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

Bill lost his first tooth in the car yesterday. It was a milestone
moment. As we were driving along Bill cried out, "My tooth came
out!!". I was at the wheel and started screaming hysterically. I
surprised myself with my reaction. I didn't realize what a big moment
this would be! Immediately Snax beef starting wallowing in self pity
because he wanted his teeth to fall out too. I'm not sure I've ever
seen him so jealous. It's funny to hear someone say they wish their
teeth would fall out. But his jealously did not rain on our joyous
parade. Me n' Bill partied it up in the car like it was 1999.

Bill immediately took on a more mature look. For reals. I can't
believe how much he changed. And now that he lost his first tooth I
immediately assume the role as Tooth Fairy. I wasn't prepared for the
pressures of this job. Immediately my biggest fear was forgetting to
take the tooth from under the pillow and planting the money. There is
no room for error. And what if I couldn't quite reach the tooth from
under the pillow without waking Bill? And what if I couldn't find the
tooth?! And how much does a first tooth go for these days? After all,
no one likes a stingy Tooth Fairy.

After an evening of paranoia and worry I made a successful transfer. I
quietly tiptoed into Bill's room once I was certain he was asleep and
gently slipped my hand under his pillow to find the tooth. Once I had
the tooth in my grasp and gently slipped it out and planted a stack of
quarters in it's place. This Tooth Fairy and her husband did not have a
single loonie or toonie on hand and I'm ashamed to tell you that this
Tooth Fairy had to search every nook and cranny in her car to find
enough change for Bill. Is $1.50 too stingy? This morning I heard Bill
stirring and then I heard the tinkling of coins. He found the little
stash under his pillow. He told me excitedly that the Tooth Fairy left
him "five monies'. Phewf. I think he thinks he hit the jackpot. And
guess what. The one beside it is a little wiggly now. Maybe the second
time won't be so stressful.

And here's a little tip for all you parents out there. It worked on
Bill like a charm. I told him that the Tooth Fairy leaves more money
for clean, healthy teeth. If he doesn't take good care of his teeth
then the Tooth Fairy is sad and doesn't leave much coinage. Well, he
raced right to the bathroom and vigorously brushed his teeth after
that. Whatever works, right?

exhaust piiiipes

2010-07-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

Along with bees there is a fascination with exhaust pipes. I couldn't
count on both hands how many times I hear the words 'exhaust pipes' in
one day. I went from thinking it was funny, to being slightly annoyed,
back to thinking it's funny. Heck, I've even joined in. We drive
around Wink-town in search of a 'two-er' or if you're lucky, a
'four-er'. You see, Bill and Snax actually think the more exhaust pipes
a vehicle has the faster it goes. Unfortunately my car is a 'one-er'.
The other day Snax consoled me, "But it's okay, Mom. You're car is
still pretty fast." I've posed this question to them, "We've seen cars
with one exhaust pipe, two exhaust pipes, or four exhaust pipes. Why
don't they ever have three exhaust pipes?" We don't know why, but we've
excepted that. And Snax posed this question to me: "how fast would a
car go if it had 183 exhaust pipes?" I told him it'd be able to shoot
to the moon with that many exhaust pipes. He was pleased with that
answer. When and if we ever shop for a new vehicle one of my criteria
will definitely be that it needs to at least be a 'two-er'.

bee-utiful brotherly love....it's sweet as honey

2010-07-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

Snax has been busy catching bees in his net for his brother Bill cuz he
knows his brother Bill loves honey. Snax has it all worked out. "I'll
'cotch' the bees for Bill, then I'll kill them and squish the honey out
of 'em so Bill can have some for breakfast." Isn't that.....sweet?

July long was too short.

2010-07-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

The whole Loewen gang headed up to Clear Lake for July long weekend.
The only bad thing about the weekend was having to come home.

snax turns 4!

2010-07-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

We celebrated in style for Snax Beef's fourth birthday. I felt bad for
the guy because his last two birthdays fell on big transitional periods
for our family. His second birthday was our first day in PNG, and his
third birthday fell on the day we moved to Madang. Sometimes all the
birthday hoopla seems a little crazy. I kinda envied Papua New
Guineans. Most of them didn't know their birth dates. Actually most of
them didn't even know how old they were. It just didn't matter. BUT I
am Canadian and in Canada we celebrate birthdays. Most of us these days
probably even know the time we were born.

Okay enough of that. Back to Snax Beef and HIS birthday. I'll start
out saying that we have the nicest neighbors you could ever have. They
are so genuine and it feels like we've been neighbors forever (even
though it's only been two months). Our neighbor also happens to be the
Fire Chief, so thanks to him Snax and Co. had a grand tour of the new,
state-of-the-art fire station. It was cool and as my friend Heather
said to a four year old it must feel like winning the lottery. The kids
had a fun AND educational time. The Fire Chief taught us the difference
between good fires and bad fires, how to stop, drop, and roll, what kids
should do if they find matches or lighters, and that we shouldn't be
afraid of firefighters because they are here to help us. THEN we got to
see the fire trucks up close. We even got to sit in them. Snax, being
the birthday boy got the privilege of sitting on to of the ladder
truck. Lucky guy!

Later on that evening we had everyone back at our place to eat yummy
food and play a few games. We had a fish themed party because you all
know Snax and his brother Bill are quite the avid fishermen. Snax even
got a pair of goldfish for his birthday (affectionately known as "Mikey
the Pikey and Big Bite"). The party couldn't have gone better and after
all the planning and prep this mama is pooped. We brought Snax Beef's
fourth birthday in with a whole lot of gusto and that's pretty darn
awesome, Papua New Guinean or not.

The Farm Kings

2010-07-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

taim bilong strawberries

2010-06-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

This is a shameless plug for Van Hepp strawberries. I love their
strawberries. Sweet, juicy....almost as if they have love molecules
injected inside of them. U-pick is open so come and get 'em!

And the reason we were out pickin' was because we went to the farm to
celebrate Auntie Arlink's. She is the first adult I've ever met that
has trouble blowing out a candle. I thought it was adorable.

Pictures 1-4: pickin' and eatin'
Picture 5: Snax and G getting cozy
Picture 6: this picture makes me laugh every time I look at it.
Picture 7: A plane! A plane!
Picture 8: That baby is well looked after (until G got a hold of it)
Picture 9: Arlink.....blowing out her candle....or at least trying.

the best gift of all....

2010-06-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

is that Drew's boys love to fish. For those of you who don't know Drew
he loves to fish, so I planned his Father's day around his favorite
activity. We went to the cabin with our friends, the Reynolds and
fished. We are forever grateful to Mr. Toews for being so generous with
his boat. Bill and Snax have never actually fished before so I wasn't
sure how it would go. Actually Bill had taken up fishing on Gramps'
itouch, but that's not a very accurate picture of fishing since every
time he cast his line out he caught something. We actually had to cheer
the kid up while we were on the boat. "Bill," I said, "this kind of
fishing is not like itouch fishing. Sometime you have to wait all day
to catch one thing." Suddenly I felt very old. When I was a kid we
didn't even have internet or ipods. Now I have to explain the
difference to Bill between virtual fishing and real life fishing. Once
Bill got his virtual world and real world straightened out in his brain
he had the best time and I think he even learned to appreciate the art
of patience in fishing. He landed the first jack fish about 5 minutes
into our first time out there. The next day Snax caught the biggest
fish of the weekend, which he actually had to throw back because it was
too big. And apparently the monster jack fish pooped in the boat, so
who needs that? He didn't even deserve to be eaten. Good riddance.
All in all I'd rate the weekend five stars out of five. The weather was
perfect as well as the company....and the food....and the
surroundings....and...well, it was just awesome.

picture descriptions:
#1 look at those beautiful red locks blowing in the wind
#2 E-coon and his cute mama.
#3 waiting patiently.....
#4 the first catch of the day. check out Bill's expression
#5 Proud daddy - check out HIS expression!
#6 Snax reals in a white fish that dad caught
#7 E-coon smoochies dad - happy Father's day!
#8 The Reynolds family
#9 Bill and Drew pose for a Father's day pic. That's not Snax in the
background...it's just some guy. Snax refused to be part of the picture
#10 Snax gets greedy
#11 E-coon is in heaven
#12 cuddle time with Curious George
#13 picnic by the lake

my dairy queen.

2010-06-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

happy campers

2010-06-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

We were brave and went camping for the first time with Bill and Snax
Beef on May long weekend. Together with the VanHepps we survived with
flying colors. After the tent was set up and the fire was going Bill
confided in me, "I'm a little bit nervous, but a little bit excited to
sleep in the tent because it's my first time." I assured him he'd do
just great. And he did. Our site wasn't flat like you'd expect to find
on the Canadian prairies. It was pretty darn hilly. Snax Beef kept
sliding down to the bottom of the tent in his sleep. I personally lost
sleep over this and kept pulling him back up to the top of the tent, but
eventually I just stopped caring and threw his sleeping bag over top of
him. And besides, he had his Jets toque to keep him warm.

picture descriptions:
#1 H trying to show off G's 'happy camper' shirt. G WAS a happy camper
#2 Spirit Sands - a desert in the middle of Manitoba. Bill asked the
question we all were wanting to ask, but didn't have the guts. "Isn't
it supposed to be hot in the desert?"
#3 Van Hepps fearlessly leading the way through the desert
#4 The Jets live on and keep us warm.
#5 We found a turtle!!
#6 The turtle
#7 Sweethearts - she loves him and he loves her
#8 The other VBs came out Sunday and we ended an awesome day with some
awesome ice cream.
#9 Chillaxin' on the drive home.

mission accomplished

2010-06-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Our list of accomplishments for the week:

- preparing for and then sharing about PNG (easier said than done!)

- first born son learns to ride bike without training wheels

-second born son learns to ride bike without training wheels

-survived a sleepless night with second born son

- second born son has 4 blood tests in 48 hours (malaria testing)

- made giant cream puff for the greater Loewen gang

- only 1 melt down! (and it wasn't any of the boys in the vb house)

- Jett (although that's not exactly our accomplishment)

- cried on someone's shoulder

- had my shoulder cried on....twice!

- got my camera out

Things that didn't get accomplished:

I refuse to make this list.

Honk Honk

2010-05-08T20:36:00.000-07:00

This post is definitely an after thought. On our way home from PNG we
spent 2 days in Hong Kong, or 'Honk Honk' as Snax often refers to it
as. Those few days we spent there was a very good decision for two
reasons. First, it broke up the frightfully long trip thus helping us
keep our sanity, and secondly it gave us a chance as a family to regroup
and catch our breath after a crazy few weeks of packing up and good byes.

Bill's favorite thing about Hong Kong was the subway we rode on. Snax
Beef agrees, but also loved riding the escalators. Cheap thrills! They
failed to mention the cable car experience and visiting 'Noah's Ark' -
both things we actually paid money for. :)

did this just happen?!

2010-05-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

Coming home makes me feel like I've been transported to a completely
different world. I've finally downloaded pictures from our last few
days in PNG and it already feels like so long ago. Did we really live
there for the last two years?! Did that just happen?

The pictures are of our last visit to Sarang and meal special together
and saying good bye to our beloved staff at the airport. I sure miss
those guys.

down on the farm

2010-04-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

The farm is the best playground for the amazing number of boys on the VB
side. I love all these boys!!

good ol' Canadian boys.

2010-04-21T05:41:00.000-07:00

Back on familiar turf. Gramps and Nana took Bill and Snax Beef to the
cabin for a few days. I'll admit I was a little jealous. The cabin is
one of my favorite places to be. On the way they stopped to check out
the windmills at St. Leon's. Snax Beef also took up fox hunting just
like he said he would. No luck this time.

winks town.

2010-04-19T09:18:00.001-07:00

We've been back in Winkler for a week and a half now. I feel like my
thoughts are still very scattered and I'm not sure how to write about
it. Lists are an easy way to get thoughts down....so here's my 'back in
Winks' list:

1) My friends all look so beautiful. I love them all.

2) I have to write down my schedule now.

3) One morning I found Bill in his room getting dressed. He had on a
pair of shorts and he was pulling up his socks as high as they went. I
told him that it wasn't warm enough to wear shorts in Canada yet and he
said, "Don't worry Mom. I was just seeing if my socks went up to my
shorts." He thought that would pass as wearing long pants.

4) The peanut butter jar is as big as my head. When Drew pulled it out
of the cupboard he said, "Whoa. This is blowing my mind right now."

5) People have been so nice to us and very understanding.

6) Anything I could ever want or need is right at my fingertips.

7) I'm behind in the times, but that's okay. What's Twitter?

8) People here are very punctual and I like that. We need to be more
punctual. No more 'island time'.

9) I love watching Bill and Snax play with their cousins. They fit
right in. Why was I worried?

10) People are very busy.

11) I can hug my mom every day.

12) Snax Beef loves yogurt a whole lot and calls them 'milkshakes'.
Snax Beef (the person) hasn't missed Snax Beef (the food) yet.

13) Snax Beef didn't let Uncle Chris pull a worm in half. He had to
remind Uncle Chris that worms are God's creatures too.

14) I love dishwashers as much as I thought I would.

15) Food I missed and didn't disappoint: fresh milk, squeaky cheese,
Burwalde honey, sour cream, Dad's steak dinner with Mom's fixin's,
wiener roasts, DQ Blizzard.......

16) I feel so loved because I was missed.

17) I drove down 15th street on the wrong side of the road in my parents
new car! I cannot be trusted.

18) Meine Steele went wokabaut already. Keep your friends close and
your enemies even closer.

19) I wouldn't trade our 2 years in PNG for anything.

20) I think I could go camping now and enjoy myself. It would blow a
Papua New Guinean's mind if they saw what we did recreation!

21) There are lots of cars and not very many pedestrians. In PNG it was
the other way around.

22) There are so many things that haven't changed in the last two years
that it's almost eerie. But at the same time there are things that have
changed and we're still trying to get caught up! Life does go on
without you.

a day at Rempi

2010-04-01T04:00:00.002-07:00

We took a much needed day of R&R today with our good friends Paul and Heidi.
Rempi is a village outside of Madang town that has some incredible
snorkeling. There is a rustic bush house right on the water for missionary
families to use, so we took advantage of it. We had a great time swimming,
snorkeling, eating, and squishing SEA CUCUMBERS!!! Those are those black,
icky looking things that Snax and Bill are playing with. We even had a
little visit from the village pet - a noisy, colorful bird that had a little
too much personality. All in all it was an awesome, memorable day. We'll
definitely miss those Hursts!

How excited are we?

2010-04-01T04:00:00.001-07:00

Craaaaazzzzzzyy excited.

card sharks

2010-03-31T02:14:00.002-07:00

Bill taught Mama Opa how to play Go Fish. Bill, being a good sport was
thrilled when Mama Opa beat the pants off of him!

Our dear Highlands Mama, affectionately known as Mama Opa came to spend 5
days with us before we head home. Being the good mama that she is she left
the house completely spotless. There was never a dirty dish in my sink or a
crumb on my floor while she was here. She's the most generous, loving Papua
New Guinean I know. We love her and miss her!

our pets.

2010-03-31T02:14:00.001-07:00

More hard good byes for Snax Beef are on the horizon. This weekend he found
this monstrosity of a bug. The thing scared me and it hissed whenever you
touched it. My oh my, did Snax Beef ever have fun. The bug's name was
Whiskers because of his abnormally large antennas. Snax even let Whiskers
go free on Saturday night after much peer pressure. Whiskers took off, but
somehow found his way back to Snax the next morning. Unfortunately Whiskers
life ended fatally. We found him lying on his back in the pile of Lego
being eaten by hundreds of ants.

The gecko picture above in the fire truck didn't stick around long enough to
be named, but he sure had fun pretending to be a fire fighter. He even got
to drive the fire truck, which was definitely a highlight for him. Bill
released him after much peer pressure.

Snax Beef says good bye

2010-03-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

Snax Beef is a lover and collector of all things creepy and crawly. I'm
trying to prepare the guy for Canada. I broke the bad news to him a few
days ago, "Man, sorry tru, but there are no geckos or lizards in Canada".
Being his optimistic self he replied, "yeah, but there are OWLS!". In
another conversation following this one he said that he was going to hike
through the forest in Canada and kill a fox. Phewf. He took the news
pretty well. He'll just exhange PNG creatures for Canadian ones. No sweat
in the Arctic, eh?

Just for laughs.

2010-03-21T23:55:00.001-07:00

I need to laugh more. My Dad sent William these jokes today and I’m still laughing. Am I the only one who thinks these are funny?! I know, I know. I don’t get out much.

Q. What time is it when you have to go to the dentist?

A. Tooth-hurty

Q. Where do kings keep their armies?

A. In their sleevies.

Q. What do you call cheese that’s not yours?

A. Nacho cheese.

Q. What do you do if an elephant swallows you?

A. Run around in circles ‘til you’re all pooped out.

Q. What’s invisible and smells like carrots?

A. Bunny farts.

Q. What do you call a cow with no legs?

A. Ground beef.

And my personal favorites......

Q. What did the Lego pirate say when he lost his leg?

A. Where’d my Lego leg go?

Q. Where do sheep get their hair cut?

A. At the baa-baa shop.

My To-Do List.

2010-03-17T23:37:00.001-07:00

I have my own To-Do list.

1. Use 'LYMTYKD' as much as possible before we leave.

2. Get Drew and myself ready physically and mentally to say hello to Mr. Buttered Popcorn, Mrs. Coffee Bean, and Ms. Chocolate. (And I'll practice saying hello to Mr. Peanut Butter just in case).

3. Get a new coming home outfit...again.

4. Hide all pocket knives and bush knives to be sure they stay in PNG. I AM concerned for the safety of my relatives. Don't worry guys, I got it covered.

5. Go to the Madang Resort, establish a half decent internet connection, and check out Siren's spring collection online and possibly pre-order. (weeee ooooo weeee oooo)

6. Stuff as much pineapple, papaya, and mango into my mouth as physically possible.

7. Make sure to pack 'Meine Seele' and make sure to remind Chris that I still have it. Crystal, tell Chris that I still have it.

8. Fill every little crack and crevice in our suitcases with Snax Beef...as in the FOOD Snax Beef. Not the person.

9. Drill Bill and Snax Beef on names of all our relatives.

10. Drill Andrew on names of all our relatives.

11. Get my vocal chords warmed up for church.

12. Call the Winnipeg airport to ensure they will not allow any bullhorns, personal PA systems, and noisemakers on April 8th.

13. Get the boys to practice wearing shoes and put a ban on peeing outside in the yard.

14. Get Crystal to call those brown apartments on Pembina to check for vacancy ONE more time. I’ll keep my fingers crossed!

Life is more fun with Twisties....and Kaupa

2010-03-14T18:02:00.001-07:00

This little cutie came for a sleepover at our house with our village
Mama last week. His name is Kaupa. It was fun watching him watch us and
how we live. One of the highlights was his first shower experience. He's
only bathed in a river his whole life, so the shower was a lot of fun for
him. He stayed up long after Snax Beef and Bill were in bed and had the
Lego all to himself. He thoroughly enjoyed himself. I hope he comes again
soon!

Jane

2010-03-14T18:02:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of hosting Jane and her family for the weekend. Jane is
deliciously chubby and so much fun to hold. Gotta love those cheeks.
Here's to good friends and great memories! We had so much fun and it was
over too quickly.

Miniafia, Oro Province, PNG

2010-03-09T22:37:00.000-08:00

This was my final photography excursion which makes me very sad. I heard
there are twelve NT dedications in the next year that I could've gone to.

This dedication was definitely a good note to end on. I didn't have to
rough it in the village, but I was put up in a place called the 'Tufi Dive
Resort'. I think its fun to 'rough it' in the village, but this was just a
real treat! I even had a free afternoon to do some snorkling. Tufi claims
to have some of the best in the world and although I haven't done a lot of
snorkeling I'd agree that it was pretty amazing. I hope I never forget what
I saw.

On the day of the dedication we were taken out by boat to the village. It
was only about a 20 minute ride. We had the boxes of bibles on our boat,
which was pretty neat. A boat full of men from the village were dancing,
shouting, and pounding their drums while they came out to meet us out on the
water. We had a little ceremony out there while we handed them a Bible.
They wrapped it up in a 'tapa' cloth, and then put it in a special
ornamental canoe. We followed them the rest of the way to the village.
Before we reached the shore 8 large dugout canoes came and met us. Each
canoe was filled with about 12 men rowing their hearts out. They circled
us, weaving in and out, and shouting as they went. It was a spectacular
sight! It was quite the escort. When we got to shore the Bibles were
unloaded from our boat and a large processional began.

The translators who started the translation project were there from America.
For various reasons they didn't finish the translation themselves, but
handed it over to two national men many years ago. One of my favorite
moments was watching the American couple meet up with the men who finished
the translation. It was an emotional and exciting time for the four of them
and you could see the emotion on their faces. The excitement was thick in
the air - the people were celebrating and cheering. It was incredible.

I really loved the traditional dress of this people group. Their headdress
was elaborate and colorful. It was amusing to see how some people
incorporated Christmas garland and other Christmas decorations into their
dress. It is in this area that the 'tapa' cloth is used. A tapa cloth is a
cloth made from tree material and then is painted in a reddish brown
traditional pattern. You can see many of the people wearing them around
their waists in the pictures. I was presented with a tapa cloth and I will
always cherish it!

They distributed the Bibles very differently at this dedication. Each
family line (from surrounding villages) pre paid for their Bibles, so they
divided the Bibles out into piles for each village and then had each village
group come forward to pick up their Bibles. Each time a new group came
forward they were danced in by the traditional dancers. The last group to
receive the Bibles was the place where the translation was actually done.
They saved the best for last! Several young boys, all dressed up
traditionally came up to receive a Bible and they did this heart felt dance
with the Bibles in their hands. It was very moving.

When a translation is finished we hope that it is the younger generation who
will hold on to their 'tok ples' (their heart language) and learn to read
it. Tok Pidgin is taking over in many places in PNG and languages are dying
out.

Uvol, East New Britain

2010-03-06T14:37:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my favorite photos from the NT Dedication I went to in
Uvol, East New Britain. Mama V accompanied me on this one.

It still hurts.

2010-03-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

Saying good bye to these guys was tough. Real tough.

Our best mate Nate

2010-03-05T14:15:00.001-08:00

Saying good bye is never easy. Even at 5 years old good byes can be
difficult. William shed a tear or two when he said good bye to his best PNG
friend, Nate. Hopefully they'll see each other again someday!

Our beloved dump trucks have seen better days. William actually repaired
his successfully - hopefully it'll hang in there for another 30 days. We'll
have to take a trip to the toy store when we get home to see if we can find
some worthy replacements. I have a feeling it could be a tearful good bye
when we leave the trucks on PNG soil.

Color my world...

2010-03-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

Snax Beef's girl sent us this box of sidewalk chalk. I'm pretty sure the
bright colors remind him of his Gracie. Thanks Grace! Snax Beef sends his
love.

Meet Chloe

2010-02-27T16:30:00.003-08:00

Chloe is the sweet baby girl belonging to our friends Ryan and Crystal. I'm
savoring every second I get to hold Chloe. It'll be tough to say good bye to
the Penningtons.

The Rump's B&B

2010-02-27T16:30:00.001-08:00

We're enjoying the comforts of home at the guesthouse in Ukarumpa. The
managers are even 'wantoks' who understand things like faspa and rollkuchen
and 'mada shlopes'.

Packin' up...Shippin' out

2010-02-23T03:36:00.000-08:00

It's really starting to feel like we're leaving. We've been busy packing up
two crates to ship home. All the stuff that helps make us feel at home is
going back to where it came from...and we'll be following close behind it!
Now we have the challenge of fitting the rest into 8 suitcases. Do you
think we can do it? :) Last night Andrew took the boys on their last
motorcycle ride on the faithful Honda. We sold the bike - didn't take long
and we're thankful it sold so quickly. This weekend we're heading up to
Ukarumpa to say our last farewells to our dear friends who have become like
family to us here in PNG.

40 more days....

Flying Fox

2010-02-18T17:40:00.000-08:00

Madang is known for its large population of flying foxes. Our security
guard, Max, killed this one with a stick a few nights ago - batted it right
out of the air. Those things make my skin crawl! Yeech!

you might hear...

2010-02-16T22:10:00.001-08:00

Our English might sound a bit funny to you when we see you next so I thought
I'd give you all a heads up. We've been Pidginized. Here are some words you
may or may not hear Bill and Snax Beef say (we do on a daily basis):

1. kakaruk - chicken
2. balus - airplane
3. bagarap - broken, ruined
4. rubbish - garbage
5. kros - upset, angry
6. pipia - litter, garbage
7. bikpela - big
8. oloman! - oh man!, wow!
9. plenti tumas - way too much
10. pekpek - poop
11. rait man! - good man!, way to go!
12. salwara - ocean
13. abus - meat, animal
14. nogut tru - literal translation, no good true - equivalent in English
would be 'a whole lot', or 'an awful lot'
15. pastaim - first
16. lukim yu bihain - see you later
17. kisim kol win - catch the cool breeze
18. kaikai - food, verb to eat
19. pulap - full

co-ops

2010-02-10T18:41:00.002-08:00

I had the most vivid dream last night that I was back in Winkler. It was
snowing. I was scared to drive, so my Mom drove me to Co-op. We got out of
the car into knee deep snow. The wind was howling and it was frightfully
cold, but I enjoyed it. We made our way into Co-op. I was overwhelmed by
the selection. I didn't know where to start. In the freezer section they
had bags of Saskatoon berries frozen in these Canada Post bags. I stood
there for a long time looking at them, contemplating whether I should buy a
bag or not. I thought Bill and Beef Snax were really enjoy them. I decided
against it. I figured my Mom would have some in the freezer that she'd be
willing to share. I walked the isles of Co-op in complete awe, fighting
back tears. Then suddenly I whispered to my Mom, "Let's get outta here and
go to Superstore." Then I woke up.

Beef Snax with his Papa

2010-02-10T18:41:00.001-08:00

smart fellers or fart smellers?

2010-02-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

A little of both....

something sweet today

2010-02-02T15:49:00.001-08:00

Life isn't always peachy here in Madang. I'd definitely say the last few
weeks have been a bit of a rough patch for me. Definitely. I don't know if
you've ever felt homesickness, but it's a sickness that doesn't have a
remedy...other than going home. Other than homesickness I've been feeling
just kinda discouraged and unmotivated. A dear friend of mine knew I was
down and suggested that I write down something sweet every day. It can be
something that the Lord showed me or something that lifted my spirit. This
has been so helpful and it helps me keep positive when things are tough
going. Throughout the day I'm finding myself looking for that 'sweet
thing'. I thought I'd share my list thus far...maybe it'll encourage
someone. Sometimes it's the little things in life that are the sweetest.

Jan 29 - God gave me the verse Is 44:1-4 and it hit a deep spot in my heart
Jan 30 - Verse from Dad Matt 19:29 - a promise to hold on to
Jan 31 - snorkeling with W & J and seeing some tropical fish...and a sea
cucumber.
Feb 1 - 2nd hand shopping with my new Swiss girlfriends
Feb 2 - Helping the kid at the checkout that didn't have enough to buy his
packet of Beef Snax.

Thanks AJ.

five.

2010-01-27T18:14:00.000-08:00

My first born son turned 5 years old yesterday. Our theme was everything
'Rokrok', which means frog in Tok Pisin. Rokrok cake, rokrok plates, rokrok
games....it was a Rokrokin' day. It goes without saying that we wish our
family could be with us to celebrate. We have some amazing 'stand-ins', our
centre staff who made William's party a success. William said to me, "This
day went by FAST". I couldn't agree more with him. Time flies when you're
having fun. When I tucked him into bed he told me with sadness in his voice,
"Mom, you don't have to call me birthday boy anymore." And then he changed
his mind and said, "You can still call me birthday boy, but tomorrow you can
just call me William again."

1)"William is 5", says the Rokrok
2)William, Snax Beef, and Brendon partying it up.
3)Sparklers are way too much fun...even for grown ups.
4)A very serious birthday boy opening his Lego Firestation. He was VERY
serious about it.
5+6)Leapfrog is most fun.
7)'What's the time Mr. Rokrok?'is fun too.

A trip to town.

2010-01-14T13:30:00.000-08:00

A trip to town for me happens anywhere from one time a week to several times
a week. As a housewife one of my most important jobs is to keep my family
fed, which means I'm also the food buyer. I usually go alone to town, but
on the rare occasion Drew has accompanied me. It's easy when you have a
live-in babysitter (Mama V). Honestly, going shopping isn't my most
favorite thing to do. It's hot, busy, and you have to watch your belongings
very carefully. It's kinda stressful.

Grocery shopping here isn't convenient like it is at home. We have no
'one-stop-shop'. I'll go to Papindo to buy corn flakes - they have these
big boxes for only 13 Kina. The cheapest in town. Papindo also has the
best selection of peanut butter, a staple at our house. Oh yeah - and they
usually have cheese, another staple! Modilon Supermarket is another stop.
I usually buy our staples here like milk (the boxed stuff), flour, sugar,
eggs, rice. They also have a good selection of Asian foods and pasta sauces.
For meat I go to Madang Butchery. The meat is the best quality and I think
it's pretty clean and sanitary. The Butchery also has a supermarket area
which has the most selection of imported stuff from Australia. I'll often
buy pickles, jam, and canned fruit. The Butchery also has an excellent
bakery....not much selection, but they have sliced whole wheat bread that we
like. I don't bake as much since we moved to Madang because of the heat. My
last stop is usually the market. You don't buy any produce in the stores -
they don't really have any except for overpriced apples and other imported
items that look like they've been sitting there way too long.

Some days I really try and appreciate the shopping ritual that has become so
much apart of my life. Here is how I would describe a typical trip:

I leave the house and make sure I have my water bottle and a market bilum.
If I forget my market bilum then I have to buy a plastic bag at the market
which is just down right silly. We have a fence around our yard, so I look
to see if Simon our yardman notices that I'm going out to the van. If he
does, then he'll kindly unlock the gate for me and then lock it back up
again. If he doesn't see me then I do it myself....which is a lot of
getting in and out of your vehicle. You get used to it - gates and locks
and fences are a part of life here. Sometimes getting onto the main road to
town takes a few minutes. Lots of PMVs bringing villagers in and out of
town. Once I'm on the road it's all good. I drive under some huge mango
trees that are full of flying foxes (bats) that Madang is famous for. They
are extremely noisy...not much different than a crow. The noise is
deafening. On the right is the hospital. Here you'll see people coming and
going out of the gate....pregnant women, people limping, and others carrying
food to bring to their loved ones. As I keep driving, on my left there is
the tobacco factory. If the wind is just right you'll be able to smell the
sweet scent of tobacco. Along the road there are people everywhere...often
I admire all the different bilums you see people carrying. Everyone carries
a bilum in PNG. EVERYONE. They're kinda like snowflakes - no two are alike.
I love seeing the different colors and patterns. Each one is unique, just
like the person carrying it. Once I get to town I usually park the van in a
central parking lot. I get out and double check all the doors and windows
to make sure they are locked up. As I walk from store to store or to the
market I'm often greeted with friendly smiles. Other people stop in their
tracks as if they've never seen a white person in their life. Other people
you pass on the street make you feel really uncomfortable and you clutch
your bag even tighter. While walking around I clutch my bilum with a death
grip. There are 'opportunists' in Madang and you can't be too careful.
Often at the street corner by the market they'll be a man with a megaphone
preaching. The louder the better. Often times there is a 'longlong'
(crazy) man who stands on the sidewalk and sings out of tune for change.
Town is usually crowded unless you go early enough.

When I'm finally finished my shopping I find my way back to the van. I
guzzle down a litre of water, roll down the windows and drive back home. By
the time I get back I'm exhausted and all I want to do is lay down under our
Air Con! The boys are always excited to see me again and I almost always
bring them a little treat. A piece of gum or a hunk of sugarcane are their
favorites. :P

Here is a rare picture of me with my boys buying peanuts at the market with
my beloved red market bilum.

Snax Beef does not melt.

2009-12-29T15:40:00.001-08:00

Take a little more than rain to keep Snax Beef inside. It is clear that he
is not made of sugar because he is not melting.

bestie list

2009-12-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

I just can't say enough about her.

1) She tries her best to keep me current and trendy. Can't wait until my
big reveal at the airport!

2) She's my Dairy Queen and I'm her Diary Queen.

3) She sent my kids pipe cleaners, pom-poms, and googly eyes.

4) She sent me a very, very nice nail clipper and didn't even know it!

5) She emails faithfully and makes nothingness sound so exciting. It's a
gift.

6) She makes me drool with her baking and cooking and I'm living as
physically as far away from her kitchen as I can possibly be. That takes
talent, folks. Real talent.

7) Dino-sours. She just gets me.

8) She's married to my brother. That's awesome cuz she'll be around
forever!!

9) bum slappin' (I know I said that last time, but it just has to be said
again)

Miss you.

Oh baby

2009-12-28T15:27:00.000-08:00

Dad sent me a 'lensbaby' for Christmas. It's been lots of fun - thanks Papa
bilong mi!! Likim yu tumas!!

Xmas prep

2009-12-22T00:15:00.001-08:00

Okay, so my last 'Winter Blues' post was an attempt to get a little sympathy
which didn't work. I guess I shouldn't have posted those beautiful tropical
photos in the next post. Crystal, you know I'd rather be freezing my tushie
off with you than be stuck here in Madang with Coconut trees, dolphins, and
the warm Pacific Ocean out my front door. :) Serious, though. Serious.

Snax Beef and Bill had the best of times decorating the tree I found in our
storage closet. They wanted to make it extra beautiful for Grandma...well,
Bill did anyways....he was totally consumed by it. Brown noser. It's
difficult to get into the holiday spirit this year for several reasons. The
first being you drip sweat the second you step out the door. Other reasons:
I can't buy boxes of 'Christmas Oranges' (did you know that's a Winkler
term?), our tree smells like mold...like everything else that's been in
storage (including all my sweatshirts), the salt dough ornaments we made are
falling off the tree due to extreme humidity, no eggnog, no Papa juice, no
Crystal, no cream cheese balls, no Dick Ville.

BUT it DOES feel like Christmas because (drumroll...) Mama V is here! She
saved Christmas just by her presence alone. She's the best Christmas gift
EVER. The moldy tree, soggy ornaments, and lack of everything else familiar
has now faded into the background. Yes, Mama V is here and we now have
family here in the flesh to enjoy the season with.

We are pulling out all the stops. We're making the VB family traditional
Christmas Eve meal. Pizza buns (homemade buns of course), Mama V's
Christmas punch (homemade sherbet), itty bitty pickles (we found some!!),
cookie salad (got oreos in the mail from my bestie - Love. Love.) and
something that will be an all right substitute for Bugles. And I
miraculously had a tin of cranberry jelly in my cupboard so we'll be making
Mama V's famous cranberry meatballs for Christmas day. We are in good
hands, folks. We are in good hands.

Mama V

2009-12-22T00:15:00.000-08:00

Mama V, Mama V, Mama V. We are so glad she's here. SO SO glad.

Here are a few photos Snax Beef, Bill and Skolar (one of our employees)
making necklaces for Grandma, our reunion at the airport, and just hanging
out as a family!

Tribute to Caleb

2009-12-14T12:40:00.001-08:00

Here's to good times and good memories! We'll miss you.

1)Teaching Jesse how to swim
2)Whiteskin way of getting a coconut down
3)Working on a sidewalk at the centre
4)Checking out the bathing spot in Sarang
5)Caleb and his musician friends from Sarang
6)WW2 crash site
7)Playing guitar at the church in Sarang
8)??? Styling Mama Opa's hair?
9)Mama Opa with her pikinini
10)Chillin' at Jais Aben resort
11)Snorkelin' nerds...I mean dudes.

winter blues

2009-12-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

My thoughts keep turning to home these days. I'm sitting at the table as I
write this in tropical Madang, sipping my earl grey vanilla tea and cutting
up a chocolate bar into slivers with a sharp knife, just like my Daddy used
to do. Tastes so much better that way....and it makes it more conducive to
sharing.

I'm surrounded by coconut trees, tropical flowers, and the warm Pacific
Ocean, but all I want is evergreens loaded with snow, crunchy snow
underneath my feet, and a warm toasty fire going in the fireplace. I love
those magical nights when the moon is shining just so and it makes the snow
glitter like a gazillion diamonds. I love how all the little ones in my
life look when they're all bundled up against the winter cold with bright
red cheeks and noses peeking out. There's this winter atmosphere that I
love and miss so much and it would be impossible to try and recreate. It'd
be silly to even try.

All I can say is it's a good thing Grandma is coming. Today there has been
a collision of emotions. We said good bye to a good friend and at the same
time we are anticipating the arrival of our beloved Mama V. Have you ever
cried tears of sadness and joy all in the same moment? It does strange
things to your heart.

Maybe my longing for winter is this romanticized idea in my mind. Maybe
it's just all the things that come with the season that I'm missing, like
spending time with family and friends - all the extra gatherings. That must
be what it is. I just miss you.

Crystal tasol (Crystal, that's all)

2009-11-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

Here's why I love her......

1) She's the best DQ partner ever.

2) She's the only one who would ever make me a huge, embarrassing sign for
me for our homecoming at the airport. I'm already anticipating it.

3) We both now love Coke Zero and didn't even know it. This is what we'll
do when I get home: chick flick, coke zero with lemon, popcorn twists.

4) She always tells it to me straight.

5) Have you ever tasted her cooking? Nuff said.

6) She is very administrative and I am not. We balance each other out
nicely.

7) She gets my jokes and I get hers.

8) Best menno accent ever. I mean, ah-ver.

9) We shop very well together. Very well. Wee-oo, wee-oo.

10) Bum slapping.

snax beef tastes like......

2009-10-27T13:10:00.001-07:00

Karla, thanks for bringing up that very good question. I'm sure you're not
the only one wondering about Snax Beef.

What does Snax Beef taste like? It's a hearty cracker with a whole lot of
crunch, delicately seasoned with beef flavored salt. There are four
generous crackers in one package. I can hook you up if you want.

Snax Beef slogan: Gutpela bisket, liklik prais
(good cracker, small price)

Long locks

2009-10-25T13:41:00.002-07:00

Gone are the baby bangs.
Gone is the artifical color.

Lise: Nogat style, tasol igat pasin em stret. Traim tasol. Rait, ya!

Yardman Willy

2009-10-25T13:41:00.001-07:00

Yardman Willy has been busy seeding grass...and it's not seed that he buys
from the store. No, it is a process that can only be motivated by love. He
hand cuts the seeding grass, strips the seeds into his seed holder (aka
frisbee), then scatters the seeds on the soil. He picks only the best time
of day for planting. The sun can't be too hot and the soil can't be too
dry. He loves to seed after a good rain in the late afternoon. Green
thumbs run in the Vanden Berg genes.

Emailing: WWII 009.jpg, WWII 012.jpg, WWII 013.jpg, WWII 016.jpg, WWII 020.jpg, WWII 022.jpg, WWII 024.jpg, WWII 028.jpg, WWII 032.jpg

2009-10-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

There are several WWII war planes and machine guns in the Madang area.
Today we ventured out to find a Japanese war plane that isn't far from town.
We found it with only a little difficulty. You just have to ask the right
person. We stopped to ask a few people on the road and some people we asked
just gave us a blank look. You're looking for what?! In the end we had
four tour guides from a village that was very close to the plane. I have to
admit I was a little nervous just because you never know who you can trust.
Turns out our guides were very trustworthy and we even made a few new
friends. We even got one guys cell phone number because he wants to take
Andrew and Caleb (when he comes to visit) around in the bush to see more
WWII stuff like tanks and jeeps and who knows what else! Seriously, you
take Snax Beef anywhere in this country and you'll make new friends
instantly. The plane was at the end of a longish, muddy bush road. It is
an area where there is an old airstrip from the war. We even identified two
bomb marks - there were two perfectly round ponds on the side of the road
that we are almost certain were made from bombs. The plane was much bigger
than we were expecting. Our 'guide' told us that the plane was perfectly
intact until 2007 when some locals decided to cut it apart to get scrap
metal. After looking at the plane we decided to check out one more spot
where there were some old machine guns. Here we had quite the following of
pikinini (children). I couldn't stop laughing as they trailed behind our
truck - almost running faster than we were driving. Our outing was fun AND
educational.

Photo 1: Bill and Snax Beef with two of our tour guides (the 3rd one stayed
with the truck to guard it and I don't know where the 4th one went to).
Photo 2: The tail laying on the ground.....scrap metal is invaluable. :)
Photo 3: The view from the front of the plane
Photo 4: You can still make out the red circle from the Japanese flag
Photo 5: Bill trying out all the levers
Photo 6: Snax Beef getting a lift from the tour guide. It was pretty muddy.
Photo 7: See all the pikinini?
Photo 8: Checking out the machine gun
Photo 9: A propeller with a message - literal translation: Jesus got up
again

3 posts in a one night - whoa!

Hauswin project

2009-10-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

Our Sarang boys came last week to build a hauswin for the centre. I was
absolutely amazed at how they build everything out of materials they find
from the jungle. Everything has a specific purpose. Drew and I were
lamenting that we could never build a beautiful hauswin like this in Canada.
Nogat ol samting long wokim wanpela hauswin. Last week I was busy feeding
these guys. I still can't believe how much a PNG man can eat. I would heap
their plates full and they'd finish that plus they'd eat anything that was
left in the pot. Thankfully Mama came for two days to help me!

Breakfast: coffee, package of crackers
Lunch: buns, coffee, hard boiled eggs, fruit
Supper: rice, chicken or fish, kaukau or cooking bananas, coffee

Our Papa was the bosman for the project and unfortunately he was short on
kunai grass for the roof. The guys would've finished the hauswin on
Saturday, but they ran out of materials. So they'll be back next week to
finish once we get a hold of some more kunai grass. Turns out our night
guard Max was given the task of getting some for us. His village was
willing to get some for us and they were willing to work for rice. We
bought them a 10kg bag of rice and some tin fish. I couldn't help but think
you'd be hard up to find kids in North America to work for rice. It's
really a different world here!

Picture 1: Garfield getting kunai grass ready to put on the roof - he's
using a bush knife to knock out all the loose grass.
Picture 2: Papa handing up the 'rafters'
Picture 3: Snax Beef eating Snax Beef
Picture 4: Barnabus laying down kunai grass

Once the hauswin is completed I'll make sure to post a picture!

snax beef

2009-10-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

The new fetish: Snax Beef.

The faint scent of Snax Beef can always be found on Jester's breath. The
scent is also found in his bed, on his blanket, on his water bottle, on his
hands, in his hair. He generally smells of Snax Beef all the time. And for
only .75 t a pop it'll satisify even the worst of carb cravings. So now
I've cleverly renamed Jester to Snax Beef. You are what you eat.

Hopefully Snax Beef won't eat us out of house and home.....oh Snax Beef.

More dedication photos....

2009-10-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

Here are the second half of some of my favorite photos. These are from the
Mineveha dedication...the second one I went to.

the best of Milne Bay

2009-09-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

We had the privilege of attending to dedications. It was an experience
we'll never forget. I'll post the pictures in two installments. This first
post is from the Gapapaiwa dedication.

they didn't (but almost).

2009-09-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Tankyu tru, sista bilong mi long dispela naispela kaikai. Mipela amamas cos
bel bilong mipela pulap nogut tru. Tasol, mi sori tru dispela switkai em
pinis nau. Mi tingting yu mas salim sampela moa wantaim Pasta Dave.

Likim yu tumas!

Lisa

little sweetie

2009-09-20T23:33:00.001-07:00

This weekend we headed up to Nobnob mountain for Ada's birthday party.
She's one of the cutest girls around. The last time she was over at our
house W & J took her frog hunting, but had no luck. So the night before the
party W & J went frog hunting to find some for Ada to give her as a present.
She was thrilled when we gave them to her believe it or not! Thanks for the
good time and the yummy cake and ice cream! We certainly enjoyed it
(especially Jester).

Meet Brendan.

2009-09-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

Brendan is here for a visit! Brendan is our little village brother from
Sarang. He's on school holidays right now and he decided to spend some of
it with us. The boys love having an older brother around. He's got a heart
of gold, the biggest smile, and is an all around joy to have around.
Sometimes I wonder if he gets a little bored staying with us. Our life is
very different from the village life. But he always comes back, so he must
like it! Drew and I taught him how to play 'Blokus', so we've been doing
that in the evenings over a cup of Milo. The day Brendan arrived Jester was
beside himself. He gave Brendan the biggest hug and said, "you are my best
friend." Jesse asked me the other night if Brendan could stay forever. :)
That's not such a bad idea!

Photo 1 & 2: Taken on our trip to Nobnob this weekend - Photo #1: walking
to the top of the hill to see the view. Photo #2: See Madang town way down
there? That's where we live!

Photo 3,4,5&6 - W & J with their big brother Brendan....goofing around
like always.

what's on your ipod?

2009-09-15T16:13:00.001-07:00

I thought it might be fun to share what playlists we all have on our ipods.
Here's what's on mine:

1. country!! (featuring: "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy", "Any Man Of Mine"
and LOTS of Toby Keith)

2. let's rock out. (featuring: American Boy, Don't Phunk With My Heart and
much much more.)

3. let's hang out. (featuring: Tracy Chapman, Coldplay, Feist, Sarah
Harmer)

4. sexy dining music. (featuring: Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Holly Cole
Trio.)

5. worship faves. (featuring: Jason Upton, Kelanie Gloeckler, Kim Walker,
Kristene Mueller)

6. cool Dad music. (featuring: Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash, Dire Straits, Hans
Theessink)

7. music from Chris. (featuring: unknown artist, unknown artist, unknown
artist). Help me out here, buddy!

8. favorite U2 (including: No Line On the Horizon, Vertigo, With or Without
You, Discotheque)

That's about it. So what's on your ipod?

Endless Summer

2009-09-14T13:46:00.001-07:00

We can't escape the heat, so we do what it takes to cool off.

My internal clock is waaaaay off. Is it really autumn at home? Send some
of that fall breeze my way. It sounds nice right about now. This morning at
9am the thermometre read 35 degrees celcius. Wowsa.

I think Bill might have inherited the 'wrong name complex' from me. I have
a fear of calling someone by the wrong name, so even if I know the person's
name (or I think I know it) I just won't say it. My strategy is to wait
until I hear someone else use the person's name and then I know for
sure...then I can proceed to use it. This works unless the person who uses
the person's name uses the wrong name (and this has happened to me before).
Then it's just one big mess. I'm all for name tags. Anyways, we had a new
night guard named Reuban and in PNG it's respectful to use 'Papa' or 'Mama'
for those older than you. So we told Bill to call him Papa Reuban. Later
that evening Bill comes into the house and started talking about 'Papa
Rhubarb'. Papa Rhubarb? Come on, Bill. He was redfaced when he realized
his mistake. So I shared my name stategy with Bill, but Bill was skeptical.
I mean, the person he'd be relying on the most to get names right is Jester
and we all know what a disaster that'd be. Bill and I decided that the only
solution indeed would be that everyone has to wear a name tag. It'd make
the world a better place....at least for me and Bill.

Rollkuchen Virgin

2009-09-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

I always relied on my mother to satisify my hankering for roll kuchen. Now
I'm leaving on the other side of the world...I don't have my mommsie close
by. So when I kept seeing big, beautiful watermelons at the market and that
hankering for roll kuchen just wouldn't go away I knew I had to take matters
into my own hands. I'm pleased to tell you that I am no longer a roll
kuchen virgin. And ya know? They turned out pretty good. But nothing
beats mom's, ya know?

Madang.

2009-08-27T13:51:00.001-07:00

There has been a very, very long pause between this post and the last. I hope you are still all out there. You may not be aware that dial-up internet still exists. Well, it does and that’s my excuse for not updating. We’re back in the ‘90s as far as computer technology so bear with me. Another fact that you may not be aware of is that we are now living in Madang, PNG. We are putting out a newsletter shortly which explains the move, so I won’t elaborate now.

Here’s a Madang listy thingy:

1. I start to sweat just by hanging laundry at 8am in the morning. Sweating is inevitable and you just have to accept it.

2. Living beside the ocean is fun. If I’m having a bad day, I just look at the ocean and it ain’t so bad anymore.

3. A/C takes on a whole new meaning.

4. Madang is known for it’s flying foxes (bats) and for the Kalibobo Light house which is a WWII memorial.

5. Eating out is always a treat. Always, always, always.

6. White girls can jump….kinda. I joined a town basketball league. It’s rough, tough, and fun.

7. I can now drive on the ‘other side’ in a city. Scary, eh?

8. Don’t sit under a coconut tree. It’s very dangerous.

9. Seemingly random people know my name. It’s kinda weird, but it’s okay at the same time.

10. Madang feels like home already. We like it, sweat and all.

8 Observations

2009-06-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

a few observations:

1) I can't lose to cribbage. I'm on a 13 game winning streak right
now. Drew is not happy. I'll keep you posted on that.
2) Tok Pisin continues to infiltrate our English. Jesse says 'kapsait'
instead of 'spill'. William says 'kros' instead of 'mad'. And we all
say 'rubbish' instead of 'garbage'.
3) The saying is true - you don't know what you have until it's gone.
And it's really awesome when that thing (or person) comes back to you.
4) I have this never ending craving for farmer sausage.
5) I'm a professional pickler. I get myself into 'a pickle'
continuously. It's not a fun trait to have.
6) Bill is rockin' that mohawk of his.
7) Packing is easy when you hardly own anything.
8) If you want to get an email, you have to email.
9) I'm married to an awesome guy....he's an awesome daddy. (love ya, Drew)

325

2009-05-29T18:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was calling Drew at work and I absentmindedly dialed '325'
before his work number. Winkler is still in my blood, yo.

The other day Drew and I were watching a driving scene in an American TV
show - we both thought for a moment that the guy was driving on the
wrong side of the road. Weird. I felt like I had betrayed Canada for a
minute. Every time I hop into a car I still have to think really hard
which side to get in. Sometimes I want to be the passenger, but I end
up being the driver. I'm curious to know what will happen when I get
home. Hopefully it'll all come back to me. It's just like riding a
bike, right?

we're, like, totally refined

2009-05-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

boy will be boys

2009-05-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

When it rains it is impossible to keep these boys inside!

Side Kick

2009-05-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

We've been waiting for the right time to crack open the package of
3-Cheese Sidekicks that my dear Crystal sent along with my parents.
Tonight was the night!!!
Tonight was the night because:
1)I'm feeling a little under the weather and didn't feel like cooking
2)It was rainy and I didn't feel like cooking
3)I cook ALL THE TIME and I didn't feel like cooking

This was the conversation we had after we ate up all the delicious,
processed noodles.

Lise: "Hey Bill, did you know that these noodles are from Auntie Crystal
in Canada?"
Bill: "Oh! Did she send them on a ship or by airplane?"
Lise: "Via airplane with Nana & Papa"
Bill: "Oh....We need to go back to Canada to get more noodles"
Lise: "Yes, we do"
Bill: "We need to go to Super Store in Canada to get some more."
Lise: "Yes, we do"
Bill: "You should tell Auntie Crystal to save us a package"
Lise: "I will."

Crystal, Please make sure there is a package of 3-Cheese Sidekicks at
SuperStore when we come home. Thanks for the treat! You saved supper.
AND here's a big BIRTHDAY shout out to my FAVORITE gal on the planet.
I'm gonna celebrate hard core in PNG. AND I get to celebrate before
anyone else because today is May 21st on this side of the globe. AND
because I'm Canadian I have the right to celebrate again when it's May
21st in Canada. Party Hardy.

Heck ya!

I will now attempt to capture PNG

2009-05-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

I am officially doing photography for a job!!!!!!! My assignment:
capture images that scream 'PNG'....texture, fabric, people...the sky is
the limit. They will be using the photos for brochures and other kind
of media stuff. Cool, eh?

Top 10 Signs Tok Pisin Has Infiltrated Your Speech:

2009-05-10T18:51:00.000-07:00

This was posted on the humor board and I had to laugh at myself....I've only been here for 10 months and my English has been officially infiltrated by Tok Pisin! ~Lisa

1. You've started an English sentence with the phrase, "No good you."

2. That was right after the sentence you started with "Suppose."

3. You meet every sad story you hear with "Oh, sorry!" before the
person has even finished speaking.

4. You've used "gone finish" as part of an English sentence.

5. You can't think of a better way to describe your problems than as
"hevis."

6. Your use of "alright", "true", and "yet" is out of proportion with
normal English speech.

7. You've started a petition to have "maski" officially added to the
English language.

8. All your neighbors have signed that petition!

9. You have to work extra hard to keep Australian curse words out of
English conversations. (It's not swearing when it's in Pidgin!)

10. You let your "Yes" be "Yes" and your "No" be "Nogat!"

Snail on a Nail

2009-05-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

What's up with all the rhyming lately? I just can't stop. :)

Lae in a Day

2009-05-08T03:47:00.001-07:00

Clever rhyme, I know. Actually we were in Lae for 4 days, but the rhyme
just worked better in the singular....

Highlights:

1. Swimming in a pool
2. Buying sour cream
3. Getting out beyond the fence!
4. Seeing Jester get excited about fish & chips
5. Not cooking
6. Finding the boys' caps after thinking they were lost forever
7. Buying a watermelon
8. Drew tearing up those roundabouts!
9. Watching Jester chase down 2 frogs, successfully catch them, and
then throw them up in the air over and over and over and over again. It
just didn't get old.
10. Cable TV

Lowlights:

1. Bill's rash
2. Jester waking up at 2am and wanting me to scratch his legs for an hour
3. Wanting to go to 'Best Buy' and learning that it burned down a year
ago.
4. Culture shock....
5. Potholes bigger than our van

This is good - the pros outweigh the cons. I think we should do it
again sometime.

Just a Friendly Reminder.

2009-05-04T05:10:00.001-07:00

revelation

2009-04-29T14:44:00.001-07:00

Jesse's revelation at supper last night:

When it's morning, it's morning!
When it's night, it's night!
When it's school day, it's school day!

He's absolutely right.

just a list.

2009-04-26T00:04:00.000-07:00

So here's a list...it's just a list....

1. I woke up at 4:25am on Saturday to the sound of cats...but at first I
thought they were children crying. Is that just PNG cats or are all
cats capable of making those kinds of sounds? My dear husband went out
to throw a stick at them. They were sitting right beside our water
tank, nose to nose, making a lot of noise. Weird, I know.

2. When I woke up at 4:25 am on Saturday morning I realized, "Hey it's
my birthday!" And the time on the clock was actually my birth date -
4/25. Cool, I know.

3. Papua New Guineans display a level of loyalty I have never before
seen (except maybe in Heath).

4. U2's new album rocks my world.

5. I want to see a Papua New Guinean try Wii. That'd be pretty mind
blowing.

6. Is anything free? Not here.

7. My mom and dad felt so much closer when they were in NZ. I guess
they were......

8. I wish I could see my new nephew like you wouldn't believe.

9. It's impossible to throw yourself a birthday party without anyone
not knowing it's your birthday. I tried it and it didn't work (but I
was kinda glad).

10. I'm gathering up the courage to go play basketball on Monday
night. Relive the glory days......

11. I miss Crystal. I miss her a whole lot.

odd jobs

2009-04-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

This is Drew as a human size paper weight.

a parting shot.....

2009-04-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

This was our last few moments together. Nana & Papa are officially
gone. I feel like an empty nester.

it feels like Easter

2009-04-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

When Christmas came around it just didn't 'feel' like Christmas....

Now it is Easter, but it feels like a special time just like it should.
And that's because we have family to share it with. I love it. I
included some pictures of our festivities....steak meal last night and
coloring easter eggs this morning (it works to color brown eggs!).

p.s. Jesus, I love you. Thank you for dying for me and for giving me
right standing with God. I love you with all my heart.

Jesse & more Co.

2009-04-09T17:03:00.001-07:00

The great search for new friends never stops.

seven

2009-04-06T15:46:00.001-07:00

We've got seven years under our belts. Drew, I love you more than ever.

we went to a mumu

2009-04-06T00:38:00.000-07:00

What's a mumu? It's a PNG feast. They wrap meat and vegetables in
banana leaves, bury them under the ground, and then make a fire on top
to cook everything. Delicious! Some of the veggies included; kaukau,
pumpkin, corn, pototoes, carrots, cabbage, 'cook' bananas, and fern
leaves. Before the mumu we visited a village church. The preacher was
very passionate and it was neat to see how far our Tok Pisin has come
because we understood the sermon. It was a great cultural experience
for my mom and dad!

we're in Madang!

2009-03-30T22:36:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying every single second of our holiday in Madang. What a rare treat! I love ordering off a menu. I'm loving my time off from the kitchen. The boys are enjoying time with Nana & Papa, and also with their PNG Mama and Papa. We visited Sarang once again. It always feels like home to me when I go back. Nana & Papa were welcomed with open arms and with a big PNG feast. Then our wasfamili joined us for a day at the resort. They had a blast swimming in the pool and we enjoyed a poolside lunch together. The boys have really warmed up to Mama & Papa and their children. Jesse especially likes Papa Thomas and even cried when he left! (What will it be like when Papa Marv leaves?! Yikes!!!) It was a very memorable day.

Last night Drew and I went on an real date to a real restaurant - something we don't get to do when we're in Ukarumpa. We found a great place and had a quiet dinner overlooking the ocean. We realized this could very easily be our one an only date in 2 1/2 years. We'll have more date nights back in Ukarumpa, but not going to a fancy restaurant - that's for sure!

Our time is nearly over in Madang. It's gone by way too fast! We'll be heading back to Ukarumpa tomorrow on that bumpy, long road.

p.s. Mom and Dad: We're at a loss for words for how to thank you for this! It's been the trip of a lifetime! Thanks a million times over.

*I'll post pictures when we get back to Uka....the internet is way too slow here!*

geeks

2009-03-26T02:41:00.001-07:00

forgot this one!

2009-03-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

Nana squishing Bill.

nana & papa arrival pics

2009-03-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

I love the way Jester just melted into Papa and the way it looks like Nana is squishing William way too hard!

One pic is the official 'mac' ceremony picture. I'm in heaven.

nana & papa

2009-03-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad are here with us for the next 4 weeks. Are we excited? YES! Are we happy? YES! Are we being spoiled? YES!!

Nana is the apple of Jesse's eye and Nana is officially my replacement. My current status is chopped liver (but I don't mind....also keep in mind I don't have an unending stash of fun fruits to give him). William is busy being the tour guide. He is a walking encyclopedia, knows all the short cuts around town, and gives commentary to every movie we watch together. In Tok Pisin we say, "William, em i mauswara pikinini," (William is a 'mouth water' kid - which is he talks LOTS).

It's so fun to have Nana & Papa here....2 new faces to show of the latest Lego creation or the latest 'bug of the day'. I know the time will go by way too fast. Hopefully when Nana leaves my status will go up from chopped liver.

Bilum Boys

2009-03-11T15:34:00.001-07:00

This is a familiar sight every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Off to school they go with their bilums hung around their necks. I love seeing how Papua New Guineans react to the boys when they see them walk around 'PNG style'. They love it. Our hausmeri made these little bilums for the boys and they are very proud of them.

bug cocktail anyone?

2009-03-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

Cocktail of the day: Bug Juice.

Ingredients: 4 Spiders, 1 Gecko, 1 Giant Grasshopper, 3 Earthworms, and a few other species I've never seen in my life. Any takers?

Jesse & Co.

2009-03-08T21:54:00.001-07:00

Jester's main mission in life is to capture anything that crawls. Unfortunately most of his friendships end fatally. That spider isn't poisonous, is it? Jester assured me it was.

this is how it feels sometimes.....

2009-03-03T16:46:00.001-08:00

Jesse has a growing fascination with anything that moves right now. His latest pet is this oversized grasshopper with one leg missing. He carries it with him in a jar wherever he goes. The grasshopper faithfully sits beside him as he eats at the table, watches over him as he sleeps at night, and endures 'playtime' which involves being put through earthquakes that would be at least 7.0 on the Richter scale. This morning Jesse went to nursery so his faithful friend was left behind, just sitting on the table with nothing to do but wait for Jesse's return. As I looked at the grasshopper I felt sympathy come over me. "I feel like you," I thought, "Trapped".

Geologically, on the map, I am smack dab in the centre of Papua New Guinea. I am living on a fenced in mission base. I have no car. And I'm living in this country where I don't have the same freedom that I had at home. I can't go out alone after dark. I can't just hop in a car and go shopping to 'the city'. I'm just...here. And it's not always a bad thing, it's just something to get used to.

On a spiritual level I've been feeling trapped too (this is the point I'm really trying to get to)..... I'm reading an eye opening book called The Supernatural Ways of Royalty by Kris Vallotton and Bill Johnson. Throughout my Christian walk I seem to struggle with the same issues over and over. I haven't fully grasped the implications of the profound truth that I am God's child. In many ways I've accepted 'Pauperhood'. What is a Pauperhood? Here is how Kris Vallotton describes it in his book;

"Pauperhood is relegated to the children of a lesser god. It is the condition of slaves who have yet to discover their freedom on the other side of the river of baptism and find themselves still captured by the dark prince of torture and torment. He is the one who assigns them to a life of poverty, pain and depression through a diabolical play of illusion hoping to conceal their true identity forever. This evil prince feeds his captors the rations of religion to fill their soul's hunger for righteousness. These slaves, blindfolded by their sin, think that they are laboring for their own freedom and work to pave their way out of prison with bricks built from the miry clay of self-righteousness. Yet unknowingly, brick by brick, the are erecting their own chambers of death."

After reading that being trapped inside a jar doesn't sound so bad. But if I'm honest with myself I find myself in this very state. Something my pastor said has spurred me on; "We need to start praying that our true identity will be revealed to us." So I've started praying. I'm tired of living like a second class citizen and believing the same lies over and over again. The reality is that I have the mind of Christ. I have his divine nature. I can know the thoughts of God and I do hear His voice. I am heir to His throne. I have the same Spirit living in me that resurrected Jesus from the dead. I have full rights and privileges to God's promises because I am his daughter. These things are true, so why isn't my life radically different? Jesus is inside me and is ready to come out!

Since coming here I've really struggled. I've felt so discouraged. Before we left the Lord gave me so many dreams about our time here...things He wanted to do through me. Now that I'm here those dreams seem so impossible. But I think they seem impossible because I've been living as a Pauper. Too often my thoughts are, "Can God really use little old me"? The answer is YES. I need to change the way I think and start walking in the authority I have as the Lord's daughter.

"The lowest (the least) member of His body is superior to the highest principality and power of darkness. The original target in the creation of man was for us to live and dwell in His glory. "All of sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). The cross removes the obstacle to His purposes, and restores us to His original intent. The religious heart is unwilling to recognize that we really have been made in His image, and that being born again restores us to a place of absolute purity.
Jesus added to this in His priestly prayer, "The glory which You have give Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one" (John 17:22). It is recorded in Proverbs that wisdom will bring to us a crown of glory. Even our bodies were designed to live in His glory. As we become more and more accustomed to the presence of His glory, even our bodies hunger for God's glorious presence. The sons of Korah, who had spent considerable time in the actual glory of God, and had seen the effect on the physical being, sang, "My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God" (Ps. 84:2).
When God's royalty touches our lives, we discover we are designed to live in God's glory. We no longer live in the bondages of our past - performance and comparison in our daily lives, but we know our worth in simply loving Him. For out of that springs living water and revelation for those who have not found the truth in the nations of the earth!"

I've found this to be so true. I have had God's royalty touch my life many times before - my physical body has felt His glory and once you've experienced that you are never the same. You just crave His presence and nothing else satisfies you....

So that's where I'm at. It's a little scary to be transparent....but I think we can learn from each other's journeys. So here's hoping you'll take something from mine.

if only.....

2009-02-23T16:33:00.001-08:00

William asked me, "Mommy, do marshmallows grow here?"

Unfortunately not....but here is a picture of a marshmallow I know.

Mama i stap wantaim mi

2009-02-15T23:32:00.000-08:00

She's here! My Mama from Sarang has arrived. I thank the Lord she is here with me. She has big a huge help and encouragement to me. She has a strong faith in God and I know she prays for me a lot. She is really becoming a 'Mama' to me and my love for her grows daily. I can't believe she came all this way to help me while Andrew is gone and she's going to stay the full three weeks. At first I was very nervous at the length of her visit because I didn't know what it would be like, but now I'm incredibly thankful. I couldn't do it without her here - I told her that if she would'nt have come I probably would be on a bus by now with W and J to come and stay with her in Sarang.

I've been finding it almost comical at the things I had to learn when I lived with them compared to the things she is learning living with me. Here are my observations:

I had never bathed in a river and was scared to death the first time. How do you bathe in public? And how to you bathe when all those curious onlookers are watching you?

I had to show Mama how to turn on the water for her shower. I wondered if it was the first time she'd ever showered in complete privacy.

I had never anything over a fire other than the odd hotdog or marshmallow. While I was in Sarang I had to master cooking rice, baking bread, frying fish etc etc over a fire. It felt silly to have a 10 year old know more than me about cooking.
Mama is scared of my stove and doesn't touch it. I do the cooking. :)

The first time I washed clothes in the river I had NO idea what was the best way. I wanted to observe the other ladies and just copy them but unfortunately no one was washing clothes. But I did have a crowd watching me to see how I would do it.
Mama doesn't know how to use a washing machine. She lets me wash her clothes (except her undies - she insists on washing those by hand)

I often forgot to bring my dishes with me when I went to bathe. They bathe and wash dishes simultaneously.
Mama loves washing my dishes, but I had to show her which soap to use and how to turn on the tap.

When we lived in Sarang I had to get used to making just enough food as we had no way to keep it. Whatever we couldn't eat we'd give away to somebody.
I noticed that Mama seems to forget we have a refrigerator and she tries to finish all the food at meal time. Sometimes I actually purposely make extra so that we have leftovers for the next day to eat! I'd better tell her that!!

In Sarang they thought it was kinda strange that Andrew and I shared a bed and our boys slept separately from us.
Our Papa stayed one night when he dropped Mama off....so here's the dilemma; who will sleep where? They did share a room which turned out to be fine, but Papa had a terrible sleep because he doesn't like to sleep on a mattress. When he comes to pick up Mama he wants to sleep on the floor. I noticed that Mama was sleeping on top of all the blankets instead of between the sheets. She had been complaining that she was itchy at night and I saw she had been using a scratchy wool blanket to cover up at night. I explained to her she needs to sleep underneath the sheets and then she'd sleep better!

I loved the strong family ties in Sarang. I could hardly tell who's kid was who's while we were there because they are just so intermingled. Every kid has several Mamas and Papas. They really take care of each other and share what they have. It's like one big happy (most of the time) family.
Since Mama has been here I've been very conscious that I don't even know what some of our neighbors names are. We live so close together yet so independantly of each other. It's completely opposite of the way they live. Mama feels responsible for me and has come all this way. And if she hadn't come who would've come to help me? Who would've cared for me? I have friends that would've helped, but not in the measure that she is.

I love it how God has taken two completely different people from opposite ends of the earth and put them together. The thing that is so obvious to us is that we share the same Spirit - the Spirit of God. It has united us and made a strong bond. I know we'll be lifelong friends.

An explaination of the pictures: Mama has never been to the highlands of PNG before so she wanted a picture of her and the mountains. Her, me and the boys went to watch the horses. She hopes that W & J will ride horses when they turn 7. :) In her spare time she's been working on a bilum. She is going to give it to somebody very special from Canada....

You're all tagged btw.

2009-02-12T03:38:00.000-08:00

get to know me...

2009-02-07T04:11:00.001-08:00

This is the Lisa edition of getting to know me. I think Crystal will be tickled...

1. What's your favorite dish your mom makes? well, it's more of a tag team with mom and dad....their famous steak dinner with usual; G.B., caesar salad, steamed broccoli with cheese sauce. okay, i'll stop.

2. If you could be anywhere else in the world right now where would it be? I'd be heading off to Winkler, MB.

3. Who's your favorite character on LOST? Siyid, hands down.

4. What is the oldest item of clothing you own and still wear? I still wear my U2 Popmart Tour t-shirt. I got it in summer of 1997. (and FYI I sat beside Mr. Deschauer at the concert..i know...crazy.)

5. Are you an introvert or and extrovert? I'm and introvert with a dash of extrovert.

6. What's your biggest pet peeve? Stinky dishcloths and towels. Ew. Bleach, people! Bleach.

7. If you could be someone else for a day who would it be and why? I'd want to be Andrew so I could know what really goes on in a man's mind and I could find out how to love him better.

8. Write down the first fond memory that comes to your mind. Our dinner party at C&C's with the gourmet burgers, homemade icecream, and a whole lot of laughs. sniff.

9. Do you like tupperware? I'm afraid to now.

10. If you could have any superpower what would it be? I'd like to be invisible. It'd come in handy.

11. Which countries have you all visited? (not including layovers where you were just in the airport) Ecuador, United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Japan, England, Kenya, Australia, Papua New Guinea.

12. Which country would you like to visit next? Vanuatu

13. Favorite icecream flavor? Rolo...but it has to be eaten at Clear Lake.

14. Are you a rebel or do you follow the rules? weellllll.....I have been tagged the black sheep in the family.

15. What's your favorite chore? I like hanging up clothes on the clothes line.

16. What do you like about yourself? I like it that I like to have meaningful friendships.

17. What would you change about yourself? fear of man is no fun.

18. What inspires you? Being around godly people.

19. What's your favorite fruit and your favorite veggie? Grapes (I miss them!) and Broccoli.

20. Last place you ate out? the Teen Centre! Yay!

21. Are you an early bird or a night owl? an early bird, but not by choice.

22. If you were on a deserted island and could take one person with you (not including your spouse) and one thing with you what would it be?
I'd have to say I'd bring Ruby, Gideon, and Ethan (I know that's 3 but I need to get to know them...and I can break the rules because I'm the author of this thing) and I'd bring along my collection of Robert Munsch to read to them.

23. What's your favorite smell? Arlene. (Crystal Loewen must state her 2nd favorite smell because I already know her favorite smell is Chris' temples)

24. What's your least favorite smell? Stinky dishcloths. We covered this already.

25. Are you a door slammer? Yes. (blush)

26. Do you tell people when their fly is open? Depends on who it is. My rule of thumb: if it's a man that you don't know very well...keep your mouth shut. Anyone else - yes.

27. Share something quarky about yourself. Not under any circumstance will I touch the hand railing on an escalator. (I watched a 20/20 investigation report...thanks a lot John Stossel.)

28. Worst movie you've ever seen? Happy Gilmore.

29. Do you like the person who wrote this? I hope you do...