"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." (Walt Disney)

Monday, November 23, 2009

We just got back from our vacation to Florida and although I took over 300 pics, I'll just share with you some of my favorites. Thanks to everyone who blessed us with prayers and gifts for our trip. We had a wonderful time!
We were able to go to Cocoa Beach for the Atlantis Shuttle Launch. It was pretty amazing and something I am very glad I got to see in my lifetime!

Our days in Orlando were so much fun... Downtown Disney, Magic Kingdom, Millenia Mall, etc. It was so much fun to see the kid's faces when they would see a character they knew.
All in all we had a great time. I got to spend time with the people I love the most in this world, and that is always something I don't take for granted! Now to unpack...

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Guest Blogger- Rick Acord

Saturday, November 21, 2009

The things we learn from kids…

Lately I have been hearing a lot about how important it is to be "fully present". I guess it means to be with the person you are with. Sounds pretty simple doesn't it? It really sounds easy until you stop and give it some thought. How often do we truly embrace the moments we have with other people? For me I'm always thinking about what I need to do next and fail to fully engage the person or the time I have. The fact is I am too busy, too busy to stop and smell the coffee and enjoy the life and the people God has given me.


One of the things God has given me is my daughter Paiton. (That’s her kicking the ball in the soccer pictures.) One day this fall I was picking her up from school. It was a rainy day, In fact it was pouring. All the kids were running through the school yard to find their parents, rides or even the nearest shelter. Here came Paiton just walking on the side walk taking her time. I was honking my horn trying to get her attention. (JK not really) I was concerned though, that she had “no concern” for the weather. She was taking her time. It was like she was taking in the moment. When she finally arrived at the van she had this really big smile on her face. “I love the rain” she said. At times I am amazed at how present she is; fully enjoying the moments God has given her. I noticed it even more the other night when I was tucking her into bed. It was a tough night for me. I had just lost a close cousin to leukemia, but I was determined to be strong. As I kissed her good night she asked “are you okay daddy?” It was like she knew I was in pain and met me there. She is like 9 years old.

Wow!

There is so much we can learn from kids. I pick up on this the more I read Lori’s post. She is continually giving updates on what God is showing her through her kids. Thanks Lori for being a good example of this and for giving me the opportunity to be a guest blogger.

Peace and Grace to all,

Rick


I met Rick and Jenny Acord while I was away at college and I would consider them some of the very strategic people God placed in my life at a perfect time. They were the youth pastors at the church I attended while away from home and they mentored me in ways that they probably don't even know. I am blessed to know them. Rick and Jenny have 3 kids: Taylor, Autry and Paiton (who Jenny was pregnant with when I graduated from college... time flies!) Thank you Rick and Jenny for all the time, sweat and tears you poured into myself, Connie and Shawna at a time that was so crucial!
-Lori-

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Guest Blogger- Nina Bunk

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

So when Lori asked me to be a guest blogger I racked my brain, I wanted something really witty and memorable for her blog. I had all these great ideas and then 35 other events happened and it passed me by. So with all that said, I scoured etsy for the top things I would buy Lori! I do have to admit, it is 10 pm and I am getting a little slap-happy and I know she will just laugh at the last couple things I have picked out for her! Enjoy, I love you lori!!!

Coffee
Vase
Plug
Bookshelf
For the wall
The Pirate
Jane Austen
For Chris
Scrabble
-Nina-

Nina is married to my husband Chris' brother Matt (did you follow that?) but she is one of the closest friends I have. She is also the mother of some of the most adorable kids I have ever met: Madeline (3-years) and Christopher (9-months). You can check out her blog at www.ninabunk.blogspot.com
-Lori-


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Guest Blogger- Tina Poulsen

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

I grew up with several fantastic girlfriends. When I went away to college, I wasn’t sure how I’d ever replace them-the way familiarity made everything so easy. The way they knew my family & lived out most of my memories right along with me, so they knew where I was coming from-no back story needed was more appreciated than ever now that I was in a city in the middle of the country where I knew only the boyfriend that I had broken up with on the trip (run-on sentence of the century, but I don’t have much time to edit!)


Freshmen year was rough. By day, I was confident & enthusiastic. By night, I was crying to my mom about my unmet expectations. Without warning, Sophomore year was the best of my life! I coincidentally landed in a dorm room down the hall from girls that became like sisters to me almost instantly. We traveled in a pack-like formation. It was fantastic!


The funny thing about our tightly-knit group was how different each gal was from the next. Most of those gals ended up being the bridesmaids at my wedding. Since graduating we’ve met each year for either a wedding or a birth. Now, most of us are married & are moms, but our separate lives across the country are in many ways as different as our new last names.

I’m getting somewhere, besides down memory lane!


I met Lori in college. She was much too responsible to be fooling around in the pack I was writing about above. When I reconnected with her a while back, I read her charming blog only to find out that we had babies within weeks of each other in the same years, same sexes even! Lori & I are lots different but, we share similar core values: God, marriage, kids, coffee (& trying to keep them in that priority order!) among other things that I discover as a regular loribunk.com reader.


Isn’t it amazing how we’re almost never alone?

We moved from NY to TX while I was pregnant with our first child. In my first months as a new mom I was more lonely than ever, but never alone. Motherhood can be isolating. Then I discovered Target in a whole new way! I got dressed (in real clothes) & perused the aisles. This is where all the new moms are! I remember looking over at moms with carriers in their carts & making eye contact that spoke volumes (usually “This is the first time I’ve showered all week” or “I haven’t slept all night in months”). Then came real live mom friends and now Facebook & mommy blogs!


I love Lori for her creative parenting & for the testimony that Isaac’s sensitivity to the Lord is to the way that Lori loves the Lord in front of him. Even if Zoey screams & Lori gets embarrassed, I don’t feel so bad about my spontaneous & embarrassing screaming 1 yr old girl! What I’ve learned is, you may be surprised by who can become a great friend-she may not look or dress like you or she may seem to have it FAR TOO TOGETHER to relate to how inadequate you’re feeling. Take the time to invest in friendships. You might be time-crunched & sleep-deprived, but pick a few good gals & stay invested.



I loved this Parenting Magazine article “6 Friends every mom needs”.

Be sure you have a friend in your same boat, a friend that has been there, done that, and even throw in a No-Kid pal to remind you that a little makeup & a new shirt can work wonders for your self-esteem!


Tina


Tina and I have known each other since college, but like she stated, have reconnected through our "mommy-days." She lives in Texas with her husband Dan and her two beautiful children, Carter (3 years) and Lilah Sophia (1-year). You can follow her blog at www.detailgal.com
-Lori-

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Guest Blogger- Denise Slater

Sunday, November 15, 2009

When Lori asked me to guest post on her blog, I wasn’t sure what to say. I don’t have my own blog. I have thought about it over time but decided I probably would have a fairly uneventful blog. Then when Lori asked me, I couldn’t narrow it down! Do I bring up times when Lori and I were younger at school together? Tell some pretty funny college stories? Try to be insightful and wise in my old age? Talk about my kids? Just write and see what happens? Then I realized most of Lori’s bloggers probably didn’t know me at all. So here is a quick intro.

I’m Denise. Grew up in Michigan (GO BLUE), went to school in Missouri and ended up starting my married life there with my high school sweetheart. My triplet boys were born in Springfield and we decided life was not complicated enough. When the boys were 4 months old, my husband started his PhD degree in Business at the University of Arkansas and we made the decision for him to commute. That didn’t work well as we thought and found him gone more nights that I was ready for. We sold our house and moved to Arkansas right after the boys’ first birthday. We have been here for 2 ½ years now.I’m guessing most of Lori’s readers are probably moms or will be moms. Did you notice anything in the paragraph above? I describe my family when I describe myself. It seems once we become mothers we sometimes lose what our identity as a person, especially if you are a stay at home mom. I have been blessed to stay home with my boys and it has afforded me opportunities to meet other moms that stay home with their children. I found when my boys were little I would say “I used to be a manager at Chase”, “I worked for 7 years at Chase”, “I was a Senior Analyst in the operations department of a credit card company”. Now I stayed home. Changed many, many diapers, showered when the spit up smell was too overwhelming, sleep? the only adult voices I heard was from my DVR, had mounds of laundry, dishes were not done right away, Dinner? What is that? I missed having measurable reviews and deadlines from work. Not that I wanted to go back, but I enjoyed the accomplishment of completing a task and having black and white reviews of how I was doing.Let me encourage you – you are special! You are not worth-less now that you don’t bring home a pay check or your accomplishments are no longer measurable. They ARE measurable; it just takes time to see it come to fruition when your kids start to get older. Your children need you now and the time you can give them. Don’t get caught up in what you think should be done, make sure and enjoy little moments. Give yourself a break! One day just DON’T pick up the toys. Rest when your children rest. Enjoy a good book. Spend some time with the Lord. Go outside and sit. Play a special game with your kids, and then make up a new game for them to help pick up the toys later. There are always toys to be cleaned up, dishes, laundry, outside distractions. You need to find something that encourages you, makes you feel refreshed, and gives you that accomplishment feeling. For me I enjoy catching up during nap with a friend from MO, checking my facebook, working on a digital photo book, my Bible study lesson, and couponing. Those times are especially pertinent for those of us that don’t have family that live near to help and give us some breaks with our children. You need to feel refreshed!From one mom to another, some days can be darn right frustrating. It’s how I react to those days that will dictate how the mood is in our home. I have made some bad choice and good choices over time. I am continuously learning how to be this new person. I’m not the old bank manager. I am not just my kid’s mom. I am me. I am learning how to be a better rounded person and who I am encompasses everything I used to be and everything I am now. Hopefully this has encouraged other moms. If not, I hope you enjoyed the pictures from memory lane!

-Denise-

PS Since the season of Fall leading into Christmas is my FAVORITE time of year, I thought I would post some Christmas pictures to get us in the mood!

Denise and I were in the same class in elementary school and then re-connected as suite-mates in Bible College. Denise (and her roommate Shawna who is also a close friend) would torture me by toilet-papering my room while I was away at a meeting or dancing around my room to make me laugh while I was on the phone with Chris. Her and her husband Dan have been together since high school and are now the proud parents of 3-year old triplet boys: Easton, Dalton and Quinton. She is a true inspiration to me of what it means to be a wife, mother and Christ-follower.
-Lori-

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Guest Blogger- Nathan Maus

Saturday, November 14, 2009

So here I am, a father of 3 boys, and let me tell you, it is awesome! Boys are very different from girls (so I'm told) but as a full blooded boy, I am proud to be able to raise the next generation of men in this world. Here are just a few thoughts I have to share for those who will soon have boys (take note) those who have boys now (you know what I mean) and those that have girls and think they want boys (pay attention here):

  • Boys will break everything fragile in the house; not on purpose, it just happens. For this reason, remove all statues, figurines, vases, bowls, frames, mugs, cups, glasses, or anything else that cannot survive a 3 foot fall to the tile floor, or you might as well be giving that item up for the trash.
  • Boys will also put many, many, many dents, scratches, holes and marks on any and every wall in the house, at varying levels and depths. Invest in spackle, lots and lots of spackle.
  • Wrestling is how boys relate to each other in a healthy way; similarly, sitting is total silence is perfectly acceptable conversation between boys.
  • You do not need to spend a lot of money on expensive toys for boys under 5. They do not need the latest action figure with articulating parts, or the next musical instrument to come down the pipeline. Everything they get will be turned into 1 of 3 things: a gun, a projectile, a car. Sometimes the items will function as all 3. That being said, the best gift for a boy is a ball, a stick, or an empty box, in no particular order.
  • Boys need to be taught how to be men. We need to teach them how to help, how to take care of mommy, how to clean up their room, and how to talk politely. Once they learn those things their sense of duty is born and you can get them to do those things by reminding them (when you leave for work) that they are the man in the house while you are gone and need to take care of those things.
  • Boys have a shorter attention span than Chris (Bunk), so don’t expect them to sit and talk with you about life. Short questions, answers and commands are the best way to interact; besides this prepares them for later in life relating to other men :)
  • Boys want to help, they are born with an innate desire to help everyone, copy whatever dad does (scary right?) and work hard. Nurture this and you will never have to cut the grass, wash the floor, or fix the toilet again.
  • Boys love Bible stories. What is cooler than a boy who takes down a giant (David), a boy who knocks down the city walls with God (Joshua), a boy who builds a huge boat and has a ton of animals on it (Noah) or a boy who heals people (Jesus). What better role models are there? Seriously, ask my boys to tell you the story of Noah, they get so excited every time.
  • Boys need to run outside a lot. They have tons of energy and it will either get spent running around outside or running around inside - choose wisely.
  • No matter what anyone says, boys are not easier than girls. They are simply different. Remember that - BOYS ARE DIFFERENT.
  • And finally, boys are gifts from God. They are the next generation of men in this world, the next generation of boyfriends, dads, and uncles. Teach them, show them, model for them what a Godly man looks like and we might have just solved a lot of the world's problems.

Those are my thoughts on raising boys


Nate


Nathan Maus is my cousin on my dad's side. Nate is the father of twin 3-year-old boys, Connor and Jordan, and 1-year-old Kaeden, and also the lucky husband of April Maus. Nate and April are the ministers of their church's college and career age group called Essence and you can check out Nate's other awesome job at www.warriorsports.com. Thank you Nate for not only taking time to contribute to my blog, but for all of the food fights you have started at my house over the years.
-Lori-

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Stay Tuned...

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Please come and read my blog next week. I have compiled numerous posts from family and friends that I am excited to share with everyone. They are humorous... they are inspiring...
they are so much fun for me to post!

Stay tuned...

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not one of my finer moments!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

I had one of those "I-have-to-get-out-of-the-house" days, so I packed everyone up and went to McDonald's for lunch. While we were sitting there with our happy meals, I asked Isaac to pray over the food. He started saying his prayer as loud as he possibly could, and without thinking and before I even realized what I was doing, I leaned over and said "shhhhhhhhh" in his ear. Isaac abruptly stopped his prayer and loudly asked, "why you shhhhh me when I pray to Jesus?" I was mortified... not at the loudness of his question, but that he had to ask it at all. I told him to continue his prayer at the volume he wanted and we all bowed our heads.
Ohhhhhhh, will I ever learn???

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a room with a view

This is the view from my daughter's bedroom window. Like I said in this post, it's one of my favorite places to hang out with the Lord. This morning I read this scripture and was, yet again, in awe of the God I serve:

Psalm 139:17, 18
"How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with You."

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cheer, cheer, cheer

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

We had so much fun with Maddy and Christopher tonight.
I am so thankful my kids have cousins they have a blast with!
No little ladies got hurt after shooting this video...
you may be startled at the end, but I promise she landed on a pillow
video

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and in all things... session 12

Things I am thankful for on November 10, 2009...

  1. Psalm 97
  2. My church family
  3. Limes
  4. Snuggle times with my kids
  5. Kleenex
  6. Slim-line Bibles
  7. Leftover pumpkin muffins
  8. Grace, Grace, Grace!
  9. That God is a jealous God
  10. Sunglasses (and the need for them!)

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God of this City

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somewhere over the rainbow...

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Today we had a wonderful afternoon celebrating my niece Madeline's 3rd birthday in the land of Oz. Matt and Nina did an incredible job decorating for their daughter's party and everyone had so much fun. This little lady has so much personality and I could watch her for hours. Chris and I were cracking up at all the incredibly cute things she was saying all day long. We love you Maddy!

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Lance-n-Jeni

My baby sister had her bridal shower yesterday and I have to say that I did a lot better than I thought I would. (I thought I would be an emotional wreck, but I was actually too distracted by my excitement.) The best part was seeing all of the people in Jeni's life that were eager to bless her and Lance and show their support!

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What would your T-Shirt say?

Friday, November 6, 2009

I want to get black t-shirts made that say in neon pink "Just because my daughter is screaming at the top of her lungs doesn't mean I'm a bad mom!" As I was checking out of Target today, Zoey decided to have one of her not-so-amusing shrieking sessions. Out of the corner of my eye I can see all types of different reactions: there was a group of 20-something cashier girls looking over in disgust while twirling their recently styled hair, there was a couple in their 50s buying Christmas ornatments glancing over with looks of sympathy, and the girls at the customer service counter were laughing hysterically. I wanted to get everyone's attention around me and say "I know I am giving the impression that I am a mother that doesn't have control of anything, but I promise if you got to know me I could possibly change your mind about that!" Instead I just put on my best grin and pushed the cart out the door.

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and in all things... session 11

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Things I am thankful for on November 5, 2009...

  1. John 14:27
  2. Coffee sleeves
  3. My daughter's chunky cheeks
  4. My son's random hugs
  5. Orange juice
  6. Thermostats
  7. Bobby pins
  8. God's faithfulness
  9. Fresh parmesan cheese
  10. The shield of faith

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What about the thumb?

Sunday is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church and I have been studying the underground church around the world for days now. I want to share with you one excerpt from the book "Tortured for Christ" by Richard Wurmbrand that has managed to really grab my attention this morning.
I met a Russian couple, both sculptors. When I spoke to them about God, they answered, "No, God does not exist. We are bezboshniki- godless. But we will tell you something interesting that happened to us. Once we worked on a statue of Stalin. During the work, my wife asked me, 'How about the thumb? If we did not have an opposing thumb- if our fingers were like our toes- we could not hold a hammer, mallet, tool, book or piece of bread. Human life would be impossible without this little thumb. Now who made the thumb? We both learned Marxism in school and know that heaven and earth exist by themselves. They are not created by God. So I have learned and so I believe. But if God did not create heaven and earth, if He created only the thumb, He would be praiseworthy for this little thing. We praise Edison and Bell and Stephenson who have invented the electric bulb, telephone, railway and other things. But why should we not praise the One who has invented the thumb? If Edison had not a thumb, he would have invented nothing. It is only right to worship God who made the thumb.'"
If you are interested in learning more please go to:
Voice of the Martyrs
Open Door Ministry

To receive your FREE personal copy of "Tortured for Christ" please go to THIS WEBSITE.

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it's the little things...

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

This is what I heard:
"Don't touch the car, Zo, we are reading the Bible!"
And this is what I saw:

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will i ever learn?

Monday, November 2, 2009

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
Today I had a total brain malfunction and decided to quickly run into Michaels for some left over spider Halloween stuff for a spider-man day we are going to have in the near future. After 20 minutes of binkies, bottles, suckers and nap-threats, we finally found what we needed and got into the loooooooooooooong check out line. There was a little old lady in line right behind us that gave me much needed sympathy and even rubbed my back when Zoey let out her 3rd piercing scream. FINALLY we were next in line when I hear the dreaded words.... "Mama, I have to potty NOW!" After asking him numerous times if he could wait, he started to cry and hold himself. I gave a defeated look to my new elderly friend and quietly stepped out of line. Needless to say, we left bladder free and without making any purchases. Will I ever learn?

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a professional tree hugger

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Today was such a wonderful day at our annual Legacy IMPACT Retreat. At the very end of the day, I joined the students in a high ropes course way up in the trees. I haven't done one of these since college! I spent half the time hugging the platform tree before I slowly made my way onto the next course. Should a 30 year old mom of 2 really be walking on a balance beam stretched between 2 trees 30 feet in the air? What was I thinking? I am definitely not posting the extremely unflattering pictures that were taken of me up in the air with a harness on, but I will say that I had a blast challenging myself to do the things that I thought might be impossible. Thanks to all the students that talked me through the course... I might possibly have the best job in the world!
More pictures at the LEGACY Blog

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it's going to be a loooooong week

Saturday, October 31, 2009

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Fall Frenzy

I am sitting here at my computer utterly AMAZED at the involvement of our church in our annual Fall Frenzy. We weren't sure how we could pull it off this year, and people overwhelmingly donated their time, effort and cAnDy to make it happen. Thank you to everyone who made our Fall Frenzy 2009 a success... you all went above and beyond!

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my lil' mechanic

Thursday, October 29, 2009


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turn that frown upside down

This is the expression my son had on his face all morning.I decided to have a sit down chat with him to figure out what was bothering him. When I asked him what was wrong, huge tears started to fall from his eyes and he said "I don't know what is wrong, mom, I'm just sad today." We talked about sadness and how sometimes we have days that aren't as happy as others, but we need to look to God to help us. We talked about the scripture in Nehemiah that talks about the joy of the Lord being our strength. We then made sure that the rest of day was filled with things that would bring us joy!

We made a huge rainbow cookie

We played with all of our play-dough toys.

We even went for a nice autumn walk and to the grocery store
and wore whatever we wanted!
It ended up being a very happy day!

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and in all things... session 10

Things I am thankful for on October 29, 2009...

  1. Isaiah 40:28
  2. The smell of coffee in the morning
  3. My husband's sense of humor
  4. Digital cameras
  5. ATMs
  6. Granola
  7. God's voice
  8. Priceless advice from some of my mentors
  9. Baby hugs
  10. Thursdays

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balloons.balloons.balloons.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

I took the kids to Party City to pick up 2 dozen balloons for our banquet tonight in Legacy. What a mistake! I forgot it was the week of Halloween and Party City was packed. I forgot I had my parent's car and it is much smaller than mine. I forgot my daughter screams randomly. I forgot it was windy. I forgot I only had 2 hands. I forgot my kids had to fit in the car as well. It was the most hilarious nightmare and I wish someone was there to witness the whole thing so I would have someone to laugh hysterically with. What was I thinking? I am very proud of the fact that I only lost 1 balloon!

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to ireland, with love

WARNING: This video has the potential to be super boring to anyone not completely in love with the kids involved.

worship in the a.m. from lori bunk on Vimeo.

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Jesus and Kristen Molloy

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

At our women's get-a-way this past weekend, everyone brought one of their personal mugs to exchange with the idea that you would pray for that person every time you drank your morning coffee. I got a wonderful mug from my friend, Kristen Molloy. This morning during my quiet time with God, I prayed this scripture for Kristen: Isaiah 40:31 "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will want and not be faint." So glad you were on my mind this morning Kristen!

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The Thankful Tree

Last year we started our Thankful Tree Tradition. I love being able to sit and talk to my son about the reason we give the Lord thanks. The things Isaac was thankful for last year: Jesus, Daddy, Mommy, Zoey, Grandma Neva, Papa, Grandma, Poppy, Grandy, Uncle Matt, Aunt Nina, Maddy, Uncle Justin, Aunt Kyle, Uncle Tommy, Aunt Keri, Alina, Aunt Jeni, Drew and Luke.
The things Isaac was thankful for this year: toys, the table, ming-ming, the bunky chair, ratatouille, Jesus, Mama, Luke, trees, good things, Zoey, scissors, footprints, Daddy, bouncing, my cars, bags, my chair, God and Drew.

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and they're off...

Monday, October 26, 2009

Today we hugged and kissed goodbye to Papa and Grandma and sent them off to Ireland. Isaac couldn't wait to get home to find the country on the globe. In honor of the 2009 Ireland Team, I think we are going to have an Irish day tomorrow!
Please keep Mantle Ministries and the entire team in your prayers.
Here is today's excerpt from My Utmost by Oswald Chambers:
A missionary is someone sent by Jesus Christ just as He was sent by God. The great controlling factor is not the needs of people, but the command of Jesus. The source of our inspiration in our service for God is behind us, not ahead of us. The tendency today is to put the inspiration out in front— to sweep everything together in front of us and make it conform to our definition of success. But in the New Testament the inspiration is put behind us, and is the Lord Jesus Himself. The goal is to be true to Him— to carry out His plans.

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sweet madeline.. bom, bom, bom

Sunday, October 25, 2009

... good times never seem so good.
Special thanks to my adorable niece Madeline for designing a brand new coffee cup for me to use every day. I'm already using it for my fresh afternoon cup of joe.
I LOVE IT MADDY!

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i heart date days!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Today Isaac and I went out for one of our date days and we had so much fun! We started off getting our favorite drinks... "oran-gin pop" and diet coke with lime.While we were at the mall trying on winter hats, we found that 104.3 was putting on a family day with lots of treats, games and projects... so we stopped to color and decorate a pumpkin.
I love being with my mini-man and I don't get as much time as I used to to spend quality time with him, so today was such a wonderful treat. I just want to bottle up this little boy and never let him grow up!

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nighty night

Friday, October 23, 2009

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The pirate and the princess...

Thursday, October 22, 2009

There are certain things I just don't want to do. One is fly in a jet with a fighter pilot, another is eat oysters, the last is carve a pumpkin. I knew I was in trouble when Isaac kept asking over and over to "decorate" a pumpkin like his friends, so when I found these "Pumpkin Head" accessories I knew I had scored! For a dollar a piece (a steal, I know.. I love Party USA across from Lakeside!) I didn't have to use a knife or get my hands slimy whatsoever and the kids still had a blast with the pumpkins Isaac picked at Blakes. I am going to put them in my dishwasher and save them for next year!!!

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that's the book for me

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and in all things... session 9

Things I am thankful for on October 22, 2009...

  1. John 3:16
  2. Vitamin C pills
  3. Biggby Rewards Card
  4. Church Nursery Workers
  5. Toaster Ovens
  6. My Sleep Number Bed
  7. God's promise of protection
  8. Candlelight
  9. Ziplock Bags
  10. Hope

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merci beaucoup

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Thank you LEGACY for the amazing flowers.
I was very touched tonight!And thank you Demick family for the bouquet of flowers I received earlier this month.
They were beautiful!

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monkey see, monkey do

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Today was an incredible day!
"Why?" you ask... because we had NOTHING TO DO!
It's been almost a month since I've had a day that wasn't scheduled for me and I had such a wonderful time just hanging with my kids. Since Isaac is still on a Curious George kick, we thought it would be fun to dedicate today to the crazy little monkey.
Ok, so I know my sisters are cracking up right now because I am NOT the artist in the family, but my kids LOVED their monkey sammies and Isaac was so impressed he asked for seconds!
Monkey puppets!
We got a kick out of acting like monkeys. We went on a monkey walk looking for good swinging trees, we colored tons of monkey pictures and we even learned how to draw Curious George.
We ended the night with some yummy MONKEY CAKE. Isaac was a little confused why it didn't look like a monkey or a cake, but his daddy was super thrilled! Making this brought me back to childhood!!!

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Curious George

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Tonight we took Isaac and Maddy to see Curious George Live at the Fox. On a side note, I forgot how beautiful that theater is! I won 2 ticket vouchers and we purchased 2 more... so worth it. We had such a great time, and the kids entertained everyone they came in contact with. They were so hysterical walking into the theater screaming "CURIOUS GEORGE! CURIOUS GEORGE!" as they waved their tickets in the air. All of the ushers were cracking up. Thank you Amy for the giveaway... we had a wonderful time!

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Cup #9

I'm not sure whether this is coffee #9 because I was up all day and night again (the first night for a youth all-nighter and last night with my fussy daughter) or whether I should just start over at cup #1 and begin a "new day," but whatever the case, it will be downed in record time. In my last few days of forced insomnia, I've come to realize a couple of things...
  • The reason the black mascara under my eyes won't wipe off is because it's not black mascara (how did this happen??)
  • I can limp around sore even though I can't think of anything that I did to hurt myself.
  • Now that I'm 30, I will not look the same as the 16 year old girls when I am too tired to put on your makeup or do my hair.

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brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Thursday, October 15, 2009

We braved the frosty weather to cheer on Uncle Andy at his soccer game.
I don't know how those guys are in shorts... it was freezing!

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and in all things... session 8

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Things ISAAC is thankful for on October 14, 2009...
  1. Jesus
  2. God
  3. Daddy
  4. Mama
  5. Zoey
  6. Spiderman

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don't judge a book...

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

My friends and I were sharing with each other some of the books we were reading and as I started to talk about mine I realized I AM READING A TON OF BOOKS!!!! I decided to collect them all from my office and around my house, and even though I should probably only stick to 1 or 2 books at a time, I noticed that I am in the middle of some incredible material! Some of them are for youth ministry, some are for my leadership study, one of them is for my online institute training and hopefully all of them are for personal growth. So I am super curious....
What books are you currently reading?
"Beware of the man with one book."
-Anonymous-

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me & mine

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One Hundred and First Airborne Reunion 2009

This past week I had a mini-reunion with some of my bestest friends from college (we missed you shawna lou!) I haven't gut laughed like that in a long time. It was so wonderful to re-unite with the people that saw me at my worst, my best, and at all of life's transitions. We've come a long way from Bowie Dorm on the 5th floor- we are now all over the US doing the exciting things God has called us to. Thank you ladies for coming to Detroit to love on me and my family!!! We needed it! can you guess who?
- 1 of us went out hunting alone, shot a turkey and brought it home for supper
- 1 of us had to run across an interstate and climb over a median to walk thru a tollbooth we had accidentally passed
- 1 of us almost abruptly interrupted a live nativity scene in order to bring a smackdown
- 1 of us has a wonderful, brand new boyfriend (it's not me... just fyi)

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a little too late

Thursday, October 8, 2009

A little while ago I had the kids outside with me in the backyard. I looked over at the playscape and Zoey had climbed up the entire slide and was heading thru the tunnel. I couldn't believe it. I decided to put her on the slide again so I could record her re-enacting this incredible feat. This is what happened...

Zoey climbing the slide. from lori bunk on Vimeo.

I think I got the camera a little too late.
She wasn't hurt... I promise.
I ashamedly crack up every single time I watch it.

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and in all things... session 7

Things I am thankful for on October 8, 2009...

  1. Psalm 73:26
  2. Fire sauce from Taco Bell
  3. Washable markers
  4. Half and half
  5. God's sovereignty
  6. Diet Coke
  7. 800 thread count sheets
  8. Knowing God is an all consuming fire
  9. Homemade chili
  10. Baby pacifiers

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Happy Birthday Papa!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Isaac:
I like it when papa gives me kisses. I like papa's car. I like when papa plays my favorite Thomas the Train. Papa is tall. Papa goes to church to preach on the stage. I love my papa.

Zoey:
(she just gave me a dimple smile with a loud shriek)

Dad, We are so blessed to have you in our lives!
Thank you for always being that stable, consistent person in our lives that pushes us closer to Jesus. We hope you have a wonderful birthday!
Love, Chris, Lori, Isaac and Zoey

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what a good sport.

My amazing husband makes a pot of coffee for us to share, and a lunch for himself every single morning. Unfortunately, I ran out of sandwich bags well over a week ago. Every morning I remind myself to pick some up, but for some reason it ends up being the last thing I think about during the day... even when I'm at the grocery store! The poor guy has been using Isaac's Handy Manny sandwich container for a week now. I'm not sure what the guys at work have been saying, but I think this man is the best sport I know. Just another reason I know we were meant for each other!

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Michigan's Little Bavaria

Sunday, October 4, 2009

We just got back from our annual Frankenmuth Family Trip and we had a wonderful time. I wans't really in the mood to take a lot of pictures, but here are a couple of the ones I did get.
Highlights of the trip:
1. Harvest Coffee Cafe has THE BEST Mackinac Island Fudge coffee in the world.
2. I left Chris in my dust going down the black hole water slides... he will say I cheated, but how is that possible?
3. When Isaac was told he could pick out any candy he wanted at The Country Store, he decided on candy buttons (they don't taste as good as you remember, I promise!)
4. Tommy cannot sing very good in any other languages except English and Spanish.
5. I think "vacation Chris" is the most fun guy on the planet!

I found dozens of these pictures when I got back in the car from Birch Run. I think Chris enjoyed his time alone in the car with the kids a little too much.

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