CFL... here we come!

Well tomorrow is the big day! CHAMPION'S FOR LIFE KIDS' CAMP! The Crew is packed and ready to go and I am so excited to be going this year with them... it was rough staying home last year with Zoey in my belly. Please keep us in your prayers, that the Lord would use us to touch the lives of these foster kids.

On another note... Would anyone be willing to pick my kids up every night, drive and hour and 1/2 to Lexington so Chris and I can give them a goodnight kiss and then turn around and drive them back an hour and 1/2? Just checking...

Ready for Take-Off

Isaac LOVES planes and was over-the-top excited when I brought this plane home from my errand running this afternoon. He couldn't control himself from giggling. Zoey even helped us read the directions...

3am

Sometimes being a parent is so rough. It's the part of parenting that you don't really understand until you are up at 3am with your child in pain and you're not quite sure what to do about it. The times you have to comfort your child and make them feel secure even when you want to curl up and cry with them. I'm not quite sure how I became the middle-of-the-night mom instead of the one needing one, but there's one thing that is for sure, 3 years in and my mom assures me- it's only just begun.

Buona sera!

Because they were in Romania last month, tonight we celebrated a very belated Father's Day with my dad. Everyone made their own pizza and some were better at it than others. It was also so nice to hear my dad talk about what it was like growing up with Grandpa Loren. Such a wonderful night with mi familia!

So much to do... So little time

Well, the week is almost 1/2 over and I am starting to feel the pressure for the week to come. It's off to Champions For Life Kids' Camp we go! Does anyone else's fridge look like this? Laundry... Duffles... Shopping... Locating stuff long forgotten in the basement... Lots of prayer!

xox LIPS xox

passing the time in the A.M.

Zoey's Dance Moves from lori bunk on Vimeo.

Did I really write that???

I am in a VERY LONG process of organizing our basement and it seems to never end. The best part is finding things from the past that I have forgotten about and tonight's find was HILARIOUS! For Valentine's Day in 2000 I made Chris a journal, answering important questions about our future. We had just gotten engaged and I was obviously overcome by love or just plain delirious! Here are some of the things I wrote...

What are your personal goals for becoming a wife?
"I always want Chris to be able to come home to a clean house. I would love to also have dinner ready, maybe even with candles, every night that we are home. I would like to always greet him with a kiss when he walks in from work. I want to look my best for him so he is always attracted to me. I never want him to regret spending his life with me."

What are some of the things you both have in common?
1. smoothies
2. buying CDs
3. always having to be @ church early
4. Arbys
5. cheat @ all games

What will be your rules to follow for a happy married life?
1. Never yell @ each other unless the house is on fire
2. Never meet without an affectionate welcome
3. Whenever you do wrong, promptly ask for forgiveness
4. Yield to the wishes of the other as an act of self-discipline

What will your life be like 10 years from now?
"Chris and I will be a very happy couple. We will be involved in the church, while raising our adorable kids. We will have a cute house with fun toys in the backyard, by the sandbox. Of course we will be driving around some kind of truck. We will do family devotions every night as we tuck the kids into bed. Chris and I will always be in love with each other and our time together will always be very special. We will always take time to cuddle and talk- maybe about our day, maybe about the kids... who knows?"

what time is it?

I think some of the best times as a family are at bedtime!

Little Zo-Zo

what were you doing tonite @ 9pm?

Isaac was at work with daddy.

Zoey was spending time with Aunt Jeni.
I was savoring the moment with a cup of coffee and the prophet Jeremiah.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

SCS Fireworks

2 Corinthians 12:9

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ's power may rest on me.

This has been my scripture for 2009.
I have found myself quoting it numerous times today.

You know you're a mom when...

You Know You’re a Mom When...
(taken from Holly Furtick's blog)

1. You have signed a check with a crayon
2. You wish your baby monitor had a snooze button
3. You can feed a small family with all of the french fries, goldfish, and various other crumbs found in the back of your mini-van
4. You find yourself constantly talking in 3^rd person, “Mommy said NO!”
5. You child has taken two baths today but you haven’t had a shower in two days!
6. You can think of 1000 different ways to use a baby wipe that don’t involve changing a diaper
7. Instead of singing in the shower you say things like
   • Don’t open the door
   • Go watch dora
   • No, you can’t get in
   • Is anyone hurt?
8. An uninterrupted shower feels like a day at the spa.
9. You know all the words to every theme song on Nick Jr. but you can’t remember where your keys or cell phone are
10. When on that rare chance that you go to the grocery store alone, you walk the isles slowly as if in a museum.

We want a pitcher... not a belly itcher!

Tonight was finally family night. It's been such a fun, crazy weekend, that we all looking forward to hanging out together. I decided to use one of our "Dinner Games" cards tonight since we were having pasta. On our card it said to take some tarnished pennies and place some of your sauce on them... once wiped off they turn out shiny. Isaac was very excited!

After dinner we headed over to Aunt Keri's softball game to help Alina cheer her mom on... and then a quick stop for some Cherry Limeades. All in all it was a very peaceful, relaxing night and now Chris and I are ready to put the kids to bed and have coffee and a movie!

re-kuh-nekt

Tonight I met up with some of the girls that used to spend every Monday night at my house for small groups. They are all grown up and are doing incredible things with their lives! I loved being able to drink coffee and get updated on the things the Lord is doing in each of them... they have big dreams and I know God is going continue to do some amazing works thru them. I miss you girls!

reconnect: [re-kuh-nekt]
to join, link, or fasten together once again

Grandy Sandy's Bday

We celebrated Grandy Sandy's birthday poolside!
We love you Grandy and are so blessed to have you in our lives!!

Yes, I did get permission to post this video...
it's the cutest 2 seconds I have ever seen!

Maddy doing the twist from lori bunk on Vimeo.

WWE from lori bunk on Vimeo.

it's a zoo out here!

biggest turn out yet... 42 people!
how is it possible that i still have hot dogs and hamburgers left over?
thanks to everyone who brought something to share!
see you next week @ noon... unless you have plans for the 4th.
(nikki... are you going to come and show these guys up sometime soon?)

it's not a car, mama, it's a MONSTER TRUCK!

Isaac and I had a whole agenda planned for Chris for Father's Day, but it was put off until we had time as family to do it. Today was the day! We took him to RideMakerz where he could build a remote control car with Isaac. They picked out the model, the tires, the rims, and even got to choose what when on the license plate. Isaac had a blast!

We even got to have daddy's favorite mall food: compliments of Isaac finishing his reading for the library
And I got my favorite: compliments of a gift card from 2006

Noses on Knees!

I received this email in my inbox this morning from Focus on the Family. It's an article by Lisa Whelchel on child discipline which is a pretty good article and you can read it HERE. Some of her suggestions had me cracking up. My son already thinks I'm crazy, just wait until I try a couple of these! (some of them might even work for youth ministry... I'll have to try them out.... especially the nose on knees one)

• Having a struggle at bedtime? Try this: Next time you're dealing with the usual bathroom trips, cups of water, giggling, and talking, call off bedtime. Declare, "Nobody has to go to bed tonight!" Inform them that they may stay up as long as they like — the operative words being stay up. Then have each child stand still in the middle of a separate room of the house. Their warm, comfy beds will look awfully good after just a few minutes of standing alone
• Here's a solution for a perpetually messy bedroom: Explain to your child, "I cannot bear to look at this room anymore — it's too messy! I'm going to turn off the circuit breaker so I can't see it. When it's clean enough for me to tolerate, let me know and I'll turn your power back on."
• If things get too raucous or there was too much fussing between siblings, just yell, "Noses on knees!" Your children should immediately touch their noses to their knees until it is determined that they have learned their lesson. If your older child is arguing that a punishment is unfair, be willing to back down. But explain, "I will rescind the correction if you can show me in the Bible where what I required of you was out of line." This usually cuts off anymore argument, and even better, it yields a little Bible study.
• I heard from a mom who had tired of her three sons' ceaseless noises and sound effects — so she got creative. If her boys did not take their commotion outside, she would make them sit down and listen to the "Barney" theme song cassette for 10 minutes. For adolescent boys, it's torture!
• I heard of a grandmother who was buying shoes for her 10-year-old grandson. He threw a fit when he realized he wouldn't get the more expensive pair. So she leaned down and whispered in his ear, "If you continue to embarrass me,I will kiss you all over your face right here in the middle of the store." He stopped immediately.

Anyone else have some good discipline advice???

we will be hurting tomorrow

thank you christie!!!!

a little reminder...

Just when I get to a point where I am 3 seconds away from losing it...
God send a little reminder on why I had kids...

Isaac's Special Adventure

Isaac and I made a pact. He is going to start doing one chore a day for a sticker on his chore chart. Once he fills up his chart, he will be able to turn it in to me for a special adventure. We kicked it off with a special adventure to see Rosco the Clown for a little incentive. Isaac couldn't sit still he was so excited. Now it's my turn to get excited by seeing him vacuum out the couch!

L is for LOSER

Isaac: Daddy, I made a trophy, but it's not for you

Daddy: What? Why not?
Isaac: Because you didn't win!
Daddy: What are you talking about?
Isaac: You didn't win your basketball game!
(he has been very heartbroken ever since the Zoe Legends game b/c his dad's team didn't win)

slip-n-slide

The Recap

Father's Day started with coffee and bagels from Panera and an amazing Sunday service. Isaac was so excited to run into church to give his daddy his Transformer card.
After church we headed over to the Bunks for lunch and swimming. Isaac was NOT very fond of swimming this year, while Zoey couldn't get enough. It was such a beautiful afternoon!

Then we were off to the drive-in to see UP and Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. It was such a beautiful night and even though we were out super late, it was so much fun!

My dad's cooler than your dad!

I may get in trouble for posting this picture, but I couldn't resist! I love this picture because it reminds me of watching my dad as a little girl and thinking that I had the coolest dad on the planet. When he was waterskiing, it was my job to let my mom know when he fell from one of his tricks so she could turn the boat around to pick him up. Well, one time I started to daydream and when my mom asked how my dad was doing, I looked and he was gone. We had no idea how long it had been since he fell and had to drive for a while down the river till we saw his head bobbing in the water. I started to cry and told him I was sorry, to which he smiled and winked. Happy Father's Day to a super cool dad!

dad's day

"my daddy sometimes gives me hugs and squeezes too tight. then we hide from mama and eat popcorn. my daddy is my friend and zoey is mama's friend."
-isaac bunk-

"dada"
-zoey bunk-

"chris, i always knew you would be a phenomenal dad from the day i started having a crush on you. you haven't disappointed me for a second!"
-lori bunk-

Zoe Legends

Tonight was our 1st annual Zoe Legends basketball game. It was crazy talking to people I haven't seen since high school... some have changed, some have not. Isaac had so much fun cheering on his daddy!

Saturday Soccer

Biggest turn out yet: 18 people!
Come on out Saturdays @ noon for soccer and BBQ

Who is Mona Lisa?

We had to get out of the house yesterday, so we made a quick trip to the library. We signed up for the summer reading program and got tons of free stuff.... it was such a great surprise! Our visit was cut short when we realized Zoey wasn't feeling well again, so we just went home, grabbed some snacks and read our books. Oh, and Isaac snuck downstairs to paint his face and hands so he could become a lion.

The Great Physician

Today Zoey and I spent most of the day at the doctors. After having breathing treatments, chest x-rays and lots of medication, she is now sleeping peacefully. I am so grateful for a God who is a healer!

Jeremiah 30:17
"For I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of your wounds,
saith the Lord."

On another note, look what Zoey and I found while browsing through the Metro Parent magazine! Yes, that is Zoey in pink in the ad for Henry Ford W. Bloomfield!!

a toddler who prays!

Isaac: What's wrong with Zoey?
Me: She's not feeling very good, buddy
Isaac: She has a temperature?
Me: Yes
Isaac: Jesus needs to make her better so we can play!

After going to the kitchen to get Zoey some Tylenol, I walked into Isaac's room and he had his hands on Zoey's head and I overheard him saying...
Isaac: Jesus, make Zoey feel better. Amen.

quoting my 3-yr-old... reinstated

Isaac got in trouble tonight for doing something wrong, so Chris sent him inside and told him he wasn't allowed to play outside any more. After time-out was over I told him he needed to spend some time cleaning his room. He went into his room and saw that it was a big mess, looked at me and said "can I shut the door?" I told him he could and then he came out into the hallway and shut his bedroom door behind him. I then asked, "Isaac, why aren't you inside cleaning your room?" to which he responded, "I shut the door like mama when her room is a mess!"

Ready for Take-off!

Today all the kids and I took Papa and Grandma to the airport to drop them off for their trip to Romania. Isaac was SO BUMMED that he couldn't go with them, so we decided to dedicate our day to our own airplane adventure.

it's the little things...

free coffee at the gas station
+plus+
free suckers at the bank
=equals=
happy mom and happy boy

UNDEFEATED

Today was our annual CREW PREP DAY for CFL Kid's Camp. Our theme for this year is UNDEFEATED and our scripture is taken from Psalm 108:13, which says "God is the One who gives us the victory!" I am so excited about the group of teenagers God has blessed us with for this incredible mission trip. I am surrounded by teenagers that make my life a blast and extremely interesting!

The Word of God and a Cup O' Joe

Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Where our individual desire dies and sanctified surrender lives. One of the greatest hindrances in coming to Jesus is the excuse of our own individual temperament. We make our temperament and our natural desires barriers to coming to Jesus. Yet the first thing we realize when we do come to Jesus is that He pays no attention whatsoever to our natural desires. We have the idea that we can dedicate our gifts to God. However, you cannot dedicate what is not yours. There is actually only one thing you can dedicate to God, and that is your right to yourself.
-Oswald Chambers-

we're ready!!!

LET'S GO RED WINGS!

A house without books is like a room without windows. (Heinrich Mann)

As long as I can remember I have loved to read, but my obsession with books started sometime in college. There is nothing like the feeling of finishing a good book and beginning another one. The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal was amazing, and only took me a couple of hours to get thru. Wiesenthal, imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, was forced to listen to a wounded Nazi soldier plead for forgiveness for all of his crimes. It's a moral struggle of repentance and forgiveness. Incredible!

I just started Pastor's Daughter by W. Heimburg and I love the smell of this old book! I definitely don't have as much time to read as I used to, but it has made me appreciate the time I do have to curl up with a good book.
So, my question to you is...
What book would you grab if you had a couple of hours?

season 5

Good ol' Vitamin D!

Alina was so afraid of the sand... it was so cute!

relaxation

Daddy, Wake Up!!!

our sweet ella jay

The early morning...

I am up pretty early, and for the 1st time in a long time it's by choice. Sometimes I forget about the early morning. I'm usually so excited to have another 5 minutes to rest before my kids call my name, that I forget how peaceful 5am is. I read this from My Utmost this morning and wanted to pass it along...

"Am I fulfilling this ministry of intercession deep within the hidden recesses of my life? There is no trap nor any danger at all of being deceived or of showing pride in true intercession. It is a hidden ministry that brings forth fruit through which the Father is glorified. Am I allowing my spiritual life to waste away, or am I focused, bringing everything to one central point— the atonement of my Lord? Is Jesus Christ more and more dominating every interest of my life? If the central point, or the most powerful influence, of my life is the atonement of the Lord, then every aspect of my life will bear fruit for Him."
-Oswald Chambers-

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

Rough Night... Good Morning

We had a looooooooooooooong night last night. Once we got home from prayer, we could tell Zoey was uncomfortable, so I gave her some of her antibiotics, a little tylenol and sent her to bed. Well, little did we know we were in for it. She was hysterical for most of the night and nothing seemed to soothe her. I finally got her settled and comfortable by 6am. At 9am I heard her cracking up in the bedroom, so I knew something was up... and this is what I found. This girl is such a goof!

Isaac's Medley

Isaac's Medley from lori bunk on Vimeo.

isaac and his buds