Life Update...

Summer is officially just started, buy my summer has been screaming by for weeks now - and the relaxing part of summer is still far away.

We just returned from our annual summers missions trip to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. We stay in Wood in the Native American Community Building (a gym with a kitchen and bathrooms) - population 70. We love on kids all day long and do a Kids' Club. We also try to develop relationships with anyone we can in town. We saw God work in a variety of ways - in our lives, in the children's lives, and in the lives of people in the community. I'll share more on this in a later post.

We've already been to one wedding (cousin - Etienne) - in Dixon, IL. I am doing 2 weddings on back to back weekends for students who graduated from our youth group here. I'm missing out on some weddings of friends and former youth back in Michigan.

I am speaking at Senior High Camp at Hidden Acres this summer (6 sessions). I have preached twice and will be preaching again in one week.

My kids are amazing. They are well behaved, a joy, and incredibly cute. There are new stories nearly every day. Benjamin joined us on our missions trip - and that was great. My wife is amazing - she just keeps going and going - with so much to do.

I should mention we've had a little water in our basement - seeping through the walls - but we don't have padding under the carpet and only some of the carpet got wet - so we just lifted it up and aired it out - now we are trying to put our basement back together.

We are looking forward to 2 family vacations. First - Branson - with a family from Church. Second - near the Wisconsin Dells. Both vacations were found/booked through VRBO.com (vacation rental by owner). Unless you have tons of money to throw around, a vacation of 3 days or more should be booked through them (assuming they have a location where you are going). The price is about the same, sometimes less, than a hotel, and you end up with a beautiful house or condo or cabin. You gotta check it out (we've used them many times and have had many friends start using them - and everyone has loved it).

God continues to provide for us in wonderful ways. He gets the Glory!!!

My Family Is Amazing

My wife has been so patient, helpful, and strong. She's put up with me being gone; a kid needing a home for a couple nights; minstry stuff that takes me away from her last minute; and she is a fantastic mom.

Jonathan is starting to say lots of words - or kind of say them. Yellow = weh-woh. He is passionate and has strong ideas about stuff. He pretend cried today - it was so cute. He loves guitar. He was a total daddy's boy, but now wants mom sometimes instead of dad. He knows about the Vikings - and when he wants to wear Vikings clothes - he raises both hands and shakes them and says - wo - wo (go go, I think).

Elise - she is as cute as a button. She is a mother-hen - which Jonathan doesn't always like. She loves to sing (her top request is "Holy, Holy, Holy") and is so passionate that she often gets in trouble for talking to loudly. She is all girl, but does end up rough-housing with the boys. She loves lotion and lipstick and her many purses and dolls

Benjamin is excelling at school and is a good leader. He continues to love playing piano (chording). He does well at sports and loves to watch them with his dad (especially the NFL - go Vikings). He is a great big brother. He plays with his football guys all the time.

I'm getting ready to coach U6 soccer (Benjamin, our Pastor's daughter, and 2 others) which is always fun. We're getting ready for our summer mission's trip to Rosebud, SD for the 6th summer. We have a busy summer - lots of weddings (and we won't be able to make about half of them - sorry friends). We're also looking forward to some vacations (if you haven't checked out vrbo - you gotta do it). I am slowly working on my licensure paper.

Our Family Christmas Letter

Dear Loved Ones,

Our lives are changing fast as our family grows older. We are grateful for our faithful God who doesn’t change. He still doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve and His loving-kindness endures forever. Join us in giving Him the glory for this past year.

We’re very thankful to God for a year of overall good health (a quick ER visit confirming Lori has acid reflux was a good reminder of how blessed we are). We are grateful for the Church Family we are in. It’s great having extended family living relatively nearby (though Lori’s parents moved to Waterloo, it’s about the same distance away as before).

We had some wonderful times together as a family: Detroit for Corey Wright’s wedding – and enjoyed the Detroit Zoo (very good); a quick vacation to Omaha (zoo was good; children’s museum was fun); our first garage sale; a wonderful week in Wisconsin with the extended Olson side; we built a swing set which our kids love; Lori and Tim went to the EFCA Youth Pastor Refresher – “Rebound” in Daytona Beach Florida – a much needed retreat. We removed some carpet and now have more hardwood floor (thanks, Eric, for your help).

Jonathan, at 18 months, is our social child - the family PR guy. He’s a happy, smiley boy and has a tender heart (he cries when someone gets hurt). He’s a “daddy’s boy” and has to have his “bupp bupp” to sleep (he sucks on his burp rag).

Elise is passionate about life – everything is “all-out”. She’s a typical girl that loves dolls, purses, helping mom, and doing her aunts’ hair. A year ago we were worried about her speech, but she’s made up for any lack of speech and isn’t slowing down. She thinks it’s funny to get the “hippupps”. Now that she’s 3, she has stopped sucking her thumb (Great Grandpa is thrilled). She had the privilege of being a flower girl in Steve and Amber Rick’s wedding (she cried all the way down the aisle). She says adorable things all the time. (ask us for stories – we love to quote her). She loves to sing – and requests “Holy, Holy, Holy” every day. She has a tender heart and loves to be a mother hen to her ailing great grandmother.

Benjamin is 6 and in Kindergarten (all day, 5 days a week). He does well in anything he works at. He loves sports and has had fun playing community organized sports – soccer, t-ball, wrestling practice (ask him about his incredible soccer coach). He is a great reader, loves math, and is a quiet leader. He loves the Minnesota Vikings (got 2 autographed balls during training camp and just went to the Metrodome to watch them play the Bears). He loves to play piano (he plays chords – and sings his heart out on worship songs – with a Mac Powell sort of voice). He enjoyed being the ring bearer in Corey Wright’s wedding.

Lori says her life doesn’t change much – so getting a new vacuum was one of the highlights of her year (so far, it actually works well – a new concept in vacuums for our family). She enjoyed another year at “Hearts At Home” with her sister and some friends. She had taken a year off from youth group and is now back helping again (Tim is thrilled). She still loves popcorn (gotta use the “stir-crazy”). She enjoys singing in a ladies’ quartet (Tim thinks they are pretty amazing).

Tim loves being a dad and husband. He’s now getting the incredible privilege to do some weddings of former youth students. He makes Danish (Swedish) pancakes as well as pizza each week with his kids. He’s started working on his paper for being licensed with the EFCA and is also a part of the EFCA Central District Student Ministry Team. He still enjoys his job (has a great pastor, some wonderful youth leaders, and is seeing students grow in their faith as well as students coming to faith). We saw God bless our annual trip to the Rosebud Reservation more than ever this year.

You are always in our hearts and we’d love to hear from you – electronically, snail mail, or in person.

Grace & Peace,

The Olson Family