Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving yesterday.  Our day started with me and my sister running a race together.

She started running over the past few months and has really done great in the races she's entered.  She finished 5th in her age group yesterday. 

 

It was called the Turkey Trot.  They had relay teams who literally had turkey leg batons to hand off to their teammates.

  

More than 2,000 people showed up to run in the 30-40 degree weather. 

I had a great time running with my sister.  

We then enjoyed Thanksgiving at my sister's house.  It was a full house.  

For us, Thanksgiving means family, food and lots of pictures.  

We had lots of people together. Benay's parents, my cousin from Colorado, my nephews were in town, my aunt and uncle and some friends of my parents from their church. Whether we are here or in Brasil, the Blume family always likes to have lots of people together at Thanksgiving. 

  

The day before we celebrated Christmas with Benay's parents.

Yesterday we celebrated with my family. 

Last night we went to my other aunt's (my dad's sister) house and hung out for a while with her, her husband and two of my cousins and their spouses. 

As we end our time in the states we were reminded yesterday of how much we have to be thankful for.  

Special Day

Yesterday my mom and dad celebrated their anniversary.

47 years together. Amazing.

We were able to celebrate with them last night. They are a great example to all around of what a Christian marriage should look like.

I asked our family to share what they see in them. Here's what they said:

Giovanni: "They like to babysit and feed me."

Anderson: "They are really fun. I've been waiting to see them for like 10 or 5 or 2 years."

Carys: "They never fight. They always help each other."

Garrett: "They are special grandparents and do everything they can to make us happy. They spend lots of time with us. I love them a lot."

Ansley: "You can tell how much they love each other. They complete each other."

Bronwyn: "How much they love each other. They are always so sweet to each other."

Benay: "They are a great example of how they always put the other one first."

Me: "I will forever be grateful to my dad for showing me how to make my wife feel like a queen. He was a living example of this. He not only taught this with words but, more importantly, with actions in how he treated my mom. My mom continues to show me, my wife and kids what a Christian wife, mom and grandmother looks like. Living a faith filled life without ever calling attention to herself.  Quietly leading by example while not being afraid of sharing her faith. 

We are very blessed to have 4 parents/grandparents who strive to follow Christ.

Happy anniversary mom and dad. 

Washington DC was Fun!

Here are some more pictures from Bronwyn and my trip to Washington DC.  We had so much fun!  Also, what is with my hair in the picture that Kevin posted a few days ago?  I ripped my contact on the first day there, and to add to the thick glasses I have rooster hair?  Oh well. Here are some (hopefully) better pictures:

Here is Bronwyn and I at the Metro Station.  We became "pros" at using the Metro.  It was great!

The first day we had gorgeous weather and visited the Washington Monument:

Then the beautiful, and very moving World War II Monument.  We felt very proud to be Americans!

From there we had a beautiful walk to the Lincoln Memorial.  The fall trees were so pretty!

Here is the place where Martin Luther King stood at the top of the Lincoln Memorial steps when he made his famous speech for civil rights.

We walked a lot that day, visited the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History...... 

where we saw a display of the largest amethyst discovery in the world from our home state of Rio Grande do Sul.  Kind of exciting!

We then had a nice lunch....

walked by the Capitol Building.....

and visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

We ended that day with a visit to the National Holocaust Museum which was wonderful.

The next day my sister, Cheryl, took a day off from work and we went to Arlington National Cemetery.

That afternoon, we went to a huge thrift store, but I didn't take pictures.  It was fun, though.

The next day, my niece, Kate, sacrificed a day of schooling and accompanied us to the National Art Gallery. (I'm thinking....I'm thinking....)

We had a nice lunch with Kevin's cousin, David...

then on to an IMAX film. (in 3D!)

That night we were treated to a delicious dinner at a restaurant called Artie's.  Yummy!

The best thing about our DC trip was spending time with our family that we love!  

 My sister is one of the hugest blessings of my life and I loved being with her and her family!

Thanks Mike, Cheryl, Kate and Cal for such a fun time.  We can't wait for our next visit!

A good example is the best sermon.

Sir Thomas Fuller

Thanks and a Prayer Request

This morning Benay and Bronwyn's flight arrived safely in Memphis. They enjoyed 4 days with family in the D.C. area. Yesterday Ansley and I arrived safely in Memphis after a 9 hour drive from the Windy City. We all had a great time.  Thank you for your prayers for safety.  God really blessed our trips. 

This morning my mom had to take my dad to the emergency room for some pretty strong stomach pains. For my dad to willingly go to the E.R. we knew the pain was really strong. Looks like it's an infection that can be treated by some minor changes. We just got back from visiting with him. He's been on IV antibiotics today and he's already doing much better. He's in no more pain. He has to stay overnight to make sure everything is okay.

We ask that you please pray for a quick recovery and that the cure will be those minor changes (diet and meds) instead of anything more drastic (surgery).

As always, thanks in advance.

Hungry?

One of the things I have liked about our time in Chicago is hearing all the different languages. We've heard Spanish, Russian, Italian and all kinds of Asian dialects. 

Today Ansley and I spent most of our day visiting Wheaton College.  We'll share more about that visit on another day.  

After our tour and spending time with an admissions counselor we ate a late lunch.  We spent the afternoon just hanging out on the campus.  By the time we got back to our hotel tonight we were too tired to go out and sit down for dinner at a restaurant. We were still a little hungry so we decided to go to a nearby grocery store to get a snack.  

We went to a Super H store. We had no idea what kind of grocery store it was.  About 10 seconds after we entered the store we found out it was a Chinese store.  Every package was written in Chinese.  They even had a Chinese news channel on big screen tvs.   

Instead of leaving we decided to try to find something to eat.  

We found the snack row and ended up being stumped between two snack choices.  They were the only snacks we found that were translated.  

We couldn't decide between Jolly Pong or Leaf Pie.  

After about 5-10 minutes of discussion we gave up and went to a K mart.  

We love Chicago.  

Tomorrow we head back to Memphis.  We would appreciate prayers for our safety. 

Tourist Day

Ansley and I spent the day in downtown Chicago. We visited the Willis Tower (used to be the Sears Tower). It's the tallest building in the United States. We then spent a few hours at the Navy Pier.  Very cool place.  Chicago is a very beautiful city.  

Benay and Bronwyn spent the day on their own in D.C.  I don't know every place they went but I know they spent time at the WWII museum as well as the Holcaust museum.  They were deeply touched by both places. 

We also spoke to the little guys in Memphis.  They were having a good time with my parents. 

You can tell we don't spend much time away from each other because our family literally made around 10 cross country phone calls to each other to check out how everyone was doing.  We are a pretty tight group. 

Tomorrow Ansley and I will check out Wheaton College.  Please pray that God will give her wisdom and peace as she begins to process everything from the 5 different colleges she has visited since we've been back in the states. 

Chicago and D.C. pictures to come.   

Two more trips

We ask that you pray for our family today as we will be separated until Friday.

This morning Benay and Bronwyn will take a plane to Washington D.C. to visit Benay's sister and her family as well as my cousin. They will be there until Friday morning.

Ansley and I also leave today and we will be driving to Chicago for her last college tour. We'll be checking out Wheaton College. We are thinking it's going to be around 9 hours in the car. We will be coming back on Thursday.

The rest of the little guys will be staying here hanging out with my parents.

Last night when Benay was reminding Anderson of our trips he began to cry for about 15 minutes. He didn't want her to go. Ansley then took over and played with him to make him forget his sadness. 

We've also never been away from Giovanni for more than 1 day. Benay was having baby withdrawals the other day when she was separated from him for about 7 hours as we took Ansley on another college visit.  Four days away is going to be pretty tough. 

I confess I'm one of those guys that doesn't like to be away from my wife for even one night.  

It will be a tough but fun week for everyone. 

We know the kids will have a blast with my parents. They already have some things lined up and it's always fun. It's probably tougher on us than it is on them.   In fact, when Ansley was cheering up Anderson, she gave him a "To Do List" notepad and had him make a list of the fun things he was going to do while Mom and Dad are gone.  Here is his list (with translations):

1.  MEKC-A-PB-AND-J (make a PB & J)

2.  GO-TO-TEH-PARCK (go to the park)

3.  GO-PET-PET-PATIO (go putt-putting)

4.  BES-BUL-WEIT-GARETT (baseball with Garrett)

5.  KARES-L (Carrousel in the mall)

6.  MECKCHKS (Milkshakes)

7.  GO-TO-THE-ZOOO-WHET-ANTMALESA (go to the zoo with Aunt Melissa)

8.  GO-TOA-MUOVE (go to a movie)

9.  PIKNEK-AT-TEH-PARCK (picnic at the park)

10.  ET-I-C-KREM-SAM-WEHES (eat ice cream sandwiches)

11.  MEK-BRIS-LETS (make bracelets)

After spending some time making this list, Anderson felt much better and now says he will be fine if his mom goes away for a few days.  

We look forward to our trips. Chicago is one of my all time favorite cities. It's been a while since I've been there. Ansley is excited about checking it out. Benay is also excited about visiting family and seeing D.C. with Bronwyn. 

We ask that you pray for our safety and that God will bless our travels. Thank you in advance.

I'm sure we'll share lots of pictures later.

To pray for others is of divine appointment, and it represents the highest form of Christian service.

E.M. Bounds

Fall

We've shared before that we have 4 seasons where we live in Brasil.  This tends to be a shock to a lot of Americans as most people think of Brasil as hot all the time.  There are places in Brasil where it is warm year round but we don't live in one of those places. 

Even though we have 4 seasons we don't really have many trees changing colors in the fall or leaves falling off.  

So being here in the states at this time of year has been a new experience for most of our kids. 

 

They've been blessed to see lots of beautiful trees....

....and lots of leaves. 

Garrett and Carys even helped their granddad rake the leaves.  I was impressed at their willingness to help in doing this hard chore.  

They worked hard.  

They also had time to play (can you see Garrett?).....

......as well as ride a lawnmower to finish cleaning up the leaves.

  

We think they like fall. 

Winding Down

We traveled to Memphis this past Monday.  It was the official last trip that our family will ever take all together in one car while in the states.  

The picture is a pretty good representation of our many hours together.  There always seemed to be someone watching tv, someone happy, someone sad, someone picking their nose, someone putting on lipstick and someone in a general malaise. 

Bronwyn goes to college next year and then Ansley follows close behind so we tried to enjoy our last time together as a huge family in one car.  

We traveled together for almost 5,000 miles in just a few weeks.  

We survived.  Nobody killed or badly wounded each other after sitting so close for so long.  Not bad.  We actually had some fun times along the way. 

Thanks for your prayers for safety.  

We have a couple of more trips left before we head home but for the most part we will be planting it here in Memphis until our plane leaves.  

It's been a great trip to the states so far and we have lots more to share in the days/weeks to come.  

Veteran's Day

When I worked as a physical therapist about 10 years ago I was always amazed when I had conversations with patients who had been in World War II or the Korean War.  

I have always loved history and these men were walking and talking history books.  I still have their war stories fried in my brain.  

Their love of country was something that was very impressive.  They literally put their country before their own lives.  Sure, they wanted to come back alive but they were willing to die for the freedom of our country and for other countries as well.  

Since that time I have read many books on World War II.  Each one has made me more and more appreciative of what those men did.

Benay's uncle was in the Vietnam War.  A few years ago he gave me some books to read about the kinds of things he did during the war.  He is one of the most humble, good natured guys you will ever meet.  He put his life on the line for his country.  

I have an enormous amount of respect for every person in the military.  

Today is a day to honor those men and women who have been in the military or are currently in the military.  

If you are reading this blog and that applies to you, just know how thankful we are for your sacrifice to the country.  

If you know someone who this applies to then give them a hug today or shake their hand and let them know what they mean to our country.  

My dad, Garrett and I went to a professional basketball game last night.  

The biggest applause of the night came when they introduced and honored a man who is currently in the military.  I had goose bumps.  Everyone was reminded (even more so after what happened here in the states last week at Ft. Hood) that basketball is just a game while being in the military is a real life and death situation.  I was proud of what I saw. 

The applause last night is the way it should be.  Not just on the night before Veterans Day or on Veterans Day but every day.  

We should not take their service for granted.  

Thank you servicemen and women.   

The better you become acquainted with God, the less tensions you feel and the more peace you possess.

Charles L. Allen

Adoption

Benay saw this commercial last week about adoption and really liked it.  We thought we would share it here. 

News from home

Our teammate Matt has done a few posts lately about lots of cool things that God is doing back home in Brasil.  

Please feel free to click here to spend a couple of minutes reading them.  

We believe you will be encouraged.  

911

When Ansley was about three,  Benay walked in on a conversation she was having with someone on the phone.  Benay took the phone from her and heard a voice on the line.  She then had a conversation with a man who worked for 911 who informed Benay that Ansley had called them.  

He was very kind, understanding and even complemented Benay on the way Ansley spoke on the phone.  Before he said goodbye he told Benay that he wanted to talk to Ansley again.  He wanted to reassure her, make sure she was okay and tell her that she did a good job. We were impressed with the way he treated our daughter.  He could have easily gotten agitated but he showed her grace and kindness. At the end of that conversation Ansley said, "Okay.....I love you. Bye."  

Why share this story from so many years ago?  Because we had a little deja vu today. 

This afternoon I walked into the kitchen and found Benay having a serious conversation with Anderson.  Bronwyn, Ansley, Garrett and Granna (Benay's mom) were all in the kitchen listening.  Seems Anderson had called 911 and the 911 services had called Benay's mom to make sure everything was okay here in the house.  

They informed Benay's mom that when Anderson was asked what his emergency was he responded with, "Pop goes the weasel."  

Classic and Awesome were two words that immediately popped into my mind.  A story that will be told from now on. 

Benay told Anderson that it was okay this time but if he ever did it again he was going to get a spanking.  Seems he and Garrett were playing emergency this morning and he heard Garrett say, "Call 911."  So a few hours later he did. 

As Benay was finishing up her talk with Anderson for some reason she looked up at me (I was behind Anderson) and I started laughing which just triggered it in everyone in the kitchen except for Granna.  

Side note: When I was 18 I almost got a smack from my mom for being a smart aleck.  I stood there ready to take it because I knew I deserved it.  I was being a jerk. Ever since then, I tell people that was the last time I had a parent spank or almost spank me.  I was wrong.  After Anderson left the kitchen this afternoon Granna came over and gave me a spanking with a wooden spoon for laughing at the situation.  

Anderson left the kitchen and just broke down.  I mean he had a meltdown.  He is definitely our emotionally charged child.  When I went back to where he was, he was crying and upset because he thought the police were coming to kill him.  Bronwyn, Garrett and I had a long talk about how the police are our friends and why they were calling about the 911 call.

 

He and Garrett then went off to take a shower.  While they were in the shower a policeman actually showed up  at our door.  Following protocol, he said.  He spoke to Granna for a bit and then left.  We didn't let Anderson know about that visit for fear of another meltdown.  

When Anderson came out of the shower he had Granna waiting for him.  I heard her tell him how much she loved him.  She also told him he was her favorite 5 year old grandson.  

Lesson learned and, more importantly, he felt loved afterward.  

About 5 minutes before all this happened I had taken some action police shots of Anderson as he was playing cops and robbers with Garrett.  He was decked out with gun and badge.  Army hat added a little extra to the outfit. 

I guess the cop part was kind of prophetic. 

No Fear

Most kids prefer to have one of their parents pull their loose teeth.  In our house that job has always fallen to me.  Benay can't do or be around the blood thing.  

That's been fine.  It's been fun to pull out Bronwyn, Ansley and Garrett's teeth and to get them ready for a Tooth Fairy visit. 

If you've followed our blog for any length of time you know that Carys is our wild card.  Our strongly independent child.   One example of this was when she was 5 and climbed up and over a 9 foot security fence that went around our house.  Another would be riding a roller coaster that dropped 240 feet when she was 8 years old with a huge smile on her face.  I don't think she knows what fear is. 

She has robbed me of the parental joy of helping her pull her teeth.  How?  After I pulled her very first tooth she hasn't needed me.  She has pulled every tooth since then on her own.  About 12 in all. 

This afternoon I was talking to my parents on the phone.  In the middle of the conversation she came in and showed me a tooth she had just pulled.  She then got on the phone to talk to my dad and told him she had another loose tooth but would wait to pull it until we got to his house next week.  

About 5 minutes later she came in with a sad look on her face.  She interrupted my conversation with my dad to ask me to apologize to him for her.  Why?  She couldn't wait until next week to pull that other tooth.  It had to come out and it had to come out now.  She couldn't handle it. 

As she smiled and put her two teeth in the container to put under her pillow tonight for the Tooth Fairy visit, Benay and I kidded with her that she only pulled the second one so that she could get a double reward from the Tooth Fairy.  

There was no denial.  She just smiled.  I would not have expected any other response in Carys's world. 

Beach Photos

What is it about women and going to the beach that makes them have to have a family photo?

Our recent trip was no different.  Thankfully (God bless you Benay) we didn't have to go and buy matching white shirts and khaki shorts. I apologize to those men who had to do that this past summer.  I don't want to offend, although I am chuckling if you had to do that.  

Here are some kid photos that Benay had to have. 

Like I keep telling people, if you marry up then you will have good looking kids.  Yes, I'm biased towards our good looking kids. 

If for one whole day, quietly and determinedly, we were to give ourselves up to the ownership of Jesus and to obeying His orders, we should be amazed at its close to realize all He had packed into that one day.

Oswald Chambers