Celebratory Week

What a busy week...
We began by enjoying the last day of March break (the kids had Monday off yet), and they went back to school on Tuesday...I led LBS and taught piano that day.  We had our second snow day of the year on Wednesday and I started working at the greenhouse on Thursday.  Taylor spent all day Thursday at BASEF 2011 (the 51st Annual Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair held @Mohawk College), where she survived 7 interviews.
On Friday evening, we celebrated Grandpa and Grandma's 45th Anniversary with a lovely, delicious dinner at the Wainfleet Restaurant followed by some visiting and fun at their house. (I should also mention that our fire-fighter brother Jeremy missed most of the dinner b/c he got a call...I think it turned out to be a medical type of emergency, so I believe he did return for dessert...)

Today was the BASEF open house and awards ceremony. Trinity Christian School was represented by a wonderful group of students who did an amazing job.  Their science teacher, Mrs. Annette Vanderwoerd, received the Champion Teacher Recognition Award.  This award includes induction in the BASEF Champion Teacher Hall of Fame, a plaque and $100.  A panel of BASEF Organizing Committee members selects the winners from among those nominated online by their peers, parents and students.  This award recognizes a science teacher who displays a remarkable ability to empower and excite student interest in Science and who actively promotes the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair.  Annette is an awesome inspiring science teacher.  She does such excellent work with her students.  Trinity is so blessed to have her on staff!!

Taylor was thrilled to received two awards.  A special award, the Dillon Consulting Biological Sciences Award ($200) for showing excellence in biological sciences, as well as a Silver Medal Merit award ($100). Those who received a merit award also received a $500 scholarship from Mohawk College that may be used toward first year tuition if they register in a full-time program at Mohawk College. She had a great time and is looking forward to the all-Ontario Christian School science fair to be held at Redeemer College, in April.
Needless to say, there has been some partying going on in the Schenk household tonight.  We will use just any excuse to party.
I should mention that Taylor is also counting down the sleeps...2 more sleeps till her 14th birthday...

March Break 2011~iPod Pics

A Few Winter 2011 Pics

Signs of Spring

In the movie Bambi, Mr. Owl explains to young Bambi that the little creatures are "twitter-pated"...that's just what happens in the Spring.  It seems that many of the birds around here are up-and-at-em' for the arrival of Spring in a few days.  I'm pretty sure some of them are "twitter-pated" too.  They have been singing like crazy lately and we wake up every morning to the sounds of the mourning dove, the finches, the chickadees, and the cardinals.  I have not seen the blue jays for a few weeks, but I did spot the first fat robins of the season and my tulips are starting to come up in the garden.  I can't wait for the last of the snow piles to disappear and for the temperatures to rise.  I Love Spring!
I know these aren't very nice, but I will try to get some better bird pictures when the weather is nicer.  This was the best I could do through my dirty windows and the rain that is falling this morning.

These big beauties were in the corn field at dad and mom's...

Spirit Song

I have known the melody that goes along with this song for years...but never have I taken the time to focus on the words, until today. They are based on Ephesians 3:17, "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love..." Awesome words. It is a beautiful song. A lovely melody and words written by John Wimber. There are some beautiful nuggets and jewels in this one.


Oh let the Son of God enfold you with His Spirit and His love,
let Him fill your life and satisfy your soul.
O let Him have the things that hold you,
and His Spirit, like a dove,
will descend upon your life and make you whole.

Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill Your lambs.
Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill Your lambs.

O come and sing this song with gladness
as your hearts are filled with joy,
lift your hands in sweet surrender to His name.
O give Him all your tears and sadness,
give Him all your years of pain,
and you'll enter into life in Jesus' name.

Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill Your lambs.
Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill Your lambs.

We need to give up those things that we hold dear and give up the things that hold us back. Even if we are already His lambs, we are sinful, we still hold on to things that we shouldn't, we still struggle with pain and some of us have held on to pain for years. We need to give Him all our tears, sadness, and years of pain. It's in giving up those things, and leaving them at the foot of the cross, that we receive freedom and make ourselves open to His filling us and His using us.
We have such an awesome God. One who is so full of unending, boundless love, grace and patience. He draws us to Him, saves us, fills us with Himself, and holds on to us so that we make it to the end. He starts the work and He finishes it.
We have an awesome God!

 
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Following Discovery

Taylor and I have been closely following Discovery's last mission since it took off on February 25th.
We have enjoyed the NASA app on the iPod, giving us updates, live feed, and pictures and sighting dates and times.

What an awesome world God has made.  All these views from the Shuttle and the International Space Station just blow me away.  Makes you feel very small when you see just a bit of the cosmos God has made, and it also amazes me that there are people living up there in that ISS floating around and around way up above us.

This week the whole family finally witnessed first-hand, the ISS and the Shuttle passing by our city. The sky was clear and cold and perfect. We had a sighting on Monday around 7pm, when the two were very close together, and then again last night around 7:22pm.  Orbiting over 17,000 miles an hour, they moved rather quickly through our sky.

Taylor was able to get a great picture last night, you can check it out on her blog...

http://taylorjoyphotography.blogspot.com/

At the time of this writing...32ish minutes to landing!  Discovery has spent a total of 365 days in space over all the years and missions it has been on.  It is fun stuff and we have learned so much these past 12 days.  I can honestly say, I would not make a good astronaut...However, I do applaud them and appreciate modern technology and being able to witness these exciting times.

March Rollercoaster

March has arrived, and in fact, a week of March has already sped by.  It's been a while since I've posted, so it's high time for a quick update. 
We have been busy with things at school and church and everyone is doing very well.  This winter was a bad one for Rick, David, and myself in terms of colds and (sinus problems), so I think the three of us are finally relatively healthy.  It's nice to be able to finally say, "I feel good." 
March is a rough one in terms of the rollercoaster weather we get, and it's also just a little busy around here.  To be honest, it rarely isn't busy.
What is our family up to?  Since the last post, Rick and Taylor went on their 3 day grad trip to Ottawa.  They had a great time.  (Taylor took all the pictures, so maybe she will share a few for me to post.) Rick said it was one of the best grad trips he's been on.  That is quite something for him to say all things considered...
Report cards came home this past week (all three had outstanding reports, evidence of the hard work, diligence and God-given smarts), Rick reads and edits close to 300 of them in the days leading up to that "reportcard" day, (I feel for the office staff that so graciously put up with him during that time), the parent teacher interviews are tomorrow, the regular homework routine keeps everyone hopping, Amber is training for track and field 2 or 3 times a week after school, Taylor wrapped up the basketball season, she participated in 2 tournaments, we are replacing our van this week with a new (used) one (I am so thrilled...this means driving with a little less stress or worry of breakdown), March break is coming and we should finally be able to make the overdue trip to Orillia, (we did attempt a trip back in February, but had to turn around...thank you van...), Taylor is going on to BASEF with her science fair project after the break, Amber will have her first indoor track meet (at York University, I think), my parents are celebrating 45 years of marriage!!!, throw in a few evening meetings for Rick at school, some piano lessons, kids club, prayer meetings and Bible studies, Taylor's 14th birthday, I will be going back to work at the greenhouse, and after all that and much more, we will, Lord willing, be on to warmer weather in April...at least I hope it will be warmer...(well, it will be warmer in the greenhouse.) 
After that messy list, let me just say this: it is great to be busy for the Lord and we are so blessed!!!

So, here are a few pics of Taylor's last tournament.  I was unable to be there, so the photo credits go to my wonderful husband!  A man of many skills!
They played an excellent season and made some great memories.  (Taylor is REALLY looking forward to highschool basketball next year!!!)