2013 in Review ~Sigre Unverzagt

 Dad had a big year; he turned 50!

Also, he, Sigre, and Emma went to Hungary in August and really enjoyed it.

Mom had a big scare this year with a heart attack in April. Thankfully she recovered very well and is fine now, and remains healthy! Also, she got a wonderful opportunity to go to San Francisco with Grandma (Dad's mom) and Auntie Gina.

Mom is very thankful for Grandma's (Dad's mom) coming out once a week to be a teacher's aid, something Mom has always wanted!

Analaya is keeping busy and enjoys working at three different jobs: a receptionist, a nanny, and a caretaker. She loves living in the cities close to Gretchen and Ryan. She had fun playing softball on a church team this summer. But even more than that, she loves spending time with Tim Haagenson, who recently came home to meet the fam. He was a big hit with everyone!

This year Gretchen graduated from the WTC nursing program! 

She works in home health care in Minneapolis and got her dream position in OB at the hospital in Black River Falls on weekends. So we see her at home more often, and we are all happy about that. Ryan is working as a server at The Newsroom in downtown Minneapolis and will be returning to school to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice.

Britton went to Brazil for four months this summer to work alongside missionaries.  Among the many, many things he did there, he went repelling one day. He begins college in January.

The separation seems like it was hard for Britton, but who's to say for Leif. :)

 Leif went on lots of trips this year: Texas, Chicago, and the U.P. He is currently in Sweden for a nine-month stay, going to a Bible school in Holsby Brunn.

 The picture above is from the boys' trip to the U.P.

Sigre, the smartest, funniest, and best-behaved child got her driver's license this year and enjoys driving a lot. She also got the wonderful chance to go back to Hungary with her dad and bring Emma this time, too!

 Emma got her ears pierced, her tonsils out, and got confirmed this year. Lots of the family came to see her get confirmed.

She somehow managed to look about perfect while in the hospital to get her tonsils out. Having said that, it was a long, painful process.

Zofeyah is playing basketball again this year and loves it. She joined Berit in playing soccer and likes that, too. Also, she got a buck this year hunting with Dad! The whole family is enjoying the meat.

Berit played soccer for a 2nd year in a row and then decided to try out basketball as well. She loves both!

Anders spends most, if not all, of his time either watching or playing football or basketball. He is currently very into football, so this year he spent his birthday money to buy himself a football outfit.

Finn started riding his bike, and started school this year! He keeps very busy all the time and loves to show us his newest project. He schemes a lot to find a way to make money. This was his most recent attempt, and he made quite a bit for a little boy.

(The sign says, "Please put money in the pail.")

Bronwyn is always jumping around and getting into trouble, so no one was very shocked when she broke her arm and her leg (at different times) this year, bringing the total of broken bones up to three. For a five-year-old, that's pretty good!





Have a very Merry Christmas, and God's blessings on you in 2014!

Keeping the Christian faith… in your kids

         
*Article by Analaya Unverzagt for Summer 2013 youth group Parents Newsletter.*

We’ve all heard Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” But what on earth does that look like practically? Here’s what I’ve observed about how I was raised and what helped me choose to love the Lord. The role of a parent in the life of a child is far deeper than feeding, clothing, and keeping them alive until they’re out on their own, especially when parents are also training their children in the Lord. This is what helped influenced me.

Relationships. If parents don’t have a good relationship with their kids why would the child choose to believe what the parents tell them about God? Spend lots of time with your kids. Have fun with them! We older kids have great fun spending time with our parents. In fact, I’ve heard directly from my mother’s mouth that one of her favorite times is when us “big kids” hang out in the kitchen visiting with her. We even get special privileges to sit on the counter (why sit on a chair when there’s a counter?!). When the little kids try that mom says, “Only the big kids are allowed to be on the counter. When you’re a teenager and choose to spend time with your mom you can sit on the counter too!” It’s not just about the parent child relationship but more importantly the parent’s relationship with Christ. I think children first view God through their parent’s example. So it’s important we practice what we preach. If someone is trying to convince you of something, you want to see that their actions follow through with their teaching. Otherwise, why would you listen? If you tell your kids it’s not right to gossip then they better not hear you doing it. If you want them to have daily devotions then sit down with your Bible out in the open where your kids can see you spending time on your relationship with Christ. If you want your kids to go to church then they need to see how important it is to you. We go to church to worship the Lord and serve others. We don’t skip because we’re tired, or gas prices are high, or because of sports. What are your kids seeing as priorities in the family?

Set reasonable expectations. Kids don’t need expectations so high they fail every time. Often those same parents are also unwilling to admit when they’re wrong or ask for forgiveness. My dad is great at admitting when he’s wrong and asking forgiveness. In fact, he’s even gained respect from other people’s kids because of that. Asking your kids to forgive you is something they’ll never forget. Be an example of Christ by loving your kids whether they meet your expectations or not. And always admit when you’re wrong.

Pray as a family. And especially pray for your kids. Let them know you pray for them. Occasionally my mom will say something like, “I’ve been thinking a lot about you and your concern about finding a job…” Or “I’ve been praying for you today.” It always makes me feel incredibly loved. My mother who has fifty other children *large number added for emphasis!* and one hundred million things to do a day *large number not exaggerated for emphasis* has been thinking and praying specifically for me and my life. Finding a job isn’t my mom’s problem. We don’t even live in the same state. Yet she cares enough to spend time thinking and praying about what happens in my life. Her actions show that she truly cares and that I need to care about others and pray for them as well. John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” These subtle things my parents do are reinforcements of what Jesus tells us in scripture.

Study the scripture with your kids. We’ve done family devotions different ways over the years. But I remember many nights reading The Child’s Story Bible, singing hymns, and praying together. It’s so important to talk about Jesus and the Bible frequently in the house. If it feels awkward to throw scripture and Jesus into everyday conversations, then that’s a red flag that you’re not talking about Him enough.

Show your kids you rely on God in real, concrete ways. When financial crisis comes up and God meets that need, talk to your kids about it. Was someone sick who got better after you prayed for them? Let your kids see that things aren’t about chance or luck. It’s the result of prayer and trusting God. Everything must point to God in your daily life. How can I fathom a life without God when all I’ve known growing up involved Christ in every little aspect? Raising kids in godliness isn’t a parenting pattern or a 3-step program. Instead, we must constantly live lives for the Lord in front of the kids and pray for their spiritual wellbeing. And God will take care of the rest.  

Christmas Trip!

                                       Christmas Trip!

                                                               ~Sigre Unverzagt                     

 

 

Just a few days after Christmas, December 27^th to be exact, the Unverzagt family embarked on an exciting adventure to our grandma’s house.  After a long, seemingly endless journey (approximately 8 or so hours long), the car rolled to a stop, and once again our feet touched solid ground. We were excited to be reunited with lots of family. It was so good to see everyone again!

 

 

 

Our first night we all sat in the sun room and sang Christmas hymns together.   

 

 

We arrived on a Thursday, and on Friday night that’s when tragedy struck. (Warning: This may be too much for the faint of heart.) Everyone started dropping like flies. Some hit the floor over here. Others over there. Yes, the dreaded stomach flu! *tear* It descended on us like dew on grass… No, no… Like bugs to a light… No… Well, to say the least, it took its cruel toll on the family.

 

So we stockpiled our resources and got to work!

 

 

Scrub this and wipe that! And eventually a run to the nearest store for lots of comfort food for the sick.

 

 

 

 

At the end we looked at the list of those who had thrown up over those two days, and it was pretty extensive, to say the least. Sadly, we don’t have a picture of the list, but I am going to try my best to recreate an accurate picture of it for you.

 

Pretty much EVERYONE!

 

 

The total count was 21 out of 31 people who fell prey to the dreaded flu. Though, thankfully, by the end of the weekend everyone had perked up a bit and we were able to fully enjoy the rest of the time spent with our relatives doing fun things!

 

One of the very cool things we got to do was go visit a small country church on the 29^th of December for their candlelight Christmas Eve service. It was breathtaking!

 

 

 

I must admit it was a tad frightening to watch them lighting the candles on the tree, but it was gorgeous nonetheless.

 

 

 

The rest of the weekend was spent with lots of pleasant conversation,

 

many hugs,

 

and lots of outdoor fun!!

 

 

 

 

 

All in all it was a wonderful weekend (in spite of the sickness) with a whole lot of fun and the enjoyment of being together! We were all very sad to say our goodbyes and wave a farewell to everyone. As we pulled away we all reflected on what a pleasant time we had had at Grandma’s.

 

Getting ready for Christmas! ~Sigre Unverzagt

Cutting down the Christmas tree is always the first step to starting the Christmas festivities at the Unverzagts’ house. At this particular tree farm there is just lovely scenery as you can see in this picture.

Picking out the “perfect tree” is such a long taxing ordeal that Gretchen and Ryan had to take a break.

It’s safe to say that the highlight of this picture is clearly Ryan’s mittens and hat and scarf. His mittens are purple and yellow, but his hat is blue and white and his scarf, though not super visible, is yellow and red. I think we could say that Ryan’s personal style really shines through in this picture! 

After a while of hard intense searching, we finally found the perfect tree!!! Not too tall,  not too short, a little chubby. Perfect! And then we promptly started cutting the tree right next to it! J

After setting up the tree in the perfect spot at home, we started to decorate. The best thing about this picture is clearly the cranberries hanging on the tree! I think we can say whoever did that did an incredible job! *Ahem* ;)

                        Christmas Day!

  The Christmas day festivities started with a pop! As you see in this picture.

That pop, as you can tell, is the wonderful sound of the asparagus and the crab legs cooking in water on the stove! Yummy! :) 

About to go into the oven is all our shrimp! The lovely stainless steel bowl really adds to the effect, in this picture!

Gretchen, Ryan, and Zofeyah sit at the table anxiously awaiting the delicious dinner to come!

Mom was getting impatient waiting for the food to cook, so she decided to play dress-up! Notice she is holding rice.

After supper we all gathered in the living to sing a few Christmas songs and read our Christmas story book and then open our presents.

Leif received a Keurig this year, which he was very excited about! So later that evening he let everyone have a try!  

Britton received a chess set this year, and as soon as we were done with presents, he sat down with my dad to challenge him to a game! This picture clearly says “like father, like son.” (See how many similarities you can spot in these pictures.)

Analaya received antlers for Christmas! It was very excited as it was her first pair!

(Okay, so they might actually be a set of stone tree branches to be used for decoration and to hang things off of.)

I wonder what we will get in our stockings!?! Actually, we already know for the most part, since we get some of the same, favorite things every year!

I think it’s a relief to see that even on Christmas they all have good dental hygiene!

What a great end to Christmas! :)