2025 in Review

 Welcome back to our yearly blog! We are impressed that you actually took the time to check up on us and all the goings-on at the Millpond. As always, there was a lot happening. For starters, there were four new grandbabies born this year (three of them within a month of each other!).There were trips, games, birthdays (lots of them!), guests, food, family, and fun. Here’s the year in a nutshell.

January

• Basketball
• Baptism of Jamin
• Birthdays
• Brand new job for Sigre as a recreation therapy assistant at the Morrow Home

(Ooooo, they all started with B!)

February

• Basketball
• Birthdays
• Babies
• Bad ankle for Bronwyn
• Brazil/Paraguay mission trip

(Did it again! Wonder if I can keep it up…)

March

• Basketball nationals
• Birthdays
• Broken nose for Bronwyn
• Baby #7 for Gretchen and Ryan announced
• Boarded a plane for TX to visit Uncle Tim and Veronica and tour the set of “The Chosen”

(Not bad.)

April

• Back to landscaping for Anders
• Birthdays (No need to keep mentioning this. We party every month.)
• Basked on new “Overlook”
• Blessed that son-in-law Isaac was ordained

(Ok, that was a bit of a reach.)

May

• Broke down the old sheds
• Baby chicks in incubator
• Biannual trip to Uganda for Jonathan to work with Hope Centers for Children of Africa. He also got to mentor pastors and speak at a conference.
• Beautiful wedding of niece Ilya

(Not much better. And I’ve resorted to “B” adjectives now.)

June

• Bronwyn got drivers license
• Back to lifeguarding at the Sparta pool for Bronwyn
• Began working at Culver’s (Finn)
• Birth of Evey Nancy Unverzagt (Leif and Dori’s #6) 
• Brazilian guest (Isabel)
• Beautiful wedding of niece Inga
• Brought home my Dad’s big honey extractor and enjoyed a visit with Mom
• Boated/swam/fished on our family vacation in northern MN
• Bold chicken, Phyllis, thinks she should become a housepet

(Oh man. That wasn’t pretty.) 

July

• Birth of Aurelia Lynne Unverzagt (Britton and Cassie’s 4th) 
• Birth of Mander Isaac McPherson (Emma and Isaac’s 2nd)
• Bunch of the family attended the FLY (Free Lutheran Youth) Convention in Estes Park, CO (Finn even got to speak to 2000 people!)
• Boarded a plane with Arthur and Val Dahl for the Norwegian Lutheran Mission conference in Stavanger, NO, and then for Bardwell, England, where Val’s family is from

(There seem to be no “B” words for travel or visit.)

August

• Built new sheds
• Brilliant flowers
• Brand new-to-us kitchen table (This was a bigger deal than it might seem; the old one was like part of the family.)
• Bible camp
• Bowls of plums from our tree
• Back to school for Hope
• Berit began new job as a teaching assistant in special ed at Meadowview Middle School

(That worked out OK.)

September

• Back to school for everyone else (Finn–12th gr. and Bronwyn 11th grade, and the Millpond Academy Homeschool began its 30th year!)
• Birthday month for Hope (It was a big one, and the fam planned surprises all month long!)
• Britton began new job at the Jackson Co. ADRC
• Bowls of tomatoes from our kitchen garden
• Baskets of apples for applesauce
• Bees gave us 48 lbs. of honey
• Bronwyn and Zofie took a road trip to Wyoming

(It really comes in handy to have several children whose names start with “B.”)

October

• Bear rug was completed (J shot it last fall.)
• Breastfeeding Specialist certification for Zofie (who works in OB at Tomah Health and will enter nursing school in January)
• Birthdays, babies, and a possum in the garage

(This is all beginning to feel a bit Dr. Seuss-ish. Have you read his ABC book?!))

November

• Boys traveled to Japan (a bucket-list item)
• Back to Uganda for Jonathan
• Bought new woodstove (to keep our homeowners insurance company happy)
• Bought new pressure tank (so we can have water)
• Bought new kitchen stove (so we can actually bake stuff)
• Blessed to have Ugandan visitors at our house for a couple months (Doreen and little Naomi) 

(Can’t believe I actually got this far!)

December

• Birthdays galore (Besides Baby Jesus, we celebrate five family birthdays plus an anniversary this month.)
• Blessed abundantly to learn Hope’s sister Ingrid’s latest CT scan and tests detected no sign of cancer remaining. (Praise the Lord!)
• Birth of Annette Irene (Gretchen and Ryan’s 7th)

Blessed beyond belief. That’s what we are, in every way. The fact that the Creator of the universe would choose to relegate himself to mere humanhood just for us to stand a chance in this world is mind-boggling. And that alone makes this season a cause for rejoicing above all else. May you be filled to overflowing with joy, peace, and contentment this Christmas as you contemplate what really matters. Blessings to you all!

2024 in Review

Welcome to our once-a-year blog post. It’s with a twinge of guilt I use that term. First off, it means we rarely post, obviously. And secondly, this is now basically our Christmas card to you since we gave up sending cards a couple years ago. The guilt comes from that fact that so many of you continue to send to us anyway. Bless you for that. This is the place to get a quick glimpse of our year in review, if you’re into stuff like that. If not, no pressure from us, by any means.

January:

–Dori and Hope sold beeswax candles under the label “Wild Bumble.” 

–There was homeschool co-op once a week.

–There was a lot of basketball.

–Hope began her internship in English as a Second Language (ESL) at Sparta High School.

–There were birthdays.

February:

–Waylen Vern was baptized.

–There was more basketball.

–Ingrid Evangeline Sawatsky (grandbaby #19) was born to Gretchen and Ryan.

–We partied for the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, and more birthdays.

March:

–Ingrid Evangeline was baptized.

–We went to the National Homeschool Basketball Championships in Springfield, MO.

–While we were gone, Zofie met up with a deer while driving our van.

–Hope wrapped up her internship.

–Delphine Zuzu was dedicated.

–And there were birthdays.

April:

–Finn, Bronwyn, and Hope tagged along with Jonathan on his biannual trip to Uganda for his work with Hope Centers for Children of Africa (HCCA). Uncle Joel and Auntie Gina joined us there.

–Dori and Hope got new bees. Emma began her first year of beekeeping.

–And the birthdays kept coming.

May:

–We discovered morel mushrooms in our yard.

–Hope graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, with a master’s degree in ESL.

–Jonathan put new nesting boxes in the coop.

–Zofie took a trip to Thailand.

–We went to Hannah Bauer’s graduation in Stover, MO.

–Jonathan and Hope were gifted tickets to the Sight and Sound Theater in Branson, MO, and saw “Queen Esther.”

–Jonathan bought a bunch of baby chicks at the Stover Hatchery as his “souvenir” of MO.

–Anders went skydiving for the first time.

–We planted a wildflower garden.

–We had a visit from Isabel, a friend from Brazil.

–There was only one birthday.

June:

–Bronwyn got her lifeguarding certification, and she and Zofie started working at the Sparta pool.

–We took our annual family vacation to a cabin on Eagle Lake in northern MN.

–The strawberries came in.

–Hope and her sisters had a girls weekend at their mom’s and attended an all-school reunion in Middle River, MN. 

–Victor Joseph Haagenson (grandbaby #20) was born to Analaya and Tim.

–There were more birthdays.

July:

–Finn got his lifeguarding certification.

–Zofie ran with the bulls in Spain.

–And on her way home from the airport, she and Ben McPherson went skydiving.

–We hosted an outdoor church service for our church, Christ is Lord Free Lutheran.

–A few of the older grandkids painted the playground fence.

–A bunch of us took a trip to MO and stayed in the Bauers’ cabin on Lake of the Ozarks for a couple days.

–We celebrated the 4th of July, attended several weddings, and partied down at a couple birthdays.

August:

–We took a family trip (with those still living at home) to the Guthrie Theater to see “Little Shop of Horrors.”

–Hope spoke at the La Crosse Area Homeschoolers conference.

–Grandma and Grandpa Wik held their first Christmas-in-the-Summer (a switch from doing it in December and having to juggle holiday schedules, potentially icy roads, and the usual bouts of Christmastime stomach flu).

–We finally got sick of all the repairs and replaced the old junky hot tub.

–Grandma Dyrud came for a visit.

–We had a visit from our Ugandan friend, Pastor Wilson Bugembe.

–We hosted a “Speak Truth in Your Heart” girls conference at our house.

–Finn joined the Sparta High School football team.

–Our grape vines produced abundantly, so we made lots of grape jelly.

–Hope got hired to teach ESL at Sparta High School.

–A bunch of us traveled to Minneapolis for Victor’s baptism.

–Jonathan was on a panel at the Consumer Credit Counseling Services annual convention in Washington D. C.

–We went to the annual Labor Day Retreat.

–Birthdays happened.

September:

–There were many first days of school: Finn started 11th grade, Bronwyn started 10th grade, Zofeyah started nursing school at Western Technical College, Berit went back at her job as kindergarten assistant at Coulee Christian School, Hope went back to high school, and eight grandkids started homeschool. (Finn and Bronwyn are doing homeschool at Gretchen’s house.)

–Dori, Emma, and Hope harvested honey.

–Jonathan shot his first bear.

–Berit painted Leif and Dori’s house.

–A bunch of us took a trip to Dubuque, IA, to see Hannah play college volleyball.

–We went to lots of football games to watch Finn.

–It was our biggest birthday month yet.

October:

–Jonathan’s plans to go to Lebanon got cancelled, but he was able to make it on the second half of the trip which was to Egypt to visit Lighthouse Arab World Egypt and attend “The Chosen” event. He spent lots of time with the actor who plays “Little James” and got to see pyramids for the first time.

–We got more chickens, a duck, and two turkeys from someone who was moving and needed to rehome her flock.

–Basketball practice started up again for Finn and Bronwyn.

–Some of us attended a Civil War Reenactment.

–As a basketball fundraiser, the Monroe County Warriors varsity teams helped cook and serve a dinner at Le Chateau French Restaurant.

–We celebrated Reformation Day and a bunch of birthdays.

November:

–Britton and Cassie announced that baby #4 is on the way.

–Cassie’s dad unexpectedly passed away.

–Both Anders and Zofeyah purchased new-to-them vehicles.

–There were basketball games.

–Bronwyn finished driver’s ed. and got her driving permit.

–We packed boxes for Operation Christmas Child with our church.

–In an attempt to keep the bees alive this winter, Hope made candy boards for the first time (basically huge sugar blocks to put in the hives to absorb moisture and provide extra food).

–Jonathan and a friend from church went on the biannual trip to Uganda and D. R. Congo.

–We celebrated Thanksgiving at Uncle Joel and Auntie Gina’s.

–We got our biggest Christmas tree yet–10.5 feet tall and 6 feet wide.

–There is only one family birthday in November. Crazy.

December:

–Jonathan got to speak to a group of over 20,000 at an all-night worship service in Kampala, Uganda.

–There was the annual school field trip to “The Nutcracker.”

–December ranks as our second biggest birthday month, so we get to eat lots of cake along with all the Christmas goodies.

This is only a quick glimpse into life at the Unverzagts’. We didn’t mention here the patellar tendonitis, twisted ankles, kidney stones, anniversaries, visits from cousins, nesting parties, weekly Sabbath Dinners, outdoor movie nights in the summer and Christmas movie nights in December, or the swimming parties, tons of flowers, and Narnia lamp out in our yard that all bring us great joy. Just know that if you like babies, you would be in your glory at our place. And if you need a personal cheering section at a sporting event or to be surrounded by prayer warriors, the Unverzagts are your people. We are always up for a party or coffee with good conversation. Even though we don’t all live under the same roof anymore, we still spend a lot of time together.

And we are thankful for YOU! Thankful for the part you play in our lives. So, this season it is our sincerest desire that you would recognize the baby in the manger for who He is: the bringer of joy, the provider of peace, the one who gives meaning to life, the Savior of the world!

2023 in Review

You actually looked us up! We are honored! Welcome to our once-a-year blog, the place where we review our year in bullet points for those who are interested. If you're not really that interested, you can just look at the pictures. (Or click out altogether and get on with life. There are plenty of other things to do. We get that.) So, here's 2023 at a glance.

January:

--Berit got engaged to Jamin Swift.

--Our Great Room was completed.

--We laid new flooring in most of the downstairs.

--There was basketball.

February:

--Jonathan turned 60, and we celebrated all month.

--Britton and Cassie announced that baby #3 was on the way.

--There was more basketball.

March:

--Bronwyn got confirmed.

--Lawrence Moses Haagenson (grandbaby #15) was born to Analaya and Tim.

--We attended the National Homeschool Basketball Championships in Springfield, MO, and watched Anders play his last games with the Monroe County Warriors.

--Jonathan traveled to Uganda for Hope Centers for Children of Africa.

--Zofeyah arrived home from her year of Bible school in Germany and resumed working as a CNA in Labor and Delivery at Tomah Healthcare.

April:

--We celebrated Jonathan's mom's 80th birthday.

--Leif and Dori announced that baby #5 was on the way.

--Jonathan, Hope, and Zofie attended the D6 family ministry conference in Orlando, FL.

--Right when we were starting to think about flowers, we had a big blizzard.

--Berit had a bridal shower.

--Anders started working for a landscaping business.

--Hope celebrated the 10th anniversary of her heart attack.

May:

--Dori joined Hope in her beekeeping endeavors.

--Finn finally got a studio for his film making projects.

--Anders graduated from high school.

--We found out Britton and Cassie would be having a boy.

--Emma and Isaac announced that baby #1 was on the way.

--Jonathan built Hope a kitchen garden.

--Berit had two more bridal showers.

--We got a new batch of baby chicks, along with a few turkeys.

--Putting in the new pool liner became a family affair. (We decided next time it can be the problem of some experienced pool guy.)

--We discovered tiny grapes on our grapevine (which was thrilling because our vines never produce.)

June:

--Jonathan, Hope, Zofie, FInn, and Bronwyn joined five others from church on a mission trip to Brazil and Paraguay.

--We celebrated our 35th anniversary in Rio.

--Gretchen and Ryan announced that baby #6 was on the way.

--Leif made a major career switch and began managing at Chick-fil-A.

July:

--Jonathan, Britton, Zofie, Anders, FInn, and Bronwyn attended the FLY (Free Lutheran Youth) Convention in Estes Park, CO.

--Hope attended her 40th class reunion.

--Berit and Jamin were married.

--We hosted eight Hungarian youth who came here on a mission trip.

August:

--Jonathan was the morning Bible teacher at the ARC Family Camp. Hope spoke at the women's luncheon.

--We helped with VBS at church.

--Dori and Hope had a big honey harvest.

--We took our family vacation at Emma's in-law's cabin in northern WI.

--Anders spent several weeks in France playing basketball with News Release Basketball.

--Finn and Bronwyn started working at Chick-fil-A.

--Bugembe, a pastor and Christian artist from Uganda, visited us.

--Ryan began leading the worship team at church.

--The grapes got big.

September:

--Jonathan began his 24th year of pastoring Christ Is Lord Church.

--A bunch of us went to the Minnesota State Fair.

--We attended the Labor Day Family Retreat.

--Jonathan traveled to Minot, ND, to visit his friend Brian Rice.

--The Millpond Academy Homeschool began its 28th year. It's now down to only two students. (Finn is in 10th grade and Bronwyn in 9th.)

--Hope made grape jelly.

--Waylen Vern Unverzagt (grandbaby #16) was born to Britton and Cassie.

--We made our annual apple orchard trip.

--Finn got his drivers license.

--Hope stayed with her mom a few days to help out after her mom had an accident resulting in a broken rib.

--Jonathan surprised Hope with a pergola when she returned.

October:

--We had a visit from longtime friends, David and Sonja Fisher, from IA.

--Anders traveled to MO to visit a new friend, Miss Hannah.

--The Hovey kids spent a week with us while their parents were on a mission trip.

--Basketball started back up.

--We took a field trip to a cranberry marsh.

--The trees were breathtaking.

November:

--Delphine Zuzu Unverzagt (grandbaby #17) was born to Leif and Dori.

--Britton completed his master's degree in Health and Wellness.

--Jonathan, Hope, Emma, Finn, and Bronwyn traveled to Fort Myers, FL, where Jonathan attended the ECHO International Agriculture Conference, and the rest of us hung out at the pool and beach.

--Anders made another trip to MO to visit Hannah.

--Hannah and her parents visited here.

--Britton had a cardiac ablation in an attempt to correct his tachycardia.

--A bunch of us traveled to Minneapolis for Lawrence's baptism.

--Jonathan made his biannual trip to Uganda for Hope Centers for Children of Africa and had the opportunity to speak to a crowd of 20,000 people at an all-night worship service.

--Berit began a job as a kindergarten assistant at Coulee Christian School.

December:

--Ten of us attended the Nutcracker Ballet.

--Hope finished her coursework for her master's in Teaching English as a Second Language and looks forward to doing her internship at Sparta High School starting in January.

--Eloise Hope McPherson (grandbaby #18) was born to Emma and Isaac.

--Britton's 7th grade basketball team went undefeated.

This is truly a barebones peek into life at the Millpond. What was not mentioned were the MANY birthday parties, Sabbath Dinners, visits from cousins and friends, weekly homeschool co-op, pool parties, adventures with our vehicles that are on "hospice," etc. There is truly never a dull moment here. And if you enjoy children, this is the place to be. (On the other hand, if you prefer solitude, it is not.) We love visitors, so please stop in if you are ever passing through. We make a pretty exceptional iced coffee (in the hot months, that is). 

But now it's cold and dark. The trees are bare. There is no swimming. But the woodstove crackles, and we delight in hot drinks and being together. Our hearts are brimming with thankfulness. We are blessed to call you our friends, and we rejoice with you now in the celebration of our Savior's birth. Celebrate big, because there is nothing more exciting than the creator of the universe coming as a baby to give his life for YOU!