Tahoe, Truckee, and More Cute Photos

We had the opportunity to go to friends' cabin in Truckee. We hiked, the kids got muddy...lots of fun!



We spent most of Tuesday at Lake Tahoe. It was amazingly beautiful! What a creative God we have.


Yes, I did go swimming with Hanna and Maggie--it felt as if we were swimming in snow. My children must take after their Opa because they don't care how cold the water is--they go in!
On the way back to the cabin from Lake Tahoe, Trey took one bite of his pretzel and then...this!


The kids got their portrait taken at Sears for Grandma and Grandpa, and then I did a private photo shoot!

Congratulations Jennifer!

I am so excited because my dear sister-in-Christ, Jennifer, has graduated from medical school! She was chosen to give a speech and was able to share the Gospel openly. Here is what she said:

Good morning. My name is Jennifer (edit.), and it is my pleasure to be here today

What I want to share with you this morning is something very simple. It is a story of redemption through the eyes of a medical student. And I pray this will bless you.

My story begins with a very sick heroine addict who was my patient. Let’s say her name was Rachel. She was a thin woman, with knotted unwashed hair, and areas where her muscle had wasted away from her heroine injection sites. She was homeless, her family had disowned her. She had out of control untreated hepatitis C- and this infection was likely going to kill her.

Every day a quiet man would visit her. I found out that he was her husband of many years, the father of her children before heroine took over her life. It seemed that she had treated him badly, so we were shocked that he had come back for her over and over again. However it occurred to me that he deeply loved her.

As I consider Love, I remember that there is a mighty God who created me. He gives every breath and heartbeat as a gift. I owe my life to him. And He desires to have a love relationship with me, as well as with all of you. Like this husband, God has this crazy loyal Love for us.

And there’s more. You see, I am like Rachel. I also am very sick. The Bible says all people are born with sin, a darkness in our hearts that compels us to run away from God. And this sin is just like an infection that will inevitably kill us no matter how good we try to be.

The Bible says that the consequences for sin is death. It’s a spiritual death- divorce from the source of life, God. We are in need of saving because our souls have a death sentence.

You thought I was going to talk about something positive, right? But this all sounds like bad news. The good news is that God has a plan for saving our lives.

When I was a freshman medical student I spent two weeks working with babies born with heart defects, several of whom needed heart transplants. It was sobering to realize that the only way for them to live was for another child to die. It reminded me of how God chose to save all of us. By substitution. He offers us heart transplants through his sinless son, Jesus Christ.

There is giant cross that lights up at night on the medical center, it’s a statement that Jesus died on a cross in our place, as a substitution for a death that sinners deserved. And he did this so we could be freely forgiven of our sins and be reunited with him forever. He did this because of His crazy Love for us.
So many years ago, I came to God as a sick woman, in need of saving, and I laid down my broken life, and he gave me new one. It is free to me but it cost him everything. This is the gospel.

Tomorrow, I will graduate as physician. And of everything in this world that I know, this is what I have learned is most important.

Thank you.

A Very Happy Birthday to Me!

We went to Hendy Woods for my birthday...a few days of camping in the woods. It was so peaceful and beautiful. Our trailer was next to an enormous redwood that had fallen down. The stump was big enough for the kids to play house in. There were several empty sites around us with redwood stumps and a tree that arched so the kids could climb on it. Someone had also put a rope swing from the arch. It was a big playground! The first evening we went for a hike through Little Hendy. My birthday began with a trip to the bathroom with Trey, where he exclaimed in delight over all the moths. He blew on them trying to get them to fly. When we reentered the trailer, we were greeted with 3 smiling girls and Carl--they had set the table with cards and gifts. Maggie and Lily had picked wildflowers. It was all super thoughtful and sweet. Some of the cards and gifts actually caused me to tear up. :)

We had a leisurely day, going for another hike down to the Navarro River. We went from redwoods to the river bed--with a view of the vast hills and sky. There were such unique stones in the river bed. The kids wanted to immediately go in (of course) even though it wasn't really warm. They all did! We roasted hot dogs and marshmellows. The kids really enjoyed feeding the chipmunks breadcrumbs and watching them dart around with big cheeks.

The last day we went for a hike to Big Hendy. There were enormous trees and roots from those trees that had fallen. It started to rain, but the peace and stillness was intense. We hiked back through a meadow with wildflowers in every color imaginable. Glorious! I so enjoyed the beauty of God's creation and sharing it with those dearest to me.



My rock for Carl:

The Navarro River



Our campsite:



Hanna en pointe as Templeton in Charlotte's Web with Lily as a baby spider.

Dragging...

I sometimes feel a dragging in my spirit...like things aren't going well or I'm not sure how they should be going but it's not feeling great. This can be partly due to relationships, physical realities, or any number of combined factors. A really big problem starter is a lack of time reading the Bible and praying--talk about lack of focus. I can see these feelings/perspectives influence my social skills, parenting, and my marriage. I read a great quote from a book about marriage called What Did You Expect?? by Paul David Tripp. He writes, "You both bring something into your marriage that is destructive to what a marriage needs and must do. That thing is called sin." Tripp says that sin is "essentially antisocial. We don't really have time to love our spouse...because we are too busy loving ourselves." We change our spouses into "vehicles to help us get what we want or obstacles in the way of what we want." But encouragement and hope exist: God's grace "is meant to bring you to the end of yourself so that you will finally begin to place your identity, your meaning and purpose, and your inner sense of well-being in him." (partially quoted from World, June 5, 2010, p. 31)

Good conviction for my dragging spirit!

Time with Vati and Heidi

Vati and Heidi came to visit. We enjoyed seeing them again.
Vati loves to go to Screamin' Mimis with his grandkids...his favorite flavor is Cassis.
Vati celebrated his 74th birthday while he was here. I baked him Wiener Nusskuchen.

This past weekend I went to Truckee with Sharon, Lori, and Lorie. It was such a wonderful time!

Großmutter loved the song "Großer Gott Wir Loben Dich":

With English translation:
1. Großer Gott, wir loben dich, Herr, wir preisen deine Stärke.
Good God, we praise you, Lord, we praise your strength.
Vor dir neigt die Erde sich und bewundert deine Werke.
Before you tilt the ground up and admire your work.
Wie du warst vor aller Zeit, so bleibst du in Ewigkeit.
As you were before all time, so you'll stay forever.

2. Alles, was dich preisen kann, Kerubim und Serafinen
Anything you can praise, cherubim and Serafin
stimmen dir ein Loblied an, alle Engel, die dir dienen,
you agree to the praises, all the angels who serve you,
rufen dir stets ohne Ruh': Heilig, heilig, heilig! zu.
always call you without peace: Holy, holy, holy! to.

3. Heilig, Herr Gott Zebaoth , heilig, Herr der Himmelsheere,
Holy, Lord God of Hosts , Holy, Lord of the heavens army
starker Helfer in der Not!
strong helper in distress!
Himmel, Erde, Luft und Meere Heaven,
earth, air and sea
sind erfüllt von deinem Ruhm; alles ist dein Eigentum.
are full of thy glory, and everything is yours.

4. Der Apostel heil'ger Chor, der Propheten hehre Menge,
The apostle holy choir of the prophets lofty amount,
schickt zu deinem Thron empor neue Lob- und Dankgesänge;
sends to your throne up new praise and Dankgesänge;
der Blutzeugen lichte Schar lobt und preist dich immerdar.
the bright band of martyrs praise and praise thee.

5. Dich Gott Vater auf dem Thron, loben Große, loben Kleine.
You God the Father on the throne, praising Large, Small praise.
Deinem eingeborenen Sohn singt die heilige Gemeinde,
Your only begotten son sings the holy community,
und sie ehrt den Heil'gen Geist, der uns seinen Trost erweist.
and it honors the Holy Ghost, which proves to us his consolation.

6. Du, des Vaters ew'ger Sohn, hast die Menschheit angenommen,
You, Father's eternal Son, mankind have taken on,
bist vom hohen Himmelsthron zu uns auf die Welt gekommen,
are from the high throne of heaven came to us on the world,
hast uns Gottes Gnad' gebracht, von der Sünd' uns frei gemacht.
You have brought us God's grace, of the sin made us free.

7. 7th Durch dich steht das Himmelstor allen, welche glauben offen.
Through you the gate of heaven is open to all who openly believe.
Du stellst uns dem Vater vor, wenn wir kindlich auf dich hoffen;
You ask us before the Father, when we hope a child for you;
du wirst kommen zum Gericht, wenn der letzte Tag anbricht.
you will come to the court if the last day dawns.

8. Herr steh' deinen Dienern bei, welche dich in Demut bitten.
Lord stand with your servants, who are asking yourself in humility.
Kauftest durch dein Blut uns frei, hast den Tod für uns gelitten;
Test purchase through your blood we are free to have suffered death for us;
nimm uns nach vollbrachtem Lauf zu dir in den Himmel auf.
receive us and after they had run into you in the sky.

9. Sieh dein Volk in Gnaden an, hilf uns, segne, Herr, dein Erbe;
Watch us grow in grace to help us, bless you, sir, your heritage;
leit' es auf der rechten Bahn, dass der Feind es nicht verderbe.
lead it on the right track, that the enemy does not destroy it.
Führe es durch diese Zeit, nimm es auf in Ewigkeit.
Guide her through this time, take it on forever.

10. Alle Tage wollen wir dich und deinen Namen preisen
All day we will praise you and your name
und zu allen Zeiten dir Ehre, Lob und Dank erweisen.
and at all times you do honor, praise and thanks.
Rett' aus Sünden, rett' aus Tod, sei uns gnädig, Herre Gott.
Save out of sin, save out of death, have mercy on us, Lord God.

11. Herr, erbarm, erbarme dich.
Lord, have mercy, have mercy. Lass uns deine Güte schauen;
Let us see thy goodness;
deine Treue zeige sich, wie wir fest auf dich vertrauen.
show your loyalty, as we firmly trust in you.
Auf dich hoffen wir allein; lass uns nicht verloren sein.
To you we hope alone let us not be lost.

She lived Psalm 103:
Psa. 103:1
¶ Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Psa. 103:2
Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits —
Psa. 103:3
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
Psa. 103:4
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
Psa. 103:5
who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psa. 103:6
The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
Psa. 103:7
He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
Psa. 103:8
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
Psa. 103:9
He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
Psa. 103:10
he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
Psa. 103:11
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
Psa. 103:12
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Psa. 103:13
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
Psa. 103:14
for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
Psa. 103:15
As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;
Psa. 103:16
the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
Psa. 103:17
But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children —
Psa. 103:18
with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
Psa. 103:19
The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
Psa. 103:20
Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.
Psa. 103:21
Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.
Psa. 103:22
Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

My Großmutter

My Großmutter went home to be with the Lord yesterday, April 29, 2010. She was born May 27, 1909. In one month she would have been 101 years old. But she has longed to go home to Heaven for a long time.

My favorite memories of her are when we got to hang out, just the two of us. She would make enough potato pancakes or potato dumplings for 10 people and serve me. Großmutter gave me money for "something small--make yourself a joy" and off I went with the bicycle into the main part of town. I purchase small baby clothes before I had babies, so that I would have some from my Großmutter. She knit, knit, knit. I have wonderful mittens from her, and many woolen socks! The girls received baby socks for their dolls, and Maggie even got a knit dress for her bunny. Großmutter rode her bicycle even in her 80s. She loved the Doppelbackbrot from the bakery, but didn't like it fresh--the next day was when she sliced it. Her knife was some ancient piece of metal, and her fingers were rough from where she'd cut things against them. She and I set out to clean out one of her cupboards, full of used candles and such. But after a few minutes she shoved it all back it. "That's enough for today!" she said with a smile.

When we lived in Switzerland, Großmutter came to visit with us and see the Alps. My father, mother, brother, and I were hiking. I was 7 and didn't know that the plans were to hike way up to the top of an Alp, but kind of already knew that there would be much climbing that day since my father had a climbing bug! Großmutter was going to stay in a cozy hotel, and I begged to stay with her. My parents relented, and I got to race back down the slope to my Großmutter. (I later found out that my parents and brother barely found the mountain hut in the dark, and almost spent the night outside). Großmutter read Heidi to me as we sank into the middle of the soft mattress together. The next day we walked up to a lake to meet my parents and brother. What a special time.

My Großmutter always had chocolates and sweets to give me "for your hollow teeth" (meaning that my teeth had a special spot for sweets, that empty space :) She was the most giving, thankful person I have ever met. Großmutter suffered much during World War II, and I have many cassettes telling about her childhood on a manor and all that happened in her life. Her real joy, however, was found in Christ. She often said, "Praise and thank the Lord." Her faith was so genuine, so evident, as she prayed with a sincere and glad heart and treasured the Bible in her heart. She played the piano even with fingers bent with arthritis, singing praises to God in her wobbly voice.

Großmutter loved really expensive fruit juice. She had a bottle that she was saving, but her neighbor had a birthday and she knew she should give it to him. "Lord," she prayed, "I really like this juice and don't want to give it away. But I will." She told me, as she slapped my knee with vigor, that that very day a friend has stopped by with two bottles of fruit juice for her. "Kerstin," she reminded me, "the Lord is SO good. Always good. Praise and thanks to Him."

I spoke with my Tante Elke and she said how thankful and uncomplaining Großmutter was to the very end. She always said, "Thank you. Thank you. Danke." She also always said, "Praise and thank the Lord. Lob und dank dem Herrn."

Thank you, Lord God, for my Großmutter. And thanks for answering my prayers to take her home to you.


Here are some photos of her with me as a baby and as a two year old.