Our Little Pumpkins
29 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment
During our trip to Norman, Oklahoma, earlier this week, our family was invited to participate in an international pumpkin-carving contest. Students of the University of Oklahoma and their “host” families (including Dan’s brother, Cory, and sister-in-law, Amanda) allowed us to share in an all-American Frito-pie and pumpkin party. International students from Korea, Japan and England joined together to experience a bit of American culture while learning to properly gauge a gourd. Good times and prizes were had by all!
Cousins, pumpkins, and a hayride ... How can life get any better? (L to R: Emma, Charley, Isaac, Caleb & Katie.)
Our kids enjoyed sharing tools and tricks of the trade with the international students.
Katie, Caleb and Emma showing off the finished jack-o-lanterns.
Lit and lovely ...
Homecoming Happiness
14 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment
(L to R) Emma, Abby and Callie enjoyed face-painting, play time in pillowy bounce houses, and delicious Pizza King pizza during Anderson University's homecoming weekend, Oct. 9-11.
We had a great time together, even though we didn’t get balloon animals. We got these animals on our faces: I got a leopard, Abby got a dragon, and Callie got a tiger. I’ll write some more after we get more pictures. Peace! -Emma
"The Calebs," wild boys on campus!
She Writes … Emma Jenkins to the Platform, Please
16 Sep 2009 3 Comments
That’s right, folks! She writes! As a part of her 2nd grade homeschooling activities, Emma has been working on the first of her chapter books, “A Hike in the Rainforest.” (See copy below, written entirely by Emma with grammatical and spelling corrections by Mom.) We’re proud of our little girl and hope you enjoy her story. Up next … “Seals at Snack Time.”
“A Hike in the Rainforest”
By Emma M. Jenkins (Copyright Daniel Jenkins 2009)
Chapter One
“Swing”
One nice, beautiful morning, Lilly, and her dog, Catrina went on a hike through the rainforest. They saw lots of animales, animals like these: monos y colibri. But, when they got to the middle of the rainforest, out of the trees jumps a … jaguar!!!!!!!!
“Now we have to get home!” said Lilly as she looked for a way to escape.
“There!” said Lilly, pointing to some strong vines. “Let’s go swing!”
But Lilly noticed something familiar …. “Huh?” said Lilly. “Coco?”
Chapter Two
“Coco!”
Lilly remembered the little jaguar cub they met in Nicaragua. She ran over to hug him.
“Coco,” Lilly shouted as she hugged him. “So, Coco, do you want to come with us,” Lilly asked the jaguar.
He licked them like he was saying “yes.”
“All right then,” said Lilly, “Ready, set, one, two, three!” Then they all started marching, singing, “with a hup, two, three, four … with a hup, two, three, four …”
Chapter Three
“A Little Bit of Monkey Business”
“Huh,” said Lilly.
She thought she saw something swinging to a tree.
“Oh well,” said Lilly.
But then, two little monkeys jumped out of the trees and landed right in front of Lilly! Right when they landed, Lilly noticed that the two monkeys were … Caleb & Isaac! She remembered the two little monkeys they saw in Guatemala.
“Hey, Caleb! Hey, Isaac!”
“OO AH AH,” shouted the monkeys.
“Do you want to come with us,” asked Lilly.
“OOAHAH,” they shouted to say, “YES!”
So they went marching as they sang, “hup, two, three, four … hup, two, three, four.” So they went on until …
Chapter Four
“Change of Color”
Catrina started barking at two things changing color in the trees. Lilly looked up. Two chameleons were right above her! Lilly was shocked! She couldn’t believe her eyes!
Then, the two chameleons came down from the trees, and Lilly knew exactly who they were: Suzie & Danny!
“Suzie! Danny! Can you come with us?”
The two chameleons stuck their tongues out as to say, “Yes!” So they went marching singing, “hup, two, three, four … hup, two, three, four …”
Chapter Five
“WATER FALL!!!!!!!”
“Aw, man,” said Lilly, “a dead end.”
“Arf,” shouted Catrina.
“What,” asked Lilly.
She looked to her left and right.
“Oh,” said Lilly, “Let’s go to the right.” So they went on, and on, until…. A WATER FALL!!!!!!!
“Oh no,” said Lilly, “Oops! I almost forgot. I brought my life raft! Climb on! Ready, set, GO!”
So they went down the water fall.
“Hey,” said Lilly, “that was pretty short! Is everyone okay?”
The jaguar licked them, the monkeys said “OOAAHH,” and the chameleons changed color.
Chapter Six
“Adios!”
Lilly grabbed on to shore. She pulled them over to shore.
“Coco, Caleb, Isaac, Suzie, and Danny, you may get off. We need to go home. Adios! We love you!”
The End
Amish Country … Indiana
02 Aug 2009 Leave a Comment
The Jenkins family has journeyed all over the Midwest in the past few weeks. Here’s a peek at our time in Indiana. …
Traveling with Toddlers … Stop: Potty Time!
23 Jul 2009 1 Comment
A long road trip is an adventure in and of itself. With three young kids, that adventure turns into an odyssey — an odyssey in endless pursuit of the next bathroom.
Of all times, Isaac (our two-year-old) has chosen this to be the perfect time for getting serious about potty training. (For which, we are of course grateful; however, his timing coincides with our month-long trek across the Midwest, Ontario and Louisiana.) Amazingly, during our nine-hour drive from St. Louis, Mo., to Toledo, Ohio, Isaac managed a dry diaper the whole ride — well, almost.
On our approach to Toledo, Isaac sounded the alarm that he needed to “go potty.” We informed him we were “almost there” and suggested he just “hold it” (something that must sound very confusing to a two-year-old — why, after all, would you want to “hold” your excrement?!). Moments from arrival at the hotel, a little voice from the back seat sounded through the minivan, “Oh dreat! I just peed in the tar!”
Touring Toledo: Hometown to Jaimie Farr, Katie Holmes … and Sue (Lapp) Jenkins
23 Jul 2009 Leave a Comment
Emma & Caleb strut their stuff along the Maumee River in downtown Toledo, Ohio.
Isaac precariously balanced on the beams of a downtown art structure ... only to fly of the end, landing a perfect dismount.
Holy Toledo! It's an invasion of turtles! ... The kids enjoyed the wildlife along the Maumee River and marveled at the number of turtles we spotted on one single log.
Jubilant July
20 Jul 2009 Leave a Comment
The three Jenkins ninos (Isaac, Caleb & Emma from left to right) have enjoyed summer at Papa & Mimi Jenkins' home. Here's a shot of them on the playland at Papa's house.
On the fourth of July, the Jenkins clan celebrated Grandma Beltz's 90th birthday and enjoyed visiting with many family members who were in town for the festivities. (This was the best we could manage at our attempts to get everyone facing the camera. ...)
Preparing Palates for Costa Rica? … Hmmm
16 Jul 2009 1 Comment
It’s a beautiful, sunny afternoon in St. Louis. The children and I are revving up for our month-long journey across the Midwest, Ontario and Louisiana, that will hopefully bring us closer to our ultimate destination of Costa Rica. As I’m preparing my list of “to-dos” for our journey, I sent my boys (Caleb & Isaac) out to the back deck to enjoy popsicles in the warm sunshine (within eye shot, of course).
About ten licks into the popsicle consumption, the boys emerged through the back door, sticky fingers and all, and announced they’ve been eating ants. ”Ants,” I exclaimed with a mortified look on my face. “Really, ants?”
“Yeah,” said Caleb matter-of-factly. “They’re good — but only the little ones, not the big ones. The big ones are sour.”
“Um-hum, ants,” added Isaac, “yeah — ants.”
“You’ve been eating big ants and little ants?”
“No, just the little ones,” said Caleb. “They taste good.”
“Yeah, the wittle ones,” mocked Isaac. “The wittle ones are dood!”
“Huh … so the popsicle wasn’t enough for you?”
“Umm-um-um,” said Caleb (in mock ‘I don’t know’ fashion).
“Ooooh-kay … well how about you go back out on the deck, leave the ants alone and finish your popsicles.”
“Okay,” the daring duo said simultaneously. (Boys depart scene.)
“What is this,” I ask myself, “preparation for the mission field or one too many episodes of ‘Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern’?”
What’s in a Name?
10 May 2009 Leave a Comment
Dan and I thought long and hard about what to name the kids, looking back at old family names, flipping through pages of books on meanings of names, performing all of the word-play tricks that peers would surely conjure. We took this task with the utmost of seriousness and care. What name shall we give to this little person God has placed in our lives?
Here’s the run-down on the names of the three Jenkins ninos (or kids) to whom this blog is dedicated. We hope their names will serve as reminders of whose they are: children of God, followers of Christ.
Emma Margaret Jenkins' first day of life.
Emma on Easter Sunday 2009.
Caleb Daniel Jenkins -- day one.
Caleb on Easter Sunday 2009.
Isaac Jacob Jenkins -- Day one.
Isaac on Easter Sunday 2009.
Isaac Jacob is the baby of the bunch, joining the Jenkins clan in 2007. Isaac’s name was a bit of a compromise on the parts of Dan and I: Dan pushed for a child named “Abraham” from Emma on down, but his nicknaming of Emma as “Gracebraham” (his two favorite names during my pregnancy) wore on my hormonal nerves. … What we didn’t realize was that our compromise, Isaac Jacob, better suited our son than any other name we could have come up with. Isaac means “he laughs, and God laughs with him” — boy is that the truth. Isaac is a jokester, who is full of joy. His middle name, Jacob, means “supplanter” or “may God protect.” We hope Isaac’s name serves as a lifetime reminder that God is in charge of everything and holds him in His hands.
This Mother’s Day, I couldn’t be more thankful for the children God has given me. We are excited for what He has in store for them as we journey to the mission field in Costa Rica, and entrust them all into His hands.
Feed My Starving Children
28 Apr 2009 1 Comment
Emma and new buddy, Sofia H., work to pack food bags destined for hungry children in Nicaragua.
Emma in action.
This food is packaged and ready to ship. The ReachGlobal team of missionary kids packed 5,000 meals, or enough to feed 14 kids for a year.
