This Week at the Family Institute!

This past week at work, we had a busy one! We hosted Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, author of the book Love and Respect. If you know anyone getting married, this would make a great gift. This is from the inside flap:

Discover the Single Greatest Secret to a Successful Marriage

Psychological studies affirm it, and the Bible has been saying it for ages. Cracking the communication code between husband and wife involves understanding one thing: that unconditional respect is as powerful for him as unconditional love is for her. It's the secret to marriage that every couple seeks, and yet few couples ever find.

Today, you and your mate can start fresh with the ground-breaking guidance that Dr. Emerson Eggerichs provides in this book. His revolutionary message, featured on Focus on the Family, is for anyone: in marital crisis...wanting to stay happily married...who's feeling lonely. It's for engaged couples...victims of affairs...pastors and counselors seeking material that can save a marriage.

Later in the week, we co-sponsored a screening of the pro-marriage movie, Fireproof starring Kirk Cameron who donated his time to the movie. Click below to see the trailer.

Hardhat Boy

Yesterday at Calvin College

Edward has been working at Calvin College in the Telecom area of IT for a whole month already! He seems to be enjoying this job which is a good introduction into his field of study - Computer Engineering. He enjoys it even when his dad shows up with a camera!

Morning Has Broken

This morning, I had to be at a meeting downtown at a church here in the city of churches by 8 am. The highways were very icy so I left early knowing that I if I had extra time I could take some photos during the golden hour of sunrise. This was a bit difficult seeing as I wasn't dressed for the bitter cold, I had coffee and tons of papers and high heels. Duh. (Stay tuned tomorrow for the proper photographic stance one must take.)



I took some pictures inside the sanctuary through the glass and when I came home and saw them, I saw that green thing floating by. I think it's cool, do you?

Back to Reality

Today at work we had a little birthday party for Marlene, and Sharon thought up the great idea that we should use the occasion as a photo-op. Don't we look like a fun-loving bunch dedicated to improving family reality in West Michigan?

Today, the Family Institute makes the Blog.

Start Your Engines

I don't know what possessed us to put wedding clothes on over our work clothes in 90 degree humid weather and ride a teeny 2 wheeler around a course at work - oh yeah, it must have been because of the Littlest 500. Each of 22 teams who participated picked a theme and dressed up to race the other teams on little bikes. We picked the wedding theme since WE ARE THE FAMILY INSTITUTE!


Upper left: Throwing the bouquet (Marlene caught it)

It wasn't hard to believe we didn't win for speed - those little bikes are hard to ride. The IS Geeks won the best costume. We all won $10 gift cards for being out there on bikes though. Yay!
Next year: the Flinstones? Unless you can think of something better...

Unzipped in the Twilight Zone

This morning, I woke up at about 4:30am, but managed to get back to sleep before my usual 6:30am wake-up time. I don't set my alarm, I just wake up from all the commotion going on in the house. So I was enjoying this time of dream-filled sleep, when suddenly, my co-worker Sharon was there in my dream as real as can be zipping up her pants as she was getting ready for work and she said, "Why didn't you tell me I was unzipped?" I immediately woke up and it was 6:37am. Yes, I felt weird about dreaming that, but oh well. Maybe one of the psychologists at work can tell me the meaning of that some day.

Meanwhile, I was glad to be up because I had lunches to make, kids to get off to school, and myself ready for work. When I arrived at work just before 8am, I said to Sharon, "You woke me up this morning. Thanks." She was of course puzzled, so I explained my dream about the unzipped pants and how I immediately woke up. She had this look of instant recognition and said that at that time, she was actually looking at herself in the mirror and noticing she was unzipped. I retold this story at least twice during the day and each time, she piped in, "I swear it's true."

What a weird thing to have ESP about.


Sharon with her Taco Bell dog last summer

It Didn't Seem Like Work

Today, I went downtown to work at a bridal fair where we sponsored a booth for Healthy Marriages GR. This is one of the organizations for which I work, and we were there to promote our premarital workshops and to offer some literature. The booths down there are geared mainly to the actual wedding day - photography, catering, tuxedos, limos, etc. and so we are often a welcome sight, because, as some of the mothers who go by with their daughters say, this is what you really need.

Walk Much?

Yesterday at work, HR sent out an e-mail that they had 75 more flu shots available for employees, so good luck getting there while they still have them because if they're gone when you get there, you'll just have to wait till they get another batch in. (They didn't really say that last part.) Sharon asked me if I wanted to go get one with her, so I was like all ready for it. We took off. It was only something like 8:02 am in the morning, but we were on a race to go get one of the 75 shots because we have to walk over to an entirely different building on campus. So Sharon takes off, almost in a trot to get there, but really, she is just trying to keep up with me because I always walk fast, or at least that's what she says. Everytime I think of what happened next, I laugh. We were rounding a corner down by Development and I was picking up speed in our little unspoken race, and I forgot that I had my clogs on! Yes, I fell flat on my face. It really didn't hurt at all, but it was just more of a pain to explain that, no really, I was ok.

Today at work, one of my co-workers whose name is Carol told me about her visit to the dog opthamologist. The reason I mention her name is because I often think that if you are named Carol, that pretty much destines you to a life of social work or public administration. Oh wait, I did know one who was a pension analyst like I was. Anyway, one of her dog's irises wasn't working, so the vet prescribed Doggles.

I went to the dentist yesterday, and today, I am prouder than an eight year old to say that I had no cavities.

Working at the Carwash

Sometimes, when you're a mom...

...you just can't help...

...being a geek.

Building Cathedrals

Today at work I went to a class on mission integration where we considered how our own life's mission fit in to the mission of our organization which "is called to express the healing ministry of Jesus Christ... with professional excellence, Christian integrity and compassion." It is always good to step back and look at the bigger picture to regain a sense of purpose. I've been feeling a bit scattered lately, and Sharon reminded me that's part of being a mom. This, of course, is a most worthy mission - to be a good one.

I loved the story that Dr. Phil told us in this class:
There were 2 bricklayers working side by side on a project for a new cathedral somewhere in the city. He asked one what he was doing, and he said, "I'm laying brick, what does it look like?" But when he asked the 2nd one what he was doing, he replied, "I'm building a cathedral!"

Yo Quero Taco Bell?

So Edward got a phone call yesterday for his 3rd interview at Taco Bell. He's going to have it next week after he gets back from Arizona where he is having an almost south of the border training (Youth Unlimited Convention). I'm starting to wonder if he's interviewing for the CEO position or something! It does help to know the mascot...



Actually, I took this picture this morning at work where we celebrated Bastille Day. They were having a Poodle-Look-Alike contest but Sharon must have thought it said Chi Hua Hua-Look-Alike! Her dog used to be a terrier before he had a run in with a skunk and got shaved but that's another episode. His name is O'Malley which just goes to show you the truly international character of this dog.

Maria & I tried to bring Leo, but he would not cooperate:

In this picture, he looks like he is being tortured. This was right after we took him out of our van where he was making those "mmmmmwwwrorwwww" sounds that cats make when they don't know what's going on, and you just better be getting me out of here before I turn in to a bad dream and start clawing your eyes out.

Our excitement continued today with the return of Bridget from camp. She had so much fun and has been telling us the longest run-on sentence, which started about an hour ago, and began with, "So, do you want to hear about the big storm?" They were evacuated from their cabin at bedtime and had to go somewhere safe where they sang over 100 songs till after midnight!

Bridgie is happy to see Maria!