Barnhoorn Banter

Christmas etc

2012-02-07T01:41:00.001-08:00

Stephen really enjoyed having a month off over Christmas and New Years.

One of Samuel's funny faces.

A very strange license plate.

Christmas morning family picture.

Christmas Eve dinner.

Esther rocking her new shades and pjs from Uncle Dan.

Yankari - A Game Reserve

2012-02-07T01:34:00.001-08:00

While Dan was visiting, we went to Yankari, a game reserve. It has safaris and Wikki Warm Springs which stays at 31 C. Here is Esther and her Daddy in our room.

This was my, Janice's, first ever safari. We were able to see a herd of elephants. Twice. Here they are crossing the "road".

This elephant was flaring his ears which made me a little nervous. He didn't need to worry about us bothering them!

The kids spent all day in the springs. They wouldn't even come out to eat lunch! They did a great job improving on their swimming abilities while we were there.

Dan giving the safari a big thumbs up!

Fun times with Uncle Dan

2011-12-27T11:51:00.000-08:00

Waking up "early" for presents. Again. Why do I not have pictures of your birthday Dan?

A leisurely hike up a mountain in the village with big brother Jono.

Even made it to the top! Our village is hiding in the Harmattan dust.

We made salt dough ornaments and a Christmas paper chain. The chain got hung up right away but the ornaments are still sitting in a bowl on the counter. They will still be good for next year, right?

I guess the rest of the pictures are on Jono's computer. Part 2 will be coming at a later date.

Samuel's 5th Birthday!

2011-12-27T11:39:00.000-08:00

The 5 year old blowing out his candles.

The morning of his birthday we went to the Wild Life Park with some friends. He shares a birthday with one of them and we all shared an ice cream cake. Funny thing was it was so cold that morning that we couldn't get it out of the pan! Here are the kids cleaning the platter - one wouldn't want to waste one little bit of ice cream!

With one of his presents. We finally made a rule that the scooter could NOT be ridden in the house!

Opening his present from Stephen - a hockey card! What could be better?

And eating cake. Chocolate cake with chocolate icing at his request. What could be better?

Esther's 2nd Birthday!

2011-12-27T11:24:00.001-08:00

These pictures are in random order, sorry! Above is Esther "backing" her new baby. She only did it that day but I did have to retie baby numerous times.

The birthday girl had lots of help to open her presents before school.

Her birthday cake that we ate at Play Group. Thanks Aunt Julie for the decorating help.

Eating the icing from her cupcake. She would not eat the cupcake. We also took a picture of her with her friends on the compound but Esther was not sitting so lady-like so I don't think I can post it! I guess I need to work on teaching her about how to sit in a skirt!

And here she is with her new necklace from "My Valerie." Esther has a special relationship with Valerie and we are so thankful for it! We will also try not to think about living here without My Valerie's visits next year.

Happy birthday Esther! I know you want to be 3 like Silas but we pray that you enjoy being 2!

Life Goes On

2011-10-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

One night Stephen started to spell people's name with our fridge magnets. Here is his picture of Oma Great's (Jono's grandmother's) name.

I bought a sewing machine from a friend with the hopes that I would become crafty. Well, having a sewing machine hasn't made me crafty. Stephen was quite entertained by me trying to fix Jono's pants. I was trying to make them into shorts since he put a whole in them. I think I now know why my mom stopped teaching me how to sew!

Here are our two super men ready for bed. They may have the same shirts on but they definitely have different personalities!

And our Esther. She keeps growing.

I've been trying to think of something interesting to write about. I couldn't find anything. I think life here has become routine and normal. Its hard to think of interesting things to write about or take pictures of. So, I guess these random pictures of the kids (and me) will have to do.

A new addiction!

2011-09-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

So a couple months ago I heard about Pinterest. It has become a small addiction and given me something to do in all my spare time. The first thing I ever made from Pinterest were these capes. The kids loved them for the first few days and they have been hanging on hooks ever since! At least they did use them! I have since saved many recipes and craft/sewing ideas for future use. I have made some pretty wall decorations that actually match my living room! I think some friends have also become addicted!

Our farm and the First day of School!

2011-08-10T12:48:00.001-07:00

Here is our farm. It only has Irish potatoes in it if you don't count the banana tree that hasn't given us any bananas. The plan is to plant other vegetables after we get the potatoes out of the ground. And yes, I have been slack with the weeding. You would too if the weather and mosquitoes are working against you!

Being from Ontario, it is very strange to have school start in August. I was so not ready for today! It snuck up on us all! I did our first day of homeschooling Samuel after we got Stephen to school and attended Chapel with him. A little bit of a late start, but it went fairly well. Keeping 3 busy at the same time does pose a bit of a challenge but hopefully it will work well.

And here is the big 2nd grader. It was a wet, rainy morning which was probably why we got to school on time. The traffic was unusually light! I do think I will miss the big yellow school bus picking the kids up and dropping them off every day. But thankfully, we are trying to carpool with our neighbours to save us all time and gas!

All dressed up!

2011-06-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

We were invited as special guests to a Send Forth. Our neighbour is getting married in August and had her Send Forth today. I guess it could be compared to a North American bridal shower. There was lots of loud music, dancing, and food.

A shot taken by Stephen. Not sure it is our best angle...

And one of the 4 kids - nope, can't get them all smiling at the same time.

And the two youngest by Daddy's car.

May and June - a little bit of everything

2011-06-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

Silas turned 3 on the 22nd of May. He is excited to be a big boy now and had cupcakes and a cake!

Samuel is our dresser upper. Can never be too safe while playing hockey or riding a bike.

Lego is a constant source of entertainment and frustration in our house. Here is their latest creation in progress - Lego City. Hard to tell from Stephen's picture, but there is multiple living levels.

The end of May was also Jono's birthday. We celebrated it (along with Memorial Day and Victoria Day) with our good friends by having a grill. Then we realized that this was the second birthday he celebrated at their house!

This is where it feels I spend most of my time. A couple weeks ago my neighbour and I hosted 20 adults plus children for a pizza dinner. Our guests had been working at a workshop and were quite excited by our pizza, veggies and dip, brownies and fudge sauce, and green mango crisp and (bad) ice cream. If you look close enough, you can see the flower that Samuel gave me to wear so I can look pretty.

Hard to believe but this house has a lot of activity in it and around it most days.

We finally had our grass cut this past week and the kids used it to make a fort.

Esther loves to talk on my phone. "Ello? Daddy?"

This is Daddy's car. You do not climb on it. You do not throw stones on it. You do not put your shoes on the seat. Not really a child friendly car but will do just fine for Daddy to take to the village. That's where the two of them are right now!

Here is an exciting blanket train created before breakfast. The kids had a lot of fun with it on what turned out to be a tough day for Mommy and Daddy. Jackson, one day we will meet you in person! Then you can show Samuel where all the controls are up there, he really wants to know how it all works!

We are alive and doing well!

2011-05-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

This is a common sight on our clothes line. Could it be that within a year we will be done with diapers after only 8 years?

She loves to be involved in whatever is going on.

Yes mom, I am thinking of a good answer!

The boys have been busy collecting bugs for their new bug boxes.

Family Pictures

2011-01-23T17:03:00.000-08:00

Attempt at using the wagon - good in theory. Not great by the participants!

Silas has developed a cheesy camera face. Its really hard to get him NOT to do it!

Don't mess with me Samuel!

The two responsible for the other four!

Samuel looking all grown up.

Our biggest guy - Stephen!

The four kiddos!

Aunt Hannah, I am two!

Esther and her blanket. I never thought I would have a kid attached to a blanket...

And a decent family shot.
Thanks to Hannah and family for the great photo shoot and a great sleep over!

The End of December

2011-01-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

The 6 Barnhoorn cousins at Oma and Opa's on Christmas Day.

Esther opening a present at our family Christmas.

The boys getting their Lego for Christmas from Mom and Dad.

5 out of 6 Barnhoorns!

The Middle of December

2011-01-03T11:37:00.001-08:00

Friends invited us to go skating with them. Samuel donned skates for the first time ever and lasted about half an hour and then switched into books.

Silas also loved skating in his boots. He was thrilled!

We spent a few hours one morning at the Butterfly Conservatory in Cambridge. It was nice and warm inside and we all enjoyed doing a special game with prizes!

We were unable to get a family shot taken but here is me with all the kids.

Samuel's Birthday

2010-12-13T12:56:00.001-08:00

Here is our 4 year old with his birthday cake. He may act shy, but I do believe he enjoyed the attention!

And he was able to blow out the candles but there were others who were willing to help him at a moments notice!

Esther's Birthday

2010-12-13T12:52:00.001-08:00

Here is Esther's tray of birthday cupcakes. She wasn't sure what to do at all. She had three brothers and two cousins who were more than helpful!

Opening presents with mommy. She was so overwhelmed by the attention and presents. So far her favourite present seems to be the spoons from her tea set.

And what would a first birthday be without the birthday girl eating cake. She LOVED the icing and totally enjoyed the whole cupcake.

Super Excited!

2010-12-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

I am super excited for a few reasons today.
1. Jono comes home this evening after being gone for 8 sleeps.
2. Esther turns 1 tomorrow! Where did the last year go?
and
3. Our friends K & J will be receiving their little guy this week if all goes well! I am so excited to see them be parents and see the plan that God has for this family of 3! And hopefully, I can fit in a visit to see them before we head out in March.

1st Santa Claus Parade of the season...another one this Saturday!

2010-11-30T17:43:00.000-08:00

Lego robots by Samuel and Stephen - a picture just for Daddy since chances are they won't be around when you come home!

A rainbow on the walk to Pake and Beppe's after the parade in Harriston.

Super excited Samuel!

Stephen and Marie - candy catchers extraordinaire.

Jason and Silas - the little boy who would NOT wear his mitts!

Esther all bundled up to stay warm - not a peep with all the sirens.

The one who misses Daddy the most this time.

It's been a month, so I guess it is time for another post!

2010-11-30T17:28:00.001-08:00

In completely random order....
Stephen listening to instructions on how to be safe rock climbing. He did very well for his first time. On a side note, the kids think that Aunt Kristy and Uncle Kris have the coolest house ever - they live at a camp!

Three pumpkins for three boys. Good work everybody!

The kids had two days off at the end of October so we went to the Science Center in Toronto.

The "rain forest" room.

The boys loved building tracks for the balls. It was nice and empty once all the school kids left!

Here is my favourite rock band.

Silas really enjoyed watching the fish. "Ook Mom! A baby fish! A mommy fish!"

Four in the car but who is the driver?

Stephen busy playing in the toy room. I do believe this was taken after he missed the bus for the first and hopefully only time.

My baby girl is almost one! She loves her banana and watered down juice first thing in the morning! Can you guess how she slept that night?

So much has happened ...

2010-10-26T17:57:00.001-07:00

Dad is home so the evening wrestling sessions have started up again!

Esther loves to eat - most of the time!

The snow has melted and it was 18 degrees for Janice's birthday yesterday!

Janice bought Samuel a snowsuit today; so all the boys decided they needed to try their own on.

Samuel found my boots. Enough said.
On a completely different note, Jono and I now have our first niece! Welcome to the world Naomi! We can't wait to meet you!

This is what we woke up to this morning!

2010-10-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Some old pictures

2010-10-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

I was asked by my sister-in-law to send her some pictures of the past year. So here are 4 - one of each kid. Esther sleeping with her Korean "pillow".

Silas driving a car at the London Children's Museum.

Samuel laughing with his bike - after he drove it down the hill!

And a self portrait of Stephen! What a love-able face!

With Thanksgiving

2010-10-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

Jono got home last night. The kids were so excited to see him and play with him. They have been trying to get him caught up on everything that happened while he was away. Jono had a good trip. We do plan on sending out an update soon-ish to share more details. Anyway, it is good to have him home.
We do wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! We do have much to be thankful for, including you!

A short update

2010-10-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

The past couple of weeks have been busy - no surprise there! Here is a brief recap.
Stephen lost another tooth during the sermon last Sunday. I think he might have screamed if it was bloody and there would have been a scene.
Samuel misses his Daddy the most but is super thrilled with my $1 garage sale find - a spider man outfit!
Silas is working on potty training - he is dry at night but still has accidents during the day.
Esther has cut her second tooth and had her first split lip. Thankfully it should look normal by the time Daddy comes home but we don't have any photos to show him.
Jono has been able to call us a few times, which is great. He has met with all 4 language groups and done some "work" with them. He heads back up to the city Monday morning to sit in on some checking sessions.
I have been "running" the show over here. Our women's bible study has started and I am co-leading a group for that. GEMS has started and I am also leading a group for that. Youth Group has started but Jono hasn't been going since he's not in country. Adult Education has also started and it has been very informative/heart breaking/stretching. It has been worth getting out the door early on Sunday mornings.
Thank you to all who have been thinking of us, calling and emailing us, and praying for us. It is all greatly appreciated and treasured. We can not be here without you all!

He has arrived!

2010-09-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know that Jono called during dinner to let us know that he had made it to the guest house in Abuja! Praise the Lord for safe travels so far. He will head up to Jos in the morning. We are all doing well on the home front. There will be a lack of pictures in the updates as Jono took our camera with him. Sorry-o!

Laundry and Esther

2010-09-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

I am still trying to decide how to "do" laundry. Do I do a load a day and feel like I am always doing laundry? Or do I do it all on one day and have all this folding and putting away to do at once?

And Esther, she is crawling all over, has cut one little bottom tooth and seems to be working on another, and likes to cruise around furniture and people's legs. Where has my baby gone?

First Day of School

2010-09-08T15:45:00.001-07:00

In reverse order, here are the boys getting off the bus after their first day of school.

All four of them sitting on the front steps waiting and waiting and waiting for the bus to come. I thought we did pretty good getting 5 out of 6 dressed for the big day.

Silas wanted his picture taken too!

Stephen decided that maybe mom was right and he should wear a sweater.

Samuel was so excited to go to JK. The first words out of his mouth that morning were "Is the bus here?"

Kris and Kristy's Wedding

2010-09-08T15:40:00.001-07:00

They are married! They walked out to bagpipes - or a screaming cat according to Stephen.

I liked the way my "little" brothers had to duck to get into the tent! Why didn't I get some of that height?

Here are 5 little monkeys having popsicles on the back porch after the rehearsal BBQ.

Pictures to prove we are still around! (not in any order)

2010-08-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

We finally convinced Silas that it would be a good idea to shave his head like Daddy and Stephen. He definitely looks a lot older now!

Here is team Heroic. They took on team Daddy in a game of soccer. It was wonderful to be able to spend a week with our neighbours from Nigeria. We will see you all in March in Jos!

For Stephen's birthday, we went to the Children's Museum in London, ON. Here is a picture of the boys making me lunch in an old fashioned kitchen.

Here is our newest driver in the family. We put Esther in here one day when she was fussy during dinner and she loved it! She is even able to get it to move around the yard!

Yes, we are alive!

2010-08-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Feeling like it is taking all we have to stay afloat. Life seems really busy - or we make it really busy. We have been in our new house for a month now and JUST found the camera charger. Maybe soon we will get around to posting some new pictures on here. The kids are all well. Stephen turned 6 last month, Samuel had his last soccer game, Silas is teething and talking a lot, and Esther is crawling all over the place. Jono leaves again next month, so probably when he's gone, there will be more posts. That seems to be the way it goes. We are off later today to meet some wonderful friends and camp for the week in WI. See you when we get back!

Stephen's Second Soccer Game and more

2010-05-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

A proud mom over here - Stephen scored 3 goals tonight in his second soccer game. I think he takes after his father! The part I liked to see the most was how he cheered just as much for the other kids' goals as he did for his own! He even learned about "kicking it to the other team after they get hurt" - sportsmanship!
Many thanks to Pake and Beppe for watching all 4 kids today so I could go to London and visit my friend and her new, tiny baby. It was good to be able to visit without kids! Please pray for them as they have a long road ahead.

First time to school and first soccer game.

2010-05-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Stephen went to school for the day to meet his future classmates. He had a great time and his favourite part was doing high jump.

Here is Stephen in his first soccer game. I totally forgot his black shorts! BUT I did remember everything else. And Daddy, he looks like a mini you on the field!

Silas and Esther have been real troopers to go with us to practices and games. I am getting a lot of use out of my new stroller too!

Indoor Soccer

2010-05-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

Gotta love jumping jacks.

Stretching is important...

So is circle time to get instructions.

We enrolled the oldest two in a 4 week indoor soccer program before we found out we were staying. Driving 30 minutes once a week is not my idea of fun, especially when one child does NOT want to participate.

Mom and the kids

2010-05-03T05:56:00.000-07:00

Just so everyone knows, Jono left on Saturday for Nigeria. We are holding down the fort without him. Day #3 and all is well so far. Kids have been playing with their "new" car and with stickers from Aunt Nancy. This afternoon Samuel is off to the ENT to have his hearing and tonsils checked out. Please pray with me that he handles be poked and looked at well. Until next time, Janice.

A special ride with Opa.

2010-04-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

Samuel going for a ride.

Stephen going for a ride.

Easter

2010-04-09T18:59:00.001-07:00

The oldest cousins. Notice a theme??

Dying eggs with Aunt Theresa being the teacher.

Esther laying out with Joshua.

Stephen hunting for his eggs.

Samuel searching for his.
Silas slept through the festivities so Daddy found his eggs.

BC trip

2010-04-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

Esther on her first plane ride.

Jono, Esther and I spent almost 2 weeks in BC. We had a wonderful time getting together with friends and churches out there. It was great to catch up with everyone and share about what we have been doing since we left there in 2006! We took our camera with the intention of taking lots of pictures of everyone and everywhere we went. Needless to say, we have a couple of Esther, some sad attempts of Mt. Baker (shots from Hwy 1), and some shots for our friend Jon (also quite sad). Its a good thing that we know photography is not one of our skills!

Finally, another post!

2010-04-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

Stephen racing his car at the LEGO store in St. Jacob's.

Samuel showing off his car.

Silas saying hello to Thomas!

All three boys outside having a snack.

Do I bother will Christmas pictures now?

2010-01-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

Here is Esther with her cousin Joshua. Who do you think was the bigger baby when they were born? Remember, there is only 2 months between them.

Here is a family picture that we took tonight because we needed one for Sunday when we present in a "new" church. How do you get 6 people to look at the camera and smile at the same time? Is it even possible?

Samuel's Birthday - Part 2

2009-12-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

Opening his present from Pake and Beppe with personalized wrapping paper. What will they think of next?

Reading his new book from Aunt Theresa and Uncle Joe.

Checking out his bubble train from Oma and Opa. Could there be a noisier, wetter toy?

Trying to blow out his candles. The cake looks rather sad, some how I made fancier cakes in Nigeria. Can I blame it on having a baby 6 days before?

We took a trip to the Dollar store and Samuel picked out noise makers and his birthday candles himself. The hats are being reused from Oma's birthday in November.

Samuel's 3rd Birthday - Part 1

2009-12-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

Yummy birthday dinner at McDonalds. Who knew that you could get grilled cheese there?

Discussing how to put the tracks together.

He has learned to open the card first already!

Our little guy is 3 already! It was good for him to have some special attention. He had been waiting for his birthday since we were getting ready to leave Nigeria!

Snow!!

2009-12-18T12:56:00.000-08:00

Sledding off the back porch.

The three boys outside during our 3 day snowstorm last week.

All ready to head outside. It definitely takes a long time to get 3 boys ready to play in the snow!

Pictures

2009-12-18T12:50:00.000-08:00

Here is Esther in her first non-sleeper outfit. Please ignore the messy change table.

Here is a four generation picture taken this past Monday. My Beppe is holding Esther who is her first great-granddaughter (after 15 great-grandsons!). My mom is Beppe's oldest daughter and I am my mom's oldest daughter. Silas just wanted to be in the picture too!

Esther Ruth

2009-12-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Well, the 9-month wait is finally over. Esther Ruth was born on December 5, 2009. She arrived just after 4am. When the boys woke up a couple hours later the got to meet here. Each of them wanted to hold her, of course. They are going to be great big brothers.
Beppe was there just in case the boys woke up and then she took them to her place for a sleepover! How nice to have the house to ourselves for a day. We do thank God for another miracle in our lives.

Oma's birthday

2009-12-02T10:55:00.001-08:00

Here is the birthday girl after dinner. She has yet to see the wonderful cake!

The spread put together by Evelyn and Janice with some help from the guys. Decorations were taken care of by the sons and grandsons.

Uncle Dan having fun with his nephews!

A tired Samuel - he didn't even finish his sandwich!

Carving pumpkins

2009-12-02T10:49:00.000-08:00

Here are Bob and Larry. Just so you know, Bob has ears and Larry has a mustache and hair!

Janice's 31st birthday

2009-12-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

Jono has loved the options for ice cream in Canada. It seems that there is never enough in the freezer. His other favourite food - cereal - has been enjoyed by all. The boys love it as much as their father!
This was from my actual birthday dinner at Jono's parent's place.

We are alive and well in Canada!

2009-12-02T10:39:00.001-08:00

I think we have 3 boys who dream of being farmers - they all love tractors and combines. Living in the country has kept them quite busy watching all the farm machinery.
Went to a local farm to pick out pumpkins for Thanksgiving/Fall. The boys had a great time with all the "toys".
Playing in the leaves with daddy at Oma and Opa's house. Thank you Beppe Great for the hats, mitts, and scarfs. We have used them a lot!

A Bunch of Firsts for the Barnhoorns

2009-09-23T04:15:00.000-07:00

Well, Stephen's tooth finally fell out sometime yesterday while he was playing outside. The new one is already visible. He is quite excited to have a nice space between his teeth.
I had a few firsts yesterday as well.
1.There was no line up at the pre-natal clinic. Turns out the clinic wasn't on because of the national holiday for the end of Ramadan. Thankfully I was still able to see my doctor.
2. The doctor said I was looking a little thin. I don't think anyone has ever said that to me before!
3. The doctor also took my blood pressure and said it was low and that I needed to eat and drink more! I don't think anyone has ever told me that I needed to eat and drink more either!
Well, all in all yesterday was a good day! We also put all three boys in the same bedroom so that we can have some room to pack. All three eventually went to sleep. Unfortunately we didn't get any packing done because we played Ticket to Ride last night.

Big news in our house...

2009-09-11T23:45:00.001-07:00

The big news in our house is that Stephen has a loose tooth!
Oh, and we fly out on October 8th! Time to pack up and get ready for Canada!

More village

2009-09-11T23:20:00.001-07:00

Here the boys are eating one of our last dinners in the village. I make chips from pita bread and we were dipping them in our chili. Its one of the few ways we can get them to eat chili!
Samuel and Stephen would always ask to play in the rain because they would stay dry in their rain coats and boots. It always turns out that their torsos would stay mainly dry but their boots would be full of water! Then a few days later they would have colds. Is it worth it? Still undecided on that one!

Our last time in the village.

2009-09-11T23:11:00.000-07:00

.
Our last time in the village proved to be quite eventful. As most of you know, our truck was in an accident. Thankfully we were not in the truck. This termite "invasion" also happened on a Monday morning. That was after two ant "invasions" Saturday and Sunday nights. (see next picture - there are ants and baby sacs which is quite gross) Needless to say, by lunchtime, our house was a lot cleaner but my tolerance level of village life was a LOT lower!

Watermelon Anyone?

2009-05-06T00:50:00.000-07:00

And one of Silas crawling.

2009-03-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

More, more, more

2009-03-15T06:41:00.002-07:00

Oma reading to the boys before breakfast.

The four musketeers at our last bonfire. Can we say troubleÉ

Silas enjoying dinner at the bonfire with Oma. Stephen had fun roasting his marshmellow.

It is happening!

2009-03-15T06:32:00.000-07:00

Here are two trucks on the road. I guess there are no weight limits or height limits here!
Here is Stephen with a warthog at Yankari Game Reserve. This was after the baboons ate all the food I packed for them! But, before getting sick and a flat tire on the way home!

Samuel was sick on this trip so here he was sleeping on Daddy in the water. Relaxing and comfy.

And more ... is this really happeningÉ

2009-03-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

Jono and Stephen and Samuel and their new bikes!
Janice canning spaghetti sauce, salsa, and pizza sauce. Thanks Mom B for all your help!

Some more pics

2009-03-15T06:21:00.000-07:00

Stephen lifting weights
Jono and Andy shopping for a tap for our water tank so it won`t leak anymore.

Big family picture with Opa and Oma and new bikes!

2009-03-15T06:19:00.000-07:00

Hello!

2009-03-15T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Here is to trying again!
Things are going well. Its really hot and humid but I think we have adjusted to it. We consume large amounts of water all day long and sweat all day long, even while we sleep.
The boys continue to grow and change. Silas likes to walk holding our hands and can crawl anywhere to keep up with his brothers. Stephen loves to ride his new bike and it looks well worn. Samuel prefers to sit on his and tell us that Oma and Opa brought it for him.
Jono is busy with work. He is working on some alphabet books and collecting more data. I am busy with the boys. I have given up trying to keep them clean!

A few photos - would have been nice

2008-12-28T06:33:00.000-08:00

Hi there loyal reader, it has been long and again, apologies are offered. However, I think as bloggers we all know that life has phases. Sometimes we blog during those phases and sometimes we don't.
Well, Merry Christmas to you all. We hope you enjoyed tables of food and good times with those closest to you.
Unfortunately pictures are not uploading today, but we do hope you are all enjoying the holiday season.

Some pictures?

2008-11-05T05:52:00.000-08:00

Latest family photo for our newsletter.
The boys with their new sunglasses and Christmas presents from Aunt Kendra and Uncle Jon. Thanks for making our return to the city an exciting Christmas experience!

So, it seems that maybe I can access our blog but I am unable to send a simple, small email. What is up with that?

At long last ... maybe a post

2008-11-05T05:49:00.000-08:00

Here's to hoping that something computer related worked today.

Wow!! Kwana biyu...

2008-03-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

Well, it certainly has been a while since we posted anything on this site. We apologize for this. Of course, we do have reasons, or excuses, depending on how you look at it. The main reasons are
1. Not having internet access at home. Of course, there are some people out there who don't let that stop them.
2. The Power company in this country has problems supplying it's population with reliable electricity which further prohibits the posting of material on our blog.
3. We have been out of Jos in the village during which time we don't even have access to phones, let alone the internet.
We are getting used to the lack of the basic necessities of life, but we still haven't figured out how to blog when we don't have them.
I had planned to post some pictures if I could, but something has changed on this posting page, and I can't figure out how to post pictures. What a pain.
Most of you who look at the blog receive our newsletters anyway, so you'll be getting some news from us very shortly.
Happy Easter, by the way. I think that Easter is even more exciting than Christmas in many ways. Christ somehow even when he was dead was able to return to the land of the living!! Amazing. I hope you enjoy celebrating that feat today.

Family pictures

2007-11-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

We haven't been very good at taking pictures but here are a few from a "photo shoot" that we did for our newsletter picture. These are a couple of the ones that didn't make it.

And here is Samuel playing with some of the neighbourhood kids. He loves to play in the dirt and put sticks in his mouth. Hopefully in the long term he'll develop a better immunity to whatever he is putting in his mouth.

Some pictures of our life in Nigeria

2007-10-12T07:10:00.001-07:00

Hopefully there are still some people who visit this blog once in a while. We can't promise that we will be any more regular, but we will do our best.
Some of these pictures are recycled from our email update that we send out. But here they are again.
Stephen sitting on one of our 14 suitcases!!
New Duplos!!
Samuel enjoys them, too.
The easiest way to keep the boys out of trouble... Stephen LOVES Mighty Machines. Samuel actually doesn't really like watching movies too much. I suppose that's good.
Here we see a rare sight indeed! First, Janice is ironing. Second, she's ironing diapers. Apparently, when it's mango fly season it becomes necessary to iron clothes in order to kill the mango fly larvae that may have embedded themselves in your laundry. It's not actually mango fly season, so on this particular day we didn't need to be ironing the diapers. Live and learn, I guess.
Janice and Stephen are making cookies in the kitchen. They turned out very well, especially considering it was Janice's first time baking them with this gas oven.
Samuel has learned how to crawl the "real" way. He no longer drags himself commando-style through the house. Isn't he cute? He has not been feeling himself the past couple of days. We think he has a cold, or is sick with something. His naps are very short and he wakes up happy, but only for half an hour, or so and then he realizes he's tired and grumpy.
This is the general state of Stephen's room.
These are a few of the neighbourhood kids. There are a few who are closer to Stephen's age, too. These guys really enjoyed playing with the Duplo.
Here is Stephen with his ball, walking to invite some of the kids to play. This was before he knew any of them, so he was actually being quite brave by just walking over to their house and asking them to play with him. Now he knows most of the kids pretty well. They get along well for the most part, although it's not always easy for him.

Some pictures of our life in Nigeria

2007-10-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

Nigeria!

2007-10-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

Well, now that you know that.... our apologies for not updating for a long time. We have been realizing the limitations of the internet here. It is even more severe than our dial-up connection in Ontario. We also were unable to log on to our blog for a couple days. Every time we tried, we were rerouted to the wrong page.
Anyway, now that we have most of the bugs fixed, we will make sure we post some new stuff up here.
The battery in the laptop is almost dead, but tomorrow we will try to post some new stuff!

Weird

2007-10-11T13:54:00.001-07:00

Everything on this page is in Italian and I don't know why. Hopefully I can navigate my way around well enough.

The Wedding of Jonathan & Kendra Ippel

2007-09-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

We spent some time in Michigan to be a part of our friends wedding festivities. Our family went camping for that long weekend. We were able to see friends that we hadn't seen in years and months! Stephen did a great job as "Superkid" and all the brown dresses looked pretty good together. Here are the girls.

Jon & Kendra cutting the yummy cake.

Samuel standing up on the beach.

The Bride & Groom

The Group Reunited from all over this continent!

Uncle Jake & Aunt Donna - it was great to spend some time with you again too!

Despite all the misfortunes and adventures, it was a great weekend!

Friends

2007-09-03T18:33:00.000-07:00

Back in July we also got to visit some friends down in the Niagara area. Stephen and Noah played in the pool right next to the new subdivision that's going in around the house.

Stephen and the neighbour kids at the Listowel parade.

Stephen and Zachary looking very hot and tired. The more we talked to Hannah and Ryan about Zachary, the more we became convinced that he and Stephen could have been brothers. It's reassuring to know that Stephen is normal.
Janae, Samuel and Daniel smile for the camera.

Stephen's birthday

2007-09-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

Here we are again, after a loooong break from blogging. We do apologize. These are some pictures that we took for Stephen's birthday. We made a pinata of Bob the Tomato. Stephen really enjoyed making the pinata for about 5 minutes.

These are the girls from the party. Stephen doesn't really have any kids his age that are boys, but he doesn't really mind that.
The kids made Fruit Loop necklaces to kill some time.
The kids took turns hitting the pinata with a baseball bat, but it wasn't breaking, so we ended up using a croquet mallet which did a lot more damage.

New York

2007-08-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

So, we had a great time in New York City. We visited Jono's Uncle Marten in Manhattan and a friend, Dorollo, who also works in Manhattan.
Stephen and Uncle Marten played "blocks" with checkers pieces. The best part about Uncle Marten's apartment was the automatic vacuum cleaner, according to Stephen. Janice and I liked the view from the balcony.
You can't have pictures of New York City without pictures of Lady Liberty.
Here is Janice trying to teach Stephen to play the piano at F.A.O. Schwartz.
We went to the zoo in Central Park, which Stephen really enjoyed.
Here, Janice, Stephen and Samuel try to stay dry while we wait for the rain to stop.

Boston

2007-07-11T06:32:00.001-07:00

We're now in Boston, Massachusetts visiting some friends whom we haven't seen for almost two years. Josh and Minhee are friends from Korea. They have been living in Boston where Josh is a pastor and Minhee is studying. Thanks for everything, guys.

High Peaks Wilderness Area in the Adirondaks

2007-07-11T06:21:00.000-07:00

My college friend, Dan, and I went for a three-night hike in the Adirondaks. It was a very enjoyable time despite the rain. We slept in lean-to's every night, making it seem less like hiking and more like a holiday. We made it to the top of one peak, Mount Marcy. My camera battery died on the second day, so these are all the pictures I got.

This is really the only wildlife we saw, except for some chipmunks, frogs and toads.

Niagara

2007-07-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

Jono's parents watched the boys for a one night and two days while we went out for the night. We went to Niagara Falls and saw a show. Cirque Niagara put on quite the performance. Of course, they wouldn't let us take any pictures, so this one of the tent will have to do.
When we arrived back at our hotel room after the show, we were able to see some fireworks over the falls. The casino was also very prominent outside our window.
We did a "drive-by" of the Falls this time, rather than get out.
Thanks Mom and Dad, for taking such good care of the boys.

Summer activities

2007-07-11T06:04:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple pictures of things that the boys are enjoying doing this summer. Samuel loves the swing that we found. Stephen loves the sandbox in the backyard. He is also willing to push Samuel on the swing for short periods of time because then he gets his turn faster.

Killbear

2007-06-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate enough to spend some time at Killbear with the Drost family for a week. Here are a few pictures of our time.
Here is Samuel on the way up to the park.
Dinner time.

Theresa putting together some yummy Smores.
Stephen pushing Samuel on the swing that we found.

Chayton's second birthday! The poor little guy had a bad ear ache and had to leave early from camping.
Breakfast.
We went for a picnic on some rocks.
Uncle Joe and Stephen in the "Tube-n-it."
Stephen and Samuel in the lean-to that Joe and I made for them.
Walking home.

At the beach.
On the way out of the park.

Blue Jays game

2007-06-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

For Jono's 30th birthday we went to a Blue Jays baseball game as a family. It was an afternoon game and there were tons of school kids there because it's the end of the school year. We sat in the nosebleed section. Stephen's favourite part was the "2 tractors and 1 four wheeler and 2 jeeps" that came out before the game to work on the bases. But he also enjoyed watching the game. Samuel slept through most of it, surprisingly.
The boys got a Blue Jays ruler and pencil.

Random pictures

2007-06-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

A family friend who drives a truck stopped by just before dinner one night and invited us to take a look at the truck. Stephen enjoyed playing in the cab and even got to run up and down the trailer which wasn't quite full. However, he wouldn't touch the air horn.

Oma Great holds her third grandson, Samuel. She has really enjoyed having them around.

One day after church Stephen fell asleep on the couch. He didn't want to have a nap, but apparently he was tired.

Stephen and his friend Zachary have desert at Jono's 30th birthday party.

Stephen and Samuel like to hide in the crib. It's actually more Stephen who likes to hide, but Samuel doesn't mind spending time with his brother.

Outdoor fun

2007-06-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

Stephen has been spending a lot of time outside since the nice weather has come. He loves the sandbox and trampoline and his "Lightning McQueen" (trike). These are just a couple pictures of our outside activities.

Mother's Day and Father's Day for Oma and Opa

2007-06-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

For our parents' special days this year we bought them all a couple of trees, on for each of the boys. Here are pictures of Stephen and Samuel with Oma and Opa by the trees. The first picture is the tree that was bought for Dad by the whole family. This is the Ash that we got for them. It goes in the back along the property line with about 5 other Ash trees.
These are the two lilac bushes that Oma wanted.

Family picture day

2007-05-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Last week on Saturday the wonderful Mr. Snoek agreed to take some family pictures for us. Despite the fact that we have a highly uncooperative toddler and a baby who has no clue what a camera is, we came away with at least one nice family picture. Mom wanted a picture of the two boys together, but that will have to wait for another day.
What a nice family.
Mrs. Snoek helped out by playing with Stephen during the breaks. Thanks for your help, guys.
Samuel might look like he's ready to walk, but in actual fact he is far from it.
Stephen desperately wanted to take Samuel for a ride in the wagon and it looks like Samuel really enjoyed it.

Congratulations Matt and Steph

2007-05-24T20:22:00.001-07:00

On May 5 (wow, that's a long time ago, now) Matt and Steph Drost were united in marriage. Congratulations, you two. May the Lord bless you with a happy and fruitful life together.
Stephen was the ring bearer. He actually got tired of his role about halfway down the aisle and threw the pillow to his uncle Matt. Good thing the real rings weren't on it. He had a great time with the flower girl, Meghan.
He also really loved the little "bike" he found in the basement of the church. At least it kept him occupied.
Everyone thought (and we agreed) that he was the cutest ring bearer ever.

More pictures from BC

2007-05-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more pictures from our trip back to BC.
Stephen and Jake get out the rally towels as they cheer for the Canucks against the Ducks. (The Ducks ended up winning the game, but it wasn't for lack of cheering.)
Donna tells Stephen about Goldilocks and the Three Bears. He was fascninated as she told the story. We will definitely miss you, Jake and Donna.
Hannah, Tamara and Stephen enjoyed a ride on the pink jeep at the playland we went to.

Wednesday

2007-04-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday morning we went to the Lees for a playdate. Janice used to babysit the girls last year when we lived in Langley. Here's Charlotte pushing Samuel in the doll stroller.
Stephen loved to swing on their indoor swing. Yes, it was raining when we visited.
Here are the four kids: Charlotte, Annika, Samuel and Stephen. Stephen says thanks for the airplane back pack!

A big helper or a big hinderance?

2007-04-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

Two Mondays ago, Pake, Jono, Uncle Matt and Stephen put in a new floor in my parents hallway. Stephen wanted to help them all night. He really wanted to ride his tricycle on the train tracks all night. I think he finally went to bed around 10pm that night! Hopefully the floor is finished before we go there next.
Oh yes, all us women, Mom, Theresa, Steph and Janice (and Samuel) were at a bridal shower for Steph!

Graduation from ACTS

2007-04-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

Jono receiving his diploma (an empty folder!).

Jono being hooded.
(I think he was the only graduate not wearing black pants and a tie!)

Jono and Dr. Radney, his advisor.

The whole family. Stephen developed 2 ear infections so he was in great shape and hit his head in the nursery during the ceremony!

The Master himself!!
Thanks Jake for taking pictures. And thanks Jake and Donna for coming to the ceremony!

He sits and other happenings!

2007-04-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Samuel is now able to sit by himself as long as his hands can take his weight.

The boys after a bath.

Making some Easter eggs at Oma and Opa's house.

We went to visit the Paytons on Easter Monday. There is exactly 2 months between Samuel and Jordan.

Stephen has a great time playing with Zachary and Derek and their toys!

The Jolly Jumper

2007-04-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

Samuel now has a jolly jumper that he enjoys "hanging" out in. Stephen was pretty excited about it when we first got it, too.

Long time

2007-04-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's been a long time since we have posted anything on this blog of ours. So, here are a few pictures from the past month or so.
About three or four weeks ago we went up to Ottawa to see old school friends. These are different old school friends from the other ones that we visited the weekend before this one. (Got that?) Anyway, they just had their first kid, Simon. Here he is with Stephen and Samuel. He's about two months younger than Samuel.
Then we headed up to Petawawa for the dedication of Phil and Leanne's two boys. Right as we were leaving from Ottawa to Petawawa the weather suddenly turned nasty. What should have been an hour drive turned into almost two hours. Not fun, especially when your youngest hates car rides.
We pray that Chayton and Reiken will grow up to know and love the Lord.
Stephen entertained himself with Aunt Theresa's phone during the ceremony.
And here's the first time that Stephen and Samuel had a bath together. Stephen loves to help by putting water on Samuel's head.

Blog

2007-04-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hi. Some of you may be under the impression that we have forgotten about our blog. The fact is, we have forgotten. And there's really not much new in our lives. Last week we got our third set of rabies vaccinations. That's about it.
Thanks for stopping by.

News

2007-03-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

Well, it's really been a while since we've posted. Not much is happening right now. We haven't even really been taking too many pictures for our blog.
Last weekend we went up to the bustling metropolis of Cobden, Ontario. We visited a couple of old friends from our Redeemer days. (They're called "old friends" because we've known them for so long, not because they are aging.) We mostly just hung out, played games and relaxed. We did make it over to Ottawa for some homestyle Korean cooking at Miga. I even got to pull out some of my rusty Korean restaurant language skills. They can't be too bad, since we got what we wanted.
On Sunday morning we spoke briefly to their church about Wycliffe's work and our future work. It went as well as it could have, considering there was no nursery or Sunday school that day.
Following the service we went down to the even bigger metropolis of Lyn, which is very near Tincap, Ontario. We spent the night at Jono's aunt's house. It was good to be able to visit them, since I think the last time we visited them was over 10 years ago.
All in all it turned out to be a busy, but enjoyable weekend.
In other news, for those of you who we don't talk to on a regular basis, we have received news that we are to be in Nigeria for September. It's a bit later than anticipated, and a bit later than we would have liked, but now we get to spend the summer here. It also gives us a bit of extra time to make sure we can get together with you all.
We really don't have any pictures recent picutres, so we'll leave you with this picture. It's a bit old but it'll do.

Dedication

2007-03-12T05:46:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we dedicated Samuel to the Lord in the presence of family and friends. It was a good time. We had about 20 people over to the house afterward for some soup and sandwiches.
Samuel was the star of the show. Oh yeah, and in case you're wondering, Samuel is wearing a gown, not a dress. (Gowns are not just for girls as demonstrated by the thousands of male university graduates who also wear gowns during their graduation ceremonies.)

My parents are dog-sitting for some friends and Stephen loves to play with Sugar.

Some new pics

2007-03-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

Stephen spends a lot of time on the potty. We are hoping it gets better!

We did a mini photo shoot with the boys today at home. We are too cheap to pay someone else to do it. How do you get a 2 1/2 year old and 2 1/2 month old to smile and look at the camera at the same time?

Here's a cutie!

Does he know how to show off?

Home in Port Perry

2007-02-12T16:11:00.000-08:00

Here are the two Barnhoorn boys. The get along great. No fighting at all. Hopefully that lasts.
Stephen is quite persistent. He is always able to convince someone to play with him. Here he is with Oma Great.
Opa reads a story to Stephen while Samuel sleeps in his seat.
Stephen is always excited to see snow because he gets to shovel it. If only he could actually move the snow off the driveway.
What a difference a year makes. Stephen hated snow a year ago. Now he loves to go out in it.

Trip

2007-02-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

Finally, I am getting around to posting some more pictures. I know that our cross-country trip is little more than a memory by now, but better late than never, right? Here are a couple of sample pictures. The big wooden box is the trailer that we pulled back. The people in the pictures are fellow travellers Rod, Rebecca and Daniel. Daniel and I were travel buddies. Dan kept me awake while I drove. Rebecca kept Rod awake while he drove. Dave and Evelyn left Langley with us and we drove as far as Banff together. Of course, there were tonnes of pictures of mountains, but these pictures best portray the feeling of the trip. Sleepy looks and lots of fillups. We ate cereal in the car for breakfast and didn't stop except for dinner and gas stops. All in all, a one of a kind trip.

The crew.
Filling up in Regina. -22 was pretty tough to take after living in BC for two years.
Rebecca getting breakfast ready.
In Hearst, Rod finally figured out what was wrong with the washer fluid. "Someone" had put water in the resevoir.
Dan waking up.
It's someone else's turn to drive.
Here we are safely back home in Port Perry after three days on the road.

Picture

2007-02-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

Us again.

Where have the Barnhoorns gone?

2007-01-25T08:59:00.000-08:00

Well, it's definitely been a long time since we updated this site. Mainly it is because the only internet connections we have are dial-up. Being ex-highspeed internet users, we find dial-up to be quite frustrating. So we have been avoiding the internet as much as possible. We have also been doing a bit of visiting friends and family. We were at Palmerston CRC last Sunday where we gave a quick update about what we have been up to.
We recently found a "wireless hotspot" at the local library here in Port Perry. That's where we are today. We hope you enjoy the pictures.These pictures are in the wrong order, but right now it doesn't matter. Here are a couple pictures of the us packing up and cleaning the house.

Here is a lovely picture of the Barnhoorn family on Christmas day. (Man, is it ever tough to get good pictures of toddlers!)
Uncle Dave thinks everyone should learn to play the guitar and Stephen agrees with him.
Here is a picture taken on Christmas day. We had a great time with the whole family. I don't think our house would've been cleaned and packed up in time if it weren't for the help of these great people. Thanks Barnhoorn gang. You guys are great! Thanks to Rod for taking these picutres, too.
Christmas 2006 is likely the last time in a long time that we will all be together. Praise God that we all got along. There were barely enough rooms for everyone. Rod and Rebecca had to sleep in the kitchen, and Dave and Evelyn were in the living room. Daniel had to sleep with Stephen. It was definitely a week to remember.

Trip

2007-01-02T20:59:00.000-08:00

For the third time in less than three years, I drove most of the way across the greatest country in the world. On December 28, I set out from Langley, BC with Rod, Rebecca and Dan. Dave and Ev drove with us until we reached Banff. We stopped at a hotel in Golden, BC the first night. (The website almost makes it look nice.)
After that we decided to drive straight through. Of course, we were pulling a box trailer that dropped our gas mileage to about 18 litres/100 km (or 11 MPG for you imperialists) so we made a fair number of stops at gas stations throughout the country. After driving out of BC, through Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and into Ontario within 24 hours, we finally arrived in Port Perry at about 1:00 pm on New Years Eve. The halfway point of the trip was actually just outside of the Ontario border.
After eating supper and playing some Boggle, Rebecca, Rod and I were all sleeping by 10:00, but Daniel went out with some friends and partied until about 5:00 am. (Now that's hardcore!)
The trip itself was relatively uneventful. The biggest excitement was when Rod managed to fix the windshield washer fluid sprayer! Actually we didn't even need it until we reached northern Ontario. This is not to say that the trip was boring, but that the trip went incredibly smoothly. We had good weather, no car troubles and no interpersonal conflicts. (In fact, the biggest issue was when Daniel beat me at Cribbage.)
Praise God for safe travels for over 4300 km of winter roads! We saw only one moose and very little snow.
Now hopefully these pictures will work. Rod and Dan took some real winners. I can't seem to upload them on this slow dial-up connection.