LookNam and Her Busy Social Life!

Since LookNam joined us, I pushed her into lots of activities so that she could have lots of experiences and meet new friends. Here are just a few more things she’s done so far: BVNW Homecoming with Win (another AFS student that goes to Bishop Miege), modeled her Thailand dress in a Blue Valley Schools cultural program, BVNW football games; dinner at Sullivans & BVN Homecoming with Peter Tassani and 26 other friends from YoungLife, attends YoungLife weekly on Monday nights, RezLife on Wednesday nights, Christmas at Resurrection rehearsals on Sunday afternoons; the Edge of Hell Haunted House & dance party; movies and hanging out at Sonic with friends from school, Royals baseball game night with AFS, Elly Reiger ASF weekend retreat; JDFR Walk for the Cure (diabetes); and more. I think we don’t have to worry about her feeling homesick. She is already juggling a pretty busy social calendar!

Renaissance Festival

We celebrated Labor Day this year at the Renaissance Festival with 7 exchange students from Thailand! Two were celebrating birthdays and so Looknam and I baked cupcakes to share with these AFS students for this impromptu birthday celebration.

It is always fun to turn back the clock 500 years, journey to Canterbury England and share in the merriment associated with the medieval days of pirates, princesses, and wenches. The boys loved the sword battles and jousting. And who doesn’t love a good turkey leg lunch and a funnel cake. But this year it was especially fun to see how foreign students reacted to the “Old English” of the many “actors” in the park. The weather was perfect this year and it was a delightful day all the way around!

Pool Closing Party

Today our neighborhood held their annual pool closing party. The highlight was the arrival of the shaved ice truck! Even though the weather was too cool for most party goers to jump in the pool, it’s never to cold for shaved ice! It was a big hit. My personal favorite flavor was the vanilla. I wonder where we can find this truck after the pool is long closed???

Caleb's 1st Touchdown!

In the Huskies first tackle football pre-season game of 2009, Caleb scored his first and the the team’s only touchdown! Number 15 can be seen running it past the goal line right here on our website by clicking on the video tab or clicking here! Ok, so we lost the game, but hey - we were so excited by Caleb’s big touchdown that it didn’t even matter. The very next Saturday, Caleb again scored two more touchdowns in their first season game. Even though one was called back due to illegal blocking, the Huskies scored their first big win with a couple more touchdowns from his teammates! Can you tell we are really proud of our 2nd grade full back and lineman?

Want to see Caleb's touchdown on YouTube? Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfHNUCG6kYI

Welcome Looknam!

Sunday afternoon we picked up the newest member of our family: Surangkana Tornsatitkul (Looknam)- an AFS exchange student from Thailand. She is 17 and will be staying with us for the next 10 months. We had lots of fun converting our office into a 5th bedroom filled with pink things for our new daughter. She is so sweet and we know it will be a fun year sharing our country with Looknam as we also learn more about Thailand!

Back to School 2009

Backpacks packed & ready...off they went... back to school! Dad drove Josh and Mom drove Caleb to their respective schools. This marks Josh’s last year in middle school. Caleb climbed up to 2nd grade this year and has a new teacher - Ms. Sornson. Except for the lightning that struck Josh’s school and took out a bunch of pcs.... it was an uneventful day. No tears. No meltdowns. No calls from school saying, “I forgot so & so...” No one threw up. No calls from the principal. The boys arrived home on their buses with smiles, happy about their first day back (probably because neither had homework). I enjoyed the quiet inside the house and the sound of rain, but it was a bit lonely and quite different from the unscheduled lazy days of summer. All too soon activities will be in full swing, so days like today are a treasure and far too few.

Montgomery Friends Reunited

We had the pleasure of hosting dinner to catch up with old friends Darin Lightfoot and the Webster family. Darin was in town for the Worship Arts conference being hosted by our church. Five years ago we were all living in Montgomery, Alabama, and involved with the contemporary worship service at Frazer UMC - praise band, sound, drama... but we all moved to Kansas and Tennessee (Darin). It was great to spend time reconnecting with old friends and getting to know the new kid on the block: Will Webster (born July 1st) - being held by Darin in the photo. Old friends sitting around enjoying sopapilla cheese cake & ice cream - now that’s what I call a great way to spend an evening!

Alabama Vacation - Days 1, 2 & 3

For the next few days, Lisa & I will be in Alabama, touring around visiting relatives. This morning Lisa, Jenni & I drove out to see Aunt Bobbie at her beautiful new house on the farm. It was a quick visit since she was heading to the airport for a visit with daughter Varina in North Carolina. Then we enjoyed breakfast at Cracker Barrel - this is where everyone on a vacation should make at least one stop. Then Jenni went to work and Lisa and I drove on to Montgomery to visit Uncle Val. We must really rate, because he served us homemade Brunswick stew and fresh tomato sandwiches (BLT's in Southern Speak)! Stopped long enough to have pedicures with a couple of my Montgomery friends Becky & Betsy and then we were off again ...this time to Birmingham to dine with cousins Krista Gallimore & Karen Edwards. Afterwards we all stopped in to see Aunt Christine and talked late into the night. Spent Friday night at Krista & Tom's. Learned all about her lasted craze - she collects pewter (can't remember the designer's name) - and then off again - to Selma. Ate the best Southern style meal there with Aunt Ann & Uncle Bob - that means there were at least 4-5 vegetables involved - and dewberry cobbler (the best!). Can't wait to get home to make that! Aunt Pat & Uncle Winston came by too. Stopped by the old farm and rummaged through the shed looking for props for Kaley's next play on our way to see Gramps (who turns 94 in August) and I must say that he looked so much better than I anticipated. Spent time with [Aunt] Linda and helped here rearrange her knicknacks.... Drove back to Dothan to spend Saturday night with Jenni. Lisa was sad because we couldn't find a Krispy Kreme donut place on the way there. On Sunday we actually stayed in Dothan visiting all day with Jenni & Jake. We drove to Daleville & Ft. Rucker and saw the house where Lisa & I lived back in the 60's. We saw our old church (where I almost drowned being baptized...ok so I exaggerate), and even found the trailer park we lived in when Dad when to Viet Nam. We've come a long way since our days in the double-wide! We ended the day watching Michael Jackson retrospectives on TV while we digested a meal we created from the leftovers Aunt Ann sent us home with. Yum yum! I think I've gained 5 pounds on this vacation! As soon as I get back to Florida tomorrow I'll hook up Lisa's camera to my pc and add some photos from our travels to see our relatives. Today's mishaps - I left my iphone charger at Krista's and somehow lost one of my shoes (not the whole pair - just one). I'm so bummed! Oh, did I mention that Lisa finally found her Krispy Kreme hot donuts! Tomorrow we head back to sunny Florida. It's way too hot here in Alabama. Thanks to all my relatives for welcoming us and feeding us well! We have enjoyed connecting with everyone this weekend!

Florida Vacation - Day 4

Today we added "Uncle Mike" to our entourage and drove to New Smyrna Beach for our last day at the beach during our vacation. Everyone of us - adults & kids - played in the surf. The waves were wonderful - the weather even better. Even us half centurions can body surf still! After being pounded by several big waves, I finally remembered that diving through them was so much easier! Uncle Mike and the boys enjoyed tossing the football around in the surf. And finally, after a couple of hours of beach fun, we packed up and headed to Chase's - a great restaurant on the beach where we ate outside overlooking the ocean, dining on grouper sandwiches, listening to live music and watching people play in the surf. Then we hit the local ice cream joint and headed back to Lake Mary to pack up the boys and take them to the airport. On the way to the airport we learned that Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson had both died that day. This came just days after Ed Mcmahon died. Not a good week for celebrities. Amazing what you miss when you are away from electronics for a few hours. After hugs and goodbyes, Lisa and I drove 6 hours to Dothan, Alabama, and spent the night with Jenni in her gorgeous home. Jenni is the most talented decorator I know. Her homes always look like something out of Southern Homes & Garden (or better). Another great day on vacation! I'll post pictures later when I get to the camera cord.....

Florida Vacation - Day 3

On our third day in sunny Florida, we headed to Viera after a slow vacation-style start to visit with the McWains again. Viera is a new city, just south of Cocoa Beach. After a nice lunch at the McWains beautiful new home, a friendly game of Wii bowling and a swim in their saline pool (no bloodshot eyes for the kids!) we gathered the troops and took a nice driving tour of area. They stopped in to show us their new church and the first person I spotted was none other than Coach Brandon - Caleb's former basketball coach from First Family Church in Kansas. It was great to see him again. Small world. We spent the rest of the day at Cocoa Beach: We visited Ron Jon's [surf shop] of course; ate crab legs at the famous pier while the sun set; watched the kids swim in the surf. Katie found a crab. We watched a man on the pier reel in a fish. A sea gull pooped on Terry's head. It was a beautiful day and the summer breezes kept us cool. Great day! There is just something so calming about the beach. Everyone is a little friendlier, the attitudes are casual, and the pace is slower. I only wish we had more days like this to feel the sand between our toes while taking in amazing scenery in the company of friends. As we drove back to Orlando with sleeping children in the car I couldn't help but count my blessings.

Florida Vacation - Day 2

Tuesday - Day 2 of our vacation started with sleeping in late, eating breakfast, and packing up the car bound for the beach! After all, this is a beach vacation isn't it? Loaded with suntan lotion, towels, chairs, umbrella, and Crunch-n-Munch.... we were off to famous Daytona Beach - only 55 minutes away. It was a gorgeous day - not nearly as hot - even slightly overcast! We drove past the famous Daytona Speedway, then across the bridge to the Wyndham Oceans Walk resort (next to Daytona Lagoon water park). We made a note to talk our friends (the Hubers) into using their Wyndham time share points there next summer for a return visit and joining in on their fun. The resort is also adjacent to colorful shops, including Bubba Gumps, where we ate lunch and had shrimp, of course!

After lunch we hopped in the car and drove right onto the beach (they charge $3 for this experience now). We parked, hauled our gear closer to the shoreline and hit the surf. The wind was blowing such that we had some great waves and all of us swam out to the sand bar and dodged waves for quite a while. And you know how some folks "catch a wave"? Well, we "caught a fish"! Yes, a small fish surprised Lisa, Caleb & I and flopped up on our raft! "This is the best vacation ever!" squealed Caleb. There was one hysterical moment (as it turned out) that I must share. Right after one of the larger waves slammed into us, Caleb started crying and had such a look of fear on his face. So, Terry lifted him high above the waves to calm him. We all thought he had gotten scared because of the size of the wave that caused him to go under water. So, as Terry is taking him ashore for a break, he yelled back to Lisa & I that he knew why Caleb had gotten so frightened. Just before that large wave hit (and almost caused Mary to lose her favorite $5 Premier Designs sunglasses), Lisa had been telling us about the TV special where some expert said that if you pee in the ocean it would attract sharks. Are you figuring it out now? Yes, Caleb had just peed in the Ocean right before Lisa told us this harrowing piece of news! Lisa and I laughed so hard that I almost attracted some sharks myself!

As we drove out of Daytona, sandy and slightly sunburned (suntan lotion works better when you actually put it on), Terry pulled into the Krispy Kreme amid cheers from everyone in the car. Today's mishap: My favorite Casio Exilim camera broke! (Pam F. can I buy yours?) Right after we took the Bubba Gumps photo above, sand must have gotten into the lens because it won't open or close. Thank goodness Terry grabbed our old camera right before we left our house in Kansas. Too bad though that he left it in the car at the Kansas City airport. Guess I'll be borrowing Lisa's tomorrow. I couldn't help but notice how much nicer Daytona is than the somewhat seedy memories I have of the area from my days in college. I had also forgotten how nice the waves are on the East coast. Great beach. I'll be back. We rounded out the evening with the reality-addicted adults watching the premier of "America's Got Talent" and the kids swimming with Kaley in the salt-free lighted pool. Another perfect end to day 2 of our Florida Vacation 2009. Tomorrow we're off to Cocoa Beach!

Florida Vacation - Day 1

Yesterday was Father's Day and we spent most of the day packing and traveling to Orlando where we arrived at 10:01 pm. Just one week ago I discovered this great deal on AirTran ($49 one way flights) that was too good to pass up so we put the wheels in motion and planned a beach vacation. The plan is to stay at the "McLean" resort in Lake Mary (my sister's) and take day trips to different beaches each day. Being in Kansas we couldn't be farther from a coastline and this former Florida girl misses the sounds of those waves! On Thursday night my sister and I will drop the "boys" off at the airport and drive to Alabama to visit relatives for several days while the boys golf or camp or do what boys do. I'm secretly hoping that us girls (all 3 of the Twilley sisters) will get a chance to hit one more beach on the panhandle of Florida before I head back to the land of Oz.

So, on Day 1 (Monday) of our vacation we reunited with our former Kansas cul-de-sac neighbors, the McWains, who joined us at my sister's Lake Mary "resort" for a pool party & cookout. Caleb was so excited to see his buddy Andrew who were inseparable all day. It was a very hot & humid day, but if was a wonderful day of fellowship with old friends. After a slight mishap with some burned popcorn and a certain 8 year old boy, we headed to the local Japanese steakhouse to escape the charred smell and closed out a perfect beginning to our Florida Vacation with a wonderful meal. Oh yes, I forgot to mention, that we were also reunited with Abby - our puppy that we gave to our niece, Kaley, on her 16th birthday last year! Even the McWains enjoyed seeing Abby because she was living with us when they stilled live in Kansas. So ends, day 1. Tune in tomorrow for Day 2 of Florida Vacation 2009. By the way, I would have added a photo here but I was having so much fun that I forgot to unpack my camera!

Father's Day 2009

Today is Father's Day and I just wanted to pause and reflect on the importance of Fathers. I am so fortunate to have such a great Father to my two sons, Terry Haines. Terry is a giant when it comes to integrity and loyalty. A man like that only exists because of the influence of other great Fathers in his life. Terry's father, Paul W. Haines, is one of those men. And Terry's father is also a reflection of another great father, Paul W.'s father and Terry's grandfather, Paul E. Haines. These career missionaries embodied the pioneer spirit and unselfish character of true servant leaders. All three of these men are godly men of strength and character. I too was blessed with such a father, LeRoy G. Twilley. Although he passed away 15 years ago, his influence remains and will continue to positively impact the lives of those he touched. The common thread that binds these exemplary role models together is their love of the most famous Father of all - our Father in heaven. So, for all you Fathers out there who want to make a positive impact on those you care about and hold dear, nurture your relationship with your heavenly Father first. Because it is through that relationship that you really learn what it means to be a father. God bless all the Fathers out there - the ones who paved the way before us and those we are raising up to be Fathers in the future!

Caleb's football birthday

Today was the last day of school AND Caleb’s 8th birthday. So, I got creative this year and quickly organized a football birthday party. I rented the Blue Valley Northwest high school stadium (synthetic turf, bleachers, and a guest celebrity) where we’d have enough room to invite not only his entire flag football team but his 1st grade classmates as well. Everything was perfect, right until we drove up to the stadium and it started to drizzle. The kids had so much fun though that they didn’t seem to care. The flag football coaches organized a scrimmage and the girls learned some cheers from the coach’s daughter. Anthony Davis formerly with the KC Chiefs & Panthers stopped by to show the kids his Super Bowl ring and offered encouragement to the kids and the coaches. Then there was cake and presentsI What a great way to end the school year. And yes, that’s a signed Tony Gonzales jersey in the smaller photo. Too bad he left the Chiefs. The connections I made while working on the COR Auction paid off for our young sports fanatic. I think he’ll remember this birthday... what do you think?

A Fond Farewell

On Monday night (May 11th) we got a call that our sweet Grandma Vi passed away.  She was in her 90's and was recently moved into a nursing home after a bad fall.  Just this week she fell again, this time breaking her hip and suffering a heart attack.  It was too much for someone so frail.  But she was ready to go and is now at peace.  Terry has taken off to Indianapolis to celebrate her wonderful life with his siblings.  Vi was the 2nd wife of Terry's grandfather (one of the first missionaries into china) and served as secretary of OMS (Oriental Missionary Society) for many years after serving in Columbia as a missionary herself.  I often teased Grandma Vi about her Canadian accent and enjoyed her many stories she shared during holidays over a game of Scrabble.  Haines holidays just won't be the same without Vi's pies (she shared her French Silk Pie recipe with me!).  We will miss you Vi.  Godspeed.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Branson

In May, my sister Lisa (2nd from the left) flew in from Orlando and joined my girlfriends Kathy, Kelsey and Pam on a weekend getaway trip to Branson. Kelsey had Wyndham timeshare points to burn so we cashed in on her generosity and had a great time shopping, dining, Riding the Ducks, winery tour, and seeing “Spirit of the Dance.” Lots of girl time to talk, talk, and talk some more. Considering how different we all are, everyone got along so well. There is just something special about being with girlfriends. But after all the fun, it is always good to come home again. I missed all my boys!

Resurrection Auction & Golf Classic a Big Success!

I've been crazy busy these past few weeks on the Resurrection Golf Classic and Auction which were held on May 4th & 8th.  We had great weather for both.  The golf tournament was sold out and we had record attendance at the Auction (1132)!  Just looking at gross proceeds from the Auction we took in over $116,000 (about $20,000 more than last year)!  Even the little auction donation puppy we kept for 3 weeks sold for $1900!  We'll miss little Murphy, as we so affectionately called him.  In a year defined as the worst economic downturn in the 14 year history of these events, we had a banner year.  It appears that folks are keeping their priorities focused on the needs of others and cutting back their expenditures at home instead taking away from the downtrodden.  That's such an encouragement.  I was so proud of our church for supporting these events in a big way...largely in part due to a last minute appeal by our senior pastor.  It was quite exciting!  Even the entertainment added much to the evening (a 50's singing group called the Taffetas).  I'm glad it's behind me so now I can catch up on my sleep and finally get my household re-organized.  Whew!  And to think.... it will all repeat again in less than 360 days!

We'll Miss you, Uncle Buddy!

Tragically, my uncle Henry died this week. Sadly, I could not fly to Alabama for the funeral because it was too close to my ear surgery. So, I spent a little time looking over some old photos of my mom's brother (just 2 years younger than she) and found this one. Whether you called him Henry, Buddy, or Big Henry, or just "Big", he was an uncomplicated Southern man from a small town with a big heart and warm smile. He loved his family with a passion and we will miss him dearly. My cousin told me today about this Alan Jackson song that just describes him to a T. And yes, I have to agree. Check out the video from YouTube (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5675415937808124856 ). Here are the lyrics:

"Small Town Southern Man" by Alan Jackson

Artist: Alan Jackson
Song: Small Town Southern Man
Album: Good Times


Born the middle son of a farmer
And a small town Southern man
Like his daddy's daddy before him
Brought up workin' on the land
Fell in love with a small town woman
And they married up and settled down
Natural way of life if you're lucky
For a small town Southern man

First there came four pretty daughters
For this small town Southern man
Then a few years later came another
A boy, he wasn't planned
Seven people livin' all together
In a house built with his own hands
Little words with love and understandin'
From a small town Southern man

Chorus:
And he bowed his head to Jesus
And he stood for Uncle Sam
And he only loved one woman
(He) was always proud of what he had
He said his greatest contribution
Is the ones you leave behind
Raised on the ways and gentle kindness
Of a small town Southern man
(Raised on the ways and gentle kindness)
(Of a small town Southern man)

Callous hands told the story
For this small town Southern man
He gave it all to keep it all together
And keep his family on his land
Like his daddy, years wore out his body
Made it hard just to walk and stand
You can break the back
But you can't break the spirit
Of a small town Southern man

(Repeat Chorus)

Finally death came callin'
For this small town Southern man
He said it's alright 'cause I see angels
And they got me by the hand
Don't you cry, and don't you worry
I'm blessed, and I know I am
'Cause God has a place in Heaven
For a small town Southern man

(Repeat Chorus)

Happy Easter

Christ has risen indeed!  I just had to post a few pictures of Easters past that I ran across today. The black & white one is from Easter 1964.  Yes, that's me with my sister, Lisa, at my grandmother's house in our Easter dresses, hats, & purses made by our mom (that poor cat!). Then there are the cute ones of the boys when they still enjoyed Easter egg hunts and playing with bunnies rather than trying to shoot them with bb guns.  Where does the time go?  

Update

I can't believe I haven't written anything on my blog since my surgery.  Well yes, I can.  Healing from my ear surgery hasn't been fun - too slow - and I hate not being able to hear.  I hate feeling like I have an ear infection every day.  Now my doctor says I also have burning tongue syndrome.... probably caused from the trauma of the surgery and my taste buds are impaired.  Something to do with the tympanic nerve?  Since I can't hear well, noisy places are confusing... so I've been retreating to my quiet space in my bedroom.  Discovered a new great book by Francine Rivers (Voice in the Wind) about Esther - which happens also to be the Bible Study I just finished by Beth Moore.  Hearing impaired people can still work, so, I've also been working hard on the Resurrection Golf Auction.  I have an unpainted playhouse now in my garage and will be picking up a puppy next week (won't Terry be surprised when he comes home from his trip) - both are auction items on May 8th.  Want to know more about the Golf Auction?  Check out the website at www.cor.org/auction .  There's a picture of the puppy there too under "partial listing of items to be auctioned off."