Tag Archives: family

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Meeting Mushers

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On Wednesday, December 1st, we went to one of the free programs at our public library called, “Mushing in the U.P: A Family Experience”.  This mushing team from the UP shared with us about their lifestyle, training, and racing.  It was so inspiring to hear dedicated athletes who not only care so much about their amazing dogs, but have so much respect and appreciation for nature.  The team, which is co-ed, won 4th place in the Copperdog 150 which is an annual UP race.  They are currently training to race in the Iditarod which is a 1,150 mile dog sled race in Alaska. 

Some cool facts we learned:
– Mushers consider their dogs athletes.  From rest to training to diet, they only give them the best.  They start training as pups where they learn the mushing lingo.  But for this team, the dogs are family too.
– Many dogs wear booties during the races to prevent the pads on their feet from cracking.  Some snow can be very dry and suck all of the moisture from their pads.
– Sled dogs really love to run.  Mushers have a variety of ways to brake and sometimes need to resort to all of them.
– Each team on race day is required to have certain tools in their sled at all times.  This includes snow shoes, a stove, food, matches, and a sleeping bag among other things. 
– Most sled teams have many dogs that train.  But for races, they have their 1st string, 2nd string, etc. teams according to ability and leadership.  Their team has an older blind dog that is one of their strongest leaders!
– Apparently, very few things beat a moon-lit sled-dog run through a quiet trail in the woods.

They brought 2 of their 50 Alaskan huskies and at the end of their presentation took some of the kids on a dog sled ride on a trail by the library.  The dogs were so gentle and friendly!  Hard to imagine that they are such fierce competitors. 

We look forward to being spectators at next year’s Copperdog 150 which tours the Keweenaw Peninsula!  That race will be on March 4, 5, and 6, 2011. 


The leader of the Bauer team with 3 kids piled in front of the sled.  The 2 dogs pulled all of them with ease!


The 2 boys standing in front of the sled.

Here is a video clip of the memorable opportunity we had to meet and watch these mushers and sled dogs in action!

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Micah Turns 3!

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The last day Micah was a 2 year old. 


Ty demonstrating his flexibility.

The next morning…

Micah’s birthday sign hand-made by Harabuhgee (…last year)! 

Surprise Breakfast!  Vegan Green Eggs & Ham!  He liked it, he liked it, Sam I Am!

The Birthday Boy himself!  We also checked out a few birthday books from the library that we read together.

New PJs and animal masks!  Imanuel used his $5 to buy Micah a jungle animal toy set, a rubber snake, and a plastic dinosaur – Micah insists it’s an alligator.

Micah’s birthday cake made by Grandma Helen!  It was our favorite cake ever!

Blowing out 3 candles!

Wonderful church family who came over for dinner:
Uncle Daniel, Grandma Helen, Great-Grandma Margie, Grandpa Mark, & Grandma Karen

Micah was so happy that day.    Thank you, everyone, for the calls, emails, gifts, cards, and for just thinking about him.  It means so much to us and our family!   

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Boys’ First Trip to the Dentist

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A few weeks back on October 28, the two older boys went to see the dentist for the first time. Actually, Manu had a scheduled appointment, and they said they would leave a chair open in case Micah felt up to it too. A week prior, I had one of my biannual cleanings and I decided to bring Imanuel along so he could observe. The last few times I had gone to the dentist, he had begged for me to take him too, but this last time, I felt, was the time. He sat very quietly and patiently as he watched Marcia scrap and grind away all of my tartar and plaque build-up. It was intriguing for him to see Marcia water down my mouth with the water syringe and then watch “Mr. Thirsty” in action as he suctioned it all out. He couldn’t wait for his time!

So, I brought both boys to the appointment. It wouldn’t be for a cleaning, though. It was just to take x-rays and for the dentist to count and assess their teeth. According to the hygienist, both boys did a great job and the x-rays turned out very well. In other words, Micah shocked all of us by actually sitting very still! The dentist had a difficult time believing Micah was still 2. It was a proud moment. The boys’ teeth looked good. Manu’s jaw is a bit misaligned, but the dentist said we’d wait until his adult teeth come in to begin any correction. The best part for the boys was getting to pick out a prize from the Treasure Chest that is down the hall in the corner. They both chose matching “I <3 to Brush” bouncy balls.

Last week, we scheduled the boys’ first cleaning, but this time, we waited in the waiting room. We, meaning, the rest of the family. Israel and Ty decided to come too since it was Daddy’s day off. Manu went in first and 20 minutes later when he came back out with shiny teeth, a brand new toothbrush and a tiny plastic magnifying glass, Micah couldn’t wait for his turn! He grabbed Marcia’s hand and marched through that door. I saw Marcia and the desk lady glance at each other with big grins. Micah came back about 20 minutes later as well with sparkly teeth, a new toothbrush, and of course, a tiny plastic magnifying glass from the Treasure Chest. Marcia said both of them did very well. When I asked the boys how they did, Manu reported that he “obeyed everything she said AND remembered to say ‘thank you’ at the end”. Micah said that he opened his mouth really wide for her and listened to her. He admitted that forgot to say thank you, but he did ask for lots of water to drink. He said he asked her “for another cup and another cup and another cup!” and then he cracked himself up. I was sure to let him know not to do that next time.

Here are some pics from that first visit to Dr. Richard’s office:


Dr. Richards liked Micah’s outfit. 🙂


He and his wife both went there.


The boys and their dentist, Dr. Richards. He is seriously so nice. Must be a UM thing.


Happy boys who love the dentist!

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Suisse Family Ramos: We’ll Remember…

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– Our long journey there and back

We were finally able to really use the “wallets” that Auntie Karen got for us…as passport covers!
 
Manu, our expert traveler and Ty, a rookie.  He did pretty well, considering.  🙂
 


– Our mode of transportation in Switzerland
 

– Playing
             

– Eating
   

– Driving to Milano, Italy
                

                   

– Meeting new uncles, aunties, & friends at ASI
 
                           

– Our hotel
                    
            
                                           (shoe shiner/buffer)
                          
                                               the final night
        

– And just being together.
  
                
                 

What an incredible opportunity we were able to share together.  We are so grateful for our friends there for a wonderful experience and fellowship.  It is amazing how God has opened up so many doors even though we are so unworthy.  I believe it shows what a gracious God we serve.  We believe there is a special group of people there who God is going to use to do an amazing work.  We are thankful for the opportunity to work with them and hope we can strive together until the Last Day.

CH, we miss you already!

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Suisse Family Ramos at ASI: Jetzt ist die Zeit

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Switzerland is composed of three major divisions: French, German, and Italian.  Last year, I had the opportunity to speak for the ASI Swiss Revival Congress in Geneva.  They were kind enough to invite me to Zurich this time for joint programs between ASI Swiss and ASI Germany.  Several programs came together including the ASI Swiss Revival, ASI Germany Convention, and a public documentary film viewing titled, “Creation”.  People from various parts of the region were able to attend.  Some of the countries represented were Austria, France, Portugal, Italy, (of course, Germany), and friends came all the way from Denmark! 

We had an enjoyable time here.  Tomorrow will be my final workshop presentation after the creation film is shown to the community.

Of course, the highlight was the Sabbath meetings.  More than 15k euros were raised for various different ASI Swiss and ASI Germany projects. 

Among the highlights of the weekend part of the our trip were seeing several friends that we met last year.  Our friends Jan and Sebina had their first baby girl a couple months ago!  Manu was able to see Uncle Wayne — engineer originally from South Africa — who took us all over the place last time we were in Switzerland and gave Manu many, many coins (he kept on losing them).  He was also reunited with Esther, his little friend who speaks Portuguese, Swedish, and a tad of French and English.

Here are some highlights:

– Milano Shirt Illustration
Since we were able to take some time off to ourselves, I had great stories for sermon illustrations.  I told them how we drove to Milano, Italy — fashion capital of the world — to buy a shirt that had “Milano” written on it, but could not find one.  I did find, however, a bunch of Mickey Mouse shirts!  All that driving and mission failed!  Someone responded, if you want a Milano shirt, go to New York!  Hahaha. 

– The Worst: Italians or Americans
I’m convinced that Italians are the Amerians of Europe.  It’s rare to find anyone who speaks another language!  While we were in Italy, I was trying to show off to Judy and the kids by acting like I could understand and speak a little italiano.  But I ended up speaking, if you can imagine, spanish with an italian accent.  The people at the meetings confirmed that Italians are known to be bright, but not to learn other languages. 

– European Food
We had pasta with red sauce and pesto sauce for lunch today.  Totally vegan.  Man!  When you get good pasta — like REALLY good pasta that has been cooked PERFECTLY, you can tell the difference.  The chef at the convention (-she was Adventist) made 50 kilos of pasta and it was perfect!  Her secret?  Make it al dente, and as soon as it comes off the water, put olive oil on it so it doesn’t stick — but don’t put the oil in the water with the cooking pasta.  I’m going to try it at home.  It also helps when the ingredients are good.  All of the food here is super-fresh…straight from the farm.

– Traffic
I was trying to show the Germans that Americans can hang with keeping an on-time schedule.  Fail.  The organizers got a rental van for my family and gave us a GPS.  For last night’s meeting, we were rushing, but doing okay with time.  We were supposed to be there at 6.  But we got there at 7:30!  Traffic was horrible.  Luckily, the president of ASI Germany rolled up late as well (with his nice Audi).  This morning, however, we were late again (this time only five minutes).  And we had no excuse this time.  Sigh.  But I think they’re still our friends 🙂

Here are some pics (thanks to Judy!):


Don’t know what all of this says, but that’s how my name looks in German 🙂


ASI motto: Sharing Christ in the Marketplace or Markplatz.


Google translate this if you really want to know 🙂

The boys in Sabbath School…which was in german.  Micah had difficulty focusing and here is trying to find a reason why he needs a band aid too. 


My interview before I spoke this morning. 


Manu and Micah watching, “Janice’s Attic”, on my computer.  Their stuffed animals are just hanging.  Micah has his Bible so, just in case Daddy doesn’t pull through, he can be ready.

Manu and his Swiss miss.

We had a very good day.  But we also missed our church members at home and look forward to being there soon!

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Suisse Family Ramos The Sequel: Trip to Zurich Zoo

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On Tuesday afternoon, we drove the 13km or so from the hotel to the Zurich Zoo.  It was Ty’s first time to a zoo and Manu and Micah’s second.  The only other zoo they went to was the DeYoung Zoo which is more like a rescue/rehabilitation.  They were super-excited to see some animals in real life!

It was an exciting drive there until we stepped out of the car.  One great thing about this hotel is that it has a connected heated garage.  The downfall is that we have no idea what the weather is like outside.  It was CHILLY.  The boys had fleece jackets on, but that wasn’t enough.  So, we spent the first 15 minutes in the zoo gift shop where we proceeded to the hat/socks/sweater section.  The bill was a bit painful, but if we were going to enjoy the zoo without the expense of getting sick, we had no other option.  The boys came out with 2 fleece lion and penguin hats and we bought a pair of elephant socks for Ty’s feet.  We put the socks he was wearing on his hands.  Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. 

It was only expected that once we stepped foot outside of the gift shop, that it started raining.  So, headed to the indoor acquarium to see the fish and other water creatures.  The rain did stop, though, so we were able to see nearly all of the animals and overall have a fun time together!  Overall it was a very nice zoo with good facilities for the animals.  The elephant exhibit was not cool, but the others were quite spacious with lots of natural elements like real trees and live vegetation.  It was nice how most of the animals always had the option of going into an enclosed, hidden shelter if they wanted to.  They also fed the predators whole animal carcasses…which was a bit gruesome, but good I guess.  After seeing that, Manu looked at some of the oryx and hoped that the wolves wouldn’t get them too. 

Biggest disappoint?  No giraffes…Micah’s favorite animal.  Biggest perk?  Owls…Israel’s favorite bird.  Lots of different species of owls including a couple of magnificent Great Horned Owls!  We were able to take lots of video footage with the Flip.  After a few hours spent with the animals, we called it a day. 

We’re excited for the ASI convention to begin!  Until next time…Guten Tag!
 

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Suisse Family Ramos Part I: Overcoming Jetlag

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 As you will see, by Day One, it was a losing battle. 
At the airport in Amsterdam during our layover…

During dinner on the day we arrived – Monday.

We, all, somehow woke up in one accord at 11pm Swiss time, hung out for an hour or so and then struggled to fall back asleep.  When we finally did, no one wanted to wake up the next morning.

 

Even my blingin’ b-day hat wasn’t able to keep Ty from falling asleep!

Never before have our boys begged us to let them lay down to sleep during the day.  It was hard trying to keep them awake, especially since we were so tempted to go ahead and take a nap with them!  But, for the most part, we stuck to our guns.  And they were troopers…Ty included! 

Our travel game plan was showers first thing in the morning, minimal naps during the day, drink lots of water, avoid excess sugar, and plenty of outdoor play time.  The weather has been brisk, so breathing in the cool air has been quite invigorating.  The plan has worked fairly well and the boys have been sleeping through the night and ready for a guten morgen when they wake up!  

Oh, and did I mention that Switzerland is absolutely breathtaking?!  

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Adventures in the Shenandoah Valley

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This past week, our family took a road trip to Virginia for SVA’s fall week of prayer.  From our home, it was a total of nearly 17 hours of just driving time.  So, for us, it was more like 20 hours counting fill-ups, eating, nursing, and potty stops.  It was a beautiful drive, though, and thankfully, the boys did great.  It was also nice that our parents live about halfway so we we’re able to take a pit stop there. 

Jen is an amazing teacher at SVA and so that’s how Israel got the invite to speak there.  We were so impressed by the beauty of not only Virginia, but also the campus!  It looked more like a mini-college campus.  The teachers and kids were great too!  For the weekend, Amy came over from UVA to hang out with us and we had lots of good conversation, relaxation, and fun.  It was one of those trips that reminded us of the blessing of true Christian friendship.  We’re going to miss you girls!

The boys really loved it there.  Jen lives just a couple of houses down from the school so we spent lots of time outside walking.  The neighbors let the boys play with their toys so Manu and Micah rode on their tricycle and drove their mini John Deere tractor around.  During this trip, Ty’s creeping has improved in both speed and form.  He enjoyed pulling Jen’s books out from her bookshelf and finding particles on the floor and putting them in his mouth.  And how could I forget…we all got acquainted with how to play the nose flute.  (It is a legit instrument…you should google it!)  Manu and Daddy are getting to be quite good.  A nice man from church gave each of the older boys a nose flute, complete with instructions on how to play.  We learned an important lesson that wasn’t included in the instructions:  No one should attempt to play the nose flute with a runny nose.   
  
The last couple of days we spent outside in nature.  The girls took us to an overlook that was breathtaking.  And, our trip wouldn’t have been complete without a meal at a Thai restaurant.  The three of us girls were able to spend some good quality time hanging out and having fun while Israel spent some hours in Jen’s room finding his roots.  But we may all be adopting “his” culture too.  It’s just a matter of making that commitment. 

What topped this trip off was that Ty learned to speak his first sentence!  He was getting quite fluent at saying, “mamamamama” but in the car he actually learned how to say “more mama”.  He said it several times when he wanted more food.  It was right at his 9 month birthday which makes his speech development a Ramos record!

We have a lot to remember…

Playing on campus


Discovering the “Gum Tree”…and learning that, tempting though it may be, it is NOT okay to take a piece of gum from it.

Meeting up with Auntie Amy at the school sign

The founder/history of SVA

A female praying mantis that we found on the window of the ad building!

In front of Jen’s house on Sabbath morning getting ready to walk to church

Daddy & his boys.  Manu is practicing the nose flute in this picture.

An evening stop with the girls at a local favorite while Israel was putting the boys down for bed.

Hanging at Jen’s place

Auntie Amy, Micah, Manu, and some animal friends

The leaves starting to change!

On the way to the lookout

A short stop for a wilderness survival lesson from Miss Song:  How to whistle using an acorn cap.

Daddy & Micah at the lookout

Ty wondering where the view is

Overall, God truly blessed our trip.  Students made decisions for the Lord, we had a blast spending time with friends, the weather was perfect, and the landscape just beautiful.  We couldn’t ask for anything more!  (Except for maybe some new brake pads…)

Thank you so much, Jen and Amy, for everything!  God bless you both there in Virginia and continue to be a light in your schools.  You are amazing women!
 

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Golf, Our New Family Sport

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My parents, in recent years, fell in love with the game of golf. Not only have they excelled in it themselves, they have taken the time and effort to teach us (-as in every member of our family-) this sport that we’re learning to appreciate.

During our most recent trip downstate, Dad took us all to the range. The boys were able to break in their new golf clubs that their harabuhgee handcrafted for them.

Here is a short video from that trip: