Family Update

Dear Friends & Family, May 26, 2009

Well, this was supposed to be a Christmas letter...and then a New Year’s Letter...but as I’m sure you’re well aware, it’s now nearly half way through 2009! As the kids have gotten older I’ve found it tougher to do numerous updates through the year like I did when the kids were little. I have, however been able to keep in touch through facebook & my new blog-Walking with the Werdals (which is basically an online journal). For those of you who are interested in hearing what we’re up to I would love it if you would check out the blog (http://bhwerdalfamily.blogspot.com) or add me as a friend on facebook. If you’d like to find out when I post a new entry on the blog (which is usually once or twice a week), just click the feeds button & subscribe to the feed. I love using this feature so that I don’t have to waste time checking to see if my friends have written anything. Since I only started the blog in October, I’ll give you a quick recap of the year & then I’m going to let the kids write the rest of this updateJ.

Ë We had an exciting start to the year with the arrival of our first niece on New Year’s Day! Kaitlyn (daughter of Nathanael & Brandy) was the New Years baby in Olds!

Ë We started the year with no senior pastor at our church. I had been asked to be on the search committee in the spring of 2007...shortly after Pastor Charlie passed away. It was a huge honor to be a part of that process. January consisted of a lot of meetings for me as we came closer to meeting the pastor God was preparing for our church. After meeting them in February we were thrilled in April to welcome our new senior pastor Kent Janz & his family! When the congregation voted to ask them to come here, it was unanimous! It was so fun, after being on the search committee for nearly a year, to see him come!!! We have really enjoyed getting to know Pastor Kent & Jodi.

Ë For a few years now I’ve been eyeing an event...Day Out with Thomas...but wanted to wait till all the kids were old enough to enjoy it. We decided 2008 was the year. Unfortunately that morning Ben was sick...sicker than I’ve ever seen him. He really didn’t want to miss this & decided to go anyways, but by the time we got there he could barely walk. He ended up laying in the grass while I took the kids from one station to another...running back to show Ben after each one. The kids had a blast...and Ben ended up quite enjoying it too...memories of a lifetime!

Ë Another May highlight was going on a ladies weekend away with my sister-in-laws & mother-in-law...a wonderful time away!

Ë Although I don’t keep in touch with a lot of people from high school anymore, there are a number that I do & it was a lot of fun to touch base with them in June at our 10 year reunion...makes me feel old!

Ë June also brought a new nephew to our family. Max was born to James & Cheri on June 22 (we now have 3 family birthdays on that day!).

Ë In July Benjamin thoroughly enjoyed his first experiences with camp! At the beginning of July he went to a father/son camp with Ben (Camp Teepee Pole), followed by 3 nights on his own at Camp Caroline. He absolutely loved it, & is extremely excited to go to Camp Teepee Pole again this year.

Ë Through the summer we thoroughly enjoyed having the Elliotts living less than a block away. Hopefully you know who they are from my blog...because it’s too long to write hereJ. We created many wonderful memories together that we will hang onto until we see them again in 2 or 3 years. Very dear friends who we miss very much!

Ë In September I started a mid-week kids program at our church called Kid Connection. It was a challenge to start with...nothing like that had been done in our church before...but I really enjoyed it & was thrilled to build relationships with kids in our community & church.

Ë Something very exciting for me last fall was creating my own photography business. I am not a professional & do not claim to be one. I LOVE taking pictures & my goal is to be able to provide affordable pictures to people who wouldn’t otherwise have had a chance to get pictures done. My favourite is family & kids pictures, but I also had the privilege of photographing 2 weddings & doing school pictures. My business name is Family Reflections Photography...and if you’re interested you can check out my website: www.FamilyReflectionsPhotography.ca.

Ë Ben & I celebrated our 8^th wedding anniversary in September & enjoyed taking part in a marriage retreat put on by our dear friends, Nathan & Jane. They were my dorm parents for the year that I went to boarding school when we lived in Africa & are now counsellors in the US. We treasure the opportunity to see them again & learn from all they have to share!

Ë The hardest part of the year for me was having to say goodbye to 2 of my very best friends...Ben’s sister Cheri (& James & Max) moved to Oslo, Norway in October...and in December Lane & Sheri Elliott & their kids left for Mexico as missionaries. It has been absolutely wonderful to have James, Cheri, & Max home for a surprise visit the last month though!!!

Ë Ben has had an interesting year as far as work goes. We were doing great & thought we’d have work right through February...then around the middle of December, jobs started getting postponed. Ben was able to get hourly work with a friend of ours from January to March to help us through the winter, but even in April, jobs were still getting pushed off. We’ve had a few jobs here & there, but it’s definitely tight. We would appreciate your prayers that work would pick up again soon. This has stretched us as we strive to have faith from one day to the next. We also have a website for the business now: www.SCWFoundations.ca.

Well, that’s all I have for an update...here’s what the kids have to sayJ...

Benjamin AKA Benji, Benj, Booji
My big news…I’m going to be done grade 2 in 2 days!!! AND... I taught myself to ride a 2-wheeler in 1 day this spring!!!
My favorite foods are…curry, homemade pizza, sweet & sour chicken, Polynesian chicken, spaghetti & taco salad.
My favorite songs are…Alive, Alive; He Lives; Seek Ye First; Stand on the Rock (song we did at Kid Connection); As the Deer; & Philippians 4:13.
My favorite toys are…remote control truck, small lego, & mini hockey sticks to play with Kirby.
My favorite things to do are…play hockey & soccer, go swimming, ride bikes, play Kung Fu Panda on Xbox, play on the computer, & read.
At Kid Connection I learned…to listen to my parents.
Lately I’ve been learning…not to be scared of thunderstorms at night.
In school I’ve been learning…big addition & subtraction problems.
Right now I’m excited about…being done grade 2 and that I get to go to the public school for grade 3!!
My latest “funnies”…

v “My lips are glued shut” (My lips are sealed)

v Talking to Grandma B. about a book about the writer & his parents & their parents: “Well I hope he has a mother—he can’t be a grown-up if he doesn’t have a mother!”

v When Manda got ahold of one of Mommy’s bras, Benjamin informed her: “Manda when you grown up & get those big things on your tummy, then you’ll get to wear one of those. Those are for covering those big bumps.”

Amanda AKA Manda, Princess, Manda Lou
My big news…I can read my first Dick & Jane book all by myself!!
My favorite foods are…soup & biscuits, pizza with pineapple, peanut butter, nuts, hot carrots, spaghetti & chicken.
My favorite songs are…Only a Boy Named David; Rock, Rock the Baby (Kid Connection song); & Stand on the Rock.
My favorite toys are…Kaitlyn (my doll), high chair, crib, & baby clothes.
My favorite things to do are…dress up, jump on the trampoline, ride bikes, play in the sandbox, play with my baby, go swimming, play on the computer, & movies.
At Kid Connection I learned…Rock, Rock the Baby (song about rocking baby Jesus).
Lately I’ve been learning…to stay dry at night.
In school I’ve been learning…to print neatly (I like writing words in my word book that has animals on the cover).
Right now I’m excited about…starting program again, earning baby (doll) clothes, & seeing our caterpillars change to butterflies.
My latest “funnies”…

v “Wib” (instead of bib)...she wanted a bib for her baby & I was having a horrible time figuring out what she wantedJ.

v I had a bad cold & my nose was very raw, so I had smeared some penaton (zinc cream) on it after supper. I casually walked over to the kids to see what their reactions would be about my very white nose. Manda: “What happened to your nose?!?”

v Manda’s special night with Mommy. I asked her what she’d like for a snack while we watched our “girl movie”. Mommy: “Do you want popcorn?” Manda: “No, let me look.” (Looks in fridge & pantry)...”OK, let’s do popcorn.” We started getting the popcorn & popper out when Manda suddenly got really excited: “I KNOW!!! Popcorn & hot carrots!!!”

Kirby AKA Kirbsy, Kirbs, Kirbrick
My big news…I asked Jesus to live in my heart last Easter!!!
My favorite foods are…nuts, pizza, veggies, peanut butter, hot carrots, soup & biscuits, taco salad, & burgers.
My favorite songs are…Climb, Climb Up Sunshine Mountain; Stand on the Rock; & Only a Boy Named David.
My favorite toys are…mini hockey sticks to play with Benji, remote control Lightening McQueen, & toy NHL hockey players.
My favorite things to do are…play air hockey at Grandma B’s, play hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball, go swimming, play outside, & play with Fudge.
At Kid Connection I learned…Stand on the Rock (Jesus is the Rock, obeying God’s Word).
Lately I’ve been learning…to kick all my attitudes out the door (We made a joke out of this one day & told one of the kids to go & kick their bad attitude out the door & they’ve been using it ever since. The other day Kirby was in his room with a bad attitude. A few minutes later he came out & informed me that he had kicked ALL his attitudes out the door!).
In “school” I’ve been learning…to write my name.
Right now I’m excited about…swimming lessons & going to the park with Auntie Cheri.
My latest “funnies”…

v Excited about his lunch: “Ohhhh!! I’m so impressed!!! I like this!!!”

v “Ugly & the Beast” (instead of “Beauty & the Beast”)—no clue where he came up with itJ

v “Hup colder” (instead of cup holder...this ones been going on for a long time...he just can’t seem to figure it outJ)

v At Heritage Park last year for “Day out with Thomas” we were on a wagon ride, sitting right at the front behind the horses. Completely out of the blue, Kirby pointed at one of the horses: “That butt has a tail”. A couple minutes later after conversation had switched: “I don’t want to eat that butt”! (No I don’t feed my kids horse...have no idea where these thoughts came fromJ)

v It’s a tradition in my family to wait for the server (or birthday girl/boy) to take their first bite before anyone else starts eating. We were at my parents celebrating my sister, Jodi’s birthday. Kirby waited for a while with his cake, then when Jodi sat down he was watching her fairly intently to take her bite. She was hamming it up a bit & stalling. I asked Kirby if he knew what was going to happen when she took the first bite. “Then I’ll take lots of bites!”

v Praying with Kirby before bed, talking about where Jesus lives. Kirby: “He lives in my heart!...but not Benji or Manda or Mommy or Daddy’s hearts, cause there’s only one God!”

Well, that gives you a little window into what we’ve been up to...and you have lots of ways to keep in touch with usJ...so now it’s your turn! We would love to hear from you via email, snail mail, phone or a visit!

Ben & Heidi; Benjamin, Amanda, & Kirby

Box 1774 Sundre, AB T0M 1X0 403-638-3243
bhwerdal@telus.net http://bhwerdalfamily.blogspot.com
www.FamilyReflectionsPhotography.ca www.SCWFoundations.ca