CHELAN!

Greetings!
We just returned for our trip to Holden Village.  Wow!  What an amazing week!  Highlights include...

On the way to Holden, Dan attempted to use the voice command feature of our car.  He kept repeating Chelan over and over again to get the navigation unit to direct us.  Each time he clearly yelled Chelan the car would respond with different helpful suggestions such as "air conditioning off" and "now changing to channel 259".  The best part was that Jonas started yelling Chelan in the backseat.  The next night when some people were introduced at Holden, Jonas overheard that they were from Chelan.  He then started yelling "CHELAN" loudly at vespers while other people were being introduced!

Elsa and Jonas took part in the Narnia program at Holden.  One of the nights at vespers, Elsa helped with the blessing.  She dipped her finger in water and made a cross while giving a blessing.  Countless people came up to us the rest of the week and said that her blessing was very special.  We were so amazed and awed by Elsa!  A pastor from a Lutheran church in Minnesota even wrote about the blessing in her sermon for next week.  She shared her sermon with us and we were so touched!

Other Holden highlights:  a walk to the water-fall, playing in the sandbox, making tie-dye shirts, Holden coffee, chasing chipmunks, counting deer (tons), sitting on the swing reading books, playing with other kids, riding the school bus, seeing dump trucks, riding the fast boat home!!!, and much more!

In the dining hall

At Narnia (the lawn art spells Holden:)

Slide Train!

Waiting for Dump Trucks to go by

The Holden Bus

The bombadier!

With Joshua and Isabel!

The infamous sand box!

This is a recreated photo from our last trip!  Lodge 2 second floor here we are!

Nap time

Super hug!

God Bless,
Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

School is out!

Greetings!  The end of the school year finally made it!  Jonas and Elsa had a wonderful year of learning and growing.  We couldn't be more thankful for the teachers that helped Elsa and Jonas channel their hard work and determination this year.  Wow! 

Summer is here and Jonas and Elsa spent some time this past week visiting with our relatives Don and Delores from the great state of Minnesota (Where we have been told it is always sunny and 75 to 80 degrees).  It was great to spend time with them! 

We are now ready for the sun to arrive in the Pacific Northwest.  Today we caught our breath and just relaxed after being busy busy busy!   The pictures are of Jonas and Elsa hard at work on Sunday morning.  Elsa is making breakfast for everyone and Jonas is working with a pattern book.  The videos attempted to catch them playing with each other but it was 30 seconds too late both times.  Elsa kept spelling Jonas's name and then saying "That spells Elsa"  It was driving Jonas wild with laughter.  The cooking video was all fun and games until the end when a wrestling match starts to break out.  It is never dull at the Lysne house!

Jonas and Elsa helped Dan get ready for a song he sang at the last day of school.  They kept asking Dan when he and another teacher were going to sing because they had heard him practicing.  Then they started singing the songs too when he was practicing.  Too much fun...if you want to see Dan singing one of the songs (the link takes you to you-tube)....Dan singing

God Bless,
Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

Forward Roll and Forward Summer!

Greetings!  The end of the school year is almost here.  Jonas and Elsa showed off their hard work this past week at two functions:  An art show and A gymnastics demonstration.  Both were tons of fun and we are so impressed by their learning.

At the art show, Jonas and Elsa showed us all the work they had created over the past year.  It was great to see the fine motor skills at work here!  We all ate cookies and then Elsa and Jonas played with their friends.

At the gymnastics demonstration, Elsa and Jonas were great listeners and followed their coach's words most of the time. It was great to see them run, tumble, and jump.

Naptime came early after this event.

God Bless,
Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

Flamingos in the yard

Greetings!

Elsa and Jonas returned home from day-care yesterday and saw that a flock of flamingos had landed in our yard!  It was pretty funny to see their reactions.  Elsa immediately wanted to go inside to retrieve her flamingo puppet and then Jonas need to have his peacock puppet.  Our church does this as a fundraiser for the youth ministry program...you pay to send the flock and the receiver pays to remove them:). 

We had a great weekend!  Elsa and Jonas went to their good friends 4th birthday party and had a blast.  Jonas got to play with an older twin boy and loved it!  Elsa had fun hanging with all the adults and singing happy birthday!  Good times!

God Bless,
Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

Danivus!

Greetings!
This past week was full of celebrations!  Dan and Grandpa Paul both celebrated birthdays!  Lots of fun times.  Birthdays are great reminders that each day and year counts.  It was really special to have Elsa and Jonas singing happy birthday and understanding that someone else's special day was coming up....this is a big deal to 3 year olds who are used to every day being their special day:).  What great kids!  They gave great birthday hugs and kisses.

We had a great time visiting in person and on the phone with so many family and friends this past week!  Elsa and Jonas had a great time at the zoo, hanging at the lake, going bowling for the first time (we can't believe we don't have pictures--next time Grandpa Harold!!!), and so many other great activities this past week.  Whew...we need a summer vacation:)

God Bless,
Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

Working hard...

Greetings!

We have been working hard this week and wanted show off some of our skills!

God Bless,

Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

Greetings! 
Jonas and Elsa are really starting to get into the summer swing of things.  With the weather so nice, it has been such a treat to let the kids run and play in the backyard!  They love to dig, and run, and throw baseballs, kick soccer balls, and play.  It is great!  (the weather has now turned a bit--rain rain go away:)

Jonas and Elsa are really excited because they have their first gymnastics performance.  It is a end of the school year program and they are going to do great.  You can expect lots of pictures and stories in the next couple of weeks leading up to this event. 

Dan spent most of last week indoctrinating Elsa and Jonas about the Norwegian Flag and Norwegian Constitution Day (May 17th).  He tried, unsuccessfully, to get them to greet everyone with a friendly "Hip Hip Hurrah, syttende mai!"  There is more work to do.

Pictures will return this weekend!
God Bless,
Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas