Monthly Archives: December 2011

2011 Christmas Newsletter, Part 2

Erin is now 12 years old and in the 7th grade.  She has shot up this year in height and most who haven’t seen her in awhile can hardly believe their eyes.  She went from a size 6 shoe to a size 9 in a school year.  Erin is involved in Student Council, FCA, Youth Group, FFA, Jazz Band, Southwest Swim Club, Scouts, 4-H, softball, and of course, basketball. 

One of the highlights of Erin’s year was to participate in an AAU team that competed in the Twin Cities for about 8 weeks this past spring.  She loved every minute of it, and basically, basketball could be her middle name.  The second highlight of the year for her was learning to quilt.  She has been taking classes, and has really done a nice job, including making some of her Christmas presents.  She is an often sought after babysitter, who adores the children that she watches, particularly three neighborhood boys.

Cloie, affectionately known around here as our one and only Sally Gal, will be 7 years old tomorrow.  We can hardly believe that can be true.  We remember that cold day she came into the world like it was yesterday.  She recently told one of Huck’s nursing home friends when she asked her about what it was like to get a puppy long ago, “I have no idea. I was born into his family.” 

Cloie is involved in 4-H, Girl Scouts and Southwest Swim Club.  Her biggest accomplishment was doing very well in her two events at the Beat the Blizzard swim meet.  Her face upon learning she won her heat was priceless!  She loves to play with her friends; anything to do with rocks, Barbies, or art; and school.  Cloie loves to read!  There are so many times that she takes our breath away, because she does so many things just like Reed. 

The family vacation was the Nowatzki Family Reunion in Devils Lake, ND followed by a week in Leeds to celebrate the Leeds 125th anniversary.  It was a fun seeing so many family and friends all in one place. 

Our second biggest event each year is the Lyon County Fair.  The kids all did fabulous in their projects: quilting, photography, aerospace, and our family favorite: pigeons.  We are exhausted at the end of each day, but the best part of August are the days spent at the fairgrounds getting the pigeons ready.  The kids work so hard on their projects throughout the year, and they enjoy earning their ribbons.  Some of the best memories of this year’s fair were Sawyer earning Reserved Champion in Showmanship, Cloie earning Grand Champion (3rd year in a row) in Open Class Junior Photography, and Erin earning a blue ribbon for a quilt she made all by herself. 

Even though, they are typical preteens and teenagers, a moment at the poultry show will forever be etched in my heart.  Sawyer, Erin, and Cloie are the only ones currently showing pigeons.  As they went through each class, Sawyer earned Grand champion and Erin earned Reserved.  When it came to the last class, Sawyer once again took top honors, but before he did, he turned around and said, “I’m so sorry, Erin.  I wanted you to win this one.”  Hot and sticky on an August day, I had to work hard to hold the tears back. 

We continue to look for God’s blessings in the smallest of pieces of our daily lives.  We can find His goodness in the time spent with friends, in the blessed bounty from our gardens, in the chance encounter with a stranger, and in any place we purposely seek Him. 

We pray that you and your family are doing the same!

2011 Christmas Newsletter, Part 1

We can hardly believe that it is that time again!  Yes, time to write our annual update of how things are going around Team Stevens headquarters.  2011 has been a relatively good year.  It seems that as the kids get older and more involved, spontaneous events don’t just happen as often as we would like. 
 
 
Daniel and Kandy (along with Pastor Don and Sandy Leclere) struck out for a new venture this year – leading a grief recovery group called GriefShare (www.griefshare.org).  It was an amazing experience as we continue to heal ourselves while using the events of our lives to help others move from mourning to joy. 
 
Daniel continues to work at Schwans as an analyst in the Information Services Department.  At the beginning of the year, Daniel volunteered with 4-H Shooting sports focusing on Archery.  He is still a volunteer with Firearms Safety courses.  He and his friends took their annual trip to hunt in Montana, and he returned home with a deer.  As soon as the weather becomes nice, he hits the road on his motorcycle and just enjoys the time in the open air.  The rest of the time he is busy keeping up with our kids’ schedules and enjoying friends and family.
 
Kandy: As for me, I have had an interesting year.  I continue to teach as an adjunct at SMSU in the spring.  Additionally, I keep busy with my blog writing and speaking at Best Life (www.bestlifeministries.com) conferences and substitute teaching when it works with our family’s schedules.  This year I purchased a new sewing machine and a refurbished embroidery machine; so my just-for-me time  is spent crafting and quilting. My personal goal this year was to complete a triathlon which was a goal that Reed, Sawyer, and I started in January 2008.  Last year, I woke up one day and decided to finish that goal.  On November 18, two days shy of 42 birthday, I completed 1/2 mile swim, 17 mile bike ride, and 3.1 mile run/walk in 2 hr 37 min.  I was so proud of that accomplishment and for being blessed with the best cheering squad in the world!
 
We hosted our third annual Reed’s Run this year on 9/24  (www.reedsrun.com).  For the first time, the weather was absolutely gorgeous.  We had a great turn-out and we exceeded our fundraising goal.  We have a 5K run, 1K dog walk, and 1K kids run.  We still have a flagline honoring veterans, and we had the distinction of having all the major US conflicts represented except for WWII.  This year, we honored all the emergency personnel that responded to the bus crash.  There is a HUGE silent auction.  We had a Bear Factory on-site where kids could make Reed-a-Cheetahs.  Then the close of the evening was a luminary service honoring any child who passed away.  New this year we recognized 3 loved ones who passed away, but who had been very supportive of us in our darkest hour.  Finally, we ended with a showing of the movie “Soul Surfer”.  It is exhausting work, but to see all the people who come and remember Reed and support our mission is humbling.  Next year will be the last Reed’s Run as we  committed to only four years for many reasons.  We are working extra hard to make sure that the last run is memorable, because each year the event has grown larger and larger.
 
HUCK is hired!  Through a series of fortunate events, Huck found a way to heal.  Once a week, he and I travel to a nursing home to visit residents.  We have quite a large group of friends that help both us to remember that serving others is the greatest gift we can give to ourselves.   Our faithful friends threw Huck a fabulous 9th birthday party on Dec 7.
 
Additionally, Huck decided that we should celebrate Reed’s 16th birthday this summer.  We hosted a movie night in our backyard, and instead of presents for us or Reed, Huck asked for books.  He then turned around and created “Huck’s Heroes” which is a reading program at Mikinaak – a child care center on the Cass Lake Reservation in Northern MN. 
 
 
Sawyer is really growing up.  He is currently in the 9th grade, and he is involved in many different activities in and out of school.  He was able to play Junior Varsity and a little bit of Varsity this year in football (despite living in pain every day). He continues to doctor at Mayo for his injuries.  He is active in Scouts, 4-H, Math League, Student Council, FCA, Youth Group, FFA, Golf and Student Council.  There have been several highlights of his year, but there are two that receive top recognition.  Sawyer traveled with his youth group to New Orleans, LA for a missions trip.  Granpa Junior was able to drive over and spend a day with him.  It was an experience that changed Sawyer’s life forever.  He cannot wait to go to the next place God is calling him.  His second major highlight is his first ever hunting trip.  Sawyer and Daniel traveled to ND for deer season.  On the last morning of their trip, Sawyer finally got his deer.  He is definitely hooked, and ready to go spend time again with Dad at Uncle Bryan’s farm. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Faith-Family-Football: The Magic of Weddings

Last weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to be a part of the wedding of a former student who over time became just like one of my own children.  My son, Sawyer, was also in the wedding, and it was one of the most beautiful wedding ceremonies I have ever attended. 

Looking back, I don’t think that I have ever attended a wedding in December, and perhaps that is why the atmosphere seemed so divinely magical.  The church’s sanctuary was draped in greenery and lights in anticipation of upcoming Christmas day, and the reminder of our Savior’s birth. 

My job that day was to be a reader.  The verses chosen for me were from Genesis chapter 2 where God makes Adam a helper and the two are deemed one flesh.  More on that later . . .

As the evening progressed, I realized just how incredibly blessed I was and how honored I was to have a special part in the day.  My realization came because I fielded numerous questions of how in the world did a former science teacher become so beloved to be listed as honorary mother in the wedding bulletin. 

The simple answer is . . . God.  God’s definition of family is so much more broad than our limited scope.  The evolution from teacher to mother was simple.  Our families became friends, and then following one of the darkest moments in my life, Josh emerged as beacon of God’s light shining through to us.  This incredible young man made a pledge to my children to be their big brother following the death of our son and later the death of another “adopted” big brother/youth pastor.  That commitment is one that he and now his bride, Nicole, have honored over the last 3 1/2 years.  They have been faithfully involved in our children’s lives, and we couldn’t be more blessed.

Throughout the wedding day, every time we turned around there was some small detail that reminded us of how loving and caring Josh and Nicole both are. If ever there was a match made in heaven, these two are the embodiment.  Their love for others was exuding in every detail from a hot cocoa “bar” replete with peppermint straws and TONS of marshmallows for the kids to flowers on the altar in memory of lost loved ones (including Reed).

The ceremony was beautiful, the reception classy and elegant – yet down-to-earth so that you could feel at home, and the dance was catered to young and old alike.   As I danced with my honorary son on the night of his wedding, I was overcome with joy with a little hint of sadness because I knew this was the closest I would ever come to Reed having a wedding.  And yet, in my heart I knew that Reed would have fully embraced this union seeing that it was so divinely blessed. 

Even though so much attention is put on the wedding itself these days, there was never a doubt that these two are committed to God’s concept of forever.  Their goal was a lifelong marriage covenant sealed by God and blessed by their friends and families.  This is the type of fairy-tale commitment to vows that makes even the hardest heart believe in true love. 

Going back to that Bible verse.  Josh and Nicole simply e-mailed me the verses, and I began to practice them.  From the first moment they arrived in my inbox, I cried.  Nicole and Josh had no idea (until they read this blog) what is engraved on the inside of my ring.  So even though our family was put together by God’s knowledge of a need that we all had, I have to image that he KNEW what verses would be chosen and what it would mean to me.  Amazingly, the inside of my ring is engraved with two little words: ONE FLESH.

The greatest Love story ever told begins its commemoration in just a few short days.  And God’s love for two little families in southwestern Minnesota was reinforced, upheld, and sanctified with just two little words.  Isn’t God amazing!

Welcome to my new blog site!

I have so enjoyed my experience writing for Best Life Ministries (www.bestlifeministries.com), and I will continue to write there as well.  But this site is dedicated to all things – Kandy – with a little Team Stevens thrown in for good measure.  After much discussion with some folks in publishing, I decided that I would take a very tentative step out into the world of becoming a full-fledged writer with my own “brand”. 

In addition to my work for Best Life with inspirational and life posts under my Faith – Family – Football, I will now add a “Kan-Do” label that chronicles my world of cooking and crafting and a “Team Stevens” label that simply chronicles our family’s lives.  On occasion, I will be posting honest thoughts about grieving and the journey to change that mourning into joy!

I am so excited to have this opportunity, and I hope that my friends and family (and potentially new readers), will use the RSS features and posting features.  For loved ones far-away, this site will be a place to keep tabs on our blessed and busy family.

An incredible journey begins with the first step”  . . . and I think my feet are pointed in the right direction!

As always, I am so blessed to have all of you in my life! With God’s guidance serving as my road map, I definitely think the sky’s the limit!

I am including my favorite “feet” story to end this blog.  I love Dr. Suess, and his book, “Oh, the places you’ll go” was read at my college graduation.  It resonated with my soul then, and it still does today! 

With God’s help (and not on my own), I AM ready to MOVE mountains!

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

by Dr. Seuss, copyright 1990

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.  And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets.  Look ’em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.

It’s opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don’t worry.  Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump,
you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted.  But mostly they’re darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out?  Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you’ll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…

…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored.  there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame!  You’ll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t.
Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times
you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win
’cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance
you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So…
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!