My Boys Make Me Laugh

Calvin barely said three words before his second birthday. But the week of his birthday (March 14), he just exploded with speech. It's a delight to hear his thoughts, even if they get jumbled sometimes. Here are some of his latest funny sayings:

Dad said to Cal, "You're being disobedient. Do you know what happens when you disobey?"
Cal: "No milk and no eggs!"

Cal pushed Ken's lips up into a smile and said, "I make you happy."

(This was in May) Uncle Glen said to Calvin, "You need to come to my house soon and see my fish tanks." Calvin looked at him, got a grin on his face, and said, "I eat fish!"

Daddy said to Calvin, "Is Mommy hot or what?"
Calvin: "Or what."

When Dad gunned the engine on the van to pull out into traffic, Cal called out from his carseat, "You did it, Daddy!"

Calvin was putting his shirt on by himself. It got stuck on his head and he couldn't see. He said, "Where is me?"

Cal pulled his shirt off almost all the way, but the collar was still stuck around the crown of his head. The shirt was hanging inside out over his hair like a bandana. He said, "I a pirate!"

Dad asked Cal, "What happens when you are disobedient?"
Cal: "Ladybugs will eat me."

Calvin is not the only funny bone in our family. Ken provides tons of laughter to our home as well. He is having fun working at Macaroni Grill and comes home daily with new funny stories. If you know Ken at all, you know he is full of stories. Every time I think I've heard all his stories and jokes, he comes up with another one. This job will be good for his "Story Repertoire," as I call it. I am delighted that he is so jazzed up about his new job. It's fun to see.

Family, church, school and work

Life has become very full for the Schmidt family. We have spent a lot of time reading. Calvin participated in the Jeffersontown Free Public Library Summer Reading Program. He read enough books to become a SuperReader! He loves Dr. Seuss, Curious George, Doreen Cronin and Mary Carlson (from Bloomington, MN!) books. We read him the Bible every night. Just before bedtime he yells out, "Bible time Daddy! Bible time!" Bible time consists of first reading the story of Jonah and the big whale and then we continue from wherever we left off the night before. We are reading about Paul right now and have just about finished the Ken Taylor children's Bible. We just purchased a book called The Jesus Storybook Bible. Kim researched and found this Bible. It is great because it is the Scriptures and it tells how the stories and people point to Jesus Christ. We will begin reading it soon.

Teddy is eating squash, sweet potatoes, pears and bannanas. He loves to play Calvin's piano. He will sit there and plunk the keys and giggle. He also loves his big brother. The other day Kim tried to put the boys down for naps in the same room. Although they were exhausted they had each other wide awake and laughing within a few minutes. They are back in separate rooms...

Kim is busy with the family and church. She takes care of the three boys with meals, activities and all the hard work of maintaining a home. She is also getting to know the ladies at the church. Our church has an active preschool ministry. Kim and the boys have a weekly playgroup with other moms and preschoolers from church. They have been to the zoo, had a water day (Bouncy house water slide, water baloons, slip & slide, etc.) and frequent playground playdates. The Lord has blessed her with some great women friends. Calvin has a list of 'new' friends: Michael, Maree, Shelby, Caleb, Caden, Jonathan and Thomas.

I am enjoying time with Kimberly and the boys. Calvin keeps us in stitches. His latest phrase is, "That's not right." Yesterday he used it on me when I had to straighten out the van in a parking spot. I have been working on my Hebrew in the mornings. The evenings are spent at The Macaroni Grill as I finish training for my serving job. Sundays are the highpoint. We just love our church. I have been blessed to develop a friendship with one of our pastors, Jim Meeks. He is such a godly man with a love for the Word and the people in the church. I am learning more and more about serving the church from this man.

I have included some pictures of the boys.

Enjoy!

A job for Ken

I was hired today by The Macaroni Grill to wait tables. This is an answer to prayer. I love interacting with people and this will be a great way to earn money to pay the bills.

A frequent question asked of us (Ken's answer)

We are continually asked where we will go and serve after I finish seminary. The most simple and proper answer is that we don't know. We are very confident that God will clearly lead us to the church that He wants me to serve as a pastor.

That said, I would love the opportunity to be near one of my brothers and their families. Lanny is in Houston, TX and Rob lives in Seattle, WA. I was reflecting on how long it has been since I have lived near my family. It has been over 15 years! We are a very close family. As many of you know my mom was the gravitational force that drew us back to Burlington. With her gone and the Schmidt families scattered around the country it has been hard to get together often.

My prayer life has reflected this desire lately.

Louisville is feeling more and more like home...

We had a great week. The highlight for me (Ken) was studying the books of Judges & Ruth under Dr. Eugene Merrill. He is an amazing scholar, he has written books on the history and theology of Israel and a commentary on Deuteronomy in the New American Commentary series. One of the major blessings of his class is that he is not only a scholar; he has a pastor's heart. The class was academic and pastoral at the same time. This is what we should hope and pray for in our seminaries as they prepare men and women to minister in our churches.

Our family has had some precious times this week as well. Last evening Louisville really felt like home. We were at one of the numerous parks we go to, Veteren's Park, when we heard someone yell my name. It was our friends, Scott and Marcie. They were there for Scott's softball game and had spotted my Gophers shirt. We joined them for a slush at Sonic (we love Sonic!), where we ran into one of the pastors from church. Kim and I decided that this was our first "small world" moment in Louisville.

Calvin is doing great. He makes dad, mom, and Teddy laugh all the time. He talks, and talks, and talks...I wonder where he gets that from? Kim is keeping a notebook full of the funny things he says. Might be a good idea for a post someday...

Teddy has such a pleasant personality. He loves to play with his toys and laugh at Calvin. He is also finally eating solids. He eats pears and sweet potatoes. He is still our beautiful little chub. He is so in love with his mommy. When she walks into the room he lights up.

Church Life at Ninth and O Baptist

Today we attended the membership class called Class 101 at Ninth & O Baptist. It was a four hour seminar taught by Pastor Jeff Elieff and Pastor Bill Cook, covering the Gospel message of salvation, the meaning and importance of baptism, the Lord's Supper, the Ninth & O purpose statement, and membership expectations. We enjoyed learning more about the church and plan to present ourselves for membership next Sunday morning.

Pastor Bill Cook is also known as Dr. Bill Cook, a professor of New Testament at Southern Seminary. We learned tonight that he teaches full-time at the seminary, but has been the senior pastor at Ninth & O for six years. He preaches at the church most Sunday mornings, provides direction and vision for the church, and leads and disciples his pastoral staff. He is preaching through the book of Romans. This morning was Romans 8: 19-25, "Life in the Spirit: A Life of Suffering and Glory." He is a fantastic preacher and very personable. In fact, he stopped us in the foyer this morning to introduce himself and find out about us!

We feel blessed to have quickly found a church to call home.

What are the boys doing?

Well, Calvin loves to read, especially before bed. His favorite book is the Bible. He requests the story of the big whale every night before bed. Some of his favorite books are from the Curious George series. Teddy loves to eat! The other day we were overjoyed that he finally started to eat baby food. Even if it was sweet potatoes (yuck!).

A Bit of History About Crescent Hill

We mentioned spending time in the Crescent Hill neighborhood on the Fourth of July. Here are some things we've learned about this historic area:

With the coming of the Louisville Frankfort Railroad line in 1849, Crescent Hill became a true suburb. Early structures were joined by splendid homes as many prominent Louisvillians chose the area as the location for their “summer residences." Today, perhaps the most prominent landmark is the Peterson-Dumesnil House, pictured above, site of many community and private gatherings. The mansion was built after the Civil War by tobacco businessman Joseph Peterson, for whom Peterson Avenue was named. Peterson Avenue's steep hill reportedly was once used as a testing ground for new motor cars. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is often considered part of Crescent Hill.

Fourth of July in Louisville!

We had a terrific Fourth of July in Louisville! This morning we went to the historic Crescent Hill neighborhood 'old fashioned' Fourth of July celebration. The highlight for Calvin and the rest of the family was the classic car parade. He would have made Bop (Grandpa John) proud: he loved all the cars, especially the Model A's. Then we had our friends, Lee, Lili, Michael, Marie, and Luke Tankersley over for brats, corn on the cob and fruit parfaits. After dinner we all went to the Waterfront Park together. The kids had a great time playing in the water park and on the playground and the adults enjoyed visiting with one another.

What's In a Name?

We have received some questions about where the name of our blog came from. Yes, I suppose that is a good question! We wanted the name of the blog to represent something about each of us. To begin with, Ken and I both love books. Ken is primarily a seminary student now, and his main books or tools are his theological commentaries. Kim is primarily a homemaker, and some of her best books or tools are her cookbooks. Thus, Cookbooks and Commentaries.