Revelation Song, Mercy Seat, Easter, The Passion

This morning our church presented the drama "The Living Last Supper." This was a very touching play. It showed the Last Supper as it is shown in Da Vinci's famous "Last Supper" painting. It had each of the disciples "come alive" from the painting and speak of how they came to follow Jesus and what they saw in His three years of ministry. Sprinkled throughout the play they also showed scenes from the movie "The Passion of the Christ." It was a very moving experience for all of us. I wanted to post this song and video as a reminder to all of us that this is the true meaning of Easter. As Summer's April Memory Verse says "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Happy Easter everybody! To God be the glory!!

Courageous Christians

Sam's school was honored to have guests speakers on Friday. Some of the speakers that you can see were Tony Dungy, Martin Luther King Jr., Florence Nightingale, George Foreman, and Tim Tebow.

The fourth graders were required to do research, write a report, dress as their chosen person, and read their report in front of an audience of parents and classmates. The person the student's picked for their report had to be someone they considered to be a "Courageous Christian."

Sam's "Courageous Christian" was Tim Tebow..a quarterback for the Denver Broncos. In Sam's research he learned Tim was born into a missionary family in the Phillipines, grew up in Florida, was raised to not complain (I liked that one!!), do chores, had to learn many Bible stories/verses, and taught to always try his best.

When Tim was a quarterback in college he led Bible Studies, and put Bible Verses on his eye black (stuff under the eyes athletes wear to get rid of the glare of the sun). Tim figured that since he was a quarterback and got lots of time being shown on the scoreboard or on TV he would use that opportunity to get the Good News of Jesus out. After each game with Tim wearing Bible verses on his eye black, there were thousands of hits on the Internet of people looking up those verses. Tim's Dad, Bob Tebow, has said that before Tim was born he asked God for a Preacher, instead he got a Quarterback. Like Sam said in his report, I think he got both!

Tim has also started the Tim Tebow Foundation for at-risk youth and helps support an orphanage in the Phillipines. Tim prayed at the National Day of Prayer Breakfast in D.C., and visits many hurting kids/families and prays with them before he ends his visit.

As a Mom of a 10-year-old sports addict, I am so thankful for a Christian athlete for Sam to look up to. Way to go Tim, you may not be a Viking but we'll sure cheer you on!!

G & K Sioux Falls

April 11, 2011 was a big day for Coach Mark and the rest of Team Utzig. That was the first day the G & K SF Branch officially opened for business! Mark has been super busy with the preparations, hiring, training, and answering many questions from lots of different people, yet is happy for the challenge. It was five years in the making, but it is finally here! Congrats Mark! Way to hang in there and good job! Your team cheers you on!! (By the way, you can see the whole team got involved. We've all taken turns at the branch unloading things, filing, and Sam's spent 3 afternoons there loading delivery trucks. He's earning money (& muscles) for a new baseball bat. Hope this gives you an idea of what G & K SF looks like.) Thanks for checking in!

Guess Who The Tooth Fairy Visited?

The Tooth Fairy has been extra busy with Team Utzig lately. Summer lost her second tooth (first one's new tooth is half in already) and she wanted everybody to see her new look. In her Kindergarten Class they have a "Tooth Chart." This gives a tally of all the teeth the kids have lost so far this school year. Summer was excited to join the ranks of the "toothless." Her 2 teeth made the tally go to #37 & #38! That's a lot of teeth and makes for an exhausted Tooth Fairy! Sam's been losing teeth left and right (literally) yet isn't as excited about the whole deal as his sister is. It could be an interesting summer for eating corn on the cobb at our house this year! Enjoy her new grin!

Nothing Runs Like A Deere...Except Perhaps Summer

With the start of Spring, comes soccer season in Sioux Falls. To know Summer is to know that she LOVES to RUN. It is one of her favorite things to do. Saturday was Summer's first soccer game. She plays in an all girls league. The teams have candy names, her team is the Hot Tamales, how cute is that? The Hot Tamales played against the Kit Kats and won! The final score was 12-7, Summer made 8 of her team's goals! She had alot of fun, as did Team Utzig as we watched. To say Sum enjoyed herself would be an understatement, she wishes she was still out on the field. Move over Mia Hamm, here comes Summer Utzig!

Omaha H2O

For Team Utzig's Winter getaway we headed South...to Omaha, NE. Okay, so it isn't a Florida beach, yet we were surrounded by warm water. We traveled to Omaha on Friday Morning and didn't return until Monday. We enjoyed the the hotel water park a TON! Mom enjoyed not having to cook or clean up meals. Dad turned into a big kid enjoying the tall enclosed tube waterslide...(Okay, I liked it alot too!!) The kids seemed to like everything!

One night as we were in our downtown hotel, we noticed Summer standing on the ledge by the window and waving. Mark went to look at what she was waving at...turned out it was about 15 college kids (mostly guys) that were outside the sports bar & grill on the hotel's bottom floor. They were enjoying their adult beverages in the 60 degree weather smiling and waving at Summer. Yep, that's our daughter. Pray...for...us....

Here are a few photos for a peek of our H2O fun. Thanks for checking in!

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Okay, so I will admit, I am not a big Hillary Clinton fan. My Southern, Democrat, Reese Witherspoon look-a-like, former Miss Nebraska, marathon-running, Arkansas native, neighbor, Myra Katherine (M.K.) is. A few years back Mrs. Clinton wrote a book with the title "It Takes a Village...to Raise a Child."

M.K. would refer to Team Utzig, and others close in their children's lives, as her "Village." Perhaps it was pride or stubborness that I didn't want to agree with Mrs. Clinton, yet, I must admit that I am 100% behind this idea now.

Gone are the days where grandpa's and grandma's are down the street, along with uncles & aunts, to help raise children. With families living in different parts of cities, regions, states, and even countries, "others" besides relatives have increasing importance in our lives and the lives of our kids.

This past Tuesday was a sad day for Team Utzig as we had to say goodbye to a big part of our "Village." My size zero, Southern dynamo "Miss Myra" and her gang moved to Fremont, NE. These "Villagers" were very dear to us. We could completely trust them with our children, they treated them like our own. When the kids were with them we knew they were well taken care of, not hearing bad language, not watching junk. The "Fritz Four" were safe...and loved.

I will greatly miss Coulter, age 5, Summer's twin. Many times if Coulter was with us out to eat, at the library or park, people would smile and ask me if they were twins. Yes they are, just have different parents. I will miss watching Coulter and Summer on the trampoline, riding bikes, and playing soccer in the backyard. I will miss Emma Claire, age 2. I will miss her walking in our house and saying "Miss Mary I'm HERE!!" I will miss her wanting me to paint her fingernails and toes. I will miss this blonde angel climbing on my barstools keeping me company while I was in the kitchen; and asking for "Fruit chews, please."

Before we moved to SF I asked God to please lead us to the right house with neighbors we could connect with. God was faithful! It was hard to say goodbye. It is hard to look at their dark, un-lived-in house across the street. Yet, I will cherish that friendship, the place in each other's "Villages" we had, and pray God's blessings on them in this transition.

We may no longer hear on a daily basis "Hi Miss Mary" or "Look at me, Mr. Mark" or "Can Summer come over and play?" but you can be sure those sweet voices will ring in our minds and hearts for many years to come. Thank you Fritz Four for being in our Village the past 5 years. As we all said, it is not "goodbye" just "see you later!" Never miss an opportunity to be a part of a "Village," you will be greatly blessed...Team Utzig sure was!