Papa, the guys and toys!

The boys were able to see Papa while we were out East. This is Joel's mom's dad and he is quite the character. It was a fun little visit and the boys will always remember Papa and his toys!

Mom Potter, we sure wish you could have been there. It was a good day!

Have you met Pete?

We added a new member to our family just a few days before school started here for us. This sweet little guy was found in a park in our city by the brother of some of our friends from church and through a quick chain of events, has now become a member of our family. We named him Pete and he has quickly become a beloved part of our family. He is really patient with the boys and yet loves to play too. He is a big snuggler and thankfully the perfect size for your lap. We love him and are so thankful to have him with us!

A Fun Day with Family in Ann Arbor

Joel and Jon

Jon and Christine

Our favorite Little Middle Eastern Restaurant

A Labor Day BBQ

Sunday was a perfect day to grill out. Joel, the master griller/chef did a great job and dinner was amazing! The boys all enjoyed playing in the yard and Pete had a great time outside too!

Our New Family Picture

Thanks Jon and Christine for taking a great picture for us. We'll call you up in February to update with the newest family member!

On an expedition!

Where does he get it from?

As they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and Owen is living proof of that. They also say, the little boy must grow up, but you can't take the little boy out of the man. I think Joel enjoys the rescue heros as much as the boys do!

Time with Mon Oncle

Jon and Christine are here for the Labor Day weekend and once again we are thrilled to spend time with them. Jack and Owen are soaking up all the attention as you can see here. They are reading Spider Man here with "Mon Oncle" and Jack, in his usual manner, has lots of questions.
I have a whole new appreciation for my teachers growing up who would often write on my report cards, "Bethany is doing well in school but often asks too many questions." Thanks to all those teachers of my past who indulged my curiosity and never squelched it! You are my heros as I raise a little guy just like me!!!

Congratulations Bekah!

We are thrilled to announce the engagement of our sister Rebekah Ruth Potter to Stephen Philip Worth.
Steve proposed to Bekah on Thursday, August 27th while visiting our brother and sister (Jon and Christine) in Winona Lake, IN.
We were able to meet Steve just a few weeks ago while visiting Bekah in New Jersey and loved him right away. He'll make a great addition to our family and we can't wait to celebrate the big day with them next summer!
We love you both!

Potter Baby # 3

For those interested in the progress of this pregnancy, we are now into the 2nd trimester and all is well. My energy level has risen, thankfully and I anticipate that in the next week or so, the other members of my family will get to feel the activities of our newest member! This Wednesday, we'll have the 20 week ultrasound which hopefully will tell us the gender of the baby. I have pink paint on my shopping list in hopes but those hopes aren't super high as I am trying to stay grounded in reality. If you see me this week past Wed. and my feet are floating somewhere off the ground, then you can be assured it's a girl, if I'm happy and a bit shocked, well then the news was a third boy and I'm preparing mentally for being completely outnumbered in our house (a husband, 3 sons, a boy fish and a male dog to boot!). Everyone says if we have three boys, the teenage years will likely be much easier on us. I'm just not sure I'll survive the toddler years! We'll let you all know!

An urgent prayer request from Indonesia

I really try to not pass on forwards, etc, but this prayer request hit so close to home as the situation that this family in Indonesia is experiencing is so similar to our experience in Indonesia with Jack. Would you please mention this request to the Lord?

Joel

Dear Prayer Partners,

I am writing to ask you to please be praying for an 11 year old boy named Joseph, the son of co-workers. For several months now he has been battling some type of illness: bruising, fever, nausea, etc. A couple months ago he saw some Drs in Jakarta but nothing was determined. He and his mother have been back in Jakarta since this past Monday, to see the Drs again. They had hoped to be able to come home by Wednesday. However, I just talked to the mother by phone – they will be in Jakarta indefinitely until they can get some answers.

It has been narrowed down to 2 possibilities, both of which are not good.

One, he could have something from a new type of parasite that is only found in this area of the world. Treatment for this is virtually unknown at this point, since it is such a rare and new thing.

Or, he could have a form of leukemia (I’m sorry I’ve forgotten what she called it). The white blood cells are there in the blood, but they just aren’t doing their job.

Right now they are sending stool samples to the University Hospital in Jakarta. They will need at least 3 days of “negative” stools to determine that it is not the parasite. If it is the parasite, they will need to stay in Jakarta for treatment. However, if it is not the parasite, they will need to return to the States.

Please join with me in intercessory prayer for Joseph and his family (he has 5 siblings). (They are also hurting financially because of all of the medical/travel bills incurred with this.) Pray for wisdom for the Drs as they continue to try to figure this out, and wisdom for Ken and BJ as they make decisions on Joe’s behalf. My prayer is that the Great Physician will reach down and touch Joe’s body, and that His name will be glorified in this situation!

THANK YOU!!

~ Dana

New Format Test

New Format Test

For the Love of Family!

This was tonight's dinner. We made a big chicken/bacon ranch pizza and four small individual pizza's custom order for the boys. My mom, Lynn/Noni is here as are my 2 nephews, McGwire and Kael. We've had a great week together and we are so glad they came. Anyone want to join us? :)

July Update

Here is a much needed update. Come back as we're hoping to do more updating in the coming days!

Owen's 2nd Birthday!

We celebrated Owen's 2nd birthday today. My best friend, Jolene, her mom and daughter, and my mom all came up for the weekend! We've had a great time together and even got a trip to IKEA in yesterday!! The boys have loved having Kallie here and will be sad to see her go. THanks for a great weekend, Noni, Grandma Alice, Jolene, and Kallie. We love you!

Indonesia - Tell Me About It!

Our little guy is growing up!

Owen is getting so big so fast. Joel snapped this photo of him last week and as I just uploaded to the computer, I was amazed at how big he is getting. He's beginning to speak in sentences and is learning how to make faces that crack us up! If you ask him to make a cross face, he scrunches up his nose and furrows his brow into the most cross face you've ever seen! Where does the time go?

An Indonesian Dinner - Sate!

Jack's first egg hunt

This was the first time we have done an egg hunt with Jack. After church, we had lunch with and spent the afternoon with
our surrogate family here in Michigan, Richard and Joyce Eide and Rebecca and Tom Bertram and Anna and Noah. It was a perfect day with a perfect meal and well, they're not perfect but they're wonderful friends :)! After lunch, we hid the eggs and Jack had a splendid time finding them hidden all over the Eide farm. I wish you could have been there to see his face as he found each one. It was so much fun! The candy has all been confiscated and will be doled out little by little, much to his dismay! We had a wonderful day! Oh, and Owen slept through it all -maybe next year!

Happy Easter! from the Potters

It was a lovely spring day here in Michigan for Easter. We are so thankful to be here and for the
things God is doing in our lives and through our lives. It is all because of His resurrection that we have
any hope or power to live this life. It amazes us every day that God has given us His Son and that the
power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power we have to live in Him. That's some power!

We pray your Easter was as special as ours.

Congratulations Carol

I not only had the honor of hosting Carol's bridal shower and making her cake, but I also
get to organize the decorating of her wedding reception. Carol is an amazing gal who has a wonderful
future ahead of her. I have so enjoyed getting to know her and I look forward to her special day.
Congratulations Carol! 65 Days and Counting!!!
P.S. THe girls in the photo above are writing Carol little notes which she will get to read before her wedding,
on her honeymoon and at her 1 year anniversary. Rachel, that was a great idea!

My First Fondant Cake

I hosted a bridal shower for one of the students this past Monday. I also agreed to make the cake.
I love making cakes and thought it would be fun to try doing fondant this time, the first time.
So, while we were in Indiana, we had a little get together with some old friends and it provided a perfect
opportunity for me to make a practice cake. I think it came out pretty good. It wasn't without it's challenges and
I ended up making a different kind of fondant for the shower cake but for my first time, I was pretty pleased!

A Winona Weekend - A Flooded Walk

We had a couple of opportunities to go for a walk while we were in the Village.
We saw some amazing views of the flooding that has overwhelmed the little village.
The lake is in many people's backyards, literally, closing off several streets. Although
it is sad for many people whose homes will likely have damage, it provided for some amazing
pictures and sights for us.

A Weekend In Winona - Dinner Out

Joel and I were able to take a short weekend trip to Indiana to visit Joel's
brother and his lovely wife. The boys stayed home with Owen's teacher Emily
and had a great time! We also had a great time :).
Going out to dinner, a double date, no kids, at a really nice restaurant and being treated to
a most amazing dinner, well, I can't imagine it getting better than that!
Jon and Christine live in Winona Lake, former home of Billy Sunday, current home of Grace College
and location of a restaurant we would love to recommned to you! If you are ever in that area, check out Cerulean.
It's in the Village at Winona Lake and it's amazing!
Thanks Jon and Christine for a relaxing, enjoyable weekend.
We were refreshed and recharged for a busy week!

Rachel Potter

We celebrated another girl in our dorm a few weeks ago. Rachel is a senior this semester
which means we only have a few more months with her before she graduates.
Rachel, we love you and are proud of who you are and what God is molding you into.
OH and yes, her real last name is POTTER! Ironic, eh?