Kisses from Israel

Remembering Bill

Tonight, I watched hundreds of people fill the State Theater in downtown Minneapolis to honor a man some of them had never even met before, but felt was a friend.
Bill Carlson's final send-off was grand and beautiful. Bill loved the theater, and there couldn't have been a more suiting venue. The words spoken, poems read, and the music shared were perfect to capture the man Bill was and is.
The service opened with Bill's favorite song, "What a Wonderful World," as performed by Louis Armstrong. That was enough to put me over the top right from the very beginning. What followed were various testimonies from friends, colleagues, and family, intermingled with songs that perfectly captured Bill's personality and love.

Some of the songs:
I'm Glad There is You (John Denver sang this at Bill & Nancy's wedding)
Perhaps Love (by John Denver)
Follow Me (the song John Denver wrote for Bill & Nancy's wedding)
Till There Was You (from The Music Man)
It's Something That We Do (by Clint Black. Iff you don't know this song, find it on iTunes and listen to it now!)
Through The Years (Bill's granddaughter sang this one)
Nancy With The Laughing Face (Nancy's dad named her after this Frank Sinatra song, and Bill loved it)
...and one whose lyrics really touched me...
Once Before I Go (from the musical The Boy from Oz)

Some other highlights for me:
-Les Holst, former United Airlines pilot and dear friend of Bill & Nancy, pretended to get a phone call from Bill in heaven during his speech. He joked about Bill giving the weather report from heaven. At the end he told Bill he was "kind of in the middle of something" (not a direct quote, but something like that) and got off the phone with him. Then he turned to us and, in tears, said that was Bill; he said he's fine and that he loves you.
-Bill's sister, Judy, shared the gospel with the simple message: "Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Nobody comes to the father but by Me."
-Jeanette Trompeter read a story called "The Eagle and the Wren." It's the story of an eagle who competes in a contest to see which bird can fly the highest. The eagle soars far higher than any other bird, but once he reaches the highest he can go, a tiny wren burrows from out of the eagles feather and flies even higher. The wren explains to the eagle that she never could have flown that high herself - he carried her there. She had always wanted to see the world from such glorious heights, and he made that happen for her. Just like Bill lifted Nancy to new & glorious heights she never could have attained on her own.
-I couldn't control the tears when Don Shelby imagined Bill in heaven receiving the greatest honor of all. It wasn't an Emmy or an Academy Award. It was Jesus telling him "Well done, good and faithful servant."
-Nancy burst into tears when the National Guard presented her with a flag for Bill's service in the army, as a trumpled played "Taps" in the background.

Finally, here is the song we all sang together at the end of the service. This song was sung by Bill & Nancy's wedding guests at the end of their wedding ceremony. I can just hear Bill saying these words.

May each day in the week be a good day,
May the Lord always watch over you
And may all of your hopes turn to wishes,
And may all of your wishes come true.

May each day in the month be a good day.
May you make friends with each one you meet,
And may all of your day dreams be memories,
And may all of your memories be sweet.

The weeks turn to months, and the months turn to years,
There'll be sadness and joy, there'll be laughter and tears.
But one thing I pray, to heaven above,
May each of your day be a day full of love.

May each day in the year be a good day,
May each dawn find you happy and gay.
And may all of your days be as lovely,
As the one you shared with me today.
May each day of your life be a good day,
And, goodbye.

Watch Bill's Memorial Service Live

WCCO will stream today's memorial service live at 3:00 pm on their website.

Under the Weather and Stranded

Our household has had a difficult last couple of days.
JP had been diligently fighting off a cold for the past week or so, but on Sunday he started feeling really poorly. He went into North Memorial and they told him they suspected bronchitis and sent him home with some antibiotics.
Yesterday he was feeling even worse, so he went to our regular family clinic. After blood draws, x-rays, and various other tests, they told him it seemed to be early pneumonia. He came home and spent the rest of the day in bed and on the couch feeling utterly miserable.
To top things off, both of our cars are out of commission right now, so we are basically stranded. He was in the middle of fixing the brakes on his car when mine went out as well, and then he got so sick he couldn't continue working on them. We had to have a friend from church bring JP to the hospital on Sunday and another friend took him to the doctor yesterday. JP's dad also came to our aid yesterday by picking up JP's prescriptions and bringing them to the house for us.
Today JP is feeling better and is trying to at least get his car back in working order. But I have developed a nasty cough, and Rae is not feeling well either.
Please pray for healing for all of us, and that we would be able to get the cars functioning again soon!!

Bill's Memorial Service

Visitation - Wednesday, March 5th, Old Log Theatre in Excelsior, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Memorial Service - Thursday, March 6th, State Theater downtown, 3 p.m.

Both events are open to the public.

Click here for a beautiful interview with Bill's lovely wife, Nancy.

Links About Bill

Obit with video.

Bill's Bio.

Star Tribune Obit.

Don Shelby's In the Know.

Notes from family and friends.

Snips from a song John Denver wrote for Bill & Nancy for their wedding.

Condolences from viewers.

Various blogs about Bill:

Star Tribune article.

An update on Bill's condition at the time.

Bill & Rae meet for the first time.

Bill announces his cancer returning.

Bill

As many of you have probably already heard, my dear friend Bill Carlson passed away tonight around 6:00 pm. I got a call from my former boss at WCCO around 10 with the news. He said Bill passed peacefully, while sleeping next to his adored wife, Nancy, in their home.
I don't even know how I am doing right now. I am heartbroken, and thankful to God for bringing him home at the same time. I am trembling with grief, but rejoicing that I get to see him again someday in heaven.
I don't have to tell you how close Bill & I became during my time working at WCCO. We sat right next to each other and talked every day. He was one of the first to know when we became pregnant with Rae, and Bill confided in me that his cancer had returned before he had even spoken to the WCCO higher-ups about it. I cried with him when his mother died and he rejoiced with me when Rae was born. He held her in his arms for the first time when she was only 10 days old.
Bill is a remarkable man. I have never known a man like him. I say he "is" a remarkable man because he lives on with Jesus right now. Bill is the epitome of kind, compassionate, and generous. He is always optimistic - even in the worst of situations. His favorite song is "What a Wonderful World," and I think that says a lot about his outlook on life. He absolutely adored his wife Nancy, as well as his daughter and two granddaughters. He loved his dogs. He loved Hawaii. He loved green tea. He loved unique pens. He loved the arts. He loved people. And he loved life. Now he is enjoying eternal life.
Tonight I was singing to Rae before I put her to bed. For some reason, a song that we used to sing in high school choir came to my mind and I sang it to her tonight. I didn't know yet that Bill had passed away, but I sang to her "No more night, no more pain. No more tears, never crying again. Praises to the great I AM! We will live in the light of the risen Lamb!" I couldn't have known the significance of this at the time, but I praise God that even before I heard the news, he had put it on my heart that death has no sting anymore. Bill is free. He is no longer in any pain. He is living in the light of our Savior!
We were at our church when I heard the news, and Rae was sleeping in one of the children's church rooms. When we got home and I transported her into her crib, I noticed that the teddy bear she had waiting for her in her crib was the one Bill had given to her for Valentine's Day, just after she was born. Another sweet reminder of the man Bill was and is.
The last time I saw Bill was at his birthday party. He was happy, surrounded by his friends and family. He got to see Israel, too. Shortly aftewards, he mailed me a framed picture of the three of us on that day. I am so thankful for this lasting memory of the last time I got to see and hug Bill. The last time I talked to him was to tell him of our new pregnancy. He was thrilled with the news and sounded so happy and optimistic about his own situation. Classic Bill.
I am rambling now. I have so many memories of Bill that I could record.
I want to thank all of you who are praying for everyone affected by the loss of Bill. Please especially keep Nancy in your prayers. They were so in love - I've never seen a couple as crazy about each other as Bill & Nancy.
Knowing Bill has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I love you Bill, and I will miss you until I get to see you again! love, Audra

What a Friend

I listened to a copy of Kathryn Scott's new album "I Belong" today. One of the songs is the old hymn, "What a Friend we Have in Jesus." I wept as I remembered the lyrics.

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

Family Day

My beautiful mother's birthday was on Saturday, so as a special treat, we got the whole Harpel clan together for an official family day that Sunday. We took advantage of the beautiful weather (mid-30's...it's a heat wave!) and brought all the kids to Como Zoo & Conservatory (excluding Zach & Missy...Zach was home sick). It was warm enough to walk around the zoo and enjoy the animals, and most of the kids are at an age now where they can really enjoy the monkeys and tigers and Israel's favorite..."fshhh!" (fish)

Elijah enjoying the fish:


After roaming the beautiful gardens and watching the polar bear swim laps, we headed out to lunch. Afterwards the kids went down for naps and a handful of us went to see Juno. It was a good movie - a bit more raw than I expected it to be...and the ending was a little sad...but overall a good movie with a good message of choosing life.
Finally we all met up again for our regular family dinner.

To all my family: days like this one are the highlight of my life. I love every minute I get to spend with you. love, Audra


(all of us watching the polar bear - notice the sign)

The New Baby

We had our first ultrasound of the new baby this morning. What a thrill it was
to see that tiny heart flutter! Much to JP's disappointment, there is only one
baby in there. :) But we are both thrilled that we have one, HEALTHY baby,
measuring about 9 weeks along. We've been affectionately referring to the baby
as "our little pinto," since my pregnancy book told me he or she was about the
size of a pinto bean last week. This week they say he's the size of a green
olive.

Some people say that a faster heart rate indicates a boy and a slower heart
rate, a girl. Our baby's was 153 -- right in the middle -- so I guess we'll just
have to keep on guessing!!!

Here are some pictures. The head is on the left, and you can see his little body
and legs curl up like a tadpole to the right. I've attached another picture of
what a 9-week-old baby looks like so you can get a better idea when you look at
the pictures.

Please keep praying for a healthy, full-term pregnancy. I have been blessed with little to no morning sickness this time around, and I do not take it for
granted!

CycleBeads

WCCO had an interesting story about a birth control method rising in popularity, called CycleBeads. It only works for women with a regular menstrual cycle, but when used correctly is 95% effective. And it's 100% natural. Its kind of like a really dumbed down version of natural family planning.
Read about it here.

Sick Baby

Tonight Rae and I are home from church because she started puking today. She's puked four times so far, poor baby. She can't keep anything down.
I should have known something was up when she was highly disinterested in her lunch. She normally loves to eat. She forced down some stuff, but not much. Later she ate a good portion of a banana. Shortly after that, I tried to give her some grapes, but she refused them (which she NEVER does) and just wanted to be held. So I picked her up and...the rest is history. Three times in a row.
Later in the day she woke up from her nap crying, which is highly unusual. I went in to check on her, picked her up, and what do you know. Round four.
To make matters even worse: I tried putting her back in the tub after episode #4, but she was bawling and kept trying to crawl into my arms. So I decided to fill the sink up and rinse her off there instead. Well, her arm must have hit the hot water handle, and burning hot water started pouring out of the faucet onto her leg. She, of course, freaked out and once I realized what had happened, I freaked out. Her leg was all red, so I called my mom in tears and asked her to bring over some Melaleuca oil. Thanks, mom, for your help!
Rae is sleeping now. Her leg is fine, I don't even think it hurts her at all. She and I are both on our third outfits for the day. She is still in good spirits, which is a blessing. Please pray that her tummy will settle soon.

Pictures from Rae's Birthday

G & Bompa brought Rae the same cake JP had on his first birthday.

Unsure what to do with it.

Hey, this is pretty good.

Can someone please turn the cake so I can reach the other strawberries?

This is what happened when we took the cake away.

Opening Gifts

The sugar-free carrot cake that Gammy made:

She like that one, too. Especially the yogurt "icing."

Happy Birthday, Israel!!!!

Happy first birthday, my darling daughter. This past year has brought me more joy than the other 24 years combined. God couldn't have given us a more beautiful, brilliant daughter. You truly are a miracle of grace.

Can I be honest for a second?

Dave Helm preached a great sermon at church last night about making time to spend with the Lord. Every meaningful relationship requires quality time spent together. Our relationship with God is no different.
As soon as Dave started preaching, I had to laugh to myself. Just that very morning, JP and I had sat down to read together from the One Year Bible. We were a few days behind and had some catching up to do. I wanted to hurry through it so I could get back to the thousands of things I felt like I needed to do...the pile of dishes in the kitchen, the laundry, checking my email, etc.
For some reason, JP was reading ESPECIALLY slow that day. He would pause after every verse, ponder it, then his eyes would light up with revelation and he would share what he had just learned. He was obviously having a very fruitful time in the Word. And I was annoyed. VERY annoyed. It was taking so long!!! I could have been finished reading by now! I was irritated that he wanted to look up every name we came across to see what it meant. I was growing fidgety and restless. Finally I started dropping hints that I wanted him to hurry it up.
JP gently rebuked me and told me that it wasn't about catching up or getting through the reading. If we didn't learn anything, it was pointless. I knew he was right, but I was still glad when we were finally done and I could get up and go on with my day.
Needless to say, Dave's word was very timely. :) I thank God for His faithfulness to screw my head on straight when it needs it.
One other thing to any single people out there reading this: It really is true when the Bible talks about married people being distracted. Before I was married, I used to get up, read my Bible, spend time singing to worship music as I got ready for the day, etc. Now I wake up, change a diaper, get breakfast for the baby, breakfast for JP, lunch for JP, let the dogs out, clean the baby up after breakfast, get her dressed...you get my point. I am distracted by taking care of my husband and daughter - finding time to be alone with God is far more difficult. JP and I read together, but that doesn't substitute for my own time with the Lord. I look back on the days when it was just me & Jesus and wish I had cherished them more. So even though you may desire a husband and family (which is a wonderful desire), be sure to be thankful for the time you have now with Jesus.

Announcement!

JP and I are thrilled to announce...our second child is on the way!
Baby #2 is due September 27th, 2008. What a joy! We praise God for His kindness toward us!
I'm feeling great. I haven't had any symptoms yet, except maybe a little fatigue. Please join with us in prayer for a healthy, full-term pregnancy, and grace along the way!

Sesame Street Live

G and Bompa (JP's mom & step-dad) gave Rae & Ava the best gift ever this weekend...front-row tickets to Sesame Street Live at the Target Center!!! I have never seen Rae sit so still and so engrossed for such a long time. The characters were right in front of us and at certain points they would come down off the stage and interact with the kids. We were in the perfect position right at the bottom of the steps...so the characters would come right down and touch Rae & Ava's hands, honk their noses for them, etc.
It was a blast to watch them both have such a great time - thanks, G & Bompa for the memory!!!!

The count stops by...I am not zoomed in at all!
Saying hello to Ava.
G bought the girls balloons. Rae's accidentally ended up at the roof of the Target Center less than five minutes after this picture (my bad).
They sat like this - totally engrossed - almost the entire time.
I think Lisa, Gail and I had just as much fun as the girls.
We made friends with the girls sitting next to us. You can see where we were in relation to the stage/steps well in this picture.

She's a Classic

Yesterday JP got a "new" work van. The payment on his other one was ridiculous, so we went for something cheaper.
To say "new" is pushing it - it's a 1983 Chevy Beauville. Despite the fact that it's almost as old as I am, it is in GREAT shape. It doesn't have any rust, the interior is in good shape, and it only has 83,000 miles on it. It's really classic and "retro" looking.
God is good, and we were able to pay cash for it, which eliminates another nasty car payment. And the family who sold it to us is Christian. The original owner of the van is now a missionary in Thailand. He gave the van to his son who has used it a couple times a year as a camping/vacation vehicle, then stored it in a garage.
Praise God for this answer to prayer!

Food Experiments Continue

Maybe I shouldn't have relinquished control of the fork. :)
Actually, she did quite well. She even flipped the fork around when she was holding it backwards a couple of times. One time she even got some food on the fork and put it in her mouth. :) Ha ha...we have a long way to go. I'm so proud of her, though.

Walking

Israel is full-blown walking these days. She only crawls to places she can pull herself up to walk. She's still pretty wobbly, but every day she gets better and goes further without stopping to catch her balance on something. Is my baby really this big?

Happy New Year

There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.
-C.S. Lewis

That's Our Bill.

Click here for a sweet article in the Star Tribune about Bill Carlson.

Happy Belated Christmas!

Sorry it has taken so long to post our Christmas photos! We had a beautiful holiday and I hope you did, as well.
Our celebrations began the Friday before Christmas, when we headed out to JP's dad's house for our annual weekend-before-Christmas-sleep-over. This year was especially blessed because JP's grandparents came back from their winter home in Arizona to be with us. That also meant the house was especially packed...Israel was sleeping in the laundry room and JP and I were on separate couches! :)
On Friday night we went to Macy's 8th floor to see the Nutcracker display. This is only the second time I have ever been to the 8th floor, and I think it is a fun tradition. We then had dinner at Cafe DiNapoli (which used to be a nicer sit-down restaurant, but now is a skyway cafe), a tradition passed down from JP's grandparents. Saturday we did gifts and hung out. On Sunday we went to church, then went to JP's Aunt's house for the Charlebois' extended family Christmas celebration.
Pictures:
Rae & Ava open a gift from Great-grandma.

Rae & Grampies
Perhaps one of the most exciting moments of the weekend was when JP's sister, Lisa, & her husband Scott announced they are pregnant again...with TWINS! We are so excited!
Israel had SOOOOO many Christmas outfits to wear, only one of which I bought. The rest were all gifts! Here are two, from Saturday and Sunday.


On Monday, Christmas Eve, we went to JP's Mom & step-dad's house for a DELICIOUS brunch (Oooooo...Larry Potatoes....Yuuuummmmmmm) and wonderful time spent with family. Rae was lavished with beautiful gifts, but two were extra special. First, Gail took two old rocking chairs and refinished them, then painted them purple and gave them to Ava & Rae. As if that wasn't special enough, she also took an old pillow of JP's from when he was a baby, cleaned it up, and re-stuffed it. It was a pillow JP loved growing up - what a precious heirloom to hand down!
JP & Rae with the pillow:

Ava & Rae open gifts; notice the matching dresses!

Israel is very interested in Ava's new book:

Later that night, we headed over to my parent's house for our annual Christmas Eve BBQ dinner. We have friends in Memphis who send REAL BBQ up to us each year (THANKS BILL, JEANNE & THE GANG!). We spent the night there that night, dogs and all. We woke up Christmas morning to Swedish potato sausage and lefse, another family tradition.
On Christmas Day we went to the Bowar family Christmas extravaganza at la casa de Uncle Carl. We hadn't seen that side of the family in a long while, so it was great to see them. Both of Rae's great-grandmas on that side of the family were there, too, which was a very special treat.
After that we headed back to my parents house for the rest of the celebration over there. Picture it: 10 adults, 5 kids under the age of 2, and two dogs in one small rambler in Brooklyn Center. Here is what the aftermath looked like:

My brother, Joseph, made the kids a snow fort in the back yard. It was an igloo with a sledding hill on the top. Malachi and Rae were the only ones who really got to appreciate it this weekend, but there is a lot more winter ahead of us!

Rae got her first baby doll:

My dad and my brother Nathan, sporting the gag gifts dad won in a game:

It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but it was full of wonderful family time...and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Unfortunately, Rae picked up a bug of some sort that she gave to me. I, in turn, gave it to JP...so we've spent the last few days recovering from that. But otherwise, we have nothing to complain about!
I hope your Christmas was as merry and bright as ours. Never forget the reason for the season.

Rae & Mama Play with Rollers

And here I thought those curls of hers were natural....

First Step!

Last night, my baby girl took her first step! The sad thing is...I WASN'T THERE TO SEE IT! I had run out for literally ten minutes to get a movie down the street when JP called with the good news. He said she was standing at the piano bench and let go and took a step to where he was. My initial reaction was excitement, then disappointment that I missed it, then joy that JP had gotten to see it. He misses so many of her "firsts" and felt very blessed to have been there for this big "step."
My baby girl is growing up! I can't believe that soon she'll walk everywhere and never crawl. She'll be 2 1/2 feet off the ground instead of 1 foot! That is strange to imagine.
The old cliche is true: it goes by SO fast.
Once she starts doing it more I'll try to get it on video for you all to see!

Living the Khai Life

Right now, my cousin and her husband are in Vietnam picking up their newly adopted 14-month-old son, Khai, and preparing to bring him home! I am so excited for them!
I just found out today that they have a blog, full of adorable pictures and stories!
Click here to meet my new cousin!

Dave Moore is Coming Back

I...as a TV news junkie...think this is really cool.

"Dave Moore is coming back.

When the football season ends, WCCO plans to turn over weekend afternoons to the late broadcaster's satirical 1960s series, "The Bedtime Nooz," which debuted long before the "Saturday Night Live" players were ready for anything but junior high."

Interested?
Click here to read the whole article.

Harpel Family Photos

The Harpel family photos are now up for viewing!
Click here.
Password: Harpel

All of these family photos were our Christmas gifts to our families last year. It took almost all year, but we finally got them all taken! It's so nice to have these moments in time captured for years to come.

Blue Christmas

Hi everybody,

Some of you may remember baby Paul. He is the sweet baby born to a guy my brother, sister and I went to high school with. He passed away from SIDS a few months ago, and it has been simply devastating to say the least.
With the holidays ahead, this is sure to be a very hard time on Bobby & Sara. They have decided to decorate their Christmas tree in baby blue this year, in remembrance of little Paul.
Bobby's sister has started a thoughtful sort of chain email requesting that anybody who has it in their heart send Bob & Sara a blue ornament to decorate their memorial to baby Paul. What a beautiful way to let them know that so many people are still thinking of and praying for them.

If you would like to do this, please email or comment and I will send you their address.