Grandpa Mike...

Michael Lynn Lichtenberger

Michael Lynn Lichtenberger, son of June Arlene and Roy Lichtenberger, was born in Ottawa, Kansas, September 30, 1946. He had two brothers, Roy Dale, and Ricky. He spent his youth growing up in McPherson and his teen years in Newton, Kansas where he graduated from High School in 1964.

Michael attended Kansas State University for two years and then transferred to Kansas State Teachers College (Emporia State University) where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He received his Master’s degree in Accounting in 1975 from Wichita State University and earned his CPA in 1971.

His career spanned 30 years in which he worked at various notable accounting firms in Wichita, Hutchinson, Wellington and Arkansas City, Kansas. He also worked as a controller for two Universities, was an auditor for the State of Kansas.

Michael loved the sport of wrestling and was an avid parent, fan, and supporter since 1978. He was most proud of his time as the Director of Finance for USA Wrestling in Stillwater, OK at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. This may have been his most outstanding achievement as a CPA and man of finance bringing the business back from the brink of bankruptcy to the flourishing organization that it is today.  

Michael retired in Wichita where he has spent the last several years impacting his community. He enjoyed food and fellowship with his family and friends and visiting community functions. He also enjoyed reading, walking, working out, watching comedy, historical, and western movies. He also enjoyed watching Wing Nuts baseball games, OSU football, and KU basketball. He especially loved to attend his grandchildren’s sporting events of wrestling, track, cross country and softball.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Dale. He is survived by his brother Rick of Topeka, Kansas, and his children Joni (Randy) Lemon of Wichita, KS, James (Jeanna) Lichtenberger of Enid, OK, Janell Lichtenberger of Roeland Park, Kansas and Whitney and Kaitlyn Lichtenberger of Yale, OK and seven grandchildren, Lincoln, Merideth and Lauren Lemon, and Shelby, Jesse, Lucy and Preslie Lichtenberger.

Michael will be missed by his family and friends and will not be forgotten. He was a son, husband, father, grandfather, and most importantly, a child of God.

Grandpa Mike's funeral was yesterday in McPherson, KS. Shelby and James played and sang Chris Tomlin's version of Amazing Grace at the grave side memorial. The song has very significant meaning for James in relation to his father's life. James spoke about how his Dad had mourned the loss of his brother who drowned as a child while he was trying to pull him out of the water. In many ways, he had felt responsible for his brother's death and carried a lifetime of guilt and remorse over something that was not his fault or burden to bear. James shared the joy he felt in knowing that his dad was with his brother, parents and the Lord where he's free and finally at peace. Sherri shared that what had attracted her to Mike as a young woman was his quick (yet odd) sense of humor. She said he was famous for his one liners at just the right moment and that he'd passed that on to his kids. I know James got it, that's for sure! Mike was buried next to his parents and his brother in a beautiful cemetery...one with the tall headstones and all kinds of character...and he is home.

All seven grandkids.  There will be many more once Janell, Whitney and Kaitlyn start their families.

(Proof that Princess Preslie does, in fact, smile sometimes. Man, she looks like her brother!)

Mike's children: James, Joni, Janell, and Whitney, Kaitlyn wasn't able to travel from Wyoming.
(This is the first time we have gotten to spend time with Whitney and it was so nice. She lives in Yale, so hopefully we will see a lot more of her in the future! The kids fought over who got to sit by her in the van on the way there and home...there were tears. They love her already!)

Me and "Newa," Janell. She'll probably make me take this off if she sees it because she told me not to post it, since she has no make-up left on, but she doesn't need it. She is strikingly beautiful and I am so proud to say that two of my kiddos resemble her very much!

It was such a bittersweet reunion since we were saying goodbye to Grandpa Mike, but we will see him again, and the hugs and time with family was healing for our souls.

We thank God for His answered prayers this week!

Ruvolo's visit...

The Ruvolos are friends we met in Arizona, Anthem to be exact, right before we moved to Peoria. They are an amazing, hilarious, beautiful, Christian, Italian, homeschooling family with huge hearts who know how to have a good time. They have the best stories of their big Italian families. I could just sit and listen to them all day long while their contagious laughter keeps me in stitches. Their story over the past few years has kind of been like ours, a time of transition, trials, and lots of growth. They have an amazing testimony of God's provision for their lives and we have been so inspired by their faith and love of life despite challenging circumstances.

They stopped by last night to stay with us on their way home. They lived in Arizona for the past 5 years and are moving back to Michigan this week. We just happened to be along the way and we had given them an open invitation to come stay with us anytime, so {thankfully} they took us up on it. The kids were so happy to reconnect with their friends even for just a short time. So were we. With everything that is going on this week, it was a nice distraction  and great encouragement to be able to enjoy our friends for an evening of great conversation. We have made promises to either visit them up north or meet in Tennessee to visit some other mutual friends together. I really hope that happens someday. We are so thankful for their friendship. In the mean time, I am harassing her to get back in to her BLOG so we can keep up with their lives! We are praying for safe travels and a happy family reunion when they arrive, along with comfort for their dear friends who they left behind in Arizona.

We'll be leaving in a few hours for Kansas to prepare for James' dad's funeral. Say a prayer for him please...This morning he has been sick, even vomiting, and he has a pretty big assignment in front of him. He is sleeping right now in hopes of feeling better in a few hours so we can get on the road.

I want to be a comfort...

As I type this I am mentally and emotionally preparing to support my husband through the next few days when we will travel to McPherson, KS to bury his Daddy. He spent most of last week making arrangements for the funeral and cleaning his father's apartment out along side his big sister. He hasn't seen his father's body yet. That will come Wednesday, when reality will really set in. But, he is certain that his Daddy is with the Lord and that has brought him so much comfort.

I remember when my Grandparents died, one after another, just a week apart, how the first week was spent on the "doing." So many arrangements to be made and tasks to be accomplished, especially when your loved one does not leave a will and has not expressed their wishes to you for their final resting place. The family really doesn't have time to grieve until after the funeral. Reality of the situation doesn't set in until you have time to sit down and think about it. I remember watching my Mom grieve the loss of her Mom. Even though she was sure she was in heaven, there were so many unresolved feelings, conversations, and 'mother-daughter needs' she would have loved to have seen met before her Momma passed, and for those, she grieved. For time lost, regrets, and "what might have beens," there were tears, aches, questions that would never be answered, and there was a hole in her heart. Losing a parent is hard in so many ways she has told me, because not only do you miss the relationship and joy the person brought to your life, but one day it hits you that you are it...even though you feel so small, so young {in your heart} and you still need your Momma, you are it...the oldest of your gender in the family and responsible for all that the oldest is in charge of...holiday dinners, gathering the family together, comforting everyone, being there for everyone if there is need, the weight of the family seemingly on your shoulders. She hadn't expected this feeling and it was a shock. Over the years, she has settled into her new role nicely, but she still misses her Momma and the dimension she would have added to our growing family, seeing the joy on her face as each new great-grandchild was born and allowing us to care for her in her old age.

Because I also lost my Grandma, who was like a second Mom to me, and my Grandpa who loved me like a Father does, I feel so much of what my Mom feels and I understand the complexity of grieving. I miss my Grandma & Grandpa to this day. I keep some lotion in my closet that I take out and smell every once in an while just to remember her. I used to rub her hands and feet with that lotion when she was in a coma, at the end, as I sang to her Vince Gill's Look at Us {She and my Grandpa's song}. When I smell that smell, I close my eyes and I can feel her hands. I rejoice that she is in heaven, but I selfishly want her back here with me to squeeze my kiddos, threaten them with the fly swatter, grouch and me and my Grandpa in her cantankerous sassy way and make me a snack plate or hot chocolate pudding when I am sick, AND I want to give her back a little of what she gave me. But, she has so much more now, more than I can ever imagine, and so does James' Daddy.

I know my husband will miss him and I want to have the right words to say to be a comfort to him. I am praying for that... Men grieve in a different way, I am told. It might look more like stress or irritability than sadness. He might be a little more quiet than usual or he might busy himself. Whatever he does, I want to support him and I pray that I don't misunderstand his moods, but rather embrace him or give him space whatever is appropriate at the time.

the pregnancy test girl...

We have been praying for "the pregnancy test girl" around here since March when Jeka and I found it in a field on our daily walk together. I saw it, turned upside down, in the middle of the grass and had to turn it over to see the result. POSITIVE. I knew it would be. We left it there in the field, because we didn't want to touch it. Someone had 'used' it, after all, and we didn't have any hand-sanitizer or plastic bags with us...so being the germ-a-phobes we both are, we left the litter right there in the field, where it remained until this very week.  This is the first week we haven't seen the test. The field would be freshly mowed with other litter torn into shreds on the grass over and over this spring, but the test remained, for us to see every morning...I believe for us to remember to pray for her and her unborn child, and the father.

That first morning, Jeka and I hypothesized why a positive pregnancy test might be laying in a random field. Did someone take it, show the result to the father who wasn't pleased and then throw it out of their car window in anger and despair? Or as Shelby suggested, was someone so excited about her positive result that she threw her hands up in joy, flinging the test out the car window? Did someone's trash simply blow over and the test blew down the street? You see, it was nowhere near a house. It was in an open field between some random small businesses. And there it remained for months...months! Every morning from March until last week Jeka and I would see the test, positive, two pink lines staring up at us begging us to pray. And, that we did, our whole family, and we still do because it feels like an assignment from God. We will never know the outcome of our prayers or the names or faces of those we pray for, but we have faith that His Will will be done in their lives and for that, we are thankful!

Still, how excited I am at the slightest chance that the pregnancy test girl will some day greet me in heaven, where all things will surely be revealed, and say, "It was me who your family prayed for, and this is my story..."

If you stopped by to read this post, say a prayer for her, would you?

Happy Happy Birthday Preslie!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!  You are 2 today. Even though you have recently come out of your shell and begun to show us the character you are becoming, these pictures capture your pensive nature. Always seeming to be deep in thought, analyzing every situation, you fit right in with this family of thinkers and feelers. You are the most peaceful child of our 4 living up to the meaning of the name Preslie, "peaceful spirit."

Some things that can really get you going and show your silly side are Daddy playing guitar, music of any kind, Yo Gabba Gabba, Elmo, playing games with your siblings like red light green light or simon says, Papa teasing you, or uncle Matt throwing you around like a rag doll. Noni was in town this week and while the older kids were at VBS, you hung out with just me, Noni and aunt Jeka. You started talking up a storm, even barking orders for the kids to "buckle up," when we picked them up from church. You are a smart cookie and I know when your vocabulary catches up with your tongue we are in trouble! 

You love all of your siblings, but seem to go to your big brother Jesse most when you are hurt or in need of comfort. I think that is because we have taught him that he is his sisters' protector and that when any of them are hurt he should go over to them, lift them up, and comfort them with a hug. He takes the role seriously, and it is making a difference in how all of the girls see him. Sure they all still fight sometimes, but overall, he is tender with them and they adore him. Shelby is the natural first-born care-taker of you all and she will comfort you in the middle of the night when you cry out, sometimes pulling you into her own bed, or even change your diaper if it is needed. Sometimes you come downstairs with her in the morning fully dressed with a fresh diaper. You can just see the trust in your eyes when you look at your oldest sister. Priceless! Right now, I am sitting on the porch watching you and Lucy, your "almost Irish twin" {only 18 months apart}, run around the yard and play in the kiddie pool.  You all are best friends, just like Shelby and Jesse are and it is a joy to see you so close. Yes, you attack each other over toys resulting in hair-pulling or biting sometimes, but it is evident how much you love each other. I hope that never changes!

We love you Preslie Janell! Happy Birthday, baby of the family, but baby no more...

science experiment...

I wish I could say that is what this is.  Isn't it a brilliant display of vibrant fuzzy color? Several weeks ago, we celebrated Shelby's baptism with a family dinner of taco soup. Usually what I do when I make a huge pot of soup is leave it in the pot and just put it in the laundry room fridge where I retrieve it each day for lunch or dinner until it's all gone. It usually lasts a full week and I don't have to think about what I am going to have for lunch, so it is a good system for me. But, embarrassingly, this time it lasted longer because it was such a huge batch and I kept putting off cleaning out the pot. I hate scouring pots, pans, or plastic containers. I have thrown out more plastic containers with left overs than I'd like to admit, especially those that contain Velveeta or cheese of any kind, really, that take some effort to clean. So, yeah, this pot sure is pretty this morning and I can't throw it away, so I guess I better get to scrubbing. I have already dumped it and it is soaking in bleach and antibacterial soap. There goes my appetite for today.

James' Dad...

We found out yesterday afternoon that James' Dad unexpectedly passed away over the weekend. James is going to Wichita today to make preparations for the funeral with his sister. If you stopped by to check in on us today, please say a prayer for the family, for unity, for peace and for comfort. We know that he has gone to be with the Lord and in that we rejoice!

Turn off the TV and READ this summer!

One of our favorite things to do around here is READ! I go through hot and cold phases with reading where it is all I want to do for a few months, and then for the next few, I hardly read at all. I think it stems back to my childhood and having a difficult time learning to read while being force fed bland basal readers that had no real meat or emotion. Reading was a chore and not an adventure.

I will never forget my Children's Lit class in undergrad at OSU. My teacher was AH-mazing. She made children's books come alive for all of us soon-to-be teachers, and grown women who hadn't been read to in about a decade. It was a Monday night only class that lasted for 3 hours straight. How those 3 hours flew and I longed to return the next week! She'd begin every class by hopping up on her desk and sitting cross legged while she read (or recited from memory) some of the most exquisite works of literature I have ever heard...all books written for children that I might never have read had I not taken her class. At the end of each story, most of us, including her, would be crying...so moved from the story we felt like we had become a part of it.

She introduced me to one of my favorite authors, Patricia Polacco. She brings history and other cultures, faith and tough real-life issues to life in such a way that is so moving, so real. Her illustrations are each a piece of art I'd love to hang on my wall. I enjoy reading them by myself and even more, sharing them with my children. Today, we read Pink and Say. I still remember when my professor read it to us...the tears I cried then...all the more today, reading it to my own children as we learn more and more about cultural differences and the roots of those...slavery, civil war, civil rights, those who fought and died for our freedoms, the stark contrast between their world and our own today...the same soil, the same country, but so much progress...yet, still so much pain and fall-out we continue to witness. My oldest two kids cried with me today as I read...finally, their growing hearts are learning compassion, connection. Priceless! So much better than watching TV with them! The written word is powerful. Enjoy it! Cultivate enjoyment of it in your children. 

Someday, I hope to own the entire Patricia Polacco collection. For now, we frequent the library and never leave without at least one of her books in our bag! So many favorites...click on her name, Polacco, on any of the links in this post to check out a few.

The boy...

Jesse is 6 1/2 years old this summer and really starting to show his personality. He has a sneaky sense of humor, sensitive spirit, kind heart, and boy, is he a thinker? This man-child surprises us all the time with the things he says. Some of them make sense only in his universe, but we can usually tell the path his brain has taken to arrive upon his theories and the questions he asks us. He is a snuggler and I am pretty sure his strongest love language is personal touch.  It is hard for me to believe he will outgrow me sometime in the not-so-distant future. He isn't too cool for me yet, and I am not looking forward to the day he is. However, we have noticed that during a soccer game, the more we yell, the less he moves.  We have to use reverse psychology in sports right now, I guess. Although, in baseball he isn't that way. Maybe soccer just isn't his sport. When he runs fast, his facial expressions crack us up. He is serious about speed. His coordination is still a little underdeveloped, but that will come. James is co-coaching his baseball team this summer and having a lot of fun doing it.

I love this profile picture of him, because it shows how much he favors Janell. Head-on, he is a dead-ringer for my brother at that age, but from the side and when he makes certain faces, he looks just like his aunt. I am even starting to see his dad in him too, and that is cool.

Psychologists tell us that there are two pivotal relationships in child development. The father-daughter relationship and the mother-son relationship. The dynamics and quality of these relationships define a child's character and predict their future relationship skills and habits. There are certain behavior patterns and personality types that can almost always be traced back to a dysfunctional relationship with that pivotal parent. We have seen the impact in our own lives and in the lives of others, so we try to take it very seriously in our family. I can tell that my words have so much more power over Jesse than the girls, and I have to be intentional about choosing them with care. I mess up a lot, and I can see it in his eyes when I do. I pray for God's grace over those moments and that He would just super-naturally erase my words from Jesse's memory if they are going to crush his spirit. I love that boy so much!
{Taylor Swift's song Never Grow Up floating through my mind...}

The Kelley Wedding...

Matt and Katlyn's wedding was beautiful. I heard someone say that it was very "Matt & Katlyn," and that describes it perfectly. Her dress was amazing and it was a very formal setting, but the humor, personalized messages from the pastor and rocking praise band made it a celebration to remember. Very unique, very Kelley-ish. Lucy did her job as flower girl well, I think, I couldn't see her walking down the aisle from where I was sitting, but I heard she did well and she felt like a princess. It was awesome to be a part of their special day and get to visit with so many old friends.

The kids and I stayed in KC until Wednesday. I had my camera, but didn't take a single picture of the rest of our vacation. Ugh...

Can you tell what we've been up to?

Sanitizing the hiz-ouse, that's what!  All of us girls are just finishing up with the worst case of the stomach flu to pass through our home in 4 years.  We're talking fever, chills, aches, vomiting and diarrhea for 48 hours + each.  Somehow, thankfully, the boys have seemed to avoid it. We are cleaning the house from top to bottom just to make sure.

I double checked with my bff pediatrician and YES, you can re-catch the same stomach flu, so if you don't sanitize the house, you are asking for it.  She did tell me I could keep my lipstick, though, but I am thinking I might toss it just in case.

So, I guess we have spent so much time cleaning that Preslie has decided she wants to be part of all the fun.  I keep finding her with a spray bottle and paper towels cleaning various areas of the house.  She just gets to use the one with vinegar, water and essential oils, don't worry. 

You just can't be too careful! All the babies had to have a bath!
Please pray we are over this bug!

Reconciling my behavior with Ephesians 4 & 5...

For the past 3 days I have been reading and meditating on Ephesians 4:17 - 5:33. These particular passages are some of the most clear and directive instructions in the bible about how believers are to behave, and what we are to fill our minds with or allow ourselves to be a party to. Yet, for some reason, most of us, including myself sometimes, have this sort of "group sin is okay" mentality. It is exactly the same as teenage peer pressure. "Everyone else is participating, so it must be okay," or "Even my best friend who I believe to be a strong Christian is participating, watching, saying, doing these things, so it must not be bad. She'd never do anything that bad, right?" In Ephesians 4:30 NLT, it says, "And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption."

It breaks my heart when I think of all of the ways I have grieved the Holy Spirit. It should break every believer's heart when our behavior cannot be reconciled to His Holy Word. Some areas of behavior, media, etc. are grey. In those areas, I might be able to say that I don't have a conviction about drinking in moderation, or God hasn't put this or that cause on my heart. But, when His Word is clear, there is no grey. There is black and white. He says, "not even a hint"... How can that be left up to interpretation? How can "not even a hint" be reconciled to most of what we allow to pass before our eyes and into our hearts. We can't even walk through a mall or drive down the street without "a hint" of impurity passing before our eyes, but we can choose what we willingly seek out or take part in.

I am so thankful for grace, for the cross, for new mercies every morning...that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. I will not dwell on my mistakes that have grieved the Holy Spirit, but I will move forward in obedience...failing sometimes  often, and turning right back toward obedience when I do. Isn't that what we expect of our own kids, not perfection, but growth and responsibility. We are His children. We can act like we aren't, but it doesn't change the fact that we are. He will always expect more from us. He expects us to grow and holds us responsible for what we know. How could a loving Father not?

Sometimes it is hard being set apart. It stings when you don't get invited to certain things because people know you are striving to live a holy life and you might make them feel uncomfortable about what they are doing or watching. Especially for an extrovert like me, {who was once the one to call to find out where the party was} it is hard not to succumb to the group mentality. So, when it happens, I just try to remember what my little sister said one time about being left out herself, "Maybe God was protecting me because He knew I would join right in with what they were doing if I went." He always does provide a way to avoid temptation 1 Cor. 10:13.

Ephesians 4:29- the end of 5

 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

¹ Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
³ But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴ Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. ⁵ For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷ Therefore do not be partners with them.
⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. ¹⁴ This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Instructions for Christian Households

²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”³² This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

ETC June 2, 2011...yoga wrestling

It is next to impossible for me to cram any sort of real exercise into my day when the littles are awake. This includes yoga and simple stretching. So, I {turbo} walk every morning with my wonderful sister and try to do yoga and stretching when we get back before the natives get restless or during naptime. I also go up the the OAC and Shelby babysits the littles in the nursery while I speed walk around the track a few times a week. The picture above was not staged...it is what happens when the yoga mat rolls out. Yoga is about all I am doing this week, because I seriously jacked my foot last weekend. I decided to power walk in my shape-up shoes {a total of about 5 miles} and it killed my ankle, heel, and the fascia under my left foot. So now, I can hardly bear weight on it when I first get up in the morning or after I've been sitting for a while. Kind of embarrassing, but it shall heal! No big deal.

So that's me, embracing the camera with the littles...a simple activity...so frequent and so sweet I just have to grab them and squeeze the dickens out of them while they are still squishy...while I still can. Thank you Emily for encouraging all of us Mommas out here to capture the moments with us in them!

Lucy's getting married...

Or so she thinks. In just a few days, little miss sunshine gets to be a flower girl in Matt and Katlyn's wedding. She thinks she is going to be the bride, so we might just have to indulge her fantasy in hopes of getting her to walk down that aisle. The ring bearer is a mighty fine catch too, so I have suggested that a double wedding {arranged marriage} kind of thing would not be out of the question. We shall see what kind of surprises transpire. It is such an honor for her to be a part of this special day! We adore those crazy lovebirds and are praying this will be the wedding of their dreams! 

Oh, and one more thing, Please pray that the sugary sweet well-behaved little miss sunshine shows up on Saturday and not the sneaky little monkey below!