Hi! This is Karis. I’m 12 years old and in 7th grade. I really like taking gymnastics. This year I learned how to do a back handspring. We got our dad a trampoline for his 40th birthday. I like to practice flips and do other tricks on it. I also like to read. My favorite books are Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling and Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. My favorite characters are Hermione Granger from Harry Potter and Legolas from Lord of the Rings.

Hi! This is Lucas and some of my favorite things to do are ski and play the drums. I like to play the drums because it is fun. I like to ski because it is fast and fun. I also love, just love, the Lord of the Rings movie. It is the coolest movie I’ve ever seen. My favorite character is Legolas. He is an elf with a bow and arrow. I am reading the Lord of the Rings books right now. It’s a good book.

Hi! This is Makari. We got a dog for Christmas last year. I named her Jingle Bell. But, we just call her Bell. She is an Irish Terrier and I like her a lot. She is jumpy. I try to teach her tricks. She can jump through our hula-hoop. We also have a fish named Flutter and a cat named Cookie. They are a lot of work to take care of but my brother and sister help too. My baby sister Kaleo is a lot of work to take care of too. I like to hold her and walk around the house with her.

Josiah says his favorite thing that he did this year was to go to Triple Creek Ranch (a pastor’s retreat near Galena we go to each year. It’s my favorite week of the year as well. We play games, talk, and relax.) He liked lighting the fire in the fireplace. He also liked going to Warren Dunes (a sand dune on Lake Michigan). He liked climbing the big dune called Tower Hill and camping there with the family.

Bo turned 3 this year and has really started to talk a lot. He wants to be a giant when he grows up and I would not be surprised if that is what he becomes. I guess when you are the fifth child and everyone is taller then you, that is probably what you would think about as well.

The newest blessing this year the birth of our sweet little girl Kaleo Breese. She was born on February 25th. She is almost 10 months old now. She is a little doll and has the attention of her five other siblings to boot. She also gets our attention by her high pitched screams. She makes home schooling a little more challenging. I feel like the tortoise in Aesop’s Fable compared to what other teachers can do. But I take comfort in the fact that the tortoise eventually caught up. Somehow, I believe we’ll make it through this time as well.

In our house you will usually find Kaleo and Bell (the dog) together. Bell is typically trying to eat any food Kaleo might drop from her high chair or walker. Bell also just enjoys licking Kaleo’s face and hands. Kaleo gets her back, though, by eating Bell’s dog food. And I thought breastmilk had every nutrient. There must be something missing. :)

We also had another guest stay with us this year. My niece, Shana Olivero, lived with us for 4 months while my brother John went to Kuwait with the National Guard. Here's a picture of John and Shana the night before he flew to Kuwait.

Eric is doing great. He just finished a 40 day spiritual fast (drinking just juice and water). At first we were both going to be amazed if he made it that long. But now that he is finished, I’m even more amazed at the answers to prayers as a result of his fast. What a great God we serve! I’m always encouraged to pray when I hear about God answering someone else’s prayers. Stay tuned to our next newsletter to hear more. Just recently Makari said to Eric, “I hope I marry someone just like you.” What a great compliment and I couldn’t agree more. That is my prayer for all my girls.

I am currently reading Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life. I am not even finished with the book yet, but I would highly recommend it. It is encouraging at whatever point you are at spiritually. I can understand why it was #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list. I’m looking forward to finishing it.

That’s all the news from Streator. We pray you are experiencing His great love for you at this season of the year.

Love,

Lana and all the Elders

(If you'd like to see some updated pictures, click the link to see our 2004 Elder Family Pictures)