The Talens' Tales

My paper work has been in Canada for about a month now. I was getting to that point where I just wanted a a little confirmation that they had received it and it was going through the process and not just sitting on a desk somewhere. And yesterday we got it. We received a letter saying that Wilbert does qualify to sponsor me to go to Canada. We were not 100% sure we could just do it by ourselves or if Wilbert would a co-sponsor. But, he qualifies and our paper work is moving on to the next step. Yeah!

Well, we made a quick trip to the Cities for Round One of the State basketball tournament where the girls put up a good fight, but in the end it wasn't enough. We lost by four. Tears were shed, but really, these girls did a great job. There are six seniors on the team and I am sure that in a little while, they will see what a wonderful experience this was. We are proud of the girls, but sort of glad that we didn't have to spend tonight in a hotel with a crazy amount of teenagers.

Hi everyone. This is Wilbert posting. This week is Spiritual Emphasis Week at Southwest MN Christian (by the way, every week is spiritual emphasis week except we don't title it that way). Wednesday and Thursday at school we had a group of six 20-25 year olds present our student body with biblical worldview training. Wednesday we had the first 4 sessions of a 6 part whole. The group that presented is called Axis and they are terrific. As teachers we each chip away at different aspects of a young person's worldview formation from our own perspectives. While teaching this way is great, we don't always summarize what we've team taught as a whole because we don't necessarily know how each teacher has approached the topic. Wednesday and Thursday were great for the students because Axis built the critical thinking framework that our students need to think concretely about what their worldview is. Students were also challenged to defend why God exists with the speaker play...

Our girl's basketball team made it to state for the first time in I don't know how many years. I went to the game last night and it came down to some free throw shot in the last few seconds of the game. So, next week will now be crazy with trying to finish the quarter, travel, and a least one state tournament game. We get to ride in charter buses to the games though, so that is very nice. So the frenzy continues and loose more play practice days. I am not worried yet. I just hope the kids will be willing to work really hard on the days we do have practice. So far they have been great and I hope that continues.

You would have thought we had a zoo in school yesterday. Interviews for our positions have started and yesterday four music applicants were at school. And one of them was tall. Really tall. Like 7'1" tall. But, you have thought out student have never seen a tall person before. He was in the teacher's lounge during break. My room happens to be the closest to the teacher's lounge and after our morning break, there was a slow and steady line of student by my door, rubber necking to look at the tall man. They could not get over how tall he was. I found it funny, really. I mean he is just tall. He doesn't have a third arm or anything. And one of the students in our school is 6'9", which is pretty tall too. We are a tall Dutch community. Being tall is not that unusual. So, I really hope that doesn't taint his view of our school. We will see what happens if he ends up being the one who is offered the job.

We actually had a full week of school. And I am tired. It probably doesn't help that I also started play practice this week. So, I am enjoying an evening home while my husband and probably just about everyone else from Edgerton is at the girl's basketball tournament game. I don't like to go to the tournament games by myself and I really didn't feel like riding the bus with the pep band. So, I am home. I have been cleaning since we have someone coming to look at our house again tomorrow. It is the third time we have shown it since February, so that is good. It is nice to know that people are looking.