Wayfarer on the Creative Path

Vander Well News Briefs 8-20-07

Wow, it's been almost a week since I posted. Better get everyone caught up...

• The lack of posts is due to being on the road on a crazy schedule. I left last Tuesday to face a day of travel to San Antonio. Spent Wednesday driving from meetings in San Antonio to Laredo and back and then back on a plane early Thursday to get home.
  
• Wendy and I jumped in the car Thursday evening after I finished up some work and headed to the Lake. Summer is waning and this may be one of the last chances we have for a long weekend on the water. We had a great time with my folks, celebrating Grandma Jeanne's 70th Birthday!
  
  
• Wendy accepted a short-term project from her old employer, Goalsetters, to update the database she had created for the business over the past ten years. The work begins immediately. No idea how long it will take. She continues to work for the group part-time, as well.
  
• The girls go back to school this week (and there was much rejoicing).
  
• Taylor has been making college visits, scheduling senior pictures, taking CNA classes, and still found time to get a new job at Smokey Row. We can't keep up with that girl.
  
• Madison was asked to be part of a worship team for The Bridge, and new church plant in Ottumwa. She was one of few young people invited to participate and she's very excited about it. She'll be a vocalist as well as continuing as part of the high school worship team on Sunday evenings. She been enjoying hanging out with friends since her return from Costa Rica.

Madison Update

I had a voice mail from Madison yesterday afternoon. She had arrived safely in the village where she and her team will be ministering in Costa Rica. She was emotional on the phone, but assured me that she was doing well and that God was doing amazing things in her and her team. She asked for continued prayer that she not be too homesick and that she can continue to focus on the work there. I sense that this trip is much more of a challenge for Madison, and that God is shaping her through this experience. Please pray for Madison that she becomes "mature and well-developed" and that her faith shows its true colors!

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-4 (TM)

Vander Well Newsbriefs April 27, 2007

Here's the latest:

• Wendy's dad and brother, Lucas, returned home from a two-week mission to Mozambique. They were working with refugees who were homeless and without food due to intense flooding of the Zambizi River. We're anxious to hear all the details - but thanking God for their safe return.
• Mom and Dad Vander Well are taking a trip East to visit friends in Virginia. They're planning to be back for Tulip Time before heading down to their playhouse on Lake of the Ozarks in May.
• Taylor was just hired as a server at the restaurant at Bos Landen golf course. She has worked as a hostess at Monarch's for three years, but couldn't serve until she was 18 - so she's hoping to make some more money. Taylor will be going on a mission to Mexico with the church youth group in June.
• Madison's plate has been full with track (which is about over), the Tulip Time play, Worship Team at church, and choir at school. She will be going to Mexico and Costa Rica on missions projects this summer.
• Wendy and I are looking forward to a break from theatre this summer so that we can recharge our batteries and focus our time and energy on some other projects we've been putting off around the house.
• We're also hoping to spend a lot more time at the lake this summer. Mom and Dad's neighbors down at the lake are moving - and Wendy and I bought their waverunner, so we're looking forward to giving it a good workout :)

Vander Well News Briefs 04-17-07

It's been a crazy time in the Vander Well household. Spring is upon us and activity abounds. I've been working some crazy hours and spending a lot of time on the road. It seems that blogging has been shoved to the back burner for a few weeks. Let me catch you up...

• Wendy continues to work for our group. We've had a lot of extra work and she's been doing a fantastic job. She's enjoying the flexibility of working from home and is figuring out how to set boundaries so that work doesn't completely overtake your home life. Wendy's working with her friend, Jen, on doing some fun stuff for the church women's retreat this weekend. She's also excited for her friend, Sarah's, wedding in a few weeks. With Sarah's wedding "the girls" will all be married.
• Taylor had prom last Saturday night. She and Clayton had a great time. She looked gorgeous in the dress she wore to our wedding, and a whole group of friends had a progressive dinner (for which Wendy made the cheesecake!). Taylor was inducted into the "Thespian Society" at school last night. Wendy and I got a kick out of going to the awards banquet. She continues to think about colleges and has her ACT tests coming up. Taylor is also looking forward to her mission trip to Baja, Mexico this summer. She continues to work, on a limited basis, at Monarch's restaurant.
• Madison is a whirlwind of activity. Besides the full academic load, she's running track, singing in the church worship team, and in USP's Tulip Time play with Wendy and me. Madison had been working at George's pizza here in town, but she cut work out of the schedule for the summer. Madison is going on two mission trips this summer to Baja, Mexico with church and to Costa Rica with Global Expeditions (support letters will be going out soon).
• Rehearsals continue for the Tulip Time play, Tulip House [see photo]. Tulip Time is just a few weeks away. The cold weather did a number on a lot of the tulips, but there will still be plenty that make it.
• Wendy and I are taking a break from theatre this summer (really, we mean it this time), and are looking forward to getting some projects done around the house and spending some time at the lake with Mom & Dad VW.

Vander Well News Briefs 03-07-07

Here's the latest headlines from the VWs:

• Wendy has been working on a short-term project for our group that will last through March. She's doing a great job - and my fellow group members have commented to me how much they love both Wendy and the great job she's doing (I'm not surprised). She's still looking for a full-time job in the Pella area once this project is completed.
• Taylor and Madison surprised us when they both decided to go out for the high school track team. Taylor is running middle distance and Madison is a sprinter. I never woulda thunk it. You go, girls.
• Taylor is also finishing up work on the Mock Trial team, and is in individual Speech Contests today. Her work at Monarch's Restaurant has slowed down - she's applying for a job at the local coffee shop, Smokey Row. She spoke at a TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) weekend a few weeks ago - and is planning on a mission trip to Mexico with our church this summer.
• Madison's show choir had a big concert a couple of weeks ago - she did a fabulous job. She's also using her angelic voice on the youth worship team at church. She's been working one night a week at George's Pizza, and is very involved with her church small group. She has two mission trips planned this summer (Mexico with church & Costa Rica with Global Expeditions).
• We were really disappointed when the snow/ice storm forced us to cancel the final performance of Morning's at Seven that I directed for Union Street Players, but we were able to schedule an encore performance this Friday night - hooray!
• Auditions for the next USP show, Tulip House, which will be produced during Pella's Tulip Time were held this past week. It's possible that Wendy, Madison and I could all be on stage together, which would be really fun. The cast hasn't been announced. We'll keep you posted!

Vander Well News Briefs 1-13-07

Well, we made it through the holidays and 2007 is in full swing. Here's the latest:

• Wendy painted the dining room this week (see photo). As you can see, it made a huge change but we absolutely love it. The hallways are next (a light beige).
• Taylor and Madison survived semester tests this past week.
• Taylor is still getting back to normal after her mission trip to Panama. She's already signed up for a mission to Romania this summer with Global Expeditions.
• Speaking of missions, Madison is headed to Mexico (with our church) and Costa Rica (with Global Expeditions) next summer.
• Both girls are now in the restaurant biz. Madison has been enjoying her new job at George's as server and hostess. Taylor has now been a hostess at Monarch's for a couple years.
• I have been battling a nasty cold for the past week. First time I've had a cold like this in a long time. The rest of the family has thankfully been successful at avoiding it.
• I was able to avoid the road for much of the past few months, but I've got my travelin' shoes on once again. Twin Cities this past week. Montana and Wyoming next week. A visit to San Antonio is imminent in the coming weeks.
• No word on a job for Wendy. She's still praying and looking.
• I'm directing USP's next show, Morning's at Seven. Rehearsals started this past week. Performances are scheduled for the last weekend of February.

Vander Well News Briefs - 12/04/06

• The Christmas Post is a bona fide hit! We had a great opening weekend, with attendance growing with each show. Sunday afternoon matinees is usually a small crowd and there were people lined up down the hallway of the Pella Community Center to buy tickets at the door! The place was packed. It's a nice pay-off for all the time and energy Wendy has put into the show!!
• Thank you to everyone who has been praying for Madison. She's made steady progress since the doctor changed her anti-biotic last week. She returned to school this morning. Praise God!
• It was great to have family and friends come down for the show this weekend. We didn't get to spend as much time with everyone was we would have liked, but with Christmas around the corner we'll have that chance in a few weeks.
• Wendy has been keeping so busy with the show that she hasn't had much time to think about her job situation. She's looking forward to a few more weeks of rest before she begins to think about what God has in store for her employment-wise.
• Taylor is getting excited about her mission trip to Panama. She leaves December 27! She's raised enough money for the base expenses. She just has a few hundred dollars left to pay for her plane ticket.

Vander Well New Briefs Sep 25

Extra! Extra! Here's the latest skinny:

• On a sad note, Grandpa and Grandma Vander Well are closing up the playhouse on Lake of the Ozarks this week. Grandma said Tim was going to be there this past weekend for one last visit before the folks shut 'er up and head back to Des Moines.
• Speaking of Tim, he's got his own apartment in Lawrence, Kansas. He'll be working on a project in Topeka for another year or so. He found the social life a bit more to his liking in Lawrence, and found an apartment where he can set up a shop and work on his guitars.
• We had a great time Saturday in Iowa City with Wendy's siblings. We joined Becky and Josh at Jesse and Heidi's apartment. What a blast. We hadn't seen Jesse and Heidi since the Wedding, so it was great to all get together. Unfortunately, we forgot our camera!
• Becky was inbetween work contracts but plans to head back for another stint in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. She still plans to sail as a nurse on Mercy Ships, but the ship is still under construction and so the mission trip is on hold for now.
• Taylor and Madison had all the Homecoming festivities this past weekend. Sounds like all went well. Pella won the football game and the dance was a success - though Taylor looked particularly dead at play rehearsal Saturday morning.
• Taylor is waiting for her confirmation packet from Global Expeditions so she can start sending out support letters for her mission trip to Costa Rica this Christmas.
• Play rehearsals continue for The Christmas Post (plan now to attend Nov 30, Dec 1,2,3,7, or 8). Wendy's doing a great job and the cast is wonderful. Wendy has been pleasantly surprised at how quickly the cast is picking up the music and choreography.

New Pics Added to Tom's Album

I've uploaded some new pictures of our trip to Chicago for your viewing pleasure! Click on "Tom's Album" on the left side bar.

Vander Well News Briefs

What have the Vander Wells' and our families been up to? Here's a few quick hits:

• Wendy and I spent the weekend painting our living room [see picture]. We started Friday night and worked until the wee hours, then hit it hard again Saturday. We love it. The dining room is next! Our bathrooms continue to be under construction. The contractor hopes to have that all finished in the next week or two.
• I uploaded pictures from our trip with Taylor and her friend Rachel to Chicago. Click on the "Tom's Album" link on the left side-bar of the blog.
• I've gotten a couple of e-mails from Madison this weekend. She's doing great in Thailand. She was preparing to go with her Global Expeditions team to a mountain village to minister to the people there. Last week was spent helping University students on their conversational English. They were having a party Friday night with all of the students with the intention of sharing the Good News with them.
• Taylor continues to work at the Restaurant and is working at the area TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) retreat this weekend. It's hard to believe that school is just around the corner.
• Wendy and I are headed to the lake to see my folks this coming weekend. We can't wait!
• Wendy's siblings Josh, Jesse and Heidi are in the process of moving to Iowa City to start Dental school this fall. We can't wait to have them a little closer to home so we can see them more often!
• Wendy's dad and brother, Lucas went on a short mission to Tijuana a week or two ago. We saw them this past week and got the scoop on the trip. They handed out clothes & toys to the poor and taught VBS. They're hoping to go back down with some men to build houses in the near future.
• My folks have been entertaining guests down at the lake in recently. Friends from church visited, then Jody, Emma and Sol were down there this past week.

technorati tags: Vander Well News briefs home improvement missions

Vander Well News Briefs - June 28, 2006

Whew! The summer is already flying by!

• Madison has her last Driver's Ed class on Thursday. She's still a year and a half away from her license, but happy to have the class over. She's packing for Thailand and leaves July 11.
• Taylor, on the other hand, is not too far from having her license - seven days to be exact. Our 4th of July kid will be driving "old blue" around Pella  next week. Yikes!
• Wendy has been doing well with the commute to Sully each day. It hasn't been a huge deal except when she got stuck behind the Great Iowa Tractor Ride coming home Monday and going to work yesterday. She called me to vent her frustrations as she putzed behind a million puttering tractors that were in her way.
• We're enjoying a respite from the stage for a few months before Wendy begins directing The Christmas Post in the fall. It's strange to be able to sit in our home at night and...do nothing.
• Brown Construction arrives Friday to begin our 2006 home improvement project. We're putting a shower in the main floor bathroom and expanding/adding a shower to the upstairs bathroom for the girls.
• Looking forward to seeing the family at Grandma VH's birthday party on Saturday!

Technorati Tags: Vander Well, Newsbrief, update
Flickr photo courtesy of jdunlevy

Vander Well News Briefs May 30

It was a nice break this weekend, but HOT!

• Wendy and I had Shakespeare rehearsal Friday night and Monday, so that pretty much took away any chance to plan much. But that's okay, we relaxed, cleaned up the massive, living, breathing mass of junk piled in the basement from our multiple moves (Tom & Girls to House, Wendy out of one apartment into another, Wendy out of apartment into House) last year. We have three or four coffee makers, two irons, multiple phones, radios, alarm clocks, etc. When the girls are ready to move out on their own I think we could set them up without having to buy anything!
• It was an X-men marathon weekend. I hadn't seen either of the first two movies, so Wendy watched them with me on TV Sunday night and then we went to the matinee of X-men 3 yesterday. Fun stuff. It's pretty rare that sequels get better as you go along but I think they pulled it off with this one.
• It's the girls last week of school. They have semester tests this week. I can tell that they're both excited to be done.
• Madison is looking for a job to make some extra money before she goes to Thailand. Please pray for God to open something up for her.

Technorati Tags: Vander Well, Newsbrief, update, junk

Dance!

It's cool that Taylor and Wendy both dance with the same dance studio. The semi-annual recital is this Saturday. It's such a blast to see the little ones in the their pink leotards and tutus. Taylor is doing both jazz-tap and hip-hop. Wendy's "adult" group is reprising a beautiful ballet number they did last year and then, for a stretch, doing a hip-hop number. Recital is Saturday. If anyone wants to attend, let me know!

Vander Well News Briefs - May 21

It's been a great week!

• Taylor and Madison are looking forward to being done with school in just two more weeks. Taylor is hoping to get both lunch and dinner hours at the restaurant. Madison will start Driver's Ed as soon as school is out.
• Much Ado About Nothing rehearsals are every week night and Saturday mornings, so Wendy and aren't doing much else outside of work. Are you coming to the show? It's FREE! For schedule of performance dates and locations click here.
• We had two graduation parties to attend yesterday, which seemed like a lot until I spoke with Monique, one of our group members who we ran into at Brooke Zehr's reception. Monique said that she had 27 graduation receptions to attend next weekend. That's ALOT of white cake.
• Wendy and I stopped by Mom & Dad Vander Well's yesterday after the graduation parties. They are back from Lake of the Ozarks for a few weeks. Pray for mom's cataract surgery tomorrow (May 22).
• We then scooted up to Boone to see Mom & Dad Hall and attend Suzanna's little league softball game. She was adorable in her hot-pink batting helmet. Heidi was home, as well. She and Jesse are planning to move to Iowa City the first of August. We're looking forward to having them closer!

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VW News Briefs - May 14

• Happy Mother's Day! Mom Hall came to Pella with Becky and Suzanna yesterday. We took Grandma VH to Pizza Ranch for lunch. Mom VW is at their 'playhouse' on Lake of the Ozarks through the rest of this week and then returns to DSM for her 2nd cataract surgery.
• Wendy survived her first week commuting to the new office in Sully. It's about a 20-30 minute drive, (depending on the amount of farm implement traffic in Peoria! Ha!). She's been putting in ALOT of hours with the transition. One little surprise has been Faye Brand's dog, who likes to sneak into the office and lay by Faye's desk (which means he lays between Faye and Wendy).
• It was a long week of client meetings for me this week, with one overnight in Lincoln, NE. By the time I got back to the office on Friday the stack of work that had piled up was deep and wide.
• We decided to forget work yesterday and just enjoy the day together. After lunch with mom & grandma we headed to DSM for some shopping and finished the day having dinner with my brother, Tim, who was proudly showing off one of the two guitars he finished last week. Sounds like he's going to buy an old commercial building in Red Wing, MN to convert to a home and guitar shop.
• Taylor and Madison are counting down the days until school's out for the summer (3 weeks!). Madison is taking Driver's Ed before leaving for Thailand. Taylor has been working a lot of hours at the restaurant and is hoping to pick up another part-time job.
• It's been stinkin' COLD, with rain and wind all week. Feels more like late November instead of mid-May (Most of the Tulips are still up if you want to stop by and see them).

Technorati Tags: News, Work, Guitar, Blog

flickr photo courtesy of Special

Vander Well News Briefs - May 10

• Wendy and I have a week off production before rehearsals start for Pella Shakespeare Company's production of Much Ado About Nothing.
• We auditioned last Sunday for day roles in an upcoming Hollywood film shooting in Cedar Rapids and Norway Iowa called The Final Season. Who knows. It was fun to audition.
• Wendy's office moved out to Co-Line in the greater Sully metropolitan area. Co-Line purchased GoalSetters this past Spring. Wendy has a great corner cubicle with an expansive view of the rural landscape.
• Madison got her driving permit last week (yikes!). Of course, she wanted to drive the Cadillac home from the court house. Ummmmmm....no.
• Speaking of Madison, her support is all raised for Thailand and she's already putting away money towards her next mission trip. Anything extra she raised can go toward another TeenMania trip if it's used within (I think) a year, otherwise it goes towards TeenMania's general budget.
• Taylor's boss at Monarch's Restaurant told me that she's a great hostess and they've been impressed with the way she handles the Tulip Time crowds. At times, Taylor managed over forty people waiting for tables. Her boss said, "Taylor's so sweet, people can't get mad at her. If we have an angry customer we just send Taylor up there." They've asked Taylor to train their new hostess. Not bad for fifteen years old.