The Candy Cane Mystery

The following story was written by the 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade students at Standard Christian School.  They contributed by given only one line at a time.  Please enjoy and comment!

The Candy Cane Mystery

Once upon a time in a little town of Albany, at a quaint little school called Standard Christian School a great mystery took place! One December night, it began someone stole the stripes from all of the candy canes. We, the students, Karina, Valentin, Ana, Shylo, Cruz and Daniel began to search for the lost stripes. 

Karina said, "Where could they be?"

Shylo responds, "I know, lets look in the restrooms!"

They looked in the bathroom and they were not there.

Daniel points and says, "You stole the strips, Shylo!"

Shylo ran and we ran after him.  Suddenly we went through a door and we were in Candy Land.  So we got to the window and saw it was broken.  We looked out the window and saw Shylo was climbing the Candy Volcano. The Candy Volcano was made out of rock candy and frosting.  We grabbed our gear of lollipops hiking sticks and packed our bag of candy to head after Shylo. We fell into the Volcano and found all of the Candy Cane Stripes.

Shylo said, "It was not me, I didn't steal the stripes, I saw the real thief and they got away."

So we went to look for the real thief.  We went through the magic school bus. We found ourselves in Arizona when it was lightning at night.  We had to watch out for javelins, scorpions and jumping cholla cactus.

Cruz said, "Follow me, I know where he can be, he is in Jerome, with the wickest people."  There were 12 robbers in the saloon.

Ana asks, "Who knows where the candy cane strip stealer is?" But everyone shrugs their shoulders.

Karina suggest, "Check their tongues!"  So Valentin pulled everyone's tongue out and to their surprise no one has a red tongue. Could it be one of them that did?  Slowly, each one stuck their tongue out at each other.  No one had a red tongue.  So all the students went back to school and sat sadly in their classroom.  Sis. Jacqui began to teach and to all their surprised, she had a red tongue.  The End!

From Sis. Jacqui's Classroom

In Memory of Stanley Kuzawa

Quick Note from Stan's daughter,
Last week, my dad's fight with cancer finally ended, he passed away early Saturday morning.  It was sad because on Tuesday I was supposed to fly out to see him.  Instead I came to plan his funeral.  The nurses often comment that my dad would be in horrible pain but refuse to take pain pills, because he wanted to be aware of his surroundings and not "drugged up".  He never wanted to show that he was weak, but always was a strong man in many ways. Dad was a beloved father, husband and grandpa and will be greatly missed.

Love your baby girl,
Jacqui Sue 

Obituary

On Saturday, August 22, 2015 Stanley Kuzawa, 62, of Phoenix, Arizona went to be with his Lord.  He was born to the late John and Mary Kuzawa, October 27, 1952 in Cleveland, Ohio.  Stan will be lovingly remembered by his beloved wife, Vanu and his children, Brian (Janae) Kuzawa, Gregg (Christy) Kuzawa, Janella Cleveland, Jacqueline (Ryan) Murphy, Natasha Kuzawa and Rhonda Kuzawa,  He was preceded in death by his son, Jace Cleveland.  He will also be missed by his grandkids, Aurora, Gregg, Audrey, Lexi, Ashtyn, Conner and Jessica. A Celebration of Stan's Life with the immediate family will be held on Thursday, August 27, 2015 at Chaparral Park in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Celebration of Life with Message to Dad/Grandpa

 

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The Greatest Marriage Advice I Ever Received

The Greatest Marriage Advice I Ever Received

I have now been married a total of 482 days, so I want to clarify I am NOT a Marriage Advice Expert.  I want the best marriage ever and so far in my 482 days of marriage I have been very very happy. “Oh your still in your Honeymoon stage that why!”  Maybe, but it also has to do with the greatest marriage advice I ever received.  So listen up to all my single gals and guys, I want to pass on the advice I received.

A couple months before I met my darling husband Ryan, I thought I knew everything there was about marriage!  Oh yes, it can’t be hard, “Obey your husband and cook good food. (after all the way to his heart is through his stomach right?!)  I had always wanted a good marriage, so I always paid attention when anyone gave advice.  I’d file away in my filing cabinet in my brain under “Marriage Advice”.  I’d listen when the Christian Radio would give advice, I’d listen during preaching and teaching at church.  I’d take mental notes if I read something online or in an article. But by far some of my favorite advice came from long time married couples, theirs where funny, cute and full of very practical advice.

Then Ryan came along, well I knew immediately he was the one.  Everyone who saw us together knew it was right.  I wanted so badly to make sure this would work that I nearly knocked over my filing cabinet and double check.  I finally realized it was going right and needed to relax, family and pastors happily guided us along.  So when Ryan proposed and I accepted, the wedding advice started flowing in.  Boy I was ready!

Everyone including strangers in line at the supermarket gave advice, married, single, disgruntled and even kids!  Some advice I put in a file marked “Awesome Marriage Advice” others in “Marriage Advice Maybe?” or “Don’t ever use this Marriage Advice”.   The more advice I received something occurred to me, I’ve heard this all before.  For years I have been listening and learning what a real marriage is.  I didn’t turn my brain off when they talked about it just because I was single.  I toke it in, because I wanted to have the best marriage.

When pastors and trusted family members talked to us about what marriage was truly about.  That it wasn’t easy, that you had to work on it each day and that you had to give 150% every day.  That you might argue, she not pretty every moment of the day, he might smell funny and so on.  But both Ryan and I were not oblivious of the fact, we knew we had to work for it, we had been told for years.  We walked into the marriage knowing we had to work to have an awesome marriage.

Shortly before I got married, a group of us where talking.  We were talking about marriage advice they had received, laughing at some of it that we heard.  Then someone said the best marriage advice they got was during a preaching as a teenager.  The preacher said, “Marriage starts now as a young person.  You learn about it while you don’t have anyone in your life.  Not trying to listen to advice between making googly eyes at your future mate or discussing flowers and cake.  Listen now, don’t shut it off just because you’re single.”

Now 482 days into a blissful marriage, I have remember lots of the advice I heard for years: “Always kiss goodnight and good morning.”, “Never go a day without saying ‘I Love You’”, Obey your husband, honor your wife.  Pray and forgive each other.  Give, give, give but never give up.  I know years from now, that our marriage will be a strong one; I still take lots of marriage advice even now.  Ryan and I both walked into a strong marriage foundation because we listen for years what a good marriage is about.  So what is the greatest marriage advice? Start listening long before you get married. 

Happily Married,

Jacqueline Suzanne