Year in Review-June 2017

Photo credit: Steve Blakey
Lamb 2 (on right) began being an acolyte

Lamb 1 did a rowing camp for a week. The weather was rainy all week so they weren't able to go out on the water every day. But he loved the days that he was able to.  I am so glad they allowed middle schoolers to do this. He may be on the crew team in high school.

Photo Credit: Hyde Brothers Booksellers Facebook Page
We went to the 25th anniversary Midnight sale at Hyde Brothers. We ended up not being able to attend the Christmas midnight sale so I'm glad everyone in the family was able to pick something out this time.

Katie's book was released and I bought a copy of The Harvest Raise. If you haven't read the Anthems of Zion, you really need to!

Lamb 2 and 3 did a week long choir camp. The director was one of my sister's grade school teachers. The Lambs weren't thrilled about choir, but it accomplished my goal of giving them the basics.

On the last day of choir camp my parents and our family attended a small concert where they showed what they learned. It was amazing what they learned in one week. We found out they had attended camp all week with a distant cousin when my mom saw her cousin at the concert.

We went to visit my sister a few weeks after she moved to St. Louis. 

My brother-in-law was anxious to go to the City Museum with his nephews. There were a lot of slides and fun stuff to do. 

We all rode the Ferris wheel up on the roof at the City Museum.

The Lambs had fun at a city park.

Ram and Ewe with Pinocchio.

As a lifelong Lutheran, I had never been to the LCMS headquarters. We loved having a tour of the International Center. I got copies of this photo for our Christmas cards that I still haven't sent.

Aaron works at the International Center. He was in kindergarten my first year of teaching.

Lutherans with CFW Walther

Our tour guide had only given a few tours before our tour. Rev. Harrison was Senior pastor at the church where I began teaching. He is now the Synodical President. The tour guide was surprised when Rev. Harrison invited us into his office and spent about 20 minutes with us. We were very grateful for him to take time out of his busy schedule to visit with us. Ram was excited to see all his books!

I was the country mouse going to downtown St. Louis. I told Rev. Harrison that I did not sleep my first night in the city because of all the city noises. He joked that I should go to Stanley's and smoke a cigar and I would sleep well the second night in the city. I didn't smoke a cigar, but we had to stop by for a photo after that!

We all had to pound the gavel in the Board of Directors room. My brother-in-law had the most fun. I tried to think of important decisions that have been made in that room for the good of the LCMS.

It was interesting to see the KFUO station and they were generous enough to give us a bunch of swag which we shared with my dad as he often listens to KFUO.

 

 

Lamb 1 and 2 did two weeks of basketball camp. I wasn't fast enough to get a better photo of Lamb 2 getting his participation award.

We were very proud of Lamb 1 for winning Best Attitude award at basketball camp this year. They only gave a few boys out of the approximately 100 attending an award.

Lamb 2 was sick on his birthday so he never made a cake. He made a cake for his baptism anniversary.

Between pictures and singing Happy Birthday, more M&Ms and candles in variegated  colors were added.

A friend from ID came to an organist workshop at the Seminary so we spent an afternoon together .

Lamb 2 did a tennis camp. I thought it was a week long camp and planned to go early on the last day and take pictures of Lamb 2. When I went to pick him up on Thursday, he told me that was the last day of camp. Oops! At least I found out then instead of taking him on Friday! He really enjoyed tennis and I think he might have found a sport he can really enjoy for the rest of his life.

Photo Credit: Steve Blakey
Winston was the first son of our congregation to be baptized and ordained at our church in 125 years. Ram was a pastor giving a blessing at the ordination and Lamb 1 was an acolyte.

Lamb 1 and Winston on a different day than his ordination.

Winston's mom was a teacher at the school when I began teaching. We hadn't seen each other in many years.

Winston was in 4th grade when I began teaching. He was Lamb 2 and 3's Sunday School teacher last year.

I got a print of the cover of the new edition of He Remembers the Barren. I had it framed, but we aren't hanging up pictures in our rental house. I am looking forward to getting a permanent home and hanging it. The symbolism on this print is beautiful and meaningful.

The Lambs have enjoyed playing with my dad's old erector set. I'm not sure why Lamb 2 doesn't have a shirt on other than it was hot?

A better picture of the bulbs that I brought from ID and planted at my mom's when they were in full bloom.

Lamb 2 and I picked strawberries. Too much rain made it an awful year for Indiana strawberries. We spent a long time picking a few berries. I don't know if Lamb 2 will ever want to pick strawberries again. We ate a few fresh and I barely had enough to make one batch of jam. Hopefully next year will be better strawberries.