Christ is risen! Alleluia!

Year in Review-April 2017

 April 2017

I didn't realize we did so much and took so many pictures in April until I was ready to make this post!

Lamb 3 was so proud of the cake he made for his 9th birthday.

He received a Lego house that could change seasons. He was very excited to put the basketball hoop outside the house. He spent a lot of time trying to figure out which pieces would be used to make different seasons such as pieces that made a fireplace for winter made a grill for a summer barbecue before he opened the box.

We celebrated at my parents' house. He wanted green candles for his cake.

My last Lamb in his last year to wear the number shirts. I have such fond memories of  the Lambs wearing these.

Here the birthday Legos are put together until he decides to change it to the next season!

His life size skeleton puzzle was much smaller than him and too easy for him to put together.

Lamb 3 spent some of his birthday money on a Spiderman glove with silly string.  He had fun for a couple of days.

Photo Credit: Steve Blakey
Lamb 1 was an acolyte for the first time for the beautiful Easter Vigil service.

The ladies wore Easter bonnets and Easter was a joyous day at our church.

My mom hosted us for dinner on Easter. I was so full from Easter breakfast at church, that I wished we would have celebrated at my parents the next day. After the owl relish tray, she attempted a Easter bunny relish tray.

Lamb 2 and 3 dyed eggs, but Lamb 1 thought he was too old to dye eggs.

Lamb 2 continued and enjoyed his gymnastics session.

I worked the Vera Bradley outlet sale in 2003. I tried to work the sale this year, but it was much more complicated to be hired than when I worked. It ended up we had a lot going on that week and I was glad I didn't work the sale and miss activities at church and with our family. I did go on the "free" day along with a few other customers! I didn't spend that much money, but got some nice gifts. I may try to go every few years, but definitely won't fight the crowds to shop every year even though this is in Fort Wayne. This photo is when I was in the middle of the line to pay!

My sister made her godsons a Jeopardy game with answers from the small catechism in honor of Lamb 1's upcoming confirmation. We played some of the game with my dad, but it was taking too long and we never finished that game. Maybe next time my sister visits?

The last Saturday in April was a very full day. First Lamb 1 had confirmation questioning. He did very well.

Then my mom's church hosted an apron party for ladies. I attended as my mom's guest. They had these cute homemade decorations with the schedule of the day's events. My mom was one of the hostesses and her table had old mixing bowls with cookie cutters etc. as centerpieces.

I had taken many of my aprons from my collection to my mom to display at the party. Everyone brought one apron to tell about to the party. It was so much fun to hear about other aprons. After the party I discovered another box of my aprons as we get settled after moving. Oh well, at least I found some before the party!

My mom's apron is made out of a feed sack, mine is from Beatrix Potter's childhood home.

With the apron that my grandma gave me when I was about 10 years old. It was used as at a wedding reception for the ladies that served cake.

My mom with the apron that she made in home economics class in high school. She eventually became a home economics teacher. She wore this apron for many years early in her marriage and it is worn out. I am so glad she kept it even during her downsizing a few years ago.
I made a photo book of the apron party as a gift for my mom. She has had fun showing it to friends.

After the apron party, we went to an out of town basketball game for Lamb 1. 

Lamb 2 and 3 had to go along to Lamb 1's basketball games. Here they are standing on some famous basketball player's footprints. I don't know who it is, but some pro player from Indiana. It got to be too many games so usually Lamb 2 and 3 went to my mom's during games when Ram had class.

The Lutheran high school started a middle school team to try to build the boys skills before high school. Lamb 1 was on the 7th grade team. They learned a lot, had a lot of fun, but lost early in the tournament. I liked that all the Lutheran schools were involved in one team for boys that were really interested in basketball.

Photo Credit: Steve Blakey
Our Synodical president, Rev. Matthew Harrison was supposed to preach at our church in April in honor of our 125th anniversary. He was unable to come due to a family emergency. Our district president, Rev. Jamison Hardy, preached that day. The seminarian that assisted that day, Winston Grieser, was in 4th grade at the school that I taught at when I began teaching. Bishop Hardy was a student at CUW when I was in college. When our church photographer posted this picture with Winston on the left; Rev. Hardy preaching; and my family in the front row; I just had to laugh at how the small LCMS world collides years later. That was a very fun day with lots of friends. We are very blessed that we are able to be back in Fort Wayne and attend our church.

I entered Katie Schuermann's pie contest in April.

My sister and I are 7 years apart and ever since she was born we have been competing with each other. She was on the launch team for Katie's new book, The Harvest Raise, so she received a e-copy around the time that I was competing to try to win a t-shirt. She bragged a lot, but wasn't allowed to talk about the book with me until it was released. 

He is Risen! Alleluia!

 Easter 2017

Blessed Easter!

Now no more can death appall,

Now no more the grave enthrall,

You have opened paradise,

And Your saints in You shall rise.

Alleluia!

 LSB 633:6

Not really what I wished for...

The part of living in Fort Wayne that I miss the most is there are very few "extra" Lutheran services and concerts here. A few weeks ago Concordia Nebraska choir had a concert in our area. It was actually in-between our sicknesses so our whole family was able to attend. The concert opened with singing A Mighty Fortress. It has been several years since I sang a stanza of A Mighty Fortress with that many Lutherans.

The part of living in MN that I miss the most is the flowers in church on Easter. Our churches in MN had several bouquets and lilies every year for Easter Sunday. They tried to make them last as long as they could and put them out several Sundays after Easter. I always tried to take a few family photos with all the flowers at church. Our church here has one bouquet of real flowers on the altar. On the organ and in the entryway there were a few other bouquets that were silk flowers. I took comfort in that one of those bouquets was made out of flowers from my Grandma's funeral bouquet. There just isn't room up by the altar for more flowers. I know real flowers aren't necessary at church on Easter, but it sure is beautiful.

I never imagined that a few weeks after the choir concert I would be sitting in the same church at a funeral for one of our dear church members. The opening hymn for the funeral was A Mighty Fortress. Not everyone was Lutheran nor were some of us able to sing loudly through our tears, but there were more people at that funeral than there were at the concert a few weeks before.

Even though the family requested memorials be donated to our Lutheran camp here, there were several flower donations. Most of those flowers are going to be at our church on Easter Sunday. I helped put the flowers out and they smell wonderful.

So I got to sing A Mighty Fortress again and our church is full of flowers for Easter, but I never would have wanted it to be for this reason. We rejoice that we get to sing Jesus Lives! The Victory's Won! And while I know that this man will no longer help with serving communion, we know that he will be at the communion rail with us tomorrow with the whole company of heaven. I better take tissues to church tomorrow so I'm prepared for all the happy tears.

He is Risen!

Happy Easter!

(Ram had a fit about wearing his hat in the church,
but it was raining so photos were taken indoors.)

(We don't have an Easter Vigil service so this is glorious
to see after Good Friday services)

(entryway at church, see last year's blog about the yellow flowers)

Cute treats for the Lambs from their Sunday School teacher

The Easter Bunny doesn't come to our house until after church, which meant the Lambs begged to go home several times during the brunch after church.

(My SEVEN year old still poses for pictures unlike his older brothers.)

Easter Bonnets 2011

Ewe and Ewe's mom in back row.
Other church ladies from the country church in our tri-parish including the youngest member of the congregation.

I know that my Redeemer Lives!

...And when my short life is ended,

By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest. (LSB 740:3)

Our Lamb 4 spent Holy Week resting in Jesus' arms.
Lamb 4 was alive in my womb for exactly 8 weeks and is alive in Christ forever.

He lives to silence all my fears;
He lives to wipe away my tears;
He lives to calm my troubled heart;
He lives all blessings to impart. (LSB 461:5)

Prayers are deeply appreciated for our family.
Posts about Easter bonnets and Easter photos to follow later this week.

Holy Week

Jesus I will ponder now

On Your holy passion;

With Your Spirit me endow

For such meditation.

Grant that I in love and faith

May the image cherish

Of Your suffering, pain, and death

That I may not perish. (LSB 440:1)

Blogging will resume after Easter.

Ash Wednesday

Jesus, I will ponder now

On Your holy passion;

With Your Spirit me endow

For such meditation,

Grant that I in love and faith

May the image cherish

Of Your suffering, pain, and death

That I may not perish. (LSB 440:1)

Ash Wednesday begins the holy season of prayerful and penitential reflection. We especially direct our attention to the holy sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a time of special devotion and humble repentance. Let us pray that our Father will bless this Lententide for us so that we might come to Easter with glad hearts. (HT: Rev. Scott Murray's daily e-mail)

We can draw life and hope from the Word. Last year I attempted to read "Little Book of Joy" by Rev. Harrison and meditate on the Word with the "plan" at the end of the book for the 90 days of Joy after Joy. Circumstances in our life made it so I didn't finish the 90 days. I am going to try again this year. Anyone want to join me? I'm going to add this in, not give up anything for Lent this year.

In homeschool and in family devotions we don't do anything different for Lent. We continue to have our regular family devotions, usually at lunch time. We do discontinue lighting the white candle of Christmas/Epiphany. The Lambs take turns putting the candle out so they miss the candle during Lent. We do attend all the Lent midweek and Holy Week services offered at our churches. We also wait until the day before Easter to put up any Easter decorations (bunnies, eggs, etc.) and dye Easter eggs. We wait until after Easter to make special Easter treats like cut out cookies. We plan to make Lent a more prayerful and penitential time as the Lambs get older, but we are not doing that as they are young. For now it is enough to see purple paraments on the altar and hear different liturgy and hymns during Lent at church.

Not in the plans

A couple of Loopers gave me directions and this idea. Last Sunday we made butterflies out of tissue paper and clothespins. The butterflies had the word "Alleluia" on them. One Looper helped with directions to make the butterflies.
Today was the big day that it was planned to have a children's sermon in church, bury the butterflies and Alleluias before Lent. Then the congregation was to sing LSB 417 and sing lots of Alleluias one more time before Lent. It took some planning on Ram's part to figure this all out because we don't have LSB at the church that has Sunday School with young kids in it. We found out the words were in public domain and another familiar tune that was also in the public domain that would work with it. I am so thankful for Loopers to help us with this as Ram doesn't have music experience.
But...this morning Lamb 1 came in our room at 5am and said he felt sick. Lamb 1 never comes in our room so I assumed he was really sick. He didn't have a temperature and he never actually threw up. Last night my stomach was upset and I assumed I had eaten too much sugar and junk food on Lamb 1's birthday. I wondered if maybe both of us had a bug. I called the Sunday School teacher and told her we wouldn't be coming today.
Ram was going to try to do the object lesson with the other kids. Unfortunately our boys make up half of the Sunday School. There is only one other family with kids unless there were visitors at church. Our Lambs made the butterflies but had no idea what we were going to do with them. They won't really get the butterflies being "released" on Easter because they weren't there to bury them. Lamb 1 played with his brothers all this morning and never got sick. Oh well, there's always next year.
This week I will try to return to the rural pastor's wife series for a few more posts.