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.

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.