10. Shopping downtown
9. Curious Kids' Museum
8. Krasl Art Center
7. Experience the atmosphere @ Tosi's Italian Restaurant
6. Tons of vineyards & wineries
5. Fishing for Steelhead on the pier
4. Watching the sunset on Lake Michigan
3. Swimming on warm, sandy Silver Beach!
2. Kevin's sermons at Trinity Lutheran Church
1. Hugs from the world's cutest boys [Caleb & Ethan]
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
New and Old
A couple notes about today: we received some squash and zucchini for a member of the church and I was like...uh...what do I do with this?? So, after getting an idea from a new friend, I cubed them and sautéed them in oil with minced garlic, salt and pepper. Tonight was the second try and with the addition of Paprika (ahem...thank you, Kayla!) I thought they were actually pretty good! Although, they did NOT go over well with the boys—mostly Caleb...Ethan still insists on repeating everything his big brother says and does...otherwise I think he might have liked them! So, please let me know if you have any better ideas because I still have a large size of each left to eat!
Another big accomplishment for the week: We've been saving a lot on cable and getting really good TV reception with our rabbit ears the past few years. Sadly, however, they did not survive the last move so well :( This has been hardest on Kevin because his favorite place to unwind at the end of the day is in his recliner with a cold Miller Lite. So...after meeting the owners of our current house this evening, we learned there is an antenna on the roof that might very will have potential! We just had to figure out the peculiar looking box with a dial marked N, S, E & W. Surprisingly, after just a few attempts we (well, Kevin) was able to get signals for almost 25 channels (although some weren't very clear and others were duplicates)! Just another baby step toward feeling like home!
Oh...and I bet you can't guess where Kevin fell asleep tonight? :)
Another big accomplishment for the week: We've been saving a lot on cable and getting really good TV reception with our rabbit ears the past few years. Sadly, however, they did not survive the last move so well :( This has been hardest on Kevin because his favorite place to unwind at the end of the day is in his recliner with a cold Miller Lite. So...after meeting the owners of our current house this evening, we learned there is an antenna on the roof that might very will have potential! We just had to figure out the peculiar looking box with a dial marked N, S, E & W. Surprisingly, after just a few attempts we (well, Kevin) was able to get signals for almost 25 channels (although some weren't very clear and others were duplicates)! Just another baby step toward feeling like home!
Oh...and I bet you can't guess where Kevin fell asleep tonight? :)
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Chapter Two: Vicarage
Needless to say, the last couple of weeks have been flooded with activity! After three grueling weeks of packing up our home in Fort Wayne, we hauled half our belongings to storage and loaded the rest in a little red trailer for vicarage. Kevin and the boys navigated the truck and trailer while Erin followed in our little hatchback, which was packed door to door—saving only enough room for herself and our mini dachshund, Shelby. The boys beamed with a sense of adventure as we programmed Saint Joseph, Michigan into the truck’s GPS.The two-hour move hardly seemed intimidating having previously traveled more than 800 miles from Fargo to begin seminary. Yet our patience was tested again...and again; first as we waited out a severe thunderstorm upon getting the trailer loaded; and again while delayed for nearly an hour due to a rolled semi trailer on the interstate just outside of Fort Wayne. Thankfully, despite the unexpected complications, we finally arrived with all bodies, tires and cardboard boxes intact at 915 Wolcott Avenue.
We approached our new home with both excitement and apprehension, knowing little more than the street address. After several rounds of arranging and rearranging, the four of us fit surprisingly well into this 850 square foot home. We’ve been welcomed very warmly by the members of Trinity Lutheran Church. Shortly after arriving, several people stopped by to unload the trailer, one pastor’s wife dropped by to say hello and later that evening the assistant pastor delivered some warm KFC for dinner!
After some very diligent unpacking the first 24 hours, we couldn’t resist a visit to the beach on our second day in this new city! The weather was beautiful and the boys—well probably all of us—were due for a break. Later that evening we were surprised to learn that a babysitter had been lined up for us the next morning! We didn’t hesitate to accept and we thoroughly enjoyed a drive around town, a walk on the pier and a delicious meal at an Asian Grill downtown. Later that afternoon, the assistant pastor also gave us a brief tour of the town and showed us some of the various beaches, parks and shopping venues. 
In between outings, the unpacking continued fervently. And at the end of our first week, Kevin had to trade in his cargo shorts for a tie and begin his first day of work. We still had a few boxes lying around the house, but the greater challenge at home proved to be the adjustment of not having Kevin around again. Now four days later, we are finally starting to fall into our old rhythm again.
Sunday, July 17, Kevin was installed as vicar of Trinity Lutheran Church, under the supervision of Pastor Michael Roth. We were welcomed with a reception following both services on Sunday morning and treated to some grilling and a boat ride on Pastor Roth’s bay liner that afternoon. It was pretty amazing—according to the boat thermometer, the water in Lake Michigan was 77°F! Despite the persuasion of two of the pastor’s older kids and the principal’s two daughters, Caleb wasn’t ready to let go of the boat ladder for a swim in the 40’ deep great lake…this time.Earlier this week, we unpacked the last box and we’re looking forward to making Saint Joseph feel like home. Kevin is preaching his first sermon to our new congregation on August 7 (the same sermon at both Sunday services and the Monday night service) and the boys will start school in just over a month (eek!). Let the excitement begin!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Trinity Lutheran Church, Saint Joseph, Michigan
It is official! Kevin now has a vicarage assignment for the upcoming year! I really should be catching up on sleep, but there are just too many things to ponder and too much news to share!
Our initial reaction to Saint Joseph, Michigan was, "Really? Just a short three hour drive from Fort Wayne? What kind of adventure is that?" But just this morning a good friend reminded me that adventure isn't always about location :) So, overall, we are eagerly anticipating settling into a new home, learning our way around a new town and building new friendships. We've heard many good things about the town and the church already, and what I find most encouraging is that, besides having already invited both Kevin and myself to be friends on Facebook, our future pastor has instigated a meeting with Kevin TONIGHT! It is very convenient that Saint Joseph is just 3 short hours from Fort Wayne :)
There is much more to learn about where we'll be living and exactly when we'll be loading up that moving truck (again), but I do have a few interesting things to share for now! Kevin is scheduled to start his vicarage on July 1st, although that probably means moving in a week or two in advance to get settled. Saint Joseph is a town of about 10,000 people and Trinity worships about 500 people on an average Sunday. That number is about 4-5 times that of the church where Kevin currently does fieldwork, but on the other hand, it is pretty similar to the size of our home congregation back in Fargo. Trinity currently has two pastors, a Director of Children's Education and a Director of Music Ministries (among other leaders in the church), so it sounds like there will be a wealth of opportunities for Kevin to grow and for the rest of us to enjoy! They also have a very inviting website....www.trinitystjoe.org ;)
Although the 14-hour journey from Fort Wayne back home to Fargo hasn't been shortened by much (40 miles?), we are VERY excited to see that the church is just a few blocks from the shores of Lake Michigan! Wow! So, as far as adventure goes, I think we scored some pretty good scenery! We don't really know anything about what kind of housing we will be in, but our papers tell us it will be "within walking distance of the church." I wonder if they know how much walking Kevin does...or doesn't do :)
One of the other greats perk that I am excited to highlight quickly before I go, is that Trinity also has a Lutheran School for preschoolers through grade 8! That means no searching for schools for Caleb to start Kindergarten this coming fall—and to that, the mommy says, YAY!
That is all I've got for now—oh, well except that we are yet to determine if our loyal mini-dachshund, Shelby, will be able to make the move with us...
Our initial reaction to Saint Joseph, Michigan was, "Really? Just a short three hour drive from Fort Wayne? What kind of adventure is that?" But just this morning a good friend reminded me that adventure isn't always about location :) So, overall, we are eagerly anticipating settling into a new home, learning our way around a new town and building new friendships. We've heard many good things about the town and the church already, and what I find most encouraging is that, besides having already invited both Kevin and myself to be friends on Facebook, our future pastor has instigated a meeting with Kevin TONIGHT! It is very convenient that Saint Joseph is just 3 short hours from Fort Wayne :)
There is much more to learn about where we'll be living and exactly when we'll be loading up that moving truck (again), but I do have a few interesting things to share for now! Kevin is scheduled to start his vicarage on July 1st, although that probably means moving in a week or two in advance to get settled. Saint Joseph is a town of about 10,000 people and Trinity worships about 500 people on an average Sunday. That number is about 4-5 times that of the church where Kevin currently does fieldwork, but on the other hand, it is pretty similar to the size of our home congregation back in Fargo. Trinity currently has two pastors, a Director of Children's Education and a Director of Music Ministries (among other leaders in the church), so it sounds like there will be a wealth of opportunities for Kevin to grow and for the rest of us to enjoy! They also have a very inviting website....www.trinitystjoe.org ;)
Although the 14-hour journey from Fort Wayne back home to Fargo hasn't been shortened by much (40 miles?), we are VERY excited to see that the church is just a few blocks from the shores of Lake Michigan! Wow! So, as far as adventure goes, I think we scored some pretty good scenery! We don't really know anything about what kind of housing we will be in, but our papers tell us it will be "within walking distance of the church." I wonder if they know how much walking Kevin does...or doesn't do :)
One of the other greats perk that I am excited to highlight quickly before I go, is that Trinity also has a Lutheran School for preschoolers through grade 8! That means no searching for schools for Caleb to start Kindergarten this coming fall—and to that, the mommy says, YAY!
That is all I've got for now—oh, well except that we are yet to determine if our loyal mini-dachshund, Shelby, will be able to make the move with us...
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Six Days and Counting...
It’s hard to believe that vicarage is just around the corner! The past few months have unknowingly managed to escape us. Kevin recently preached his last sermon at our fieldwork congregation and as we prepare to say goodbye, we are realizing the gravity of relationships that we have developed in such a short period of time. With sermons, papers and reading assignments still looming overhead, Kevin has hardly begun to mentally prepare for vicarage. Of course, that will all change in the coming week, when we finally receive our location for placement on May 2nd.
I have handed off my monthly design duties for the Seminary Wives Newsletter, but I continue to watch 2-year-old Abby during the week. It is no surprise, though, that my thoughts are centered around the ambiguity of the impending move. Jumping into summer and planning activities for the boys has been difficult with the uncertainty of our near future. So with fewer and fewer tasks remaining on my list of things to do, I stand ready to embrace the impending explosion of cardboard, bubble wrap and packing tape that will undoubtedly ensue!
In the shadow of the big vicarage announcement, Caleb will be soon be finishing his first year of school! (Pre-Kindergarten counts, right?) As parents, it has been SO awesome to hear him share stories of things he has learned and to observe his increasing independence over the past few months. His reading continues to improve and you can sense his enthusiasm to learn by his increased awareness of words around him. In addition, this action-crazed boy can’t resist an opportunity to bust out the front door for a few laps up and down the sidewalk on his bike. He’s quickly becoming a speed machine and he can out-swing many of his 5-year old friends in baseball. In fact, our once seemingly huge back yard can no longer contain the power of that boy’s arm!
As Ethan barrels through his twos, many of his peers are surpassing him in size, though he easily makes up for it in character. His incessant giggling is nothing short of contagious and he can quickly overturn a sour mood with his random spouts of “I love you!” followed by a vigorous squeeze to your leg! One of the fleeting moments we cherish is each night after prayers when we “kiss, hug & rock;” after sharing a kiss and a hug, Mama rocks him in her arms while he recites the words to “Rock-a-Bye, Baby”—anticipating the dramatic “falling” into his bed!
Oh—the clock just turned over! Just five more days now... :)
I have handed off my monthly design duties for the Seminary Wives Newsletter, but I continue to watch 2-year-old Abby during the week. It is no surprise, though, that my thoughts are centered around the ambiguity of the impending move. Jumping into summer and planning activities for the boys has been difficult with the uncertainty of our near future. So with fewer and fewer tasks remaining on my list of things to do, I stand ready to embrace the impending explosion of cardboard, bubble wrap and packing tape that will undoubtedly ensue!
In the shadow of the big vicarage announcement, Caleb will be soon be finishing his first year of school! (Pre-Kindergarten counts, right?) As parents, it has been SO awesome to hear him share stories of things he has learned and to observe his increasing independence over the past few months. His reading continues to improve and you can sense his enthusiasm to learn by his increased awareness of words around him. In addition, this action-crazed boy can’t resist an opportunity to bust out the front door for a few laps up and down the sidewalk on his bike. He’s quickly becoming a speed machine and he can out-swing many of his 5-year old friends in baseball. In fact, our once seemingly huge back yard can no longer contain the power of that boy’s arm!
As Ethan barrels through his twos, many of his peers are surpassing him in size, though he easily makes up for it in character. His incessant giggling is nothing short of contagious and he can quickly overturn a sour mood with his random spouts of “I love you!” followed by a vigorous squeeze to your leg! One of the fleeting moments we cherish is each night after prayers when we “kiss, hug & rock;” after sharing a kiss and a hug, Mama rocks him in her arms while he recites the words to “Rock-a-Bye, Baby”—anticipating the dramatic “falling” into his bed!
Oh—the clock just turned over! Just five more days now... :)
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