Vacation, Days 1-3

We're back from our vacation out west, so thought I throw a few pictures up and let you know about where we went and what we did. We did a big vacation this year, going to Utah and Colorado to visit the National Parks there. The first thing we did was take the train out west. We thought a couple of days to just rest and decompress would be good. We went from DC to Chicago (Sunday PM to Monday Noon), and then took the California Zephyr to Grand Junction, CO (Monday PM to Tuesday PM).

At a rest stop after climbing through the Rockies in Fraser, CO, elevation 8574 feet. And yes, we're all wearing sweatshirts because even though its hot outside, inside the train the temperature is normally a balmy 50 degrees!

A view out of the observation car.

A view of "Dead Man's Curve." That shiny object on the hillside is a car! Some teenagers tried to take the turn too fast, but fortunately, their car stopped and did not tumble all the way down the hillside! (If you cannot see it, click on the picture to enlarge.)

When we went to eat dinner in Grand Junction, we walked around the town a little and found a couple of pianos that they put on the sidewalks for anyone to play!

Tomorrow: on to Utah!

Higher Things, Day 5

Repeat after me: It is important to pay attention where you are going while driving.

It is important to pay attention where you are going while driving.

So, okay, we took a short cut last night. A long cut. It's stupid when you're on one interstate and just by staying straight it magically turns into ANOTHER interstate and since you were having too much fun playing games in the car you didn't notice until you were almost in Tennessee and then had to turn around and go back and get into the hotel 2 hours late. #stupidinterstate

So yeah, it was a late night. Google says 6 hours of driving today, but probably a little longer since we'll be dropping off on the way. But at least I could turn around in the shower this morning! Did I tell you that? The dorm showers at Higher Things were kinda on the small side. Think: transporter pod and you kind of get the idea.

I think I am sleep deprived.

Anyway, yesterday was a good day. :-)  Our team officially lost the Tetramorph challenge, but we really won. Everyone knows it. The other team just got mercy. Here are the conference stats:

We made our traditional stop at Cracker Barrel for dinner. Here are some pictures:

Ever wonder what the pegs see while you're playing the game? #scary

Susan won! Yay!

So now breakfast and back on the road. Thank you all for your support of our youth and helping them attend the conference again this year. It really means a lot. The solid worship, the theological conversations, and the reinforcing teaching is important. 

Next year the theme is "Concordia."

Higher Things, Days 4

Thursday. The penultimate day. Always lots going on. And always the peak of the free time entertainment for the week. :-)

The morning is the regular routine: breakfast, Matins, announcements, and a plenary session, followed by lunch. The afternoon starts with Vespers, then two breakout sessions, followed by dinner. I taught my breakout for the second time on Thursday afternoon - they gave me the first and last sessions of the conference! But it went pretty well. Always smoother the second time around. I did also manage to get a little more other work done, squeezing it in here and there - but not enough. Next week's gonna be tough. :-(

After dinner was Evening Prayer and then free time. Kitty and I entered the "Chant Off" which is putting the lyrics to modern songs to chant tones - not to mock chanting, but to mock the words of modern songs, which sound so ridiculous when chanted. It's a lot of fun. We entered as a duet (a bit unusual) and got second place! :-)  We actually should have won, but that's another story . . .

So today, a normal morning, but then the closing Divine Service in the afternoon, and then the loooong drive home begins. (Did I mention it's going to be loooooong?)

And the pictures you've been waiting for . . .

Costume contest.

Kitty and I in Round 1 of the "Chant Off"

(Yes, I know the quality isn't very good. I'll post more when I get them.)

Waiting for Matins to begin.

Group photo . . . but all is not well . . . see any mischievous looks here?

Then this . . .

Then this!

And a few more friends . . .

Pastor Randy Blankschaen and Bob Myers from Pensacola, FL.

Pastor Ian Pacey, now in Texas, but who I first got to know when I was in NY and he was helping a parish in Greenwich, CT.

Pastor Steve Cholak from Roswell, NM, who helped interpret the conference for the deaf.

Higher Things, Day 3

Wednesday is in the books. The excitement started early as one of our young ladies got a little sick in the morning, as we were waiting for Matins to begin. Not sure if she just had an upset stomach or a little bug, but with a little TLC and rest, she was doing better by the end of the day. Hopefully, she won't miss anything today and if it was a bug, that the other ladies have been washing their hands lots so it doesn't spread around!

Things have been going well. It's hot (except in my room, which is like the arctic!), but all the prayer offices and preaching have been well done. I did not go to any of the smaller breakout sessions yesterday (there were three) opting instead to spend time in the library and try to get some work done. I have a writing deadline coming up that has me a bit concerned . . .

Today is another full day and lots of fun activities going on tonight. I'll be teaching my breakout again during the last session, late afternoon - a tough time! But we'll give it a go. :-)

Finally, some more pictures of friends I've seen here . . .

A friend and fellow Kantorei member who I probably haven't seen since Seminary! Tim Killian.

Fellow SELC District pastor John Gutz.

(I like him even though he said he voted for me at the District Convention!)

Mike and Sara Scudder. Mike was a classmate and fellow Kantorei member also.

I was the crucifer in their wedding.

And finally, David Scarborough, cousin of Sarah Fields. I met him at Higher Things last year, and then again at George's Ordination and George and Sarah's wedding. He is one of the college volunteers helping with the conference this year.

Higher Things, Days 1 and 2

Well, it has been an extremely busy summer for me thus far, so I haven't posted much. Now I am away with the youth at the Higher Things Conference at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL. It is a nice campus, with our buildings not too far apart. The dorms are nice too - just very, very cold!

So, day 1 of Higher Things. This is what we did:

Drive. The we drove some more. Then we drove farther. Then we drove more, and more, and more. (I think you get the idea!)

We got to our stop for the night in Evansville, IN after midnight ET. A nice family there, relatives of some folks who go to our church, put us up for the night. It was crowded, but nice. Not enough sleep, though. :-)

All the young adults on Tuesday morning.

Got up early Tuesday morning to finish the drive here. It was only about 2 hours or so more - good! Got checked in and settled in, and then the Opening Service, the first Plenary session, dinner, Evening Prayer, the first Breakout session, and then a couple of hours of free time before Compline and bed. A very full day!

The service was well done (as usual) and the plenary speaker was engaging for the kids (not all are). They did have me slotted to teach during the first breakout session - for some reason they usually do! It's hard at the end of the first long day, but it went alright. I had about 30 come and we had a good time. My next slot is the last breakout slot on Thursday afternoon - that will be both easier and harder.

One of our young ladies participated in the talent show on Tuesday night during free time. The set-up wasn't too good for her (poor sound quality) so it didn't come across as well as it should have. So she didn't win, but she still had fun.

So all in all, a good and full day.

And a couple more pictures for you, with some friends I met . . .

Pastor Peter Ill from Illinois. I knew Pastor Ill when he was Vicar Ill in New Jersey.

Pastor Jim Leistico, now from Ontario, Canada. This is actually the first time I've met Jim in person! Every time before has been online.

I met a few more than I didn't get pictures with. I'll try to get them the next couple of days.

Outstanding String Musician

Last night was my youngest's final Elementary School strings concert. On to Middle School next year! At the end of the concert, she received the Outstanding String Musician trophy from her director. Yeah! Quite the accomplishment. She also has already auditioned for the Middle School orchestra and has been placed in the top group there. Well done, daughter Peasant! :-)

New Chapter

Hope you all had a good weekend and Memorial Day. I spent yesterday helping my newly-minted-college-graduate son (see previous entry for pics of that!) move into his new apartment. He is now living about 30 minutes west of us, close to where he will be working. He found a nice, new apartment building. It kind of has an industrial feel in the hallways of the building, but the interior is nice and modern. Wide hallways, high ceilings. He chose well.

I forgot to take any pictures! We were too busy carrying and putting together furniture. But we got it almost all done and now he just basically has some boxes left to unpack and to settle in. He still has a few weeks to do so before starting his new job. So all-in-all, a good day for us as we begin a new chapter in our lives.

I suppose all parents go through it, but now we have a house much too big for what we need! Five years ago, we moved into a larger house, primarily because we needed a dedicated space for my father who was moving in with us. He stayed with us for about three years before beginning to need more care than we could provide. So he moved to a Memory Care place very close to us. We still go see him every day, but he is no longer in our house. I was able to move my study/office from the basement up to the room he used to occupy.

Now with my son moved out, another room has freed up. My college-aged daughter is also mostly out of the house, having an off-campus apartment where she spends most of her time, even when school is not in session. We've kept her room largely in tact, but soon it will be open, too. So, we can set up a guest room or two, or maybe now move my wife's desk up from the basement into one of those rooms for her office. That might be nice for her.

We'll still get to see our son every week (or mostly) in church - that'll be nice. And we still have our youngest daughter home for six more years before she is ready for college - that'll help keep us young! :-)

Some people say changes like this are sad - and I guess they are a little. When I see pictures of my kids when they were little and remember those days, there's a twinge. But these are good days, too. Happy days, proud days, to see your children grow and mature and become their own person. And I look forward to seeing how my son continues to grow and develop and become his own man in the future. His apartment and furnishings are already much nicer than mine were starting out! :-)