Simba with Dad in the Snow

WIMP (Women in Mennonite Pastorates) Costume Party (May 7, 2009)

I went to MCC Connections (Kidron) and found the hat, and then to Save and Serve, which is the MCC thrift store in Millersburg, for the dress.  Save and Serve was planning for a tea party and fashion show so they had lots of dresses from different eras for me to choose from.  Helen is co-manager of the store and goes to our church, and she said I could just borrow the dress for the evening.  It's a dotted Swiss material, from the 50's.  Of course being the cold-blooded person I am (!) I had to wear a long-sleeved shirt underneath to stay warm. :)

  

Nan and Norma 

Nan and her husband pastor together near Cleveland and Norma is solo pastor of a church near Akron, OH.  We were in seminary with Nan and her husband Kevin.

This was a going-away party for Naomi (the one with the lobster hat).  Her and her husband Jess are pastors up towards Cleveland, but are moving to Pettisville (Mom's hometown!) to pastor a church there.  We knew them from VA as we all attended Ridgeway Mennonite Church.  I'm going to miss her!  She livens up any party and makes us laugh lots!  It was her idea to make this a costume party.  It was fun being with a group of women, especially others in the same profession--we can relate to one another's experiences and enjoy laughing together.

Getting a New Roof (May 2009)

The crew came on Monday, worked a long day and then came Tuesday for the morning and were finished by Wednesday afternoon.  They were very fast and did a wonderful job!

We are very pleased with the color that we chose.  It blends great with the brick.

Christine's Birthday Gift (finished in April)

Patrick used a fret saw (hand scrollsaw) to make this beautiful piece of art for Christine for her birthday!  He then stained it and made a beautiful frame for it.  

Wildlife at Our Home (March 21, 2009)

Patrick looked out our window on a Sunday morning and saw 4 deer right by our driveway and our neighbor's lawn.  He called upstairs for me to look outside.  What a lovely sight to behold!  It was one of those special God-moments for us to enjoy before we headed off to church. 

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day! (March 17, 2009)

We all need reasons to celebrate! I thought it would be fun to celebrate St. Patty's Day with friends (being I'm married to a saint whose name is Patrick!).  We went to Kidron to Phil and Krista Wiechart's house (friends we knew from VA), and enjoyed a green meal together and some writings from St. Patrick himself (the real one, not my husband).  To add to the fun I bought a crazy hat and sunglasses for the guest of honor to wear, although he was not very thrilled to wear them!

Time for dessert! (Patrick, Phil, and son Caleb.)  

A few days later Patrick and I read a play together about St. Patrick.  He was captured in England as a young lad and taken as a slave to Ireland.  He returned to his home and then later went back to Ireland to be a missionary to the people there.

Here is one of his well-known prayers:

Christ, as a light

illumine and guide me.

Christ, as a shield

overshadow me.

Christ under me;

Christ over me;

Christ beside me

on my left and my right.

This day be within and without me,

lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.

Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;

in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.

This day be within and without me,

lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.

Christ as a light;

Christ as a shield;

Christ beside me

on my left and my right.

Cutting Down Our Fruit Trees (March 2009)

All it takes is a fierce man with a limb saw!

Patrick cut down an apple tree on the left and an apricot tree on the right. 

We wanted to open up the view to the pole barn and flower bed, and also thought we have enough to keep up with w/o them (we still have one apple tree left).