Confirmation Party

The Strawn’s annual Confirmation Party was a success again this year, despite the fact that the confirmand’s certificates did not arrive for them. Hopefully, they will be here soon. We’re already planning ahead for next year, so the new 8th graders all better pass the class in '08!

All but two people were able to meet on Sunday evening at the Parsonage and we began with bond building initiatives. First, Pastor and the class turned themselves into a giant knot and had to untangle themselves without letting go of each other’s hands. That was fun to watch. For some reason, young men shirk at this game, but are usually the ones who end up figuring out how to ‘undo’ the knot. Proved once again on Sunday.

While Pastor was setting up for the next game, the kids had to silently **this means without talking** get in line alphabetically by their middle name. This was not a favored activity, but they humored me, none-the-less, and did it correctly on the first try! Not talking is very challenging for these young ladies.

Next, two 2x4s were set end to end in the grass. The objective was to all stand on one 2x4 and, without touching the ground, get from one end of the yard to the other. This initiative took a bit longer, and they really had to switch up their stragety a few times. Alas, like good little Lutherans, they fought the battle and perservered (after asking 3 times if they could give up and go eat) and made it to the far fence along the alley.


The final test of friendship came when the truck (“pick-up” for you folks out here in the west) was backed up to the grass in the front yard, and everybody participated in the trust fall. For safety purposes, specific instructions were laid out and rules followed to a “T” (it’s really embarrassing having to call an ambulance for this game) and Pastor fell first. Sarah was in charge of the head and neck, per kids request, and the rest of the class caught everything else. It went very well and everybody but the pregnant lady fell.


After snacks, we congregated on lawn chairs in the back yard and played Bible Trivia, 7th vs. 8th grade. It was a barn burner of a game, coming down to the last bonus question. In the end, the 8th graders took home the trophy, but both teams did really well. Pastor and I acknowledged that we needed to brush up on our Old Testament trivia. They’d have had us beat on the Ten Plagues, for sure!

Enjoy the pictures and enjoy your summer!~

Back to "Normal"

Whatever 'normal' is for this house!


I am happy to report that after a weekend of puking, early week hospitalization, then 3 days of diahrrea, followed by a long car trip to Wilcox and back for graduation, Eden is now back to her typical cheerful self. She had a good nap yesterday, a good night's sleep and is in a GREAT mood today! I got all my flowers planted yesterday, so I, too, am quite chipper!








After a curious quietness fell over the house this morning, I began to look for Eden. I could HEAR her, but couldn't FIND her. She wasn't in the kitchen or living room, didn't appear to be in her bedroom and all the other doors were shut. It was as though she were giggling from inside the walls. I opened the hall closet (which connects to her closet) and there she was, playing with her shoes. Her closet door was shut all but about 6" and she must have wiggled in that way, climbed on the totes, and began her 30 minute date with several pair of shoes.

Sick Little Girl

Eden spent Saturday & Sunday puking her guts out (during communion, no less), then Monday & Tuesday in the hospital with an IV line to refill her up! She also has (and I quote) "gunk" in her left lung, so the major doses of antibiotics have left her with explosive & constant diarrhea for me to deal with here at home. Fun. Here are a couple pictures of her on Tuesday morning, when she was actually looking MUCH better. Click on the link to view the hospital.

Gillette, Wyoming Pastor's Conference

Sarah, Al & Eden in front of a mini version of Devil's Tower, in Keystone State Park.

Another week has passed in this great timetable of life.

Sunday afternoon, Al, Eden & I loaded up the blazer, picked up another pastor and headed on a 6 hour trip to the Pastor’s Conference in Gillette, Wyoming. On our way there, we drove over to Torrington, and then drove north through Lusk, heading west around Newcastle into Gillette. I think after we left Torrington, we saw a half a dozen mailboxes for the next 200 miles. That part of Wyoming is very desolate, sparse and dry. Though, lots of antelope ‘playing’ in the fields and you can see for miles and miles and miles….

Once we reached Gillette, civilization returned a bit. A Wal-Mart on Main Street made me feel better. I am told that antelope are a nuisance animal there, and I started to see why, as they were in the field behind the hotel, in the parking lots, and bugging construction workers on a site that I could see from our 1st floor window.

The Wyoming District is a much smaller district in terms of people. There were maybe 50 pastors total, and everybody fit in the fellowship hall of the church.

Eden and I did some shopping, but mostly played at the local park near the church. The park had lots to do, including a war memorial with 10 flags whipping in the wind, historical boards to read, a cancer walking path, gardens and a waterfall. Not to mention the typical playground equipment perfect for a 2 year old, complete with other young children. We also used the hotel’s kiddy pool, which Eden loved! To our dismay, however, she was shivering violently w/in 10 minutes and had to be physically removed.

At the church, Eden intended to make as much noise as possible in the nursery and found a shopping cart to push around and steal items (cookies, books, pencils, pamphlets, etc…) from different locations around the church and kitchen area. I’m sure everybody thought this was funny but me.

On their afternoon ‘off’, the three of us took off for a drive to Keystone State Park, about 45 minutes away. Situated around a reservoir, the park had hundreds of campsites, a dozen picnic shelters, several boat launches and three playgrounds. We surmised that, “back in the day”, before the water dried up to nearly nothing, the park was probably the envy for miles around. It seems very well kept and neat, there were at least 3 ranger trucks driving around, eyeing us (we PAID, I promise!!) and I would be curious to their numbers on Memorial Day weekend. Unfortunately, the only water left is what’s in the center of the main lake.

Looking across the lake at Keystone State Park

Eden and her daddy atop the

10' version of Devil's Tower

Wednesday came, Eden & I packed up the hotel room and loaded the Blazer. Due to the gale force winds they have in Wyoming, we opted to have our picnic in the church hall, and left for Bridgeport around 1:30p.m. On our drive home, we drove back to Newcastle, and then headed due east into Custer, S.D. This was a MUCH more scenic route and didn’t take us any longer. Al and I were here 2 years ago June, and the fire devastation is still evident around Jewel Cave National Park. We headed south from Custer and continued through the Black Hills and all their beautiful trees until we reached the Nebraska border and everything turned to sand and the wind started blowing again.

Everyone was glad to be home, and Eden was glad to see her “doggy”.

Click on the link to see Gillette, Wyoming and the surrounding areas.

The real Devil's Tower, viewed from Keystone State Park, apx 20 miles south.

Until next week….