Thoughts after the train station

It is strange. Back when I suggested to Sarah many weeks ago that due to the busy Christmas season this year, (Sun: Advent 4; Wed: Midweek Advent 4; Thurs: Christmas Eve; Fri: Christmas Day; Sun: Christmas 1) that she ought to take the kids back to Michigan for Christmas; it didn't really seem like a big deal to me. After all, for pastors, Christmas is really just another "work" day. Yet, two days before they were scheduled to leave, I started feeling a strange anxiousness. It was topped off by the night before, while tucking the kids in and reminding them that they were going on the train and that daddy was staying home, Eden says to me, "Well, why don't we just buy you a ticket and then you can come with us." The simplicity of a four year old.

"Daddy, will you sleep with me tonight?"
"I'll stay with you until you go to sleep."
"Ok, tell me about something."
"What would you like me to tell you about?"
"I don't know. Just talk."

After "talking" for a few minutes, Eden informed me that is was time to stop talking because she wanted to go to sleep. Laying quietly for a few moments, Eden suddenly remembered that she was missing a stuffed animal. I went to get up and get it for her, when she took my hand and just held it. Sitting up, she just looked at me and held my hand.

It was actually then that I realized what was happening. The concept of time and distance was becoming important to my 4 year old. And now I would have to come to grips with it too.

For Lars, time and distance are irrelevant. Ok, he'll miss daddy. But the here and now will easily distract. But for Eden, the wave and the blow of a kiss through a train window now actually mean that something will be missing for two weeks.

Now the idea of them being away for Christmas isn't so simple.

Last time this year!

Middle of December already and we couldn't be more in the Christmas spirit here. The snow is white and still falling, the temperature hasn't been above freezing in at least 2 weeks, the lights and trees and nativitys are out & loaded, and my suitcase is sitting on the bed, waiting to be packed.

I've always wanted to be one of those "holiday travelers", so I'm very excited. This will be our last post this year from Nebraska. Friday, the kids and I will be heading to Ft. Morgan, Colorado to hop the train, first to Chicago and then on home. Daddy's going to chauffer us and give two week's worth of kisses and hugs.

The past week has been fairly uneventful. Eden had only one day of preschool, because of a snow day. We woke to temps in the -20's for a few days running and were cooped up, learning how to play nicely together, all day without an outdoor break. I'm not sure on whom it was harder... Eden dared the weather a couple times, but it didn't last more than about 15 minutes. On Thursday when it was still -10 and time to get in the car for school, I bundled her up completely. Her eyes hidden behind the scarf, she yelled, "Mommy, I can't see to walk! Where are my eyes?!"

We've baked dozens of cookies this week, read just as many stories and watched probably a little too much Nick Jr in this cold weather, but we have certainly survived. Lars is still getting over an ear infection, but the runny nose has finally stopped and he's back to sleeping all night.

Friday, all four of us stayed home and did a whole lot of playing. Cars, trains, books, wrestling, coloring, cooking baking and naps. Eden and Mommy went to the library to pick out books for the upcoming train ride and while she played there, I snuck next door and re-stocked both ambulances. She either didn't notice that I'd left, or she really didn't care, I'm not sure which.

Friday night, Kyra stayed overnight and her and Eden watched movies and ate pizza. As usual when Eden's not in her own bed, she woke up just before 0300, screaming and crying and unable to calm down. This time, she dreamed that she'd rolled over and squished her baby's head off. Being pregnant myself, I've had a few of those kind of dreams. Of course, she's four, but never the less....

Saturday morning, Kyra left to go collect food with the girl scouts and after leaving our bag of goodies out the front door for collection, we got dressed and headed to Gering to see Santa's snow village. It was pretty cold, and at a cloudy 20 degrees, the kids only lasted about 15 minutes. The village is very cute and the hot chocolate and cookies were plentiful.

Eden was not impressed with the jolly old man and looked at me like I was crazy when I suggested sitting upon his knee. I reminded her that he's just pretend, dressed up in a Santa Halloween costume. He even told her he's not the 'real' Santa. She gave me another strange look and informed me that she'd just take his bag of candy and be on her way.

This afternoon is the kid's Christmas program at church. Eden knows her angel line very well, but will probably not say it when she's standing in front of everybody. She also knows the first two verses of Away in a Manger, and would like to sing Onward Christian Soldiers instead of "that Mary song I don't know" (LSB 933). I'm looking forward to her first theatre experience and I'm sure there will be plenty of pics next blog!

NOTE: Anybody looking for the dedication Sunday blog or the Strawn Christmas Letter, go to Blog Archives (right column, way bottom) and check out Dedication Sunday and, click December and find Christmas Letter~

New Sanctuary Dedication

As you can see from the pictures, last Sunday’s dedication was beautiful and theological with a little bit of pomp and celebration, all wrapped up into one. Quite a few emotions stirred through people during the service. From where I stood, perched on a ladder, I saw a few tears and at the very least, some dabbling of eyes. It was truly well worth the last four months of planning. I told Pastor that it took us four months to plan our wedding and the same amount of time to plan this dedication. At least the priorities are even….

The service went off with only a small hitch or two. The wind blew the banner off the banner bearer’s pole outside, and the choir & organist were missing page 11 from the service bulletin, so there was a bit of looking around at each other going, “Kyrie? I don’t have a Kyrie.” Thankfully, the congregation can sing A-capella for a short bit.

The service began in the old sanctuary, with the removal of all the altar area. Banners were removed, Bible & Lectionary, Paraments, Communion Vessels, Pulpit, Baptismal font, Altar and Crosses. The most touching had to be the removal of the altar. It looked like a coffin taking its last trip down the aisle. The congregation followed the cross outside and the doors were locked while Pastor gave something of a eulogy. Ok, I’m sure that’s not what it was, but I was too far away to hear at that point. After that, we followed over to the new doors, where the cornerstone was dedicated, the steeple was blessed and the contractor unlocked the door and gave the keys to the congregation. Pastor again took the cross and crossed the entryway with it before anyone entered.

The procession into the new sanctuary was my favorite part. I was standing on a ladder by the organ, watching people’s faces as they streamed in behind the cross to the choir’s singing, “Lift High the Cross”. (Even though Pastor didn’t get the message that there would be an interlude after vs. 2&4, so he was singing a solo for a while). The natural light in the new sanctuary is next to perfect, as it’s completely indirect but sunny. The altar area is lit up with two banks of row lights and both the light and sound reflect off the wood Reredos at the front and the wood doors at the back. A cry room sits cock-eyed along the back, with a short pew in front for those days when it’s better to be back there spanking your children rather that doing it in the 3^rd row from the front. It’s all really very nice.

The service continued with the dressing of the altar area, lighting of the candles, setting up communion, blessing the new lectern & original 8-sided baptismal font, and the like. As soon as it seemed to have started, it was over and people were recessing out and signing the guest book.

The new sanctuary is simple and classic, with modern touches of energy efficient windows and new plumbing & electrical. The sacristy is bigger & more altar guild friendly. The acoustics are so much better than I thought they would be with wall to wall carpet and the choir sounded angelic, almost crypt-like. (For the few of us I know who’ve been in a crypt and whispered just to see what it sounds like).

Following the dedication, the church put on a dinner at the community center, which was really nice for 150 people to sit around tables and visit without feeling cramped in. The natural light from the windows made for a cheery atmosphere, the food was great and Laura’s cakes were a hit! The kids had the opportunity to eat and go into the gym and play and run around, which was really nice for me! I put together a short slideshow of the process from the ground breaking through to the end of the rehearsal on Saturday night and we played it while everyone was eating cake. It seemed to go over well and many were happy to see the progression and the final product, since they had not been a part of the planning and didn’t know what was really happening behind the closed walls.

Former pastors were there to tell a few stories from of old and the DP came to share in the day and say a few words. Scrapbooks were set out to peruse through, as well.

Since there was about an hour break between the dinner and the Vespers service, I went home to get the kids a snack, change clothes, start the dishwasher, since I forgot to do that in my hurry out the door at 0800 that morning, and get supper going. What I didn’t plan time for was setting my kitchen on fire. Who knew a dishwasher could catch fire?

After contemplating what to do when I saw smoke pouring out of it, I opened it up to check to see if it really was on fire. It was. The smoke alarm was going off, and the kitchen was filling with smoke. I pulled Lars from his high chair, grabbed the phone and headed down the hall to shut off the alarm. I came back to the kitchen, grabbed the fire extinguisher from the pantry (Thanks, Kristen, I knew it would come in handy someday!) and dialed Laura.

“Where do I unplug the dishwasher!?” I cried.

“Under the sink” she replied.

“Ok, that was hot” says I.

Click

Phone rings, (it’s Mark) “Did you shut off the breaker?”

“No, should I?”

“Yes”

“Ok”

Click

Here comes Mark to check things out. It’s all good. Sarah saved the Parsonage, with a little help. If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late for Vespers service and Mark’s already got a light bulb out (literally, not metaphorically) that needs replacing before then in the new sanctuary. We all leave and go back to church. After church, EVERYBODY is asking me about the kitchen. Pastor still hasn’t heard and has no idea what anybody is talking about. How did everybody else find out so quickly??

Monday, I got a new dishwasher installed. Thanks, Mark, I owe you another one. Sorry I spilled your beer.

The rest of the week was taken up with cold weather, a bit of snow shoveling, and some last minute touches to spruce up the house for Sunday’s parade. I taught Piano Lessons, made dessert for the Advent Supper, a pot of soup for the Ministerial Association’s Christmas potluck, ironed a pile of clothes, did 800 loads of laundry, rounded up suit coats & pants for the dry cleaner, rocked a sick son repeatedly then took him to the doctor on Friday, ran a bunch of rescue calls, made peanut brittle & star cookies, and generally wore myself out.

Friday night, we went to Douthit’s for a Stew supper. Unfortunately, Eden left her blanket there when we left to come home. You just can’t reason with a four year old when it’s past their bedtime and they don’t have their blanket. Never-mind that there are 30 other blankets in our house…apparently, she needs her special blanket from aunt Janet because it protects her from (and I quote) “creepy animals that freak me out in the night”. Ok, we live IN town. Granted, cows go to pasture less than a block from our house, but that’s beside the point. She had her blanket within 20 minutes.

Until next time…

Christmas Letter 2009

Thanksgiving was a beautiful day up at the Douthit Ranch, with not a cloud in the sky. The rest of the week has been 100% at church getting ready for Sunday's dedication. This week's blog is our Christmas letter......for a way to cut down on paper & stamps and for all you wonderful friends who read this faithfully anyway. Have a good week & look for dedication pics next week!

Christmas Letter 2009

Greetings in the name of Christ!

The Strawn’s have had an exciting year and life with two kids seems to get better and busier as the days go by. How thankful we are for such times in our lives.

Early this year, Sarah finished up classes to become a licensed EMS Instructor, and taught her first class over the summer. At the same time, the Rescue squad in Bridgeport was breaking away from the fire department to become its own entity, so there was a flurry of activity for many months. Sarah then dropped her membership from the FD, focusing on EMS, her first love, & the new department.

The week before Holy Week, the church decided to have a ground breaking for the long awaited building project. Pastor and a trustee put in several late night hours moving offices, tearing up old wood floors, and saving anything that could be saved in the old parsonage, as razing that building was now imminent. Construction of the new building started immediately. Pastor sat on the new building committee as many decisions needed to be made over the course of the next 9 months. How appropriate now that the new sanctuary is dedicated the first Sunday of the Church Year, complete with a Reredos & Predella made from the old wood floors. Many more late night hours were put into those projects with that same trustee.

In May, Sarah’s parents came to visit & we took a weekend camping trip to S. Dakota in the

new camper. In August, Al’s parents came to visit with their new Stallion Trike. With it being the week of Sturgis, Al & Dad took a day to drive up and saw the bikes there. What a time they had! The rest of the summer was filled with teaching, building, going to the race track & Pastor’s Con Ed. Throw in an LWML trip to Oregon for Al and you have summer gone by quickly.

Eden turned 4 in August and started preschool soon after. Lars turned 2 in September. Just before his second b-day, we learned that Lars has several food allergies and the crying since his birth has mostly been about that. It was essentially eating away his intestinal track & causing pain after every meal. So, as if we didn’t have enough going at the time, we went through the cupboards & threw away or donated nearly everything, then started over. It has been a long learning process & making two meals every meal was daunting at first, but Mom is getting better at it. He also has Speech Therapy & Occupational Therapy two mornings each week.

The gardens produced wonderfully this year & Sarah canned over 100 jars of food. We also traded or sold both vehicles to buy newer & more economical transportation, which has paid off already in fuel. The Bport Garden Club asked Sarah to have the parsonage be one of six homes featured in this year’s Christmas Parade of Homes, so that’s been another exciting & busy activity to prepare for. We are all busy, but still have time to bake cookies & read stories pretty much whenever we want.

We hope this finds you well & healthy. May God bless you abundantly~

Allen, Sarah, Eden, Lars & Baby due in May