Saying Goodbye to the Rental House

Last night was the last night of my parents' visit and with all we've been through the past 3 weeks Maic and I decided to go out to eat on our own and leave the babes with Gramma and Grampa.  We went out for pizza at Roadhouse, a local pizza restaurant.  We were both so tired and felt so weird being out alone that we probably looked like we were on the saddest date in history.  I was drinking a margarita without makeup and without a wedding ring (lost it between swollen fingers and moving; it will turn up). Any unknowing passerby might have thought it looks like that relationship isn't going anywhere....  

Afterwards we went over to the rental house to do some final cleaning before the carpet cleaners arrived this morning.  Our stuff is all moved out, save a couple of things in the basement which we'll get this evening or tomorrow morning.  We only lived there for a year, yet I sobbed while I washed Evelyn's fingerprints off the mirrors and windows.  I've done the chore dozens of times before, but it was different this time.  I felt such a huge rush of emotions standing in her empty room, thinking about the little part of her life that took place there.  I choked up standing in our bedroom, remembering pillow-talk and arguments, thinking of all the decisions we've made together.  I thought of moving here to Ripon, and how we thought we might try to buy that house because we loved it so much.  I remembered the people who have visited and all those who have supported us and cheered us on in my first year of ministry, in Evelyn's second year of life, in anticipation of Amos.

Time is going so fast now.  Evelyn's first year wasn't the whirlwind many new parents describe.  I wasn't that mom who said, "I can't believe she's already X months old" every month.  If I did say that, I didn't mean it.  The year felt slow, because it was so full and uncertain and confusing.  Now, there is some certainty in our lives.  We know we're here, in Ripon.  We know we love this place and we have good friends and we have a home that belongs to us.  Life isn't so confusing (well, life is confusing because that's the nature of it, but what we're doing with our lives is not so confusing).  This all feels right.  And so I guess that this year, as opposed to the first, has flown by.  When I see the pictures of Evelyn sitting on the floor in our rental house with her short, straight hair, still not quite certain how to get from one place to the next, I feel like she learned to walk and talk and reason overnight.  I wonder if I've paid enough attention to her, if I've soaked up every moment with her, if I'll look back when she's grown and regret anything.   

I guess being in that empty house made me think of all this.  I'm certain postpartum hormones make the  emotional deluge stronger.  But moving is emotional no matter what.  A house is never just a house; it's the place where life happens in the most intimate ways.  As excited as I am for the future of this new house (our house), there's something about that place where we spent our first year in Ripon that is so hard to say goodbye to.  I am hopeful that soon I'll love this house that much, and I know that if good times happened there, then surely they'll happen here.  

Weekend Love Songs

When we lived in St. Louis, it was so easy to jump in the car and go to a museum or a zoo or some  event that was geared towards young families.  Here, I find that it's not so easy.  Ripon is a good family town, but it's still small.  And when something's small it doesn't have quite as many opportunities.  That's just the way things go.  

It's hardest to find things to do during the winter, because we can't just go to the park down the street or play for a long time in the backyard (plus I hate-- nay, I detest being cold).  So when we reached this weekend and I was feeling a particularly large amount of Cabin Fever I was determined to find something to do other than sit around.  So yesterday we went to the Zoo in Madison.  It's about an hour and a half away, but it worked out well because I was able to visit a church member in rehab as well.  

The zoo was practically empty because nobody goes to the zoo in the winter, but there are plenty of places to go indoors at the zoo, so that's what we did!  And it was a blast. 

There were little jumpy quails in there.  

She loves alligators.  They say, "HHHAAAA-UMP" with a chomping gesture.

Curious little guy. 

This guy didn't mind being outdoors.  

Neither did Evelyn mind being outdoors if it meant seeing a bear walk around!

Then this morning, we did stay inside but we got a great pots and pans band going with Julian.  They loved making lots of noise!  Good kids! 

Alright guys, winter is LONG!  Get out and do something.  Or stay in and do something.  Just get goin' on the memory making, because even if winter is long, life is short!  

Wisconsin Fall

I can't say I'm necessarily looking forward to Wisconsin winter, although I am definitely glad to have a short commute.  But what I can say for sure is that fall here is at least as beautiful as it was in the town I grew up in.  

I may be about 2-3 days past the peak, and pictures don't do it justice, but we took some photos on our walk today.  Breathtaking colors!  Enjoy!

This is right behind the church.
That red tree, while beginning to lose its fullness,
has taken my breath away every day this week.  

We have a church member who decorates the church--outside and inside-- every season.
This week I'm preaching  on Genesis 2.  

Fiery Ivy 

Well, the coat's big but it has to last her all winter.  

Someone needs to work on their parallel parking skills.  
 

Maic remembered a tradition his family had of filling contact paper
with leaves and putting it on the window.  I love how it looks.  

Well, this pastor mom is off on a much-needed retreat as soon as church ends tomorrow until Tuesday afternoon.  The retreat is for Wisconsin clergy, and while I look forward to meeting many of my colleagues, I look most forward to some time to gather myself and resort my priorities, so that I come back to on Wednesday as a recovering workaholic.  It's too soon for me to be this exhausted.  

Star Wars Reads

It has been with great anticipation that these guys have awaited Star Wars Reads day at the Ripon library.    

For a quaint little town, I love how much there is to do through this library.  They have a reading group for little ones once a week that they have been attending.  The groups are split into ages 6 months to 2 years and then I think 2-5 and 5+ or something like that.  But it sounds like a blast.  I love an opportunity for them to get out of the house and for Evelyn to interact with other kids.  And it seems like the majority of young families are really on board with the library, so there are always more families there than you'd expect for a small town.  They're also doing some great programming for Banned Books Week this week.  

Actually, I know it's silly and I overthink my job, but I think churches have a lot to learn from the way libraries are run-- appealing to all ages, getting people excited about their community, bringing people together, withstanding the test of time, while moving forward with the progression of technology and thought...

Anyway, enough of all that.  Now, I present to you Star Wars Reads day: 

A list of the events of the day

Is that a kitty?

Is that a doggie?  Shooting me in the head?

There was a Wookiee search throughout the hall...

Found Ballet Wookiee!

Then we made a Wookiee fortune teller (which horrified Evelyn), Darth Vader Origami (Darth Paper) and colored. 

Evelyn found a friend, and gave him a kiss.  I think she realized he wasn't a cat at this point. 

She's truly an artist.  Look at Daddy's her Darth Vader drawing! 

Growing up so fast!  Next thing we know she'll be leaving Tatooine.  

Inauguration Benediction

This morning I had the honorable invitation to deliver the benediction at the inauguration of the new president of Ripon College.  It was such a delight.  I was one of three women on the platform of about 15, along with the female student body president and the mistress of ceremonies.  

They did a live recording of the ceremony, and you can view that recording here.  My benediction begins around 2:10:00.  The president himself is Jewish, so I tried to make my benediction a little broader theologically, but I also couldn't give up the Trinitarian reference.  

Coffee Shops

In St. Louis, on the days when our apartment seemed painfully small (gosh, was that every day?) we used to go up to this coffee shop called Cafe Nura (now Abode Coffee Shop) and just hang out and sip coffee.  When Evelyn was really little, we'd bring her up in her infant car seat and she would nap while we chatted, and when she got bigger we'd stick her in the high chair and give her a few books and toys.  I probably wrote about that coffee shop in about 90% of my pre-move blog entries.  

Well, when we moved it was one of the hardest places to say goodbye to.  It was full of so many great memories for us.  So many deep-breath moments, study breaks, and finally-some-adult conversations.  It seems impossible to replace. 

This morning we woke up early enough to go to a new place in Ripon called Palenque (aka Doomsday Donuts) and have some coffee before I had to get to the office.  It's no Cafe Nura, but I like the place a lot.  Plus they have these CRAZY specialty donuts (last week I had a root beer float donut!) and Evelyn would do a back-flip if it meant she could share a parfait with her Daddy.  Who knows, maybe it will become the new Cafe Nura, in time.