A Family Visit

Last week we had a great visit from Nana and Papa.  It's been kind of a nuts week here, so I haven't had time to blog in a while, but did want to share some of these beautiful photos from Nana and Papa's visit.

And, in a sentence-per-subject, what's going on in our life here:

Evelyn is learning something new every day, especially the most effective ways to get Mommy's attention.
Maic is working on his grad-school applications and literary magazine submissions and we're both hopeful and hesitant about jumping back into the student-parent life.
Church is great and I continue to love my work, but this week it has been especially challenging and I'm glad that I was able to have a weekend yesterday and today.
We are going to Milwaukee for Thanksgiving to share the feast with Maic's godmother and family.
We won't be Black Friday shopping this year, because as much as I have cherished the tradition my whole life, I can't support the commercialism anymore-- we might do a bit of Small-Business Saturday Christmas shopping, however.

And now, some photos from a Sunset trip to Green Lake during Nana and Papa's visit:

Nacho Ordinary Thanksgiving and a Relaxing Black Friday

Well folks, it happened.  I overdid myself.  It was bound to happen eventually, but I just kept thinking I could do it all.  

Yesterday morning, I was in charge of the Thanksgiving service at First Congregational WG.  First of all, I had kind of been putting it off all week so that I could get other stuff done that was more immediate at the time (ie: senior sermon, liturgy coursework, UCC polity coursework, diapers, feeding, etc.)  Second of all, a good friend of ours had a hard week with a difficult break-up, so Evelyn and I spent some time cheering her up (which I was glad to do, of course).  So, I ended up having to stay up late Wednesday night and wake up early Thursday morning to get stuff in order for the service.  

To make a long story short, I found myself extremely dizzy during the sermon on Thursday morning and was praying during the sermon that I wouldn't pass out.  Well, I didn't pass out, but I also led a very scatterbrained service and sermon.  And then--get this--I beat myself up about it all afternoon. 

It's not okay that I do these things to myself.  When I got home, I laid down for 10 minutes and slept for four hours.  I also realized I was dehydrated.  I only woke up because Evelyn needed to eat.   I don't want to be the kind of pastor that works so hard that I become unable to minister to those who need me.  And I certainly don't want to become the kind of pastor who doesn't have time for my family and myself.  I'm not sure why I hold myself to such high standards.  I don't know what I'm trying to prove.  And I don't know how to let go of it and just let myself relax and be human.  

At 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, I am supposed to turn in the first chapter of my thesis.  By Dec. 1, my thesis proposal is due, along with all of the materials (including several written assessments) for my psych eval later in December.  Tuesday, I am leading a service for Liturgy class.  Then, I just have some general coursework to do.  I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do yet, but I know things need to change.  I can't let myself get that exhausted again.  

Yesterday afternoon, when I woke up from my four hour nap, I decided that whatever I was going to do, I was going to take Thursday and Friday off.  I needed to spend time relaxing with my family.  I still haven't decided what to do about the thesis chapter, but I'll tell you I'm not waking up at 5 a.m. to write a half-hearted version of it and turning it in at 9:00.  My only option at this point is to turn it in late or, as might be more realistic, turn in an outline instead.  Generally, Fall semester isn't for writing anyway. 

So...let's shake out the negativity.  Here's what we did do yesterday and today!

We had NACHO THANKSGIVING!  Maic asked if I wanted turkey, but getting and preparing a turkey for one person seemed ridiculous, so we had nachos. 

Salsa con Queso, Shredded Chicken, Corn and Black Beans,
Refried Beans, and Fresh Veggies.  

And homemade oatmeal cream pies!!  

Afterwards, we cuddled and watched Elf.  I will never stop laughing at that movie, no matter how many times I see it.  

Here, by the way, is Evelyn's Thanksgiving dress!  

Today we slept in and when we woke up I really wanted to do some shopping.  You see, I've gone Black Friday shopping every year of my life.  Most of the time, my mom and I have gone with my Aunt Vickie and my sister-in-law, Charis, since we've known her, but the past couple of years I've been in St. Louis, so I've gone with whoever was visiting us at the time.  It's very different now, though, as I become increasingly more disgusted with the materialism and competition of Black Friday.  

So, we decided to go to Kangaroo Kids and Once Upon a Child, a couple of used clothing stores.  Evelyn moved up a clothing size a few days ago.  We have been doing our best to only buy used clothes for Evelyn.  They're so much cheaper and I think it's more fun.  We both like Kangaroo Kids significantly more than Once Upon a Child.  The prices are about the same, but Once Upon a Child is a chain and the people are a lot less friendly.  

Evelyn's first Black Friday 

Every once in a while, Daddy wishes he had a boy,
so they could wear the same clothes.  

Here's what we did get!  

Warmth for winter and some spit-up protectors.  

Plaid dresses!  I don't know why we got five of them.
Good deals?  Super cute? 

T-Rex destroying a Candy Cane.  Okay, how could we not get it?  

Then, we went to Chili's for lunch

We are so out of the technological loop.
Did you know you can pay your bill at the table now?  This is crazy!

Look at her eyeing that burger... 

And we ended our lovely Black Friday at the World Bird Sanctuary, one of our favorite places in St. Louis.  It's the place we both feel the most "at home."  It has a very Metroparks kind of atmosphere.  Last time we went, I was 8 months pregnant and it was 95 degrees.  

July 17th, 2011

Today was much more pleasant.  It was 60 degrees in St. Louis today, so it was absolutely perfect WBS weather.  

"I think Nacho Thanksgiving is a fantastic idea!" 

Tonight, we're having leftovers and watching movies.  We might get out some Christmas decorations, too.  Tomorrow morning, I'll give a thought to getting some work done.  But, not until then.  I promise.  

Senior Sermon and a New Sheep

Monday was my senior sermon at the Eden chapel.  Each third year student gets the opportunity to do a senior sermon (not all take it), but it is particularly stressful because it means preaching in front of a group of people who know something about preaching.  It's a very critical environment.  I was happy with it, although there are a few things I would do differently if I did it again.  

I preached on the book of Judith, which is apocryphal so that was new for some people.  As many of you know, my thesis is on the book of Judith.  (Incidentally, it has been narrowed to the language of the body in the book of Judith and my official proposal is due on the 1st.)  But I wanted to preach on a particular passage that I have just fallen in love with-- Judith 15:8-13.  The passage is about a victory dance, but a very peculiar one in that Judith does not allow anyone to dance for her.  Instead, she crowns them and dances along with them.  I preached about dancing-- why Judith didn't want them to dance for her, and why our God is worth dancing for.  It was fun.  You can read it here, on my other blog where I post all of my sermon manuscripts. 

Evelyn didn't actually stand in the pulpit with me.
She slept the whole time.
But I took this picture afterwards.

I got a pretty good drum circle going, too, which was just so perfectly fitting for the topic. 

They sounded great.  Thanks, drummers!

In baby news, I don't think it would be possible to have a sweeter, more patient little baby.  Lately I've been feeling a lot of guilt for how much I cart her around.  I've had a lot of things that I've had to go to Eden for in the morning this past week or two, so she comes with me.  When I go to the church office, she comes with  me.  Anything I do in the evening, other than class, she comes with me.  I worry that I am robbing her of her baby-hood, but she seems so happy.  

She has fallen in love with her new sheep.  Somehow this sheep is a girl, and her name is Cedric.  I don't know how these things happen in our family, but we often just have these bizarre conversations, one thing leads to another, and we end up with a girl sheep named Cedric.  Anyway, Cedric arrived via USPS for her baptism from her Nana and Papa.  

Here she is:

Happy Babies

This is how she likes to sleep now, smothering herself with Cedric.  

Mama, stop bothering us.  

Alright, well, a very happy and bountiful thanksgiving to you!  We'll be having Potluck Thanksgiving at the church, followed by Nacho Thanksgiving with just the three of us (with one vegetarian and one milk-etarian, turkey just didn't seem right).