Zion Church, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

Praise God! We have a church! Since Rob is in his Middler year, he does his field parish study at a local church, which means we can stop church-hopping and get plugged in somewhere! Yay! We loved Zion Church from the moment we first attended last year, and thankfully Rob was placed here for his field study. He will be mentored by the Rector, Fr. Thad Butcher, serve in various ways on Sun. morning, and help in any way needed throughout the year. This church is full of the Holy Spirit and growing. Fr. Thad is an awesome preacher; I really learn a lot from his sermons. He actually has a connection to South Carolina, too! His daughter is married to the Rev. Iain Boyd, Assistant Rector of Trinity Church Myrtle Beach. It just feels so good to attend a church that is similar to our home church, St. Michael's Charleston. Check out Zion's website if you get a chance: http://zionpoint.org/index.htm

I know I say this in every post, but it's true--Rob is busier than ever these days. His work in the chapel along with his schoolwork is exhausting. In the next week his chapel work includes a matriculation, ordination, convocation, and a graduation. And yes, he still has classes and schoolwork on top of being a part of organizing all of that. It's during these times that the "f-word" gets thrown around a lot here. No, not the one that immediately comes to mind. Rather, formation, formation, formation. Around here it's got the same reputation as that other word, but it is poignant and true to life here. Rob will be more than prepared to serve as a parish priest (Robert as a P.K. and I as a P.W.). I mean really, could it get any crazier?

Thank you for your prayers!

Study, Daddy, Study!!

Daddy is slowly but surely figuring out that it's not always either/or, it's sometimes both! You don't have to either be a daddy OR be a student, you can sometimes be both at the same time! This works until the baby wakes up and starts getting all wiggly. Somehow The Moral Vision of the New Testament doesn't make as much sense when holding a squirmy baby as it does when holding a sleeping baby! Thank God for grandmothers, though. "Nona" is here for a visit and ready to take Robert in any condition whatsoever!

School Has Started!

Rob heads off to his second day of school this morning. Yesterday went well, and he seems excited about the new semester. He is taking the following classes:

Old Testament 1
Greek 3
Hebrew 1
Systematic Theology
Parish Ministry 2
Ethics and Moral Theology

He also continues his positions as Chapel Scholar and as a member of the chapel work crew. As I mentioned before, all students are members of some kind of work crew (outside, library, classrooms, chapel, etc.), and most students have some sort of scholarship position (Chapel Scholar, Choir Scholar, Dish Scholar Library Scholar, etc.). These positions, along with class, chapel services, Bible study, and other meetings and such that seem to pop up, keep Rob very busy during the days. His study/reading time doesn't usually start until after supper. And now, Rob has also to find time to spend with his new son, not to mention his wife! Please keep Rob in your prayers as he prioritizes and works out his schedule.

Baby, Baby, Baby

For those of you who have been diligently checking this blog for updates, thank you! I'm posting to tell you that this summer has been all about baby, baby, baby. SO, at least until school starts and we have non-baby related news, check the baby blog for current news.

Thank You!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers! We are all safe and sound at home. Rob's done with his exams. The weather is beautiful. God is good!
For more info. on our recent happenings, consult the baby blog (link to the right). I'll put the whole story there.
We love y'all!

Spring is in the Air

It started gradually: a couple of warm days here and there, diminishing snow piles, once-needed layers of clothing remaining on the pegs, even a few days of shoes with no socks! And then, there were days when it was warm enough to open the windows to air out the musty, closed-up smell of the apartment. The dogs could lay out on the porch and bask in the sun with the door wide open. How refreshing!

And then, no more snow piles at all! That green grass was finally free. Yes, it remains green under all that snow, believe it or not. If I'm being honest, though, I have to admit that what also came out under all that snow was all the "stuff" that got snowed over: someone's old sweatshirt, old toys left on the lawn, some trash around the dumpster, bikes that got hit by the plow (oops!), lost sleds that didn't get taken in before the next snow, etc. So, there was definitely some cleaning up to do. But it got done, the picnic tables and fire pits are back out, and grilled meat is the most popular menu item any day of the week.

Sallie and Hazel are back to their favorite sport: swimming in the now-thawed lake. It's amazing to think that just a few weeks ago we were walking around on this lake with no fear of falling through the feet-thick ice. Sallie and Hazel didn't hesitate to dive right into the hypothermic water. We, however, will not be diving in anytime soon. It's too cold for even a big toe!

What I have loved most about Spring is watching the gradual awakening of the trees and flowers. It happens so fast in the South that we sometimes miss it. Here, as I walk to and from work each day, I notice the buds getting bigger and bigger on the trees. I get excited when I see the tiny leaves gradually poking out of the buds. Watching a tree unfold after a long winter is worth the wait. The bulbs in our garden have finally popped up and are budding. It's so beautiful! The "Spring" chapter in Thoreau's Walden never meant quite as much to me until now that I have experienced it for myself. It's funny that I never noticed it in New England, but I think I was too busy with school while we were there. It's such a blessing to have the leisure to see the beauty of Spring this year.

Three more weeks and counting until Rob's done with this semester--please keep praying!

P.S. Check out the Spring 2008 picture album in the column to the right under "Our Picture Albums"!

Crunch Time

I feel safe to say that it's finally Spring here, and I owe you some pictures. We've had a lot of rain in the past few days, but it should clear up this week, and I'll post some NO SNOW pictures soon!
Rob and I recently had a great trip to Charleston, complete with a baby shower graciously hosted by the Kunes and the Myers. It was so wonderful to see all of our friends and family both from Charleston and those who came from out of town. It was really hard to say goodbye all over again and to know that we won't see many of them again until Christmas time. It's really weird to think that the next time we go to Charleston we will have a 5-month old baby with us. Wow!
As soon as we got back to Nashotah House, Rob entered the end of the semester season that I like to call Crunch Time. He's got about 5 weeks of presentations, papers, and exams left, not to mention his regular responsiblities in the Chapel and around campus. I'm trying to keep busy with work and baby preparation stuff, but I have to admit that with Rob in the library so much, it's getting a little lonely around here. We could definitely use some strong prayer for the next few weeks.
We love y'all!