Atlanta

The F family and I started out our journey by leaving NE at 7pm and driving through the night, and arrived in Atlanta around 3:30pm the next day, rather exhausted. On Sunday we searched for a like-minded Church Mr F had found on a website. Upon arriving, we discovered the church was no more, so we went to a nearby church called "The Lighthouse". There were six people in he congregation, so we more than doubled their size. It was perhaps not the BEST sermon I've ever heard, but it was an interesting experience.

Atlanta is really big. Six lane interstates, full of cars- I am glad I'm not driving. Just being a passenger in a 15 passenger van is exciting enough.

On Monday we all went to the Atlanta Aquarium, which is reportedly one of the biggest in the world. I have to say the neatest display was the huge Ocean tank, with 6 million gallons of saltwater! There are three whale sharks and at least one huge 12ft stingray in that big tank, along with other smaller fish.

Our 15 passenger van qualified as an over-sized vehicle.

I hate to say it, but this fish looks stupid to me.

The tropical and reef fish were very pretty as well. I have to say, though, that the whole aquarium was really noisy, with music in the main court and lots of people, and all that plus the changing lights made it really overwhelming and overstimulating. There wasn't much educational information posted along the way, either- but I am very grateful to the Fs for taking me. Fish are amazing.

This is the big ocean tank with the three whale sharks.

Turtles are just cool looking creatures, the sort that would look good in sunglasses.

So that was Monday, and Tuesday was ladies' tea day while the guys went to the Coca-Cola museum, and today is babysitting day for me while the others are at Medieval Times and Competition Orientation. Fun times!

Here, There, and Everywhere

I'm leaving tomorrow for Georgia for a (fun) nanny trip during the LEGO World competition

Then soon after I get back I'll be leaving for Arkansas for a campaigning trip

Then after that we'll be traveling as a family to Illinois for a sort of family camp(Presbytery 1020!)

And following that, we have a family reunion at Ft. Robinson, NE

I feel busy.

Taking the Plunge

As of today Dad has officially started a new job, and no, this is not an April Fool's Day joke. I've been meaning to post about this for a month now, since it became public knowledge back in January. Most of my close acquaintances know that in January Dad was approved by our Church congregation to become a full-time Elder, a sort of administrative pastor. Since Dad wanted to finish up a school session before leaving, he waited to give notice at the University until early April; his last day there was a week ago.

We've known that Dad would probably take the new job since last November(Big Changes Ahead), but it's still hard to grasp that Dad actually quit the job he's had for seventeen years, most of my lifetime, and is moving on to something new. Very few Dads over fifty with half a dozen children at home do such things, I think. It's an exciting and a bit scary step into the uncharted future, and it's Dad's dream job. I've no doubt it was brought about in God's perfect timing.

Besides the obvious change for Dad, there are several (seemingly large though perhaps insignificant)changes for the rest of us as well:

1. Due to the new schedule, we all have to get up an hour earlier in the morning. Before, Dad always left so early it really wasn't humanly possible for all of us to be up for breakfast and Biblestudy before he left; but now he's leaving later and we don't have that excuse/reason anymore.
2. So now we're also eating breakfast together and having morning Biblestudy as well. Before this, breakfast was a find what you could and be done by nine sort of thing. Shocking, isn't it? I'm on the lookout for cheap, healthy breakfast recipes that can be made in bulk. There aren't many.
3. Later nights. Since Dad is leaving later(even though we're getting up earlier) he'll be getting home later as well. You'd think that getting up an hour earlier would translate into going to bed an hour earlier, but so far no such change has been observed.
4. Since we're on a roll with schedule changes right now, we're cutting out Sunday movie nights. We've kind of kept it hush-hush that we watched movies on Sunday, since while it may fall in the "restful" category, it may not fall into the "spiritual" category in some people's convictions. I'm sure it's for the best, but Sunday evenings seem pretty empty right now.
5. I've also decided, for the sake of my overall health, to give up all kinds of chocolate.

April Fools. I could never give up chocolate.

Now we really are a pastor's family. Now I can see if that vague stereotype in my head of Pastor's families is really true: living on the brink of poverty and always eating beans and rice while running a hospitality hotel with a strong trust in God. I wouldn't mind the hospitality; though I might get tired of the beans.

Sew, sew, sew

Lately it seems like all my free time is devoted to a blizzard of new sewing projects. Here are a few projects I've recently finished or am currently working on:

• A maternity and nursing dress for a friend- the first nursing dress I've ever made. It was an old pattern(so 1990's!) from Elizabeth Lee Designs. It was a good learning experience; we were never able to get together for a fitting, so I have no idea if it even fits her!
• A dress to wear to English Country Dances. Not entirely authentic, since I pretty much made up the pattern, and also used elastic on the wristbands. I am making this dress so I can have something "old-fashioned" to wear to dances without wearing my stays, but I can still wear my petticoats.It has a high, fitted bodice and Bishop sleeves. And of course a very full skirt.
  
• A new nightgown. A family asked me to travel with them for a short time this spring to watch their little boys, and it's impossible to travel and not be seen in your nightgown, so I thought I'd better upgrade.

Upcoming sewing projects:

• Skirts for Jen's 38 ballet students for the upcoming recital in May. Thirty eight skirts- thankfully very simple- older classes get full circle skirts, younger classes get half circle. We've decided on three different colors in different shades of crepe-back satin. I'd like to make these skirts reversible, but I've never made anything reversible before and I have a deadline, so we'll see.
  
• Kilts for all our boys. Real men wear kilts! These are also for our dances and our history festival. I had a hard time finding appropriate plaids that were under $20.
  
• A 1940's style dress for a friend. This is good, because I need practice sewing for others.
• And finally: a light, very pink, very spring-ish, and very much in style skirt for myself. I bought some cheap fabric at Wal-mart some time ago and have finally decided what to use it for. I'm making it in anticipation that someday it will be warm once again.

Some new blog favorites:
The Sew Weekly
Is This Modest?
Feelin' Feminine

Unconditional Election put to Song

’Tis not that I did choose Thee,
For Lord, that could not be;
This heart would still refuse Thee,
Hadst Thou not chosen me.

Thou from the sin that stained me
Hast cleansed and set me free;
Of old Thou hast ordained me,
That I should live to Thee.

’Twas sov’reign mercy called me
And taught my op’ning mind;
The world had else enthralled me,
To heav’nly glories blind.

My heart owns none before Thee,
For Thy rich grace I thirst;
This knowing, if I love Thee,
Thou must have loved me first.

-Josiah Condor

A New Year

Somewhere along the way of life I stopped minding the changing of the year. All that bothers me now is that I'm getting older. It's a tradition in our family that we sit down together every New Year's Eve to plan and write down our group and personal goals for the year. It's fun and a good way to begin the new year. There's a long list this year; there's actually two lists: the list for if we move, and the list for if we don't move. Because of Dad's new position in the Church we are really praying that the moving list happens soon. Some smaller goals on our list are learning to sing in parts, practice more hospitality, and buy enough sofa beds to have overnight guests. On my list is buy a sewing machine, learn to quilt, and participate in some historical re-enacting. We also have several small trips planned and so we probably won't take a formal vacation this year. Jen and I hope to campaign more this year, and Jen's recital in May is also a big event since she now has doubled the number of her students.

A big goal on my not-moving list is another volunteer ministry trip. I've been searching for a while for opportunities, but so far all doors have been closed. I'm sending in some paperwork today to a certain missions group, but it may be months before I get a clear yes or no answer on whether or not they can use me. I have great hopes for the year. My greatest hope is that I would grow and learn whatever happens. I'm curious: What are some of your goals for the year 2010?

I'd just like to note: Yesterday the temperature dropped to -22 F. On average the it remains around -11 at night and 10 during the day. The cold is causing some car problems and we're burning more wood than usual. Is it always this cold or do I just forget it every year?

Texas was Absolutely Wonderful.

And not just because of the weather- which, compared to Nebraska, was great(we missed the big blizzard of '09 while in TX)- but because of the fellowship. I have to admit I was a little worried about staying in someone's house for ten days. We usually have to beg to stay at a friend's house along the road, and I always feel with our big family we are imposing, and we eat too much.

But our hosts in TX(a family the same size as ours, so I didn't feel bad about eating too much) demonstrated the kind of Christian hospitality I have yet to learn, and we all had a blast. Even in our church we haven't (as a family) found another family so similar to us in lifestyle, numbers, and ages.

Texas itself was alright. Warm weather, great, but I'm not sure I will ever understand the enduring Texan desire to secede. And during our stay there, a cockroach crawled up my leg, scarring me for life. Nebraska, at least, does not harbor monsters of that size. It was the fellowship that made our time in TX memorable. It was wonderful!