What Thirty is Like

Well, I am now 30 years old. What is different? Well, not much.

I had a nice birthday. I got some cards in the mail and a Lowes gift card from my parents... I am sure that Lydia suggested it. She has been asking for me to repaint the bedroom for a number of months. Now it will get done. Heidi got me some coffee and a new Starbucks cup. I love it. Irma and Lawrence sent some cash. That is always appreciated.

Bill and Paige Kamp (who are expecting in May) volunteered to watch our 3 little ones on Tuesday so that we could go out for a birthday dinner. We took them up on the offer and went out to Olives in East's Gas Light Village. It was a great time. We had Martinis and Mushroom Crostini as an appetizer. For dinner I had Tenderloin Napoleon and Lydia had Garlic-herb marinated steak. It was wonderful! The conversation was adult and the company was splendid! It was a good way to bring in my third decade.

From there we walked to Starbucks for some hot chocolate. We talked some more and really did not want the evening to end. Of course, with small children you cannot be away for long! We picked up the kids and headed home.

On my proper birthday (Wednesday) we did not really do anything. I had class in the AM and prepared for Bible study that I was teaching in the evening. We took a short break for a Mangiamo pizza for dinner, and then it was time for me to go to Bible study. Lydia made a delicious blueberry cake and a chocolate cake to send with me.

At Bible study Ray and Linda sang happy birthday in Dutch and Ray and James sang it in German. We also sang the 30th Psalm in commemoration of my birthday. It was a good night there.

Today (Thursday) was class and writing as usual. I got the mail at 5:20 and to my surprise there was a package addressed to Lydia. I opened it and found a splendid birthday gift! She got me a book that I have been looking for for about a year. I have NOT been able to locate a copy and was hoping to not have to pay $100 for it! She got it for me! The book is Sketches of the Covenanter Ministers, 1888-1930 by Owen F. Thompson. She found a minister in Kansas (Rev. Ken McFarland) that had two copies and was willing to sell one to her.

This is the follow up book to Glasgow's History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church that Ray and I wrote the introduction for upon its reprinting. What a great gift! It takes a very special wife to search long and hard for a bibliophile's gift. What I could not do in one year, she did in one quiet month of searching and emailing. It is good to start my 30th year of life with a woman who knows and loves me so much. She loves books and fine food too, of course.

Happy Birthday

Today our precious Anna Grace turns four.

Happy birthday, honey.

A Nice Weekend; A Nice Week

Tante Heidi was here this past weekend. We all had a nice time. We did those things that we always do: coffee, Target, watch a movie with the kids. We also had a really nice conversation at Carlos O'Kelly. We love those times.

Of course, we forgot to tote the camera along with us- but be assured: we were all present. Not much has changed, except Heidi is toting a new hair color. She has gone much darker and lost the red and blonde highlights. It is a different look for her. Anna liked it a lot (and we all know that she has good taste).

Since she has left we have been looking forward to heading out for the week with Brian to good ol' Corry. We are going there for the National Day of Thanksgiving. Of course, in modern terms that means turkey, gluttony, football, turkey, and more football. It is nice to be with the family doing what we all do well together!

This year we are adding a Turducken to the menu. My dad and I have been planning on it for months! It is going to be great! Anna turns 4 on Thanksgiving as well. It is amazing how quickly they grow up! We will also be going to the Meadville RPCNA on the Lord's Day. I believe that is one of the congregations without a pastor right now.

So we wait for Wednesday to take our trip. Here are some things we are doing in the meantime:

Anna and Owen continue to run their used car lot in the dining room. They have been playing a cars and dolls combo game together for awhile. I wonder how a Barbie could get inside of a little Matchbox car... oh well, imagination is a good thing.
Sedgwick continues to be suspicious that we are leaving him. We have talked of Brian going with us which means that he has a new sitter for the week. Who could it be, Sedgwick wonders? It is a whole pack of Lannings with Evie at the lead. We all know that she has power and authority over children and pets. She will do just fine!
And I have been reading away. Here I am reading an article by Rowan Williams, the Arch-bishop of Canterbury on the Arius and Athanasius debates. Personally, I think that Ach-Bishop Williams is a bit off of his rocker (he claims to be a Druid and a Christian at the same time), but his historical analysis of this debate is quite good.
While reading to Watson, he was amazed that there are people who believe that the Son of God was created! Watson's reply: "There was not a time when the Son was not!"
I know, little buddy. I know.

We look forward to some time away from Grand Rapids. Family, friends,fun, furkey, fand Fanna's firthday. Foo fould fask for fore?

COVFAMIKOI Psalm Sing

James Lanning found this video on the web. It is one of the many 'family worship' times at our presbytery's annual family conference. You can hear what 350 (although there were 600+ people at the conference) people singing acapella psalms sounds like. I look forward to the International Conference in July in which over 1100 RPs from all over the world will be here in Grand Rapids!
It is Psalm 144.9-15:

I will sing a new song to you, O God;
upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
who gives victory to kings,
who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace;
may our granaries be full,
providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;
may our cattle be heavy with young,
suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;
may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!

Is this the Opinion Line in the Corry Journal?

Is this really news? Can you imagine really caring?

Two Dog Night?

Any visitor to our home knows that we are not wasting our hard-earned money on heating this house. We recommend that people wear socks and a few layers of clothes when they are here.

Side note, I remember my dad telling me about one of tenants who ran up a heating bill that was more than his rent for the month. When he went to the apartment to confront this person on his need to keep the apartment over 75 degrees, the tenant answered the door in an undershirt and shorts. Needless to say, my dad put a lock box on his thermostat without haste!

So how do we recommend that our company stay warm? Lydia and both lend out sweatshirts, socks, and wraps to our frigid guests. But what do we do? We have dogs to help heat our sleep. The old story goes like this- when it is cold it is a one-dog night. If it is unbearably cold, it is a two-dog night. We rarely are too cold in bed.. it is getting out that is chilly! But, it seems that Watson has no need for both Sam and Sedgwick. Old fat Sam is warm enough for him!

Ellie Vedra is Home!! Praise the Lord!

The Chapbook Cafe Beginning the Chilly Months

Winter is coming and that means hours of lounging in book stores sipping lattes. It also means reading magazines for free and parousing children's books that we will not purchase at the bookstore, but order off of ebay. So is the ways of a free economy. Owen enjoyed a mocha-steamer, also known as hot chocolate.
Anna also enjoyed some hot chocolate, she only drank about half of hers though. She is a tiny thing and is not able to drink 12 ounces of yummy delicious hot chocolate. (Owen, of course, was able to drink all of his!)
Here Owen is reading Parson Avery's tales of Thomas on the Island of Sodor. At one time, Rev. Avery wrote the Thomas stories as a way to promote Christian virtues.
Anna and Owen also played at the Thomas Table. It is the first time that we have been to Schuler in a couple of months. The Thomas display had 3 8x11 signs warning of all the recalls because of lead based paint. I thought that they should stop doing recalls and just set up the Thomas section under the headings of 'regular' and 'leaded'.
We enjoyed a good cookie with our drinks as well. Chapbook has GREAT chocolate chip cookies, but the cakes are never too great. The atmosphere is very nice there though- big pained windows, stone fireplace, chess players, good art on the walls. It is one of our favorite hybrid bookstores/cafe's in town (not that there are too many to choose from!)
Lydia always looks through a pile of books. She usually leaves with a list of ISBNs that she will look on Amazon and Ebay for over the next couple of days. A week from now we will begin receiving packages from the letter carrier. The residual effects of a nice mocha have lasting implications!
In the winter I get a double mocha. In the summer I usually get a mocha smoothie. Today was the usual. It was quite tasty and gives enough energy to write into the night!
Watson was quite the darling. He slept the whole time. I am sure that if he was awake, he would have been offered a mocha too!
In time son, in time.