Ice Storm 2013

On Tuesday, April 9, it started to rain in Sioux Falls.  It was a cold day, so the rain quickly turned to sleet.  We sent Z off to school at the usual time (7:35), and then Nathan and I continued to get ready to go to a local theological conference.  Eden usually stays with me at home on Tuesdays, but because of the conference, she was scheduled to spend the day with Amah.  At 8:15 we heard a cracking noise, then a resounding thud, and then the power was gone.  Through the back window we could see that a huge branch, probably about a 15-18 inches in diameter, had fallen through some power lines behind our house and landed on a truck.  Ouch.

But, no reason to change our plans.  Eden went to Amah's, and Nathan and I headed to the conference.  The sleet kept coming down, and by the time we went to lunch, there was probably an inch of ice on the windshield.  We went to a local bar and grill which had the TV on to local news, all of which was about the sleet and ice and the damage it was doing.  The central part of town (where we live) was hit the hardest because that's where most of the mature trees are.  At one point I even caught a glimpse of our house as the news showed a picture of a car damaged by falling branches.

Although we had several offers from friends to stay at their houses, we decided to try to weather the storm in our own house.  So that evening we pulled out the blankets and the candles and were thankful that the Kindle's battery was fully charged.  All schools (Seminary, USF, and Robert Frost)  were closed on Wednesday, so we slept late and then went to eat lunch with some friends who still had power.  But by then we were ready to throw in the towel, so we went home, packed our bags, and headed to the home of one of Nathan's colleagues.  They have a fully finished basement which they gave entirely to us, and we ended up staying there until Saturday night, which is how long it took for the city to get our power back on.  School across the city was cancelled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (amazing!), and given the circumstances, we had a very nice time staying with the Stricklands.  The kids especially loved it since there was no school, there was lots of tv, and every morning Gary made pancakes and bacon and sausage just for them.  When we finally did go home on Saturday night Z said, "Let's just dump our home."   And just before bed I found him weeping into the couch pillows.  When I asked him what was wrong he wailed, "I want to live at the Strickland's!"  We are so thankful for their generosity in sharing their house and time with us!

The damage done to the trees of Sioux Falls was incredible.  On Thursday Nathan dropped me off at our house to do a few things while he took the kids to the Seminary.  I walked the four blocks from our house the Seminary, and it was eerie.  Creaking and falling branches, streets and sidewalks littered with branches, many of them large, trees literally split down the middle, and people out in the streets with chainsaws.  One newspaper headline said, "Grief over trees palpable in Sioux Falls."  How the prairie dwellers love their trees!

It has been cold and snowy every since.  We had 5 inches of snow this past Wednesday, and it snowed again yesterday afternoon.  Oh spring, where are you???

You can see the branches piled around the trunks of the trees, waiting for the city to come pick them up.  There are piles of branches like this up and down all the streets of central Sioux Falls.   The clean up will probably take a couple of months.

Good Genes

Easter

Easter was on March 31st this year.  It was a chilly day in South Dakota and even snowed a little bit, but still a day of celebration.  Nathan preached his first Easter sermon at a little church in Slayton, MN.  The church was very welcoming to all of us, but especially the children, and Nathan's sermon was terrific.  So terrific, in fact, that it gave me just the idea I was looking for to completely overhaul my Intro to Christian Thought class, which I've been wanting to do for some time but haven't been able to discover the centering idea . . . until Easter!

After church we came back to Sioux Falls and had a lovely lunch with several different friends, and the traditional Easter egg hunt.  A wonderful time was had by all . . . and many pictures were taken!

These two pictures aren't Easter, but I just think they're funny:

Z and I colored Easter eggs out back on our new picnic table (which I'm very excited to have this summer!  Hopefully it will make eating outside even easier and more convenient.)

Isn't he just the sweetest boy?

And the sweetest dog . . . 

Easter morning with the Easter baskets (boxes):

One of Z's presents was this bow and arrow set:

Friends at lunch:

Henry and Lisa and Eden at lunch:

Eden found this viking hat at our friends' house:

And she found a turtle too -- what could be better!

Celebrating:

The hunt is on!

I love how Eden is checking out Z's basket.

"This Is the General"

An Easter Homily from Melito of Sardis, Peri Pascha

(2nd Century)

When the Lord had clothed himself with humanity, and had suffered for the sake of the sufferer, and had been bound for the sake of the imprisoned, and had been judged for the sake of the condemned, and buried for the sake of the one who was buried, he rose up from the dead, and cried aloud with this voice:

Who is he who contends with me? Let him stand in opposition to me. I set the condemned man free; I give the dead man life; I raise up the one who has been entombed.

Who is my opponent? I, he says, am the Christ. I am the one who destroyed death, and triumphed over the enemy, and trampled Hades under foot, and bound the strong one, and carried off man to the heights of heaven.

I, he says, am the Christ.

Therefore, come, all families of men, you who have been befouled with sins, and receive forgiveness for your transgressions.

I am your forgiveness, I am the Passover of your salvation, I am the lamb which was sacrificed for you, I am your ransom, I am your light, I am your savior, I am your resurrection, I am your king, I am leading you up to the heights of heaven, I will show you the eternal Father, I will raise you up by my right hand.

This is the one who made the heavens and the earth, and who in the beginning created man, who was proclaimed through the law and prophets, who became human via the virgin, who was hanged upon a tree, who was buried in the earth, who was resurrected from the dead, and who ascended to the heights of heaven, who sits at the right hand of the Father, who has authority to judge and to save everything, through whom the Father created everything from the beginning of the world to the end of the age.

This is the alpha and the omega. This is the beginning and the end – an indescribable beginning and an incomprehensible end. This is the Christ. This is the king. This is Jesus. This is the general. This is the Lord.

This is the one who rose up from the dead. This is the one who sits at the right hand of the Father. He bears the Father and is borne by the Father, to whom be the glory and the power forever. Amen.

Happy Birthday, Little Girl!

It is snowing outside today, just like it did two years ago on March 25th.  That was the day Eden was born and amazingly, now it is two years later.

She's talking all the time and is in the super-cute stage.  Instead of saying "Ok," she says, "O-tay!"  The other day I hit my arm on the door while getting into the car and said, "Ouch!"  Eden, from her car seat, asked in a very concerned voice, "You o-tay, Mama?  You o-tay?"  She likes to watch "Wile Tatts" (Wild Kratts -- for you Stegalls, this is the latest incarnation of Kratt's Creatures) with Z.  And she sometimes asks to "Otch pee ee esss?  Peese!"  ("Watch PBS?  Please!")  Right now she's working on jumping, and actually manages to get both feet off the floor at the same time.  Only by about a centimeter, but that seems pretty good for a little girl who only started walking about 5 months ago.  When we sing Psalm 4 at bedtime she always chimes in on "new wine!" with great enthusiasm.  And when we pray she calls out names of people to pray for:  "Amah!  Unc Yonny!  Apa Yon!  Yaya!  Papu!  Daddy!  Hee!  Hin!"  (Amah, Uncle Johnny, Papa John, Yaya, Papu, Daddy, Z, Phin.)

Right now Eden loves turtles!  She also somehow has gotten birthdays and turtles all mixed together because she thinks the words to the birthday song are "Happy turtle to you!"  (Actually she says, "Happy turtle, whoo whoo!")  So we decided to have a little birthday party on Saturday with a turtle theme.  I made a turtle birthday cake out of cupcakes, we gave her a stuffed turtle and a turtle egg (you put it in water and it hatches).  And we all sang "Happy Turtle to You!" and she loved it.  Here are some pictures and videos from the day.

Opening presents:

Our wonderful friends Mitch and Jennifer:

The turtle cupcake cake:

Happy Turtle!

All the kids enjoying the cupcakes:

Our good friends Tracy and Anna:

Eden with her present from Mitch and Jennifer -- a turtle nightlight.  The shell has stars and a moon which shine on the ceiling.  It's actually really cool!

How you have grown my little girl.  

From the prettiest baby I've ever seen to a rambunctious and talkative toddler!

Video Games and Babies

Amah brought over a Cat in the Hat costume.  Eden loved it!

Z decided to make himself a healthy snack after school and was thrilled with the results:

Phin found her long lost duck.

Z and Eden eating their Saturday morning cereal together.  Eden is in a hat phase right now.

Nathan trying to get information out of Eden about her day.  What will she be like as a teenager??

Video games and babies don't mix!  Eden doing her best to distract the boys from their game, and a great catch by Mama at the end!

Kindergarten

Yesterday at school Z wrote his name using cubes.  His teacher told me he did it all by himself with no help at all!