Imagine that. A Phd.

 Big doings in our family!  Our youngest son was awarded his Phd from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.  This was quite an achievement and we are so honored to have been able to be in attendance to witness this.  

 Four years ago he received his Masters of Divinity degree here in Minnesota, then he and his wife and their 5 children moved to St. Louis to begin two years of course work on the campus of Concordia.  During that time their sixth child was born.  Following those two years, he and his family moved to the Northwest where he began serving as Pastor to a small Lutheran congregation, writing his thesis and adding their 7th child to the family.

 

 And to think I used to worry because he wasn't living up to his potential. 

I had no idea.

 

After a week of travel and graduation festivities, we celebrated at the Great Wolf Lodge waterpark!

Remembrance tulips

 Every year I am blessed by the gift of remembrance tulips.  These tulips, given to me at three different occasions, were to remember a loved one who had died.  What a sweet gift. 

 

 So every year now there are three places in my yard in which groups of tulips break forth and provide some beauty along with the reminder of my brother, my sister-in-law and my brother-in-law.



And now these tulips also stand as a reminder to me of this kind friend, who has now also passed from this life into her eternal rest.  

Building a banquet...

 It sure is handy having a carpenter as a spouse... he can do just about anything and here he is designing and building an extra long table (after clearing out all the furniture) for us to host a banquet.

Nothing like a few sheets of plywood..

 And Viola!  There we have it!  About 19 feet of table!

I just love setting the table and using many of the lovely items we have; most of which have been well appreciated gifts (40 year old wedding gifts still in use!)

 

 Dinner by candlelight.

 

 And then the most important part - the guests!  We had set for 20, but had 3 cancellations so it was dinner for 17. 

 

 We have enjoyed fellowship with this group of people for many many years as we have joined together on Sunday evenings to enjoy a Bible study and good fellowship (and coffee and desserts too!)   This was our "end of the season" banquet.

 

 I have pictures as far back as 2004 when hubby built a similar table in our living room but as we grew in numbers we needed a larger table, so the table was built in our family room.

 

 As a group we have gone through many joys and heartaches and trials together, as one can expect. 

Most recently was the death of one of our group members; it was hard to not see her at the meal.  We will have to wait until a banquet together in eternity. 

 

The food was delicious but the fellowship even more sweet.  I like this picture as I can see everyone busy talking together.  May you be also blessed with good friends to do life together.