Good Evening to all you late nighters... 

What a busy beginning to a busy week here in our Payne household in Fort Wayne. Mondays are very busy days for us. Bryan has 5 classes, the Kids both have school and I work 7:30 till 5pm (normally) with a break from 10:30am to 1pm when I run to the Seminary for my Field Education class. Today however for Field Education was different. All the first year Seminary students received their Field Work Church homes for the next two years. As you may know Bryan and I received ours last year. But I did not take this first quarter of the Field Education class last year. I jumped into the Field Ed class third Quarter. 

I have learned this first Quarter Field Education Class is very important. It lays out the program and requirements for us Deaconesses. I knew I was missing something! We have discussed meditation according to Luther and also what it is to be a Theologian. But today I sat among the new Deaconess students and waited expectantly along with them to find out where their Field work will be carried out. I also enjoyed seeing quite a few local Pastors that I know! 

My afternoon at work flew by, too fast! Before I knew it I had to leave work to scoop up the kids from their friends home, which they where not happy about, to visit the Chiropractor. Dalton was quite out of wack. He had fallen last week on the playground and his neck was pretty out of line on his right side where he got his ear infection. Amazing how the body is so connected. Next time he falls I shall try to get him in right away so he doesn't have other things build on his injuries. My adjustment included 4 extra hands trying to 'help' the Chiropractor. You can guess how relaxing that is for a Mom. 

Dinner was easy tonight. The kids school did a fundraiser meal at Panera Bread, which happens to be one of our family favorite places to eat! So we treated ourselves to support to school! We ate together with friends. It was a wonderful evening on the rushed day. But it had to come to an end so the children could all get to bed and us adults can study. 

I sat down this evening to study not wondering where the first three weeks of classes went! We are already into our fourth week of this ten week quarter. So I started to prioritize. First, I am starting a Zoom women's Bible study with our Field Work Church this Thursday. So I set it up and emailed the interested parties and then reviewed the Bible Study lesson to be prepared. Next I worked on my Catechism recitation, this quarter we are to memorize Confession and Office of the Keys from the Small catechism. We are to recite the whole thing from memory within the first 5 weeks then two weeks later or more do a spot check. I also set up my recitation date. Next I looked into my Catechetics readings due this and next week. That will be my next thing. 

My two classes this Fall quarter are project and papers classes not quizzes and tests. I like this but I have several larger things to accomplish! In my Diaconal Counseling class we have been going over some tough topics as well as reading the Minister's Guide to Psychological Disorders and Treatments. I am excited about the projects! I need to create a Genogram. This means I will be calling family members to get it done! I will also be researching Marital Conflict and resources for my fellow Deaconesses for when they will be dealing with this topic in their future work. I will have a case study and in the end of the class a Definition of Diaconal Counseling which I can present to you all if you are interested. 

For Catechetics I get to teach children, write lesson plans, lead a household in prayer and focus on our own in home family prayers! Bryan had this class in the Spring quarter and he established evening devotion times directly after dinner. The kids do participate and actually remind us if we forget or haven't finished dinner yet and they have and want to go. We have continued it strong all Summer and now into the Fall. Between our evening Devotions and the Scripture memory the kids are getting at school the kids are learning fast! Rory already has the Ten Commandments memorized and some of their meanings! 

Alright enough procrastinating, I am off to read some before my eye lids are too heavy. 

Good night to all my friends and Family

We love you very much!

Dalton

3 weeks earlier than expected...

4 Years Ago

3 Years Ago, 1 year old

2 Years Ago, 2 years old

1 Year Ago, 3 years old

This Year

Now, 4 years old

What a good celebration of Dalton's Birth!

We had a couple friends over and the highlight for the children was a treasure hunt!!! What fun they had. We made clues and hid them, then Bryan read the instructions. The kids reactions where priceless!

Here are the clues Dana and I made

The second clue was:

L_ _ K   W_ E_E  YO_R S_ _ ES A_R

Here the kids are trying to decipher it.

The clue in Dalton's shoe basket was a reflection one where they had to hold it to the mirror to read it! Look at the expression on his face once he sees it really is words! 

The clue was: Looking for the missing link look under the sink.

The final clue said: 

You know famous people, this one's name is Johnny

He walked all over planting seeds.

The seeds he planted grew a certain fruit

There is where you shall find the treasure.

The funny thing is as the clue is finishing being read and all the kids are trying to figure it out Rory is already walking towards the backyard! Bryan says, "Wait! Are you going to tell everyone where you are going?" And she takes off running towards the apple tree!

The loot

I think us adults had as much fun making and watching the kids as the kids did doing it! 

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

Ephesians 3:14-19

September Groove

Summer has ended with the start of Seminary classes for the Fall quarter.

But we did accomplish a few things first, including Bryan and I both getting our eyes checked. I know it has been since Community College days for me, so 2002ish? And probably longer for Bryan. I have a small prescription, the doc told me to just wear my glasses when needed and it makes things "clear". haha, he did like to joke a bit. Bryan on the other hand is supposed to wear them all the waking time. Which is hard when you get new glasses to adjust to just having to wear them all the time, then you add required masks to your face, and you immediately realize what all glasses wearing people have had issues with since mask wearing started. THEY FOG UP!

Another end of Summer thing, we upgraded the swing set for the kids. 

We re-gifted old blue and acquired a half stained two tower castle! 

Moving it all to our home was an adventure! Thank you Jeremy and Chuck!

...now to put it back together... I think my Uncle Lance and Dad have some practice with swing sets... 

As we neared the start of Seminary, things are happening on campus, and we found ourselves outside enjoying a game of mush ball! How we have missed these social campus gatherings.

We also did a little leak fixing on our upstairs bathroom bathtub. 

...and I helped a little too, see me holding something! 

We pup sat, which gave Chewy a buddy to play with! Thanks for visiting us Ooty! 

And yes chewy does match our carpet especially at night in low lit areas... 

Bryan got a road bike! He is ready to do some road biking with other Seminarians. 

We did some gardening. The kids planted some seeds... maybe grape fruit? I don't remember, but this one has survived. I went to graduate it out of its red solo cup to a pot and did the whole dump it into my hand to then put it into the new pot when something moved, something as large as the bottom of the cup! YIKES, yes it ended up on the ground! If you look closely you will see the culprit... who of course once found by the kids provided hours of toad time entertainment! 

Our neighbor came over one evening as we where taking a break from setting the swing set pieces to the way we think we want them (which of course included moving both towers around a couple times to visualize it all). The neighbor said his wife no longer wanted this weeping tree bush thing (upon further study a Walker Weeping Caragana  or pea shrub tree) and it was ours if we wanted it, and if we didn't it was going in the trash... So we re-did the garden just off the back porch - complete with rocks! Next Spring we will add something else around it's base. But it sure looks good. The butterfly bush that got booted from the spot has been relocated to one of the holes the dog dug by the back tree. (No digging for me required). Yes I was being lazy. 

We have now completed one week of Seminary classes and they are going well so far. We are now entering our second year which means this April 26 will be Bryan's Vicarage Assignment Service. We have been told not to expect a local vicarage. So let us see what is in store for us this coming year! Please continue to keep us in your prayers and see our prayer requests listed on the right as well! Thank you prayer warriors and all the family and friends who are supporting us. God is doing amazing work through ALL of you!

August Visitors

Our street was still being worked on. Dalton loved seeing all the big work vehicles.

Dalton likes to jump the ditch.

The chapel on campus sure is beautiful outside as well as in. To attend a service inside is something I wish everyone could experience. And yes, that is Dalton with his mouth on concrete... during a pandemic...

A walk through the woods on campus we found a sweet treat!

We had visitors! Bryan's parents came and stayed with us for a week! 

It was hot so a cool sweet treat was in order!

Family walks in our neighborhood is something that is so special and beautiful! 

These I will cherish always!

At my work (school) they started getting all the newly ordered things to make the school and it's attendees safer. Pictured here is the clear plastic barriers on my front office desk where I sit.

Monday evening, while we where all finishing dinner, we noted a storm was rolling in, but really it was just a fast hard direct wind gust that did quite a bit of damage! The neighbors behind us had the most damage most likely from the pool store's metal roof that came off and hit the two houses and their fencing. 

We lost a half of our red bud tree. Thankful that was the extent of our damage.

Our neighbors trampoline ended up 3 houses down by the main street really banged up.

Bryan and his dad where able to get our yard cleaned up.

While Nana and Papa where visiting, the kids started school! 

Rory is now in First Grade! Dalton is in Pre-K three days a week.

Rory gets a locker this year!

Keah at work behind her clear plastic partition. 

Check out the next August post about our August travels.