...Aaaaand, we're BACK!

Alrighty then. So, a ton of stuff has happened since the last real update...we've changed seasons for example...Daylight savings time has us pitch black at 5:00 p.m. here on the East Coast...and, maybe most importantly, seminary got a bit HARD! (I knew it had to happen some time).

So, here's a quick update on the past month or so...

1. We had convocation (seminary homecoming) and that was fun. We practice "radical hospitality" here at VTS. Now I know what you are saying: "Matt, come on. That sounds like full-contact putt putt." Well, you are sorta right. Except without the putt putt or full contact part. Basically we made everyone who came back feel right at home. We had Juan Williams from NPR speak at the first of two lectures and Judy Woodruff speak at the second. Both are Episcopalians and both gave excellent talks.

2. We went back to Mt. Vernon again. Apparently several members of our family just can't get enough of that place, and the people who like to dress up in period costumes. So, we went back--just in time for the military encampment re-enactment. Imagine about 2,000 people dressing up...there were whole FAMILIES of people. Oh the humanity of it all. Take a look at the pictures. They tell the whole story.
Looks like SOMEONE had just too much fun dressing up like milk maids or something. These two were passed out asleep the whole 4 hours we were there. I think they were resting up for the "nerd herd dance" later that night. Seriously though, pretending can be hard work.








I call this one: "Cruelty to Animals". Seriously folks even the dog was a bit pissy he had to be there for this.











Yeah, so the men folk sit around the fire talking about "strategies for defeating the red coats" while the women are standing up skinning something. Seriously, I think they were butchering something. There were several HUNDRED tent scenes like this. Who knew this was something people even DID.







3. Pablo got fleas. That was a whole lot of "ewww" from us all. His ear also got all gunky again. Let me tell you how much fun it is taking a Jack Russell Terrier to the vet when said JRT wants to kill everything that isn't it. We had him in Cicero's old cat carrier crate thing. Remember in National Lampoons "Christmas Vacation" when Aunt whatever-her-name-is wraps her cat up and gives it to Clark? It was like that with a whole lot of snarling and barking involved. Fun times. No, I don't have any pictures of that to share with you.

4. Bishop Gene Robinson stopped by campus on his first day of his Sabbatical to talk to us about whatever we wanted. His lecture was quite good. Surprisingly the House of Bishops meeting the previous week didn't come up in either the lecture or the half hour of questions that followed.













5. We had mid-terms which were great. Nothing like a 2 hour Greek exam to get you ready for a week-long Fall break. Actually it went pretty well I think. I had a five page paper due on comparing and contrasting how Saints Perpetua and Antony viewed Christian life which did not go so well. For some reason I couldn't make the paper work. I turned in a paper. Not a good paper...not even a marginal paper. Good thing it is only worth 25% of the grade in our class.

Of special note is the email that our Greek TA, Mitch, sent along to us about an impromptu review session the day before the final. The subject of the email is " The LORD commands a review session". Here is the text from the email:

A reading from the Book of Seminary; chapter 3, beginning with the 1st verse:

The word of the Lord came to Mitch and said: I have heard the cry of my people, I have heard their groanings and their despair for a simpler time. You will go to my people and give them a review session on the 23rd day of the 10th month of the 2007th year of the Son of Man. You will go to my people and you will tell them the secrets of the foreign tongues and they will be filled with the spirit and will receive the gift of interpretation of tongues, that is spiritual understanding. An when they have studied they will have new understanding and they will pass.
And Mitch heard the word of the Lord and obeyed and he went to the people and scheduled a greek review session for 7pm on the 23rd day of the 10th month of the seventh year of the reign of Bush, the younger, which was the 2007th year of the Lord. He asked the people to take up their textbooks and read and come to the review session with questions.
And the people studied and they gained new understanding and all the people passed the test, for as it has been written: "you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1Pet 2:9)

Amen


6. After mid-terms we had a week off...Fall Break. A week off was just what I needed. Bella was home with me on the first two days (Thursday and Friday) and I had Eli home with me on Monday through Wednesday sick with a high fever and cough. Poor little guy. He's still got the cough and we're going to the doctor tomorrow.

7. Charlie Brumbaugh came into town to run the Marine Corps Marathon. He took us out to dinner the night before so we helped him load up on carbs and protein. He finished with a great time the next day. It was so nice to see a friendly face from home.

8. Halloween came and went. The kids went as Harry Potter and The Little Mermaid. I'll let you figure out which one went as which. The went trick-or-treating around the professors' houses--an annual tradition for the seminarians that have children. We carved pumpkins. We have all our fingers. God is good. The seminary holds an All Hallows Eve service in the chapel and in the cemetery. I go to help light things on fire in the cemetery, it was pretty cool. There were over 50 people that showed up for it which was pretty sweet. Of course when ever you put a bunch of people in the cemetery, with a lot of candles, torches, etc. You either get "angry mob" ala Frankenstein, or you've got a sweet service on Halloween.

9. We said good-bye to Bunny and hello to Pumpkin. We traded Holly's car for a station wagon...again, oh the humanity. At least it isn't a minivan. I have to draw the line somewhere. Apologies to those who covet their minivans...I think it is like wearing sweaters. Some guys are sweater guys and some guys just aren't. We're just not minivan people.

10. Oh yeah, Bella had her vision checked at school. She has eyes. They work great. Just thought you'd like to know.

There were a couple more events that deserve special recognition and their own posts so I'll get to those here in a bit...the biggest one is the KATE AND RAMSEY GOT MARRIED!!! So, that one will get some special attention. Of course it will be August before I get around to writing about it.