A Very Valpo Christmas

Below is a compilation of nominal chronology during this 2007 Christmas season. I could not have asked for a more full or more delightful Christmas celebration. So far it has been 2 weeks of sheer bliss - and it keeps getting better! I hope you enjoy this small montage:

Youth Director, Erin and I celebrating the return of the College Students at our pizza party. We were able to have a beer because alas, no students showed up. So we simply toasted them (and Tammy!)


A remedial photo entry - my dear 8th Grade Confirmation class on my birthday (at the end of November). They make me look forward to every moment of my Wednesday evening! No only do they teach me, but they are just so lively and full of questions and interesting ideas!



Our big 12" snowstorm on top of the previous 5"! For the first time in Jerry's 28 years at XLC, church was cancelled. There is certainly cause for concern when your plowing company becomes terribly stuck in the parking lot and had to call for help. I believe it was an act of divine intervention; God ensuring the hearers of the Word would not suffer my sermon! This is the view from my flat!

A few friends from XLC:

Karen Tiebert Dottie and Irv Olson

Dorothy Maddox Betty Luckett


The Christmas Pageant:

What you do not see here is when Joseph handed Mary the baby Jesus by the head. Very touching!


My favorite video clip!
"I Just Wanna Be A Sheep - bah bahbah bah!"



Little Luke rockin' out to "Away in the Manger"



The Pre-K and Kindergarten classes singing "Mary Had A Baby," in the marvelous style of "shout" music!

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Christmas Partying at the Castleman home! My supervisor Jerry is on the right (back) and his wife Claudia is opposite at the left end. Her mother is on the left in the front row. All of these people have been gathering annually for nearly two decades throughout all of the changes in family and church! And they make a mean Swedish meatball with green bean casserole...!


Advent and Christmas wall hangings!


The church sanctuary looking lovely and dimmed on Christmas Eve. Jerry hit the ball out of the park with a beautiful and reflective sermon about the gifts we have and those unexpected gifts God adds to us beyond those things we can imagine! I left those services not only being excited about the gifts here and those to come, but also fully prepared and excited for the coming of Jesus. Many thanks to Jerry!

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas - that Father Christmas was very good to you and that you were surrounded by the love and peace of your family and friends!