I got a new computer for Christmas & I was hoping to get a picture on here. But since Sam threw up a little while ago & Daniel is still up coughing bad, I think I'd better go to bed & get whatever sleep I can. Ha ha. That's kind of a snap shot of Christmas as a parent. All you who have taken care of sick kids over Christmas break, please raise your hand... Well, I'm thankful for indoor plumbing & the works. Lots of different "bugs" at our house currently & I have not had any of them yet-dangerous times for me.
Beautiful worship services. Sad times with Burmas & Schockmans gone. And last Christmas with Pastor Paul. Lots of changes with loved ones at church.
AND last Christmas with Markus still here & what seems like our family as we know it. Sad. Life moves on...
Wonderful sermon today: Mary & Joseph sojourners; so are we! Heaven is our home.
Love to all & hopefully picture from Murdys soon :)

Joy

We are really enjoying Elias' first Christmas season!
It adds special joy to see Christmas through the eyes of a 10 month old.
(This picture is a preview of our Christmas card...which will be coming in a while.
Hopefully not too long from now!)

P.S...

I am attempting to redecorate The Robin for Christmas.
Currently it's not going well.
Please be patient as I will continue to adjust how the blog looks.
Thanks!

Elias' First Snowman

Since we are still patiently (?) awaiting our first snowfall of the season,
here is the closest picture we have for something Christmas-like.
It was taken on Thanksgiving, at Mike's aunt and uncle's at the Lake of the Ozarks.
It was a great time for all!

Currently we are crazy busy with all the normal December-Advent activities.
Our Open House for the dual parish ministry is coming up on Dec. 12th.
So the house and baking are all in various stages of preparedness. (Appropriate for Advent, no?)
Anyway, all of this is to say...more cute Baby's First Christmas Pictures are forth coming!

Kindergarten Joy

RIVALRY WEEK!

Happy Halloween and Fall

Fall update from the Rudy House -

pict 1 - Andrew and Leslie came up and we all went to the Illinois UMich Game at the Big House during our Cold Cold Snap!! We saw Michigan win in a triple over time - most points scored in the big house - crazy game!!

pict 2 -

Matt and I where Super Mario Brother Video Game Characters for Halloween - a buddy of Matt's hosted a themed party!

pict 3 - We have also expanded our garden around the house - the neighborhood association took our our ugly pine trees - and we put in a lilac bush!!! I can't wait till spring!!!

pict 4 - We went home for my college friend christine's wedding - the three of us girls who roomed right next to each other our freshman year of college are all married! crazy! amy has the curly hair - christine is the bride - and then me of course :) with out handsome spouses!

pict 5 -

For my birthday Matt got us tickets for the UMass v UMich game in the big house!!

These things happened in reverse order - but apparently the pictures post in reverse order - so you'll have to use your imaginations :)

Hope to have a fall update from all of you before Christmas!!

Love to all!!!

Jessica and Matt

Email from Dad - also posted to ROBIN!!

Dear Ones,
Here are ONLY 2 pics (ONLY TWO! of the 830 digitals I took...counting holding shudder button for "multiples" of similar shots)...
...From our weekend in Janesville, WI, with the Murdy's and Ehrman's AND Jessica and Risë Rudy. Two of the "Murdy Boys" were STARS in the Parker High School musical production of HAPPY DAYS! Markus was Howard Cunningham (near center of pic with white shirt and red tie) and Colin was Chachi (also one of the "DialTones" quartet in the blue jacket far right of pic). It was WONDERFUL! LOTS of SINGING and DANCING and FUN! ... "My happy. Your happy. OUR HAPPY DAYS!" Fonzi would say with thumbs UP -- AYYYYYYYYY!!! ... We went to THREE SHOWS! Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday matinee. ALL FABULOUS! Pic is "CAST SHOT" I took.
We also worshipped together Sunday morning (see pic), celebrated Karen Sue's birthday, AND the women went to Karen's church's Women's Conference Saturday morning. Add in a LOT of visiting and a "little" football-watching, family devotions, a good bit of piano playing with Risë, a couple walks, an "adult's dinner out," some "church talk" with appropriate libations, and it was a GLORIOUS weekend!
THANKS to the Murdy's for having us!
Love to ALL!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
"O GIVE THANKS unto the Lord for He is GOOD!"
Justin

Cross Sanctuary Dedication

Sunday, October 31, 2010
Reformation Day

The whole group: (L to R)
Bill, Carol, Michael Hinz
Karen and Daniel Murdy
Rachel and Elias Boothby (front)
Sharon, Don, Jon Fraker

We heard beautiful music: piano, organ, brass and choir.
We enjoyed the gorgeous new worship space.
We visited with our dear family.
We had a wonderful day!

More pictures from the weekend to come...

Reformation Weekend in TX

Big do-in's (actual Texans, I'm gonna need some help with the spelling of the word "do-in's...) this weekend in New Braunfels.

On Sunday, Reformation Day, the Cross Lutheran Family will celebrate the dedication of their new sanctuary. (The famous Concordia Austin Choir will be singing, featuring sophomore Jon Fraker.)

Tomorrow (Tuesday) Elias and I (Rachel) are flying to Texas to be there for the celebration. Please pray for us!

Karen Sue Murdy and Daniel (I believe) will be flying in on Friday. Keep them in your prayers, too!

I will post pictures of the Hinz family gathering!

Love, Rachel

October Update

Happy Fall, Family! Cole Camp is enjoying a beautiful fall...cool temps, blue skies, crisp winds. Some leaves are starting to turn but the best is yet to come!

October in the Boothby home is a busy time! This last weekend we had visitors--Mike's sister Mandy and his aunt and uncle. We enjoyed hanging out with them.

Confirmation is on a roll...Mike teaches that from 3-5pm on Wednesdays. Also on Wednesdays from 3-5, I am helping with our brand-new midweek program with kids from K-6th! It's called WOWW (Wild for His Word on Wednesdays) We have had around 85 kids each week! Praise the Lord.

I am LOVING being home with Elias full-time. He is such a blessing from the Lord and a joy to hug and cuddle everyday. I am finding a rhythm to this house-keeping, baby-raising business. I have joined a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group in a town about 45 minutes away. We meet once a month (child care provided!) to debrief, fellowship and grow with other moms. I've only been once, but already it is a huge blessing. I have also started a Mom's Playgroup for stay-at-home moms in our congregation. At the first gathering we had 5 moms and 7 kids! We let the kids play, had a snack, and I read a short devotion and led a prayer. We will see where it goes from there.

Highlights this month:
*MO District Pastor's Conference in St. Louis (Elias and I will go with Mike)
*Mike leads a college age Bible Study at Central MO State in Warrensburg
*Rachel and Elias fly to TX for a week for the Cross Sanctuary dedication!
*Mike plans/leads a Reformation Day Bonfire at nearby Heit's Point Lutheran Camp

May God bless you today and always, dear ones! We thank God daily for our loving and supportive family! Don't forget to check the Boothby blog for your weekly dose of cuteness!
Love in Christ, Rachel (and Mike and Elias)

OK I've tried to do this several times with no success but maybe I did it!!!

Love you Family! Thank you!

Ok - not to monopolize (sp?) the blog - but - I had to share something -

Its a new month today - and so I have to turn my calendar at work - Doing that the last two months has been hard!

August was our wedding pictures - and September was our family picts in our Hinz shirts with the Title The Lord Bless you and keep you!

I have loved these pictures and they constantly remind me how incredibly blessed I am! When I look at them I am in amazement at that week/weekend! You all did so much for us! Just by being there and surrounding us would have been enough - but you came in and worked and worked! Thank you all so much for everything!

Thank you for setting up and taking down and moving furniture and decorating and sewing and taking care of schedules and cakes and sorting jewelry and beading and sharing your musical gifts and cooking and running errands and telling stories and laughing - it just blows me away every time i look at the pictures! (and your working AND smiling )

It blew everybody else away also! I kept telling ppl - don't worry - the family is coming! and they would look at me kinda cross eyed (and think - yeah because family will make this craziness better - some of them even said it outloud!) But you all road into town like the calvary and worked and laughed and played - and stunned most everybody who didn't know ya! People asked who i hired to decorate the hall - and who our wedding cordinator was - and who feed all these ppl that where in town - and who helped sew - and who where all these musicians - and i just kept saying - the family - the family - the family!!

I think Bob Morris (- matt's friend - he is the big ex-NFL player married to the hilarious petite lady Linda who read one of our scripture passages - ) said it best when he was telling ppl at their christmas party about the wedding

"we went to this wedding and it was like the partridge family and the brady bunch wedding - everybody in it was family - everybody had all this talent - everywhere you looked was more family - and they finished it off with everybody singing the ending! it was like a movie set!"

and i must agree with bob! so thanks - and know its NOT forgotten - I remember and am thankful for you guys all the time!

Lots of Love

Jessica

Isn't technology wonderful

I'm sure Aunt Karen Sue would agree!! So I went to sign on here and use my Jessica Rudy email - because I am trying to get more things routed through it - it's hard to change your name in a technology world - i'm enough of a computer junkie that checking two emails is fine with me right now! but - I go to sign on here and it says under name - Matt Rudy - and I think - Karen Sue was right - this is crazy!!

Then it comes into my slightly confused brain that every time I update my buzz or gchat status (those of you without gmail accounts should get one - they are fun!) anyway everytime I try to update through my Jessica Rudy Email it looks like Matt Rudy updated to buzz - very weird - no one could figure it out - and matt was less than thrilled to have his name attached to things like - i love kohls sales!

So I figure okay there is a glitch - google has screwed up ! but before I write them a nasty email i'll look through my account and see what it says under name - so under name - sure enough it says - name on account - Matt Rudy - Name used for emails - Jessica Rudy - hmmmmm now i'm really really stumped -

Finally under account settings (which of course is the last button i try push or find) I am allowed to change my Account name! So horray - 2 hours later - i am officially jessica rudy - i knew you'd all be soooo proud!!

Matt takes the GRE tomorrow - and then its steak and champaign (at home - but still a splurge/ treat) any prayers for a sharp mind tomorrow will be appreciated! he knows so much - but my math skills of making small errors and flipping numbers or dropping negative signs has rubbed off!! hopefully the Lord will grant him a sound mind and calm heart tomorrow!!

As he mentioned in a previous post - I have talked to my boss about being a permanent fixture in the lab (when i first got here it was kinda a well i dunno what i'm doing and he doesn't know how long he has funding for me etc etc) but I talked to him about now that we have this 5 year grant i'd like to talk to you about staying and taking on more responsibilities - and he was in agreement - horray ! always good when your boss thinks your a worthy member of them team!

I constantly walk around and repeat grandma and grandpa statements - "you can only control you" and " you only get 24 hours in a day you get to choose how to spend them!" "count your blessings!"

I definitely count you family in my blessings!

love to all

Jessica RUDY!

Happy Michaelmas!

Today is the feast of Michael and All Angels. We didn't eat the right food (goose), but we read the readings. It's wonderful to know we have God's angels looking after each of us.

Thanks Rachel, this is fun

Hi! Hopefully everyone will figure out this NEW technology!! What fun to hear what's happening with everyone!

We got cool weather here in TX! (50's when I went to walk at 6:00! No that is NOT a misprint, a friend and I REALLY walk that early. I never thought I could do this but with my sisters cheering me on I am actually enjoying it!)

My Kindergarten class this year is very sweet and we are having a great time. (13 total: 8 morning only, 5 stay all day) This week we are sliding into Letter S!

We are looking forward to Sanctuary Dedication Celebration on Oct 31. You are all invited to come. The University Choir from Concordia University in Austin TX will sing a concert. (Yes that is Jon's choir!!)

Love, Sharon

Ok, so this is where you post...

Hi family!

I posted this as a comment, but I just found the link to make your own post, so here you go...

I hope all are well! This is a great idea Rachel!

Things are good here in Michigan, Jessica is working hard and is in line for a promotion soon at work and I'm getting ready to take the GRE this Friday for entrance into the University of Michigan Teaching and Teacher Education doctoral program! Those are our big "irons-in-the-fire" ;-)

OK, God bless!

Matt

Hi All, Hope everyone is enjoying fall! We are fully into the swing of things here. Josh (10th grade) is going to homecoming at Saline High School this weekend. He is enjoying his classes this trimester. Jacob (7th grade and newly turned teenager) won the cross country meet this last weekend-in about 40 mile an hour winds! He had a great birthday. Jared (5th grade) is also doing well in cross country-4th overall in his race! He has started the trumpet-oh my- the dog doesn't like it. So much that a few days ago, when Jon got home from work, Rocky rushed out the front door and INTO Jon's truck before we could stop him. Johanna (1st grade) has declared that "school makes me tired" :) She seems to be getting used to it a little more now. She has a large (29 kids) class and so it is a bit overwhelming. I am praying about what I will be doing in this "next" phase of life (working part time, staying home ???) it seems the answer is for me to be home at the moment. I am coaching the cross country team at St Paul (sort of by default-a warm body willing to coach:)) I am also training for the Detroit 1/2 marathon on Oct 17th, but an currently battling a pretty bad case of achellis tendonitis, so we shall see how that goes. Jon continues to be challenged at work and be on the board for swimming.

Blessings on your day!
Janel

Welcome, Family!

Hello, family!

I pray that you are having a wonderful day in our Lord!

Please feel free to add your own posts. Tell us what's going on in your life. It doesn't have to be long or detailed; we all know how busy our lives are. (When you do write a post, please make sure your name is on it so we know who is writing.)

Looking forward to staying in touch in a new way!

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Love, Rachel