Merry Christmas…to us!

This weekend we received last year’s Christmas gift from the kids: a weekend together at a location of our choosing. We selected Kentucky Dam Village because it was the closest location. The Herberts camped there all week, joined on Thursday by the Ibisches. The Weedons (younger and older) arrived Friday and were housed in cottages (neither of us being great fans of camping out). We enjoyed a meal together (sort of) in the Harbor Lights Restaurant the first evening. Then spent the morning at the pool all together. Some quiet time in the afternoon, getting the kids out of the sun. For supper, we congregated at David and Meaghan’s cabin, feasted on pizza and adult beverage (well, the adults did anyway), and played some Secret Hitler. This morning we met at 8 a.m. at Cracker Barrel and had two tables for all 19 of us. Then off to St. Paul’s in Paducah (with its East wall altar), where we had the joy of witnessing both an adult baptism and an adult confirmation, heard a Gospel drenched sermon (on the historic one year series, no less! Thank you, Pr. Appold!!!), sang LSB Divine Service 3 in harmony, received the Supper with joy, got to see and hug Craig Stroh (former member of St. Paul’s, Hamel) and Kim Sales (bonus: got to hear Kim do a great job on the organ!), and then headed our separate ways. It was wild and crazy as all our family gatherings are, but thanks be to God for the time together. A few pics for you and they’re all in a jumble; sorry!: