Divine Savior

Today in Wisconsin the whole Larson family came out to worship with us in Hartford to watch Ryan's pastoral vestments be dedicated to the service of God. It was wonderful to be a part of and have the whole family together to see it! Praise God!

Our Christmas

For Christmas this year, we took the new car up to Wisconsin to spend time with both sides of the family. We had a great time going from Milwaukee to Hartford to Stevens Point and back, having a great time along the way! Ryan's big Christmas present was his first alb and sincture from Cortney and Mama Larson. It was very exciting and emotional to see him in them for the first time!

No more bullseyes

Congratulations to Ryan on giving his two weeks-notice to Target! He has accepted a position as a youth administrator at a local church. Today was his first official day, and he loves it so far! He has a great time with the kids, and considering his orientation involved Wii bowling, we're guessing it will be a great experience.

Praise the Lord!

Today was the annual tree lighting at the seminary. We walked around the campus, listening to different Bible verses and singing Christmas songs while we watched a total of 6 trees become lit with Christmas lights and decorations! It was a lot of fun and was a great opportunity for fellowship (not to mention the free hot chocolate!) Happy Birthday, Jesus!

A new car!!!

Because of a cold winter that was coming, and the bike no longer being such a great option for Ryan, we bought a new-used car!! It's a 2007 Hyundai Elantra!

Our temporary puppy

So- here's the story!
A few weeks ago, we were shopping at the local mall, and realized there was an adoption going on at PetSmart. We knew that a pet adoption wasn't an option for us right now, because we knew that adopting a puppy is very expensive and is a lot of work. Plus, Cortney had never had a dog before- so that would be an adventure in itself! But, when we walked over to see them, Cortney fell in love with a certain puppy named Bree. In her previous home, she was abused, and ended up breaking her leg- so when we saw her, she was very afraid of people. But, she warmed up to us very quickly! We ended up becoming her foster parents to help her recover from the surgeries to fix her leg, and to help her trust humans again. She did a great job, and is a wonderful puppy! We had a great time with her, but since she was doing so well, we let her go to a good home so that she can be with a family that can spend more time with her and let her play outside. We will miss you, Bree!

GO RAMS!

This weekend, Mama S was visiting and was able to let us join her for a Rams game! We had a great time, and it was our first time going to a professional football game. We both thought our first one would be a Packers game, but this was great! It was amazing to see the streams of people entering the stadium, and we even had field passes to go onto the field before the game! Unfortunately, we were not able to get there early enough, but we still felt very special for just having them. Go Rams!

Cortney's new job!!!!

So today was the first official day of Cortney's job as MECC's "Data Management Technician." It's very exciting! She loves her job, and now it is a full-time, permanent position!! It's great to have that stability, and to not have to worry about finding a permanent position somewhere else! What a great way to continue our adventures together!

Apple Picking with Mama Larson!

So, Mama Larson came down to St. Louis for the weekend! After having a wonderful dinner on Friday night, we decided to go apple picking on Saturday. We traveled ALL THE WAY to Illinois to pick apples at Ecker's Farm, where we got to ride a tractor (twice!), pick Suncrisp and Fuji apples, and even see Kenny Rogers (but he wouldn't admit his true identity). After apple picking, we made apple crisp with freshly picked apples!

Ryan gets Installed in our field work church

Today, Ryan was installed as the new Concordia Seminary field worker at Prince of Peace church. We really enjoy our church, and everyone is so warm and welcoming to us!! Cortney decided (somewhat against Ryan's will) to take pictures of Ryan while he received the "holy hand shake" (as we call it) to complete the initiation. Ryan has been able to assist with Communion and the Readings. What a momentous occasion!! Congrats, Ryan! Soon you will have your first call!

He's looking at me.....

This time on one of our weekly excursions, we decided to head to the Laumeier Sculpture Park. We saw many sculptures spread out upon the 105 acre land! It was fun to hike through the forest to find more sculptures, especially because it was such a beautiful day out. Cortney's favorite sculpture was the giant eyeball, while Ryan's was the man with the briefcase. We will definitely be going back- we didn't even see half of the sculptures there!