Truman

I have done a poor job of posting to our family blog. Over the past two years or so I have just stuck to writing about major life events rather than the every day things that happen.  Today, unfortunately, is another one of those major events.  Our eldest cat, Truman died early this morning.  He died at home, by natural causes; namely, very old age.  He was 17 years old - ancient for a cat.

Sheri and I got Truman during our first year of marriage.  He was rescued from a stable near Jackson, Tennessee.  He was born a barn cat.  But he was being abused by one of the owner kids.  We just took him.  They didn't care.  We named him "Truman" after the mascot of the University of Missouri (my alma mater) Tigers.  He held onto his barn cat ways for a while - stealing food from us.  (There was a infamous incident with a Popeye's chicken leg that is now recalled with fondness.)  He settled into the role of alpha cat in our house as more friends were added over time - holding that distinction nearly until the end.  He was a friendly, social cat who knew everything going on in the house and loved to sit on your lap to make your day better.  He has been around for our daughters' entire lives. He has seen all animals we have been blessed to care for come, and some go.  He lived in four different houses in three different states.  Throughout, he has been a steady fixture within our household.

His health began to visibly decline over the past 18 months or so, and then a steep decline over the last three.  His death was expected soon.  And today, our Lord graciously made that difficult call for us.  He was a wise, old cat, full of years and experiences.  No cat could ask for more.      

First Day of School - 5th Grade Edition

School began once again this past Monday.  Per our tradition, here is the the first day of school photo for 5th grade.

And just to compare,
Here is their first day of school pic for kindergarten:

Evening Friend

This remarkable fellow, has been showing up at our house nearly every evening for the past week.  He is some sort of Heron or Egret, probably the former.  He just shows up in our backyard and is quite calm - almost interested in what we are doing.  He stays a little while, hops up on the fence, then takes off.

Here are a few more pics:

Any ideas about what species he is?

Well Done Faithful Servants

On May 17th, my parents were honored with the Christus Vivit ("Alive in Christ") Award during commencement exercises at my alma mater Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.  The award is kind of like a "Lifetime Achievement" award in service to our Lord's Church.  I was honored to be a part of the nomination process for them and honored to be present when they received the award.  Here are some pics:

And here is the link to the story on the Sem's website.

Obviously a proud moment in my parent's lives and for me as well.  No small shoes to one day attempt to fill.