Lone Moose Cottage Christmas 2005

By Carlotta

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” – Jn 10:10

Departures of the Year:
Sunny and Scout, the horses. Sunny went to our dear friends, the Watkins, and Scout went back to his original owner. Orange, our orange cat ran away, After being with us for so many years, Pea (dog) is now with our good friend, Mr. Tom. Pea recently escaped from Mr. Tom because he wanted to go back to our old house, and he made it there, but the new owners had already moved in.

Supporters of the Year:
The wonderfully generous people in Texas (Magnolia, Cypress, Rockwall, Tomball, Rockport), Plymouth (WI), St. Louis (MO) and Germany, who bless us so much with their gifts. We also are so thankful for our great small group “family”, esp. the Stocktons and Watkins, with whom we have been together for over 6 years. They helped us so much with the move and put on a wonderful good-bye party at Salem Lutheran Church.

Song of the Year:
“We are the Juney Brothers”. J.J. made it up and that song is very popular!

Home Video of the Year:
J.J. built “Star Wars” Lego models and we shot a movie with our camera.
He also built models from “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and shot a movie in the bathtub.

Trips of the Year:
We went to a little beach town called Rockport, Texas, to visit friends and we had a wonderful little trip coming up here to St. Louis. We also went to Germany to visit Mom’s family and to see Dad’s daughters, Alina and Amanda. Dad and Carlotta went to Berlin to visit Alina.

Move of the Year:
We moved out of our old house (“the Lone Moose Ranch”) to come here to the Seminary (see http://www.csl.edu/) and live in our “Lone Moose Cottage”.

Visitors of the Year:
The Stockton family came to St. Louis to visit Mrs. Stockton’s parents and visited with us.

Cutbacks of the Year:
We sold our pick-up truck and a lot of furniture at our garage sale and downsized from 3 acres to an 800 square foot apartment.

Newcomer of the Year:
The baby, but it still has to be born. Mom is doing fine. We call the baby “Rocky” because it kicks so much!

Ersatz Grandparents of the Year:
The Nebels, Mrs. Stockton’s parents, live here, and have really adopted us as their grandchildren.

Award of the Year:
Carlotta got the “Supreme Guild” rating again. It is the highest for her level! Guild is a national piano teachers association that assesses piano students.

New Jobs of the Year:
Dad has a job working for Concordia Historical Institute, translating very old German documents into English, and is now a full-time student in order to become a pastor. Mom is finally a full-time homeschooling Mom after working with HP-Compaq for 9 years. Praise the Lord!!

Toys of the Year:
J.J. is big on Legos and experiments; Carlotta is still big on office machines and MeMe really likes baby dolls.

Store of the Year:
The Re-Sale-It, a store where people donate things they don’t need, but other people might like them, and Trader Joe’s, a store where they have all kinds of organic and unusual foods.

Old Neighbors of the Year:
Pegi Stevens (moved to Neu Braunfels, after getting married to Mr. Tom Maggart, about the same time we moved to St. Louis) and Stan and Dorothy Daigle, who also hosted a wonderful good-bye party.

New Neighbors of the Year:
The Sundsvolds: Mr. Sundvold, Mrs. Sundvold, Hannah (2), and Julia (5 mounths); the Driskells: Mr. Driskell, Mrs. Driskell, and Tim (16); and the Scoles: Mr. Scole, Mrs. Scole, and Paul (9) and Jenny (13).

New Achievements of the Year:
J.J. learned how to ride a two-wheeler bicycle, and is reading. Me-Me is starting to talk a lot.

New Languages of the Year:
Carlotta has been learning Latin for two years now and Dad has learned elementary Hebrew (and now reads Hebrew about as fast as J.J. reads English).

Blog of the Year:
The Lutheran Moose – the adventure log of the Tiews

Merry Christmas to Y’all
Joy in the Birth of Jesus!

A real Christmas tree after all!

We didn't think we would get one this year. But the children thought long and hard, counted the money in their piggy banks and decided to buy the Christmas tree this year themselves. On Sunday they had to make the difficult choice and came home with a beautiful tree.

J.J. wrote a letter to Santa at the North Pole and, lo and behold, he received a personal letter back. That really made his day. 

First Snow

Wow - this was a great week for Texans, who have never seen snow in the U.S. A. The children couldn't wait to get outside, but quickly came back in. The thermomether really dropped - down to 4!

We are enjoying the winter quarter very much. Especially since it will only be three weeks until there will be another break for Christmas. Chris' studies are going very well!

Y'SHUA - Who do you say he is?

The break was wonderful, but now it's time to get back to work. Chris has a pretty full schedule,
which includes Biblical Hermeneutics (the science of interpreting the Bible correctly), History of the LCMS, Lutheran Worship as well as Lutheran Confessions and Theology of Missions. He is also taking Old Testament Lectionary reading (in Hebrew) as an elective, but the heavy load of having to study this language in detail has been lifted from his shoulders.

Chris also has been assigned to regularly visit an LCMS congregation that particularly ministers to Jewish people. It has been so interesting for all of us! And the people and their pastor are just wonderful (http://www.chaivshalom.com/ ). We love the experience of a Christian worship service in the Hebrew tradition - just as the first Christians had.

The picture at the left, by the way, depicts the Chapel of St. Timothy and Titus here at the Seminary.

One Seminary Quarter Down, Many To Go

What a blessing! We have our husband and father back!

Chris successfully finished his first quarter at the seminary. After so many hours of studying for final exams and papers, we really enjoy spending more time with him. Our most exciting first quarter celebration consisted of ordering pizza and watching 'Sound of Music' while eating. A rare treat at the Tiews house!

We also took family pictures in front of the old Bush stadium in downtown St. Louis, before it was torn down to make room for the new home of the Cardinals.

Exemplary Husbands

Chris has been successfully recruiting husbands to participate in small group bible study starting next quarter. The men want to investigate what God's word has to say about becoming a better husband and father. The wives don't have ANY problems with that kind of men's gathering ;), especially since Lula and some other ladies from the seminary had already started to look at the biblical principles for a Godly wife. May the Holy Spirit help us all!

"The Tiews Family Singers"

With the musical help of another homeschooling family at the seminary, the children gave a concert at Northview Nursing home on Kingshighway in St. Louis. During the quarter, Chris visited the people on the second floor as part of his field education. What a great blessing this afternoon was for everybody! 

Seminary Unit Celebration On a Budget

Chris has only two more weeks to go until his first quarter is over. He is doing so well and is already half a year ahead because he had tested out of the elementary Greek and Hebrew classes.

Carlotta, J.J. and MeMe already finished their first quarter of studies for this homeschool year. We were exploring the first part of the 20th century (1900-mid 1930). J.J. as Charlie Chaplin, MeMe as "The Kid" and Carlotta as the fancy presentation lady did a great job sharing their learning with the family and neighbors. And it was easy to prepare World War I food (Corn muffins, Mock Goose, Pop Corn, Honey Cakes and water) on a seminary budget!

A Shower for Baby

"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13

While the LORD is still knitting our new baby in Lula's womb, our wonderful neighbors already prepared a great baby shower. Now it becomes more "real" that we will have another precious child.

What a blessing this community is!

Stepping out tonight

Celebrating eleven years of marriage Lula and Chris got a chance to go out to dinner without children!

Thanks to the generous neighbors the Driskells we really enjoyed our meal at a very nice Thai restaurant in Clayton. It's hard to believe that it's already that long ago that we got married in Hamburg, Germany 

The Tiews' last piece of Texas soil was sold today. We have so many wonderful memories of friends visiting, horseback riding, piglet chasing and goat feeding. We wonder whether the radio in the barn is still turned on to Christian radio....that might be good news for our buyer.

Field Church Worker

Today was Chris' first day of 'active duty' in our field church Immanuel St. Charles. He did a wonderful job with the scripture readings and the communion service. We still have to get used to seeing him in a clerical robe ;)

It's hard to believe, but it has been a year now that we went to the Seminary to visit and find out what it would be like to live here. This year we hosted a wonderful young man from Nebraska, who is considering to enter the seminary. Carlotta and Lula sat also at the Homeschool table during the Information Fair for visiting prospective students and their families to help answer some questions they might have.


The Tiews in front of their fieldwork church St. Immanuel in St. Charles

"We are ALL going to college"

The Lone Moose Institute of Higher Education (Homeschool) is in full progress - at home, the zoo, the Science Center, in the library and the parks. We are all learning so many new things and it is so wonderful to have this time together! J.J. has mastered to write his bike without training wheels and already completed his first big tour to Forest Park and the zoo.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time"

Pretty Me-Me

Shalom!

What a suprise! Even future pastors don't just work one hour on Sundays. :)

Chris is working hard - even though he tested out of Hebrew, he's not out of the fire yet. Dr. Bartelt's Hebrew Reading class keeps him very busy. Especially since he has a couple of other assignments and classes to take care of. And the Lord has also blessed him with a job at the Concordia Historical Institute, where he translates old German LCMS documents.

Two more birthdays to celebrate! It's hard to believe that Carlotta is already nine years old and Mariam ("MeMe") turned 2.
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4

Mens sana in corpore sano

On Saturday mornings the children are playing soccer now. What a wonderful community this is! Especially since professors, students, staff members of the seminary most likely are not given to fist fighting on the side lines....

Evacuation of Houston on Carlotta's birthday. We are so grateful that our friends and family are doing great and the hurricane left Houston, the Tomball area and the Rockport coast unharmed. It was really scary to see them prepare for a category 5 hurricane. Thank you, LORD!
Here a link to more great pictures of hurricane Rita: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pjphotos/sets/1000057/show/

J.J.'s birthday in the Lone Moose Cottage! He's five now and a brave warrior - fighting fever and a cold on this special day. But family, friends, brownies from the neighbors and gifts helped him tremendously to cope.
Praise be to God for this special little man!

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis ... The WOODS (where the families live)

The Lone Moose Cottage

We arrived, unpacked and settled in. With the help of our wonderful new neighbors. The seminary campus is beautiful! We are so blessed.

St. Louis - Gateway to the West, here we are. We feel a little like Lewis and Clark - going on an expedition that has many unkowns. But we know the good LORD is with us and will be our strenght and our fortress.

On the journey to a new home...

Eureka!

Eureka Springs, Arkansas that is. Our next stop. What a beautiful city on the hills! Great German food, the "Christ of the Ozarks" statue and wonderful people (e.g. First Baptist Church, who invited us to their potluck lunch) on the way.

This is a great place for a get-a-way. And we are still homeless....

On the road again...

Well, we are homeless.

Left our home of over nine years in the care of new owners, but haven't moved into our new place. What an interesting feeling! We are so exhausted from packing and cleaning that we can hardly cry.

We are on our way to St. Louis, Missouri. Next stop 'George Bush Presidential Library'.

"Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay"

Oh, how the Lord is preparing the way for us!

Today the moving trailer arrived, the house contract was signed and our dear friends helped us to load and 'stuff' our belongings into the truck. What an eventful, but also very sad day. On Saturday we had a great 'Good-bye' party at Salem, thank you to all who organized, helped and prayed for us.

This is HOME!!!

Moving day at the Tiews

The Tuesday Morning Faithful

Our neighbor Stan Daigle and Chris started a Tuesday morning men's bible study group over 5 years ago. In the meanwhile more have joined them and have been faithfully meeting at 5 o'clock in the morning! Lula had never met some of the gentlemen until the Daigles invited us for a Farewell BBQ at their house.

God bless all of them for their support!

Thank You, dear McKays!

On the Cookie Boat

Saying 'Good Bye' to Texas from Rockport

Haven't sold the house yet, but we took a weekend trip anyway going to Rockport, Texas. Dear people at Peace Lutheran Church in Rockport have invited us. And what a wonderful blessed weekend we had! On the beach we received the long awaited phone call...an offer for our house! Papers were faxed to and from the hotel, the McKays took us fishing on their "Cookie Boat" (so named by Mariam "MeMe"because Vanilla Wafers are being graciously offered by Mrs. McKay), three catfish were caught and the most wonderful potluck lunch was had by all at Peace Lutheran Church on Sunday morning.


Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are instant family! What a blessing -

Family Blessings

Wow - the LORD is so good. Amongst all the moving excitement HE has blessed us with another child. Today we saw the first ultrasound! The new little Tiews is 10 weeks and 5 days old and is moving around happily.

HE is in control, and we don't know anything!

On Campus Housing!

We are so grateful that we will be able to live on campus at least during our first two seminary years. Review the map of the seminary.

God is good - now we only need the right family to buy our house in Texas. We know He'll work it all out, but it sure would be nice to know already how He's going to do it.

The Tiews Family in "Ranch Best"

LCMS Homeschooling

As a homeschooling family with a big support group (36 families) in our church, we are so thankful that there also is a country-wide group of people with a new vision for families! Join Yahoo! Groups : LCMShomeschool

Texans for Better Science Education!

Texans for Better Science Education!

Kids need to be taught the strengths and WEAKNESSES of the theory of evolution in our public schools! Chris - "The Activist" - is working to convince the Tomball ISD schoolboard and principles that teachers need to add to the evolutionist textbooks and have approved supplementary teaching material to show the weaknesses. But the other side is taking this as bringing religion into the class room. But this is a question of good science versus ignorand science!

The Lutheran Moose

The Tiews family in "Sunday's Best" 

Load the wagons!

The DAY is drawing closer. The Tiews family is sorting through its belongings and has been listed their home with a trusted realtor. Around August 15th we will be heading for new pastures: Concordia Semiary, St. Louis

Chris is studying Hebrew, the kids are enjoying Houston summer weather (>100), I'm finishing up my part-time work at HP. It feels like the quiet before the storm.