Installation

Hubby was installed yesterday!
It was very nice and I was able to watch most of it.
So nice to see all those pastors in black robes with red stoles.
Hubby wore his red-based ugly-tie-stole.
The moderator gave a wonderful charge.
The sermon, by our good friend Robbie was very nice...telling us to let go of the past.
This was applicable to everyone I think.
I thought of the move, former jobs, the comfort of living near family and friends.
The congregation were reminded, surely, of their former pastor.
The recent interim pastor gave the charge to the congregation.
We met a local pastor who went to our seminary, and we have a good friend in common. His wife and son were lovely.

Flash didn't have a good day though.
The excitement of Grandparents,
going to church twice, opening Christmas presents from the grandparents,
and hunger meant that he was a mess.

The bulletin asked that parents keep their children with them during communion
and I thought it wouldn't look right if my Hubby's son stayed in the nursery.
So I brought him into the service. And he fell apart.
Yelling "but I'm hungry!" really loud.
Oh, Installation was at 4:oo
so, by the time communion rolled around it was about 5ish.
I had to carry him out screaming in the middle of communion, Hubby's installation.
Oh my.
And then the reception afterwards
where he ran full-speed around the dining room
and filled his hunger with cake, fruit and crackers with cheese.
Oh my.

Very embarrassing.
He hasn't been very well behaved recently anyway, but whoa!
in front of the church,
the guests, the grandparents.
Whew.

And, when we got home
the dogs had overturned the trash can
and strewn trash all over the kitchen,
knocked over the christmas tree and soiled the tree skirt.

And I had the grandparents and our friends from South Bend right behind me.
I am not sure how I kept my temper.
With the Grandparents I always feel like they disapprove because I don't "discipline" in these circumstances. But they would be acutely uncomfortable if I did!

So, it was a disaster (not a tragedy or a crisis, just a disaster) but he is installed and after my in-laws go home, we'll try, again, to go back to normal.