One of my favorite pictures of Adalyn! Can Hollywood be far distant?

Can you see where she gets her good looks?

Meanwhile in Minneapolis, Alexander is celebrating his first birthday (above and far right).

Cousins Olivia (left) and Xannie (right). I just noticed that Libby looks a lot like Adalyn!

It was also the first birthday for Allison Grace Demaline, seen here with her Mom (Heidi Hist Demaline), who was the first person Bob baptized when he came to Berea. We were guests at her birthday party, and were delighted to see a number of former parishioners from St. Thomas.

To the right, another child I baptized, Shawn Wilson, with his Mom, Peggy Jo Zambounis.

The relationships established in a pastoral role present a real problem when one resigns from or retires from that position. This is especially true when (as in our case) we continue to live in the same area. You can't spend 20 years building a community and then simply disappear without some trauma for everyone. The continuing health of that community demands a clear separation, but it's difficult to manage.