We began our trip at 8am. Our first stop was to get breakfast at Jack in the Box. We drove on and only made one stop before eating lunch at Subway. We were stuck in some heavy traffic near Chicago. We stopped in a small "village" at a McDonald's for dinner. We then saw the famed Gaylord. Stefani was thrilled when she saw Old Navy, Kohl's, and some familiar chain restaurants. We arrived in Onaway at 9:45 pm eastern. The Broughams greeted us at the local Subway. They took us to the house we were to stay at for the weekend. We unloaded and settled in for the night.
We woke up Saturday morning and leisurely got ready. We had breakfast at a local restaurant called Woodwinds. It was very good. After breakfast we met up with Gary and Bev. They showed us the library, chamber of commerce, and the city hall. Then they took us to see the church. After the church we saw our new home. The previous pictures did not do it justice. There are double closets in every bedroom, a coat closet, and two hall closets. The rooms are spacious. (Feel free to visit!) Once we were finished with the building tours we got a car tour from Gary of the surrounding area. We saw Cheybogan and Rogers City. We saw Black Lake and Lake Huron. We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking Lake Huron. We got back to town and decided to go to the local furniture/appliance store to pick out our washer and dryer. (Thank you Zion!!) We were successful! We also met the mother/mother in law/grandmother of a family we met in Salem, IL that belonged to the church Joshua where the vicar. Small world! Once that was all set up we had a few moments of down time before we went to dinner with Gary, Bev, and other members of the church. We went to another local place called Lorenzo's. It is owned and operated by a member of the church. The food was delicious! After dinner we visited the vacancy pastor,Pastor Gray. Finally, it was time to call it a night.
Sunday morning we woke up for Bible class and church. We received many questions and happy you are heres. Including cards made by the Sunday School children. After church there was a short informal reception. Then we were taken to lunch at another local eatery, Manzana's. We were taken by two younger ladies with young families. Once we wrapped up with lunch we headed back to where we were staying for a much needed nap. We went to church so Joshua could attend a church council/elders meeting while I helped the youth with a banner for their Michigan Jr. High youth gathering. After the meeting there was a dinner of sloppy joes. Yum-o. After some visiting we went back to the house we were staying at and prepared for our drive back to St. Louis.
We finally left town at about 9:00 am eastern. Before we left we checked out the local supermarket. The locals told us it was a bit expensive, but it will be handy for forgotten items. After the traffic issues we had going through Chicago, we decided to take the other route that goes through Indy. It was definitely the "quickest" route and the one we would recommend for St. Louis travelers. We arrived home at about 8:30 pm central.
The trip was wonderful. We learned so much about our new home and met so many wonderful people. Stay tuned for pictures of our new house!
God's Blessings,
Joshua and Stefani
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Graduation
After 4 years Joshua has officially graduate from Concordia Seminary St. Louis. There were two ceremonies. The first ceremony was a presentation of Joshua's theological diploma. It took place in the morning at the Seminary chapel.
Joshua after he received his Theological diploma.
Joshua with his favorite professor, Dr. Dost.
The second ceremony was an academic ceremony. It took place in the evening in the quad.
A view of the crowd getting ready to watch the ceremony.
The beginning of the processional. The guy in the corner is our landlord.
Joshua in the processional.
All the graduates together for one last time before they spread through out the country.
Joshua waiting to get his hood., the fancy sash thing.
Joshua walking back from receiving his hood and diploma.
Look at the happy graduate.
Joshua with his Masters of Divinity degree.
Stefani has been waiting to get this specific picture for 3 years.
Team Ketelsen will be on the go this summer. We will be visiting our new home the first weekend in June. A trip to Salem, IL the second weekend. Then a trip to Disneyworld with Stefani's parents to celebrate 1 year of marriage. July will bring ordination and our final days in St. Louis. We hope that through out our traveling and packing we can keep up to date and post pictures of our adventures.
We would like to thank everyone for their support and prayers.
God's Blessings,
The Reverend Joshua and Stefani
Joshua after he received his Theological diploma.
Joshua with his favorite professor, Dr. Dost.The second ceremony was an academic ceremony. It took place in the evening in the quad.
A view of the crowd getting ready to watch the ceremony.
The beginning of the processional. The guy in the corner is our landlord. 
Joshua in the processional.
All the graduates together for one last time before they spread through out the country.
Joshua waiting to get his hood., the fancy sash thing.
Joshua walking back from receiving his hood and diploma. 
Look at the happy graduate.
Joshua with his Masters of Divinity degree.
Stefani has been waiting to get this specific picture for 3 years. Team Ketelsen will be on the go this summer. We will be visiting our new home the first weekend in June. A trip to Salem, IL the second weekend. Then a trip to Disneyworld with Stefani's parents to celebrate 1 year of marriage. July will bring ordination and our final days in St. Louis. We hope that through out our traveling and packing we can keep up to date and post pictures of our adventures.
We would like to thank everyone for their support and prayers.
God's Blessings,
The Reverend Joshua and Stefani
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Call Day 2009
Call Day was April 22nd. Now that it has been a few days since then, we have more information about Joshua's first call.
Joshua has been called to Holy Cross Lutheran in Onaway, Michigan as the sole pastor. The town has a population of 900. The town is on the smaller side than we are used to. We spoke to the Chairman of the congregation on Thursday afternoon. From the conversation the congregation seems eager for our arrival.
The church has a parsonage that we will be living in. It has 4 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, a newly renovated kitchen, a finished basement, and 2.5 car garage. The house is "in town" and 2 blocks away from the church.
As more information comes we will pass it on. Right now we are just letting it all "soak in". Joshua still has a month left of classes, graduation (May 22nd), and ordination.
Joshua has been called to Holy Cross Lutheran in Onaway, Michigan as the sole pastor. The town has a population of 900. The town is on the smaller side than we are used to. We spoke to the Chairman of the congregation on Thursday afternoon. From the conversation the congregation seems eager for our arrival.
The church has a parsonage that we will be living in. It has 4 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, a newly renovated kitchen, a finished basement, and 2.5 car garage. The house is "in town" and 2 blocks away from the church.
As more information comes we will pass it on. Right now we are just letting it all "soak in". Joshua still has a month left of classes, graduation (May 22nd), and ordination.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Call Day and Family Update
It has been a while since our last post. We have been busy preparing for Call Day.
Joshua has had four interviews. Stefani was fortunate to be a part of each one. Each congregation seems like they could be a good fit. The first interview we had was in January with Our Redeemer in Moorhead, MN. Moorhead is near Fargo, ND (the cities are like Kansas City, KS and MO). Our second interview was over the phone with St. Mark in Brunswick, OH. Brunswick is a suburb of Cleveland and about an hour from Joshua's hometown. The third interview was with Divine Shepherd in Omaha, NE. And the last interview was with Redeemer in Manitowoc, WI. The city is right on Lake Michigan. As you can see we have some great possibilities. The decision is in God's hands. We and everyone else will find out April 22nd.
Onto family news...Stefani's dad will be a having outpatient surgery on his heart on Friday April 3rd. He has a congenital heart issue that causes palpitations. This surgery should solve the problem. Please keep him in your prayers.
That is the update for now. Stay tuned for moving information when we receive it.
God's Blessings,
Joshua and Stefani
Joshua has had four interviews. Stefani was fortunate to be a part of each one. Each congregation seems like they could be a good fit. The first interview we had was in January with Our Redeemer in Moorhead, MN. Moorhead is near Fargo, ND (the cities are like Kansas City, KS and MO). Our second interview was over the phone with St. Mark in Brunswick, OH. Brunswick is a suburb of Cleveland and about an hour from Joshua's hometown. The third interview was with Divine Shepherd in Omaha, NE. And the last interview was with Redeemer in Manitowoc, WI. The city is right on Lake Michigan. As you can see we have some great possibilities. The decision is in God's hands. We and everyone else will find out April 22nd.
Onto family news...Stefani's dad will be a having outpatient surgery on his heart on Friday April 3rd. He has a congenital heart issue that causes palpitations. This surgery should solve the problem. Please keep him in your prayers.
That is the update for now. Stay tuned for moving information when we receive it.
God's Blessings,
Joshua and Stefani
Saturday, January 31, 2009
January
January has been a roller coaster ride for Team Ketelsen.
The month started out with a visit to Ohio. Which was very enjoyable. We had a great time visiting Joshua's family and attending a church service at Zion.
The day after we got back to St. Louis Joshua had his first interview with a congregation. The congregation is in Moorhead, MN. The head pastor and call team came to St. Louis to interview potential candidates. Unfortunately, Joshua was extremely ill during the interview. He was then sick for the next week.
We had a week of calm and then we were hit again with a challenge. Stefani's dad took a trip to the emergency room for a heart palpitation. He was able to get his heart rate down by himself. The doctor believes these episodes are caused by a congenital issue with his heart. It will require surgery to get it under control. Please keep him in your prayers.
The weekend brought more enjoyable events. Stefani had a Tupperware party. She officially feels like a suburban wife. We also went to a great dinner party at the home of our friends from the Seminary. It was a night of great food, great people, and a fun game.
Stefani came down with a cold that really knocked her out. Luckily, there were 2 snow days which offered Stefani some "free" down time. Just as Stefani was getting well, Joshua came down with a nasty virus. After a trip to an Urgent Care center, a day in bed, a sick day taken by Stefani to take care of Joshua, and frozen Powerade cubes he is on the road to recovery.
Between the sickness that plagued Team Ketelsen, Joshua had second interview with a congregation. This interview was over the phone with a congregation in Brunswick, OH. Please keep the Call process and those involved in your prayers.
As January comes to a close we are excited to see what the rest of the year holds for us.
God's Blessings,
Joshua and Stefani
The month started out with a visit to Ohio. Which was very enjoyable. We had a great time visiting Joshua's family and attending a church service at Zion.
The day after we got back to St. Louis Joshua had his first interview with a congregation. The congregation is in Moorhead, MN. The head pastor and call team came to St. Louis to interview potential candidates. Unfortunately, Joshua was extremely ill during the interview. He was then sick for the next week.
We had a week of calm and then we were hit again with a challenge. Stefani's dad took a trip to the emergency room for a heart palpitation. He was able to get his heart rate down by himself. The doctor believes these episodes are caused by a congenital issue with his heart. It will require surgery to get it under control. Please keep him in your prayers.
The weekend brought more enjoyable events. Stefani had a Tupperware party. She officially feels like a suburban wife. We also went to a great dinner party at the home of our friends from the Seminary. It was a night of great food, great people, and a fun game.
Stefani came down with a cold that really knocked her out. Luckily, there were 2 snow days which offered Stefani some "free" down time. Just as Stefani was getting well, Joshua came down with a nasty virus. After a trip to an Urgent Care center, a day in bed, a sick day taken by Stefani to take care of Joshua, and frozen Powerade cubes he is on the road to recovery.
Between the sickness that plagued Team Ketelsen, Joshua had second interview with a congregation. This interview was over the phone with a congregation in Brunswick, OH. Please keep the Call process and those involved in your prayers.
As January comes to a close we are excited to see what the rest of the year holds for us.
God's Blessings,
Joshua and Stefani
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Christmas and New Year's
We apologize for the tardiness of the Christmas/New Year's recap. January has been busy for us. (That is another post.)
Our holiday season was busy and joyous. Christmas Eve was very low key. We had Chinese take out with Stefani's parents and then we headed to church at Our Savior. Christmas Day was spent with Stefani's parents, grandparents, and great uncle. We exchanged presents, ate far too much, played a game of Scrabble, and watched a movie. It was very enjoyable and relaxing.
The weekend after Christmas we hosted two gatherings. The first was the Marrah family Christmas party. Everyone brought yummy homemade soups. The amazing thing was we all got to eat in the same room! There were 15 Marrah family representatives and we all fit in the dining room around card tables.
The family eating in the dining room.
The second gathering was with Stefani's godmother, her family and Stefani's parents. We ordered Imo's pizza (a St. Louis icon) and had great visiting time.
For New Year's Eve we drove to Ohio to spend some time with Joshua's family. We got there just in time to go to a great Japanese steakhouse for a special and delicious dinner.
Here we are at the table waiting for our meal.
The week continued with gift giving, fabulous food, and time with family. It was a great visit all around.
We have the Ketelsen clan getting in a photo opportunity before opening gifts.
We hope you are having a blessed New Year!
God's Blessings,
Joshua and Stefani
Our holiday season was busy and joyous. Christmas Eve was very low key. We had Chinese take out with Stefani's parents and then we headed to church at Our Savior. Christmas Day was spent with Stefani's parents, grandparents, and great uncle. We exchanged presents, ate far too much, played a game of Scrabble, and watched a movie. It was very enjoyable and relaxing.
The weekend after Christmas we hosted two gatherings. The first was the Marrah family Christmas party. Everyone brought yummy homemade soups. The amazing thing was we all got to eat in the same room! There were 15 Marrah family representatives and we all fit in the dining room around card tables.
The family eating in the dining room.The second gathering was with Stefani's godmother, her family and Stefani's parents. We ordered Imo's pizza (a St. Louis icon) and had great visiting time.
For New Year's Eve we drove to Ohio to spend some time with Joshua's family. We got there just in time to go to a great Japanese steakhouse for a special and delicious dinner.
Here we are at the table waiting for our meal.The week continued with gift giving, fabulous food, and time with family. It was a great visit all around.
We have the Ketelsen clan getting in a photo opportunity before opening gifts. We hope you are having a blessed New Year!
God's Blessings,
Joshua and Stefani
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Christmas time is here!
Hello faithful readers! Team Ketelsen has been hard at work getting ready for Christmas. The house is coming together nicely.
We started off the season going to "Grandma Theabeau's Birthday Party". This phrasing freaks Joshua out. When my great-grandmother was alive we would celebrate her birthday every year in early December. The tradition has continued as a great excuse to get together. Here are a few pictures from the party.
This is Stefani's cousin Jen and her son Logan. She and her husband, Chris, are expecting their second son in April.
These fine ladies are Stefani's great aunts and grandmother. From left to right: Aunt Anne, Aunt Nancy, Aunt Teresa, Aunt Pat and Grandma Marrah.
And of course here is Stefani and Joshua looking adorable as usual. =P
We seem to be the hosts with the most this season. The Marrah parents are coming for Christmas Eve dinner, most of the Marrahs are coming over to celebrate on Decmeber 27th, and the following day Stefani's godmother, her family and the Marrah parents are stopping by for some holiday cheer. After all the hosting Team Ketelsen will be on the road to Ohio to visit the Ketelsen/Rost/Schmidt clan. It should be a great two weeks of time with family and friends! We will be sure to post pictures of all the events.
Speaking of pictures...We have a few of our humble tree and mantle decorations.
We borrowed the tree from Stefani's Grandma Gavisk. The white lights are courtesy of Joshua's Aunt Mary.
Here is a close up of our tree skirt.
A picture of our awesome mantle. Here is where we are displaying our nativity art collection. And yes, the white bust to the very right is Martin Luther. He has a festive bow on his head.
We hope you have a safe and wonderful Christmas!
God's Blessings,
Joshua and Stefani
We started off the season going to "Grandma Theabeau's Birthday Party". This phrasing freaks Joshua out. When my great-grandmother was alive we would celebrate her birthday every year in early December. The tradition has continued as a great excuse to get together. Here are a few pictures from the party.
This is Stefani's cousin Jen and her son Logan. She and her husband, Chris, are expecting their second son in April.
These fine ladies are Stefani's great aunts and grandmother. From left to right: Aunt Anne, Aunt Nancy, Aunt Teresa, Aunt Pat and Grandma Marrah.
And of course here is Stefani and Joshua looking adorable as usual. =PWe seem to be the hosts with the most this season. The Marrah parents are coming for Christmas Eve dinner, most of the Marrahs are coming over to celebrate on Decmeber 27th, and the following day Stefani's godmother, her family and the Marrah parents are stopping by for some holiday cheer. After all the hosting Team Ketelsen will be on the road to Ohio to visit the Ketelsen/Rost/Schmidt clan. It should be a great two weeks of time with family and friends! We will be sure to post pictures of all the events.
Speaking of pictures...We have a few of our humble tree and mantle decorations.
We borrowed the tree from Stefani's Grandma Gavisk. The white lights are courtesy of Joshua's Aunt Mary. 
Here is a close up of our tree skirt. 
A picture of our awesome mantle. Here is where we are displaying our nativity art collection. And yes, the white bust to the very right is Martin Luther. He has a festive bow on his head.We hope you have a safe and wonderful Christmas!
God's Blessings,
Joshua and Stefani
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