Trip Report: an Iowa and Minnesota Christmas

Clergy Christmases are a little bit different

Getting to help people experience the joy of Christmas together in worship with their friends and family is one of the many joys of pastoring a congregation. Unfortunately, it also means that we often end up celebrating the holidays at slightly different times than other people, especially when distance is added to the equation. As a result, in our family it means that our get togethers usually over the New Years instead of Christmas day.

The lights of Silver Dollar City

This year was no exception as Lily and I capped off the year with a trip to visit my family in Iowa and Minnesota, starting with a couple days together just to unwind. The first stop on our holiday journey was Silver Dollar City‘s Christmas celebration in Branson. Despite the cold, Lily and I took in 6.5 million LED lights, an animated tree, and Rudolph’s Christmas parade.

We got to see two shows, a glass blowing demonstration, and by mid-afternoon it actually warmed up enough for us to get on a roller coasters. Good meals and gorgeous scenery made our visit to Ozark Disneyland a great way to unwind at the end of a busy Advent season.

Branson is also full of lots of other goodies. We drove though the Shepherd of the Hills light display and were surprised to learn the Titanic Museum is quite popular as a wedding venue. Not sure that the most famous disaster in maritime history sets the right foundation for a lifetime of marital bliss.

A Diagonal Christmas

Southwest Iowa was the second stop on our journey. My mom and stepdad live in Diagonal. The town takes its name from the non-perpendicular crossing of two train lines.

My brother, sister-in-law and their kids came down to join us for a couple days. We got together with our grandma for lunch and celebrated a belated family Christmas together. The highlight of the gift giving was the quilt Leanne made from my dad’s old shirts. Beautiful way to remember a man we all loved.

Ringing in the new year Minnesota style

Following our stop in Diagonal we headed north to ring in the new year in Crosslake, Minnesota. My aunt Kate and cousin Sarah still live in the town where my grandparents had their fishing cabin and ultimately retired. Sarah tends bar at the local American Legion, which became our base of operations for the holiday. We joined with dozens of friends we had just met and rang in the new year with bingo, the college football, and drinks.

The next morning we worshiped at Crosslake Presbyterian Church, the congregation my grandparents helped found after their retirement. My grandpa taught their Bible study and provided pulpit supply for years. A decade later my aunt was installed as their pastor and served there until her retirement.

The warm hospitality was greatly appreciated and provided a meaningful trip down memory lane.

We finished out our stay in Crosslake by watching the Minnesota Vikings take on their arch rival, the Green Bay Packers. Most of the Legion was kitted out in purple and gold, but there were a handful of brave souls wearing green jerseys. My dad was a lifelong Viking fan and we raised a glass to his memory. Unfortunately his heavenly influence was insufficient as the Vikings came up short that day.

All in all, it was a good visit to Crosslake, but it was definitely the hardest part of the trip. The lake has always been hallowed ground for our family with lots of cherished memories. Even years after my grandparents passed away I am still trying to come to terms with how much has changed with our lives, our family, and the location itself.

Visits like are slowly helping to develop some alternative associations with the place and its people.

Celebrating dad in Des Moines

The final leg the journey was a brief stop in Des Moines. We visited my brother, sister-in-law, and their kids, had dinner together and heard about all the excitement in the kids life. We also got a chance to see Dan Anderson, one of my dad’s best friends who has been a part of his life since Atlantic. We also got a chance to have dinner with my stepmom Lois.

It was wonderful to get to see family again, but also challenging because it was the first visit since my dad’s funeral. There are still a lot of memories to work through and we had the responsibility of sorting out more of dad’s books and memorabilia. While that is always a hard process, I am grateful for the stories that we were able to share while doing so and for the legacy that dad left behind.

Special mention must be made of the delightful sweaters worn by Nathan and Leanne’s cat, Rhea. As she has gotten older Rhea has been having more trouble with arthritis and the winter weather is proving to be especially challenging. A series of little sweaters have been helping to keep her warm and comfortable.

Huge thanks to: mom, Rick, and Andrew; grandma Liz; Kate and Sarah; Nathan, Leanne, and the kids; and Dan and Lois; for all the hospitality this week. It was a blessing to spend time with you, share some memories, and ring in the new year. Here’s hoping 2023 is much better than 2022.