Sunday, July 29, 2007
REUNION
Almost PersuadedToday was the large gathering of Steve’s family on his mother’s side. It was hard to believe the hundreds of people there, were direct decedents of Steve’s grandparents. Steve’s mother had 12 siblings and each of them have very large families as well. It was a beautiful sight…. It almost,… I SAID…ALMOST, made me reconsider whether I will give in to Steve’s wishes for having more children. Who knows, perhaps the cradle will “rock” again!
Jitters
I remember the first-time jitters of attending my first family gathering. I was very careful to wear something plain enough, not knowing what to expect. Everyone was very friendly, and made sure I didn’t feel left out of conversation, even repeating things in English for my understanding.
“So, Kristi, do you like gardening?”
“No, not really.” I replied
“Do you enjoy sewing?”
“Uh-no.” I managed.
“How about cooking?”
“I’m learning, a little,” I answered.
“Do you enjoy canning?
“What’s that?” I stammered.
“Kristi, what do you do then?”
I went into some explanation of how I was going to school to be a nurse, but inside I was beginning to wonder if I would ever fit in this family.
Over the years they have taught me how to cook, can, and landscape. I am inspired at how much they can fit into a day. My mother-in-law has a lot of spunk, (you would love playing games with her) and she could out work me any day. Her sisters are near duplicates of her and it was fun seeing them together today.
Appreciation
I never fully appreciated the joys of being in this family until I had children. It is incredible my girls have this many cousins, and there is always another sister in law to call if I need a baby sitter.
My children enjoy being out on the farm gathering eggs, holding baby chicks, petting the horses and giving them handfuls of grass. It is awesome their cousins live even more conservatively than we do, and their minds have not been polluted. This has been such a good influence on my girls, and has taught me to enjoy the simplicities of life.
Kristin
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Labels: cradle, Family, Hoover, mennonite
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Weddings and Funerals
Here comes the Bride
Over the weekend Steve and I attended a wedding in a “liberal” Mennonite church in our town. The bride was lovely beyond words, and it was a grand celebration.
When one speaks of the Amish, there is generally no doubt they are referring to plain folks, however it is quite different when you speak of the Mennonites. Many Mennonites dress as typical denominational Christians do, however Steve’s family is part of smaller segment that drive horse and buggy, dress very plainly, and live mostly agriculturally.
It is quite different going to an ‘Old Order’ Mennonite wedding than the one we attended this past weekend. An Old Order wedding is always scheduled at the bride’s home on a Tuesday or Thursday so as to not interfere with weekend chores and Sunday preparations. Weddings are also held only during early spring or late fall of the year, avoiding planting and harvesting conflicts. Services start at 9:00 AM with cookies and wine served as an opening ceremony. There is a ‘caller’ who calls out the seating arrangement. For instance, he’ll cry “Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hoover!”, and we’ll be seated next. Or if single and dating, he would call, “Stephen Hoover and friend!”. When everyone is seated, a congregational hymn is sung during which the bride and groom come in and take their seats. The groom dresses plain, in his best Sunday suit (no tie), and the bride wears a plain, light grey dress, signifying purity, but reserving purest white for the Bride of Christ. There is not a single “Pastor” in the Old Order congregations, but rather a group of ministers who are chosen by “lots”, consisting of a Bishop, Preachers and Deacons. During the wedding, I patiently endure long lectures about marriage, mostly in a language (Pennsylvania Dutch) I barely understand, all the while nudging my husband to stay awake!
Ahh… but then the food! Piles of homemade noodles, mashed potatoes, meats, salads, homegrown vegetables, homemade breads, and the desserts are heavenly. It is always worth any effort in going. Steve tries hard not to miss a wedding invitation – it really is a special day.
Rest in Peace
Steve’s father died suddenly in June 12 years ago. I learned much from Steve’s father about Christian living, and he was very well respected in the Mennonite community. There were around a thousand people attending the funeral. Steve and I rode in a buggy with his sister and her husband, following a horse drawn hearse. The pine casket was opened one more time at the burial site, where his father lay in a pure white garment. Hundreds of people walked by, and some of the children walked with bare feet. Steve and his brothers lowered the pine casket with ropes into the final resting place, and shoveled in the dirt. Everything was very simple, and even without flowers.
The gathering then went inside for the funeral service. The building would not seat them all, and many gathered around the doors and windows. Men and boys sat on one side of the church and women and young children on the other. The benches were constructed of plain wood, hardwood flooring, and no air conditioning available. If necessity occured, there were outhouses.
The service was conducted in English and German to accommodate the many visitors from outside the community. The funeral sermons are not merely a recital of a single life’s work, but focus on the shortness of life, duty of man, and his relationship with God.
The “English” with us were fascinated by the cultural differences, but also enthralled by the number of horses and buggies at the funeral.
Many children’s stories are centered around characters able to travel into another time by some magical invention. I am a blessed woman to have the ability to experience first hand the goodness and simplicity of a bygone era.
Kristin
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Over the weekend Steve and I attended a wedding in a “liberal” Mennonite church in our town. The bride was lovely beyond words, and it was a grand celebration.
When one speaks of the Amish, there is generally no doubt they are referring to plain folks, however it is quite different when you speak of the Mennonites. Many Mennonites dress as typical denominational Christians do, however Steve’s family is part of smaller segment that drive horse and buggy, dress very plainly, and live mostly agriculturally.
It is quite different going to an ‘Old Order’ Mennonite wedding than the one we attended this past weekend. An Old Order wedding is always scheduled at the bride’s home on a Tuesday or Thursday so as to not interfere with weekend chores and Sunday preparations. Weddings are also held only during early spring or late fall of the year, avoiding planting and harvesting conflicts. Services start at 9:00 AM with cookies and wine served as an opening ceremony. There is a ‘caller’ who calls out the seating arrangement. For instance, he’ll cry “Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hoover!”, and we’ll be seated next. Or if single and dating, he would call, “Stephen Hoover and friend!”. When everyone is seated, a congregational hymn is sung during which the bride and groom come in and take their seats. The groom dresses plain, in his best Sunday suit (no tie), and the bride wears a plain, light grey dress, signifying purity, but reserving purest white for the Bride of Christ. There is not a single “Pastor” in the Old Order congregations, but rather a group of ministers who are chosen by “lots”, consisting of a Bishop, Preachers and Deacons. During the wedding, I patiently endure long lectures about marriage, mostly in a language (Pennsylvania Dutch) I barely understand, all the while nudging my husband to stay awake!
Ahh… but then the food! Piles of homemade noodles, mashed potatoes, meats, salads, homegrown vegetables, homemade breads, and the desserts are heavenly. It is always worth any effort in going. Steve tries hard not to miss a wedding invitation – it really is a special day.
Rest in Peace
Steve’s father died suddenly in June 12 years ago. I learned much from Steve’s father about Christian living, and he was very well respected in the Mennonite community. There were around a thousand people attending the funeral. Steve and I rode in a buggy with his sister and her husband, following a horse drawn hearse. The pine casket was opened one more time at the burial site, where his father lay in a pure white garment. Hundreds of people walked by, and some of the children walked with bare feet. Steve and his brothers lowered the pine casket with ropes into the final resting place, and shoveled in the dirt. Everything was very simple, and even without flowers.
The gathering then went inside for the funeral service. The building would not seat them all, and many gathered around the doors and windows. Men and boys sat on one side of the church and women and young children on the other. The benches were constructed of plain wood, hardwood flooring, and no air conditioning available. If necessity occured, there were outhouses.
The service was conducted in English and German to accommodate the many visitors from outside the community. The funeral sermons are not merely a recital of a single life’s work, but focus on the shortness of life, duty of man, and his relationship with God.
The “English” with us were fascinated by the cultural differences, but also enthralled by the number of horses and buggies at the funeral.
Many children’s stories are centered around characters able to travel into another time by some magical invention. I am a blessed woman to have the ability to experience first hand the goodness and simplicity of a bygone era.
Kristin
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Labels: funerals, mennonite, PA. Dutch
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Music and Bible Studies
A Lesson Learned
When a caller to the Dr Laura radio program is disgruntled by her spouse’s behavior or attitudes, one of the first questions she usually asks the caller is “Did you know this about them before you got married?” You see, marriage is a contract, for better or for worse. When you sign your name on the dotted line, you agree to take this person ‘as is’. You don’t marry them for what you want to mold them into. ( The Scripture unfortunately does not say ‘Train up a husband in the way he should go’) Therefore, nagging, pouting, or complaining about something you knew about before marriage is not only detrimental but futile.
I admit, I knew about my husband’s taste in music before marriage. As a teenager, if I was feeling a bit rebellious, I would let my radio drift from my 24 hour Sandi Patti and Larnelle Harris station, to the wild rock station playing Boy George and Michael Jackson’s latest. (Man, am I dating myself or what!) However, if Steve and his Mennonite buddies were feeling rebellious, they would loosen the suspenders, curl up the brim of their straw hats, rig up an 8 track player in their buggies, and play – get this - blue grass! Now that’s rebellion! Old Order Mennonites dress plainly, and are not allowed to have televisions, radios, or tape players, and now CD players, VHS/DVD - so he was really drifting far from his normal realm.
Admittedly, my husband is probably the only <40year old Pentecostal that knows all the old blue grass lyrics (but it’s so cute when he sings them, you gotta love him!). I enjoy going to IBC Music Festival or Gateway’s Unprecedented Praise, and can’t wait to sift through the CDs for new material. However, I know for true harmony to be in my home when my husband arrives, the CD is turned off. I also realize after I’m pumped up about the jammin Pentecostal service we just had, Steve may be going home with a headache.
The Show
RDF/ABC ate it up! They loved the idea of Steve being strongly opposed to the lyrical content, lifestyle of musicians, AND the style of rock music itself. When questions were asked about music, I usually let Steve answer them. I was actually giving God a high five when I found out I was in with a rock family and they had young children. Music was something I could handle, and hopefully change for the good.
I had wild ideas about bringing in some Pentecostal greats to allow the family to sample the joys of Holy Spirit anointed music. The producers wouldn’t allow the rule changes I really pushed for. We ended up singing in a coffee shop, a song that no longer has copyrights, ‘Amazing Grace.’
I’m so glad the old songs are still power packed!
Yipeee!
This afternoon was Bible Study at the Hoover House. There were four ladies besides myself. We had an awesome prayer time and study. It started with just one lady shortly after our episode aired in February, and today there were four! I’ve also had another study on Mondays with a different viewer of the show. God is so amazing!
Today Steve and I received a request to speak to group one week after the rerun airs. This guy has great ideas of making the most of the rerun. His excitement is contagious.
Kristin
When a caller to the Dr Laura radio program is disgruntled by her spouse’s behavior or attitudes, one of the first questions she usually asks the caller is “Did you know this about them before you got married?” You see, marriage is a contract, for better or for worse. When you sign your name on the dotted line, you agree to take this person ‘as is’. You don’t marry them for what you want to mold them into. ( The Scripture unfortunately does not say ‘Train up a husband in the way he should go’) Therefore, nagging, pouting, or complaining about something you knew about before marriage is not only detrimental but futile.
I admit, I knew about my husband’s taste in music before marriage. As a teenager, if I was feeling a bit rebellious, I would let my radio drift from my 24 hour Sandi Patti and Larnelle Harris station, to the wild rock station playing Boy George and Michael Jackson’s latest. (Man, am I dating myself or what!) However, if Steve and his Mennonite buddies were feeling rebellious, they would loosen the suspenders, curl up the brim of their straw hats, rig up an 8 track player in their buggies, and play – get this - blue grass! Now that’s rebellion! Old Order Mennonites dress plainly, and are not allowed to have televisions, radios, or tape players, and now CD players, VHS/DVD - so he was really drifting far from his normal realm.
Admittedly, my husband is probably the only <40year old Pentecostal that knows all the old blue grass lyrics (but it’s so cute when he sings them, you gotta love him!). I enjoy going to IBC Music Festival or Gateway’s Unprecedented Praise, and can’t wait to sift through the CDs for new material. However, I know for true harmony to be in my home when my husband arrives, the CD is turned off. I also realize after I’m pumped up about the jammin Pentecostal service we just had, Steve may be going home with a headache.
The Show
RDF/ABC ate it up! They loved the idea of Steve being strongly opposed to the lyrical content, lifestyle of musicians, AND the style of rock music itself. When questions were asked about music, I usually let Steve answer them. I was actually giving God a high five when I found out I was in with a rock family and they had young children. Music was something I could handle, and hopefully change for the good.
I had wild ideas about bringing in some Pentecostal greats to allow the family to sample the joys of Holy Spirit anointed music. The producers wouldn’t allow the rule changes I really pushed for. We ended up singing in a coffee shop, a song that no longer has copyrights, ‘Amazing Grace.’
I’m so glad the old songs are still power packed!
Yipeee!
This afternoon was Bible Study at the Hoover House. There were four ladies besides myself. We had an awesome prayer time and study. It started with just one lady shortly after our episode aired in February, and today there were four! I’ve also had another study on Mondays with a different viewer of the show. God is so amazing!
Today Steve and I received a request to speak to group one week after the rerun airs. This guy has great ideas of making the most of the rerun. His excitement is contagious.
Kristin
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Labels: ABC wife swap, Gateway, IBC, mennonite, Music Fest, pentecostal
Monday, July 02, 2007
Greetings and Salutations from Steve
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!Hello! The Hoover family is totally excited about being the resident Bloggers for July in A Month In the Life 2007
Hopefully that will translate into an enjoyable experience for the readers as well.
I suppose introductions are in order. We are Steve and Kristin Hoover from the Show Me State. We have three daughters, Emily Nikole (7), Grace Marie (5), and Alivia Joy (3).
Our home is located just outside the Lake of the Ozarks in ‘Versailles’. Uh…, No! Not the Palace of Versailles (Our fountains aren’t finished yet!).
My Background
I was born in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. My parents bought a farm East of Versailles, MO and we moved in 1970.
Raised a conservative Mennonite, my first language was Pennsylvania Dutch (a German dialect). My family’s primary mode of transportation was, and for many in my family still is, horse and buggy.
We were often thought to be Amish, and did in fact, shared many similarities with them. Those of us who went to public school were always known as “the Amish kids”. Schooling beyond the eighth grade (in a classroom setting) is discouraged by most Old Order Mennonites, though many have continued education via GED courses or on the job training programs.
As a rebellious teenager, I left my home and the Mennonite lifestyle at age 16, but soon came to terms with what it really was that I sought to reject/embrace. I had a rich history and was not at all eager to discard entirely the God of my fathers. My lifestyle did change some, but I gave my heart to the Lord and became a part of the Pentecostal church.
I fell in love and married Kristin (Bentley) Hoover in 1992 (Smart Move!)
Out of this Nettle, Danger, we Pluck this Flower, Safety.
---William Shakespeare
A defining moment in my life was the destruction of the cherished family home in the mid 1980’s. It was apparent that faulty construction of the chimney serving the wood stove, and a chimney fire had ignited the structure inside the wall resulting in a total loss.
When I had opportunity to purchase some chimney sweeping tools shortly thereafter, I recalled the tragedy of the fire and became a “Chimney Sweep”. What started as a part time novelty became a fulltime business. Today, as a self-employed chimney sweep, I service approximately 1000 chimneys, fireplaces and stoves each year. I am certified by the Chimney Safety Institute and the National Fireplace Institute.
I am also an active member of the Versailles City Fire Department and respond to about 200 calls each year as a firefighter and EMT. I thoroughly enjoy being a part of a vital community volunteer group, and pray I can make a difference in some ones’ life for the better.
Wife Swap!
Oh, yeah that!
Our intro on ninetyandnine.com said
Introducing: Wife Swap’s infamous couple
in·fa·mous
ADJECTIVE:
1. Having an exceedingly bad reputation; notorious.
2. Causing or deserving infamy; heinous: an infamous deed.
3. Law
a. Punishable by severe measures, such as death, long imprisonment, or loss of civil rights.
b. Convicted of a crime, such as treason or felony, that carries such a punishment.
Hmmmmm…….
More on Hoover/Meeks Wife Swap later!!
Labels: amish, chimney sweep, lake of the Ozarks, mennonite
