Here's to 120some days of madness....

Hi ho, hi ho...
Some serious planning we go
A picture on my blog I show
of Dustin and Meg
as the date they peg
Hi ho, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho.

Congrats to my sister and brother-in-law-to-be!



(You can see the ring and details at her blog Meg's Blog)

Visions of Sugarplums....

These are a few of the scenes I see at night in my dreams...

This is one of the houses we built in Juarez over the summer (it's the size of a shed).

Megan with just a few of the kids we got to work with while we were in Juarez


A bunch of our kids in Juarez dedicating the house


Nathan & Naomi at the Cheyenne Mtn. Zoo




Jonathan at the Fair


All of us at the water park

"I hear babies cry..."

I have to say that I think that the person who wrote What a Wonderful World did NOT have children of their own!!!!

(Note: I am still grateful to listen to crying countless moments of the day and still think that it IS a wonderful world.)

"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—" 1 Corinthians 15:51

You Know You Have Kids When....

I fully intend on posting some new pics.....just as soon as we fish the cord that connects the camera to the computer out of the dog's old water jug that the kids were playing with. Honestly, I don't know how it got there, but I imagine that it had to do with something after Jonathan was playing lasso the dog with it.

The Meaning of Life

I feel like there is a void on my blog of what the last several weeks have meant to me. I think that it is kind of like when you go off to college your first year and then come back for the summer. You feel like you have changed so much and others have, too, and it is just so hard to find a jumping off point to explain what is so different.

So, I'll try to be brief AND complete (that might be hard). Nathan and I (and a handful of other adults) took our youth group and young adult group to Juarez, Mexico on a week-long mission trip to build two houses (really glorified shacks that are wired with electricity if the families wish to hook it up) and put on a few Vacation Bible Schools for the local kids. Impoverished does not quite explain the standard of living, especially in the areas outside the city where we worked (we stayed more "in town" in a church). It was such a blessing to touch families and bless them with what to us would be little. The biggest lessons I learned were that God doesn't need a schedule to work, but He uses us when we are prepared and waiting to join Him where He is working and that God's faithfulness really sets His believers apart when they show that to a world that really lacks in integrity and faithfulness.

We turned around from doing that to a week of preparation for our church's VBS. I was put in charge of that this year and helped train some people to continue that work in the future. We had over 100 different kids (many of whom do not regularly attend a "church function") come through our doors over three days. The theme was "Everyday Superhero." Nathan dressed up like a superhero (tights and all) who did not have any super power. The kids all got to learn about the superheros in the Bible, real-life heroes of the faith, and most importantly how they can have a superhero everyday when they ask Jesus into their heart. It was powerful to watch workers come together and plant seed of knowledge into these kids that will impact them for years to come.

Then, God gave us a week of rest. Nathan took a whole week off work, and we vacationed from home. The kids got to go to the zoo, the county fair, Broncos Training Camp, spent a night and Grandma and Papa Rick's house, go to an outdoor pool, and rest in the in-between parts. It was a nice balance of going, doing, being, and resting. God was sure faithful to fill our cups again after we had been obedient to serve Him.

And so now, what have I learned? I spent some time in Ecclesiates this summer and realized how important it is to enjoy the different seasons of life, the little moments along the way, and the memories that fill the walls of my home and the annuls of my heart. There are so many opportunities that pop up, and I've learned to be more spontanious and intentional about listening for opportunities to play and serve. I've learned to be a little more organized and prepared so that I am ready at a moment's notice.

I prepared my fall schedule to be open and flexible by cutting out most of the fluff. So, it shouldn't surprise anyone that God ordained that my time be filled with something else. I will be the JV volleyball coach assisting Matthew at Kiowa this year (barring any other strange political move). Camp started this week, two-a-days start next week. It wasn't quite the new "season" of life I anticipated, but I can't wait to see what God has in store for it!

"...But we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."
Romans 5:3-6

Happiness Is.....

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

There are many things to catch up on blogging. But, I thought in the few precious minutes I had, that I would take a moment to reminisce about how you have been on my mind.

Last Friday, Nathan and I went on a lovely stroll at the Limon Municipal Golf Course (or at least that is their claim). I have to say that the weather was nice. I am realizing that I am a terrible golfer, but I do enjoy the time outside. Thank you again for the clubs. I made sure to use every club in the bag. I wish that had helped my game. It is a sad state of affairs when your pitching wedge is your club of choice for the day. :)

Today, we took the kids to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The kids had a ball. They have a small area within the zoo that kids can pet chickens and goats. It reminded me of the pictures we have of us kids at the zoo with you guys. Jonathan's favorite part was the area that they allow people to feed the giraffes. I thought there was no better way to end the day than to stop by Baskin Robbins (after all, what else would Grandma do?). I made sure that the kids knew that this is something that their Great-Grandparents loved to do, too.

Jonathan would not take his nap this afternoon, so we will have to make a stop by the county fair tomorrow (the fair and rodeo are actually called "Cowboy Up" if you believe that!). He has been begging to go see the sheep, the pigs, the horses, and the cows. He loves the farm (he must have a little Jones in him yet). Hopefully, we will spend some time there this week while Nathan is taking some vacation time. We love you guys and miss you lots. Until we see you soon, we will have sweet dreams and fun thoughts of you and all the memories we treasure in our hearts of you(I can almost smell the chicken-fried steak, cheese beans and potatoes and see the Happiness Is book if I close my eyes)!

With Love, Your Favorite Granddaughter and her crew

"I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete." 2 John 1:12

The New Clean

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him." 1 Peter 3:18-22