Welcome Back to VA

Welcome back to VA. In October Aimee reminded me that I have never gone from 4th of July to Christmas without seeing the girls...so in November I went out for a long weekend. What fun. One day I spent some time with Faith at her school ~ it took about 40 minutes for her to show me everything in her wonderful kindergarten room. I learned all about the kids at her table and saw all of her artwork on display. I found out how the clip system works and the fact that Faith has never had to move her clip. I saw her cubbie and the birthday board. It was great fun to see she enthusiasm and love for learning.

The weather was not great some of the time we were there, so we played LOTS of cards ~ Go Fish and Crazy Eights were the favorites. We even taught Avery how to play (with some help from Mom). We made tents in the garage, flew a kite at the park, rode bikes, and wrapped Christmas gifts. Faith loves working in the kitchen ~ so we made some fancy ice cream ornaments and some fun apple/peanut butter/marshmallow lips.

With Faith in school a good part of the day, it is fun to have some time alone with Avery. She is easy going and full of fun, tho not at all interested in potty training at this point. We had fun creating some cards to send to Anders, Emma and Ellie (all of her cousins). Avery loves hats ~ including helmets...and she looks cute in them to boot. She keeps up with her sister and they love each other dearly. Avery has a wide vocabulary and surprises you at times with what she comes up with.

One night Aimee and Gary went on a date. We watched Mary Poppins, dancing and singing our way thru the movie. We took one break to eat supper and another to eat our special ice cream ornaments. It was full evening of entertainment!

Anders Dedication

We just got back from a week in Colorado ~ time with Sarah, Joel and Anders as well as time at the annual CareGivers Forum. It was a beautiful week with great weather. The highlight of the week was the opportunity to participate in the home dedication ceremony for little 8 week old Anders.

CareGivers Forum at Glen Eyrie

CareGivers Forum was at beautiful Glen Eyrie in Colorado Springs again this year. What a wonderful spot to gather, renew friendships, worship, and enjoy God's incredible creation.

We are serving on the steering committee for the forum and have lead a small group during the conference for several years. Andy served as emcee this year, too. This is an amazing group of people who serve the kingdom of God by serving pastors in a wide variety of ministries. Check it out ~ there is a directory of these ministries and one of them might be just what your pastor needs.

We enjoyed hiking from Glen Eyrie down into the Garden of the Gods one afternoon.

A hike on Saturday took me to the top of the Incline in Manitou Springs ~ it is a challenging climb and unbelieveable views of the Springs. I personally hiked up the hiking trail and partway down the Incline ~ then my thighs starting thumping and I went back to the hiking trail. My legs ached for about 5 days after.

Yoga Toes

Ever had a problem with your toes? Something the doctor attributes to arthritis or the chiropractor blames on slip on shoes? You might want to try Yoga Toes. It SEEMS to be helping my problem ~ I'll have to give it a bit more time and get back to you though. I've only had them a couple of weeks and it may be wishful thinking on my part.

Heart Friends at the Cabin

Welcome to the Cabin! Earlier this month the Heart Friends gathered in St. Louis for yet another long weekend of laughter and sharing, eating and playing. In St. Louis we enjoying meeting little Ellie, Paulette's granddaughter who lives just around the corner....and what a doll baby she is. We also explored the quaint old town of St. Charles. Somehow we ALL found places to sleep at Paulette's and then on Saturday morning we packed up two vans and a car


and headed to THE CABIN (definitely, not THE SHACK).

We knew there was some SURPRISE along the way but didn't know what it was until we arrived at the ANIMAL SAFARI.What fun...Danny and Jack went ahead of us and lined up this tram for our drive thru the park. The animals are friendly and love to eat out of your hand, or or pocket or bag. The camel was simply hilarious. There were smiles all around for the entire trip.


One day we spent in Branson ~ some enjoyed shopping while most went to see Yakov Smirnoff. Dinner at Lambert's Cafe, home of the throwed rolls, capped off the day. Time in the hot tub, a picnic lunch on a pontoon boat ride, chatting in the sun on the porch over looking the lake

...it doesn't get any better than that!


The blondes in the group tried to convince the rest that they truly have more fun.

In the end, we know that we all enjoyed the weekend and want to go back to the cabin again some time. Plans are already in the making for a gathering in Lancaster County in the spring.

Wyoming Discovered

We did some hiking in Big Horn Canyon which is a National Recreation Area on the northern border of Wyoming and southern border of Montana.



Somehow we managed to find a man with a boat who was willing to take us on a tour up the canyon. It was a glorious day with deep blue skies and unbelievable rock formations. This park is a hidden jewel...entrance is $5.00 a day and you camp for free. Check it out on the National Park Service website. I will warn you tho, the town nearby does not have much to offer ~ we couldn't use a credit card at the restaurant or find a place to use a debit card but the people we friendly and helpful!


Right along side Big Horn Canyon is Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Refuge where we saw a dozen or so of the 125 mustangs that live in the refuge.

When you are in the northeast corner of Wyoming coming from South Dakota, a side trip to Devil's Tower National Monument is worth the drive...the Tower comes up out of now where and is just amazing. There is a beautiful one and a half mile hike around the base of the tower.

A drive thru Ten Sleep Canyon just west of Buffalo is also worth the time (it's on the way to Yellowstone and Big Horn Canyon).

Cheyenne was our last stop. We stayed at Warren AFB and enjoyed some of the rich history of the old Army Post, built in 1867 to protect the Union Pacific workers as they built the transcontinental railroad. The parade field on the base has to be half a mile long ~ we saw a picture of the cavalry unit in formation on the parade field and they needed the entire length. The old downtown area of Cheyenne is interesting and beautiful. The colorful boots are found all over the city.

By this time in our journey we had seen so many magnificent sights we could hardly take in any more. God is so creative and generous! We were happy to head south so spend time with Sarah and Joel ~ and wait for the arrival of little Anders.

South Dakota Wonders

Yikes, I just discovered I never wrote anything about the South Dakota Wonders we experienced this summer. What a beautiful adventure. The Needles Highway winds its way thru the Black Hills National Forest and takes you to Sylvan Lake. Near the lake is the trailhead to hike to the top of Harney Peak, which we did one day. It is in Custer State Park and is the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains and west of Pyrenees Mountains. It was a beautiful day for a hike and the view from the top (7242 feet) was amazing.

Of course we could not miss the incredible Crazy Horse Memorial or the historic Mount Rushmore.

Actually, Mount Rushmore would fit into the fore head of Crazy Horse but the Memorial will not likely be finished in our life time!

The Badlands were our first glimpse of the beauty and wonder of South Dakota...