Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Holiday to the farm

One of our favorite places on earth....this beautiful land we can retreat to out in Forestburg!  We spent the holiday weekend at our neighbors, Rick and Bev Brown's, farm.  What a glorious time we had.  And it was so nice to be in a cabin out of the wind!  Don't get me wrong, we love our tent camping...but come on!  Beds, running water, a potty....you get my drift.



Gorgeous sunset that night.  God is so good to light up the sky for us....so peaceful and calm.  So beautiful!



Heading out to do a little fishing....








It was definitely fishing and not catching that morning.  Not even a bite!  But we still had fun.  The kids are getting so good at casting and reeling!


Logan was a new man....able to actually get around on the four-wheeler!  He even fished off the back of it.  :)  Three more weeks on those darn crutches!


I love this crew!  Man, it was a gorgeous day to be outside...


Bethie was in her own pet-heaven....with the Brown's Daisy...and our sweet Josie girl.  Her first trip out to the country!  She loved it...



Bev and I thought this was a very symbolic picture.....cast off your shackles and chains!



Rick and Bev


Rick creating a boat storage facility....


Fishing with my girl


Joy.


I am thankful for the way Rick and Bev follow hard after Christ....so we follow hard after them!  Rick's whole face is a big smile....and he is constantly putting others before himself.  I loved watching he and Logan play the guitar together- he never once took the lead.  Just followed along after Logan and made him feel so special.  And Bev continually encourages me in Christ through His Word.  I loved our long walk and discussions about where we are in the Word...Romans and Genesis....talking about Jacob and how he was so deceptive....yet the Lord still loved him and chose to bring the line of Christ through him.  Man, I just don't understand sometimes!  And then as consequences tend to creep up on us...Jacob was then in turn deceived about Rachel!  Sigh~  Such hard lessons.
I love serving at Beloved with Bev and sharing stories about the sweet ladies God has blessed us with there.  Oh how each of us is a beautiful MESS!  So thankful the Lord has sought to redeem me...to continue to run after me....and to make His mercies new every morning.  Great is your faithfulness, oh Lord!

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Daddy Daughter Dance 2012

Well, this is definitely one of their most favorite days of the year....the Daddy Daughter Dance!!!  So of course, we had to start getting ready early to have time to do hair, paint fingers and toes, and just have fun at the Burton spa!!  :)


The girls got these robes for Christmas....but they were perfect for this
 Valentine-themed  spa treatment!









All ready to go!

Beth looked so pretty in her pink dress!

Daddy and his girls


Faith Anna looked so grown-up in her fancy dress!
Handsome Daddy!

Beautiful sisters...
So after we got the girls off, the boys and I headed out to dinner and a movie....

My sweet friend Laura met us there with her two boys, Thompson and Denton...
while her hubby was at the dance with their two girls!

Love that Mi Cocina!

Having fun at the dance....

Last dance was to Steven Curtis Chapman's "Cinderella"... love that!


So thankful we can make these fun memories with these precious kids!  Grateful, thankful, humbled...what a gift, Lord!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Burton-Hotchkiss Ski Trip!

We got to get away this past weekend with some of our best friends in the world...Ken & Molly Hotchkiss and Mike & Diane Hotchkiss.  We celebrated Ken's, Luke's, and my 40th birthdays!  We headed to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and did a little skiing and snow boarding.  God gave us amazing weather, great conversations, and lots of laughter!  It was a fabulous long weekend.  Thanks guys for hanging with us....but more importantly for all the years of friendship and love!

Luke and I on our way up the first slope!

Shan, Molly, and Dee....I love these girls so much!


We skiied with Mike and Dee the whole first day....it was a beautiful, bluebird skies....
warm, crisp....perfect spring skiing!

Mike and Dee





Morning of our second day...about to hit the slopes with Molly and Ken

The second day was so different from the first....grayish white skies with snow falling
 ALL day!  It was beautiful, and magical, and....COLD! :)

The boarding dudes

Mike and Luke had fun with the video camera all day today....shredding it up in the fresh powder!

Our hair is full of snow!


Our whole group...Luke and Shan, Diane and Mike, Ken and Molly

I love sunsets.

View from our backporch hot tub....look at all the fresh snow we got on day 2!



These icicles were AMAZING!



Front porch steps




Gameroom fun.  The house was amazing!  Here are some pics of this gorgeous getaway....
Did I mention the guys planned the whole thing??  I know!! :)

Living room

Kitchen

Gameroom

Bunkroom





Silliness


So thankful to be on this journey with you guys and get to do life with you!  We love watching you raise your kids to look more like Jesus....and want to emulate the way you all love BIG.  Thanks for loving us and wanting to hang out.  We had so much fun!!!

Mike made a video from the footage on his Go-Pro camera....here is the link!

http://youtu.be/AfgSvZmNEWA