Travel Snapshots

We had a great month of traveling and recruiting, not to mention seeing family! We got to speak to K-life groups, college classes, and Dannon met with youth pastors and supporters. 

It was a full four weeks and here are a few of the highlights: 

Watching Latham kick at the Burleson football game in the Cowboy Stadium.

Hanging out with some extremely cute nephews and me with no makeup....sheesh.

Ummm, darling.

Catching the last game of Caleb's soccer season.

Zeno and Libby surprised us and came to Houston!

Zeke really liked his cousin Cooper.

This is toward the end of the trip at my parent's house. 

As you can see we are getting a little loopy with all of the traveling. 

We had a lovely Thanksgiving with my family, 

and how I got out of there without any photos of the festivities I do not know. 

But that is the truth of the matter, no matter how distressing.

Two more weeks until we leave again for Christmas! 

Homemade, Lake City Christmas

Well, first off, we got our Christmas Tree! 

It was dumping snow which made it all the more exciting.

Last year was our first Christmas but we didn't get to spend 

December in Lake City, so this all feels like a first!

Our little spruce is a bit scraggly but we love him.

Zeke wasn't very much help.

What a handsome, bringin' home the tree, kind of husband.

We had a little bit of a light fiasco, but it all turned out ok.

I was determined to have a homemade tree, so I cut out paper snowflakes and strung cranberries. I felt like I was from "Little Women" or something.

A few little touches. Oh, and I made my first wreath!

Our stockings are hung and the mantel is lighted.

This is a Christmas photo wreath I made with favorite memories from the year.

I love the little reindeer mom got me, and I pushed cloves into these oranges to spell joy. When I was little we hung cloved oranges on the tree every year, so the smell makes it feel like Christmas.

This is Christmas in Lake City, where the shop owner open up their stores, bring free goodies to share and everyone does some Christmas shopping.

Amy and I hit the stores and braved the snow.

 It has been wonderful to enjoy our woodstove, snow falling, quiet evenings, and lots of homemade hot chocolate. Rest is a happy place.

Hey Little Buddy

Just so you know.

We got him.

But not before he did this to my lovely geraniums from Nana.

Blast.

Choppin'

It is the time of year when everyone is busy figuring out how they will keep from freezing this winter. Pellet stove? Wood burning? Propane? 

It seems that all of our friends are in some stage of this fall frenzy.

As you have probably guessed, we have a wood stove. 

Here is a little look into one of our several days of chopping.

Dannon cuts the wood,

Kyndel stacks it in the truck,

And Zeke eats the work gloves.

If only these two got along....

We would be one big happy family.

One more load to go and our wall o' wood will be complete!

Once Upon a Year

I'm feeling quite out of sappy tonight. Maybe it's because I used it all up this weekend on our anniversary trip. I think that was probably a worthy cause.

We had a delightful time! Thanks to The Ruby of Crested Butte, we felt spoiled rotten. We are not big picture takers, but I will slap a few down here for the records.

The streets of CB. A little chilly but not enough to make us think of winter.

Our vehicles of transportation.

I later learned with great dismay that Dannon did not have the same elated feeling as I did while riding around on the pink cruiser bikes. I have no idea why.

The thumbs up is for the Georgia Bulldogs, in case you thought it was for the awesome room. It was a good trade, though. We watched a Georgia game for Dannon and went to see "The Help" for me!

Sushi for Dinner

Cute entryway

One of the living rooms

Lunch!

Camp 4 Coffee. So delicious! 

New wedding band from Dannon!

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:17

Baptisms

This summer, Dannon got to baptize three people! Two little were campers and the other was a staff member who was a believer but had not yet been baptized. It is so exciting to see bold hearts making a public confession of their faith. I cry every time. A total of fifteen people were baptized at Redcloud this summer. Praise the Lord!

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4

Anniversary Week Confession

As our anniversary approaches, I was thinking of how far I have come on this journey. It took me a while to stop freaking out long enough to realize how incredible this...extremely persistent...guy was.

But I have a confession. I was facebook stalking him before he even asked me out. I have witnesses. Just ask my best friend Lara. I was pullin' up those profile photos like I'd memorized the address.

So in celebration of the upcoming weekend, I have posted my favorite go to pics from when I was admiring this cutie from a distance.

Not sure what made these the favorites. But there it is, the honest to goodness truth. 

And I have lots more favorites now....but the difference is that I'm in them! 

A Gift of Girls...and Tea

Tea party time with the ladies! 

I was blessed to have these beautiful girls over for some dressed-up cups of tea. It wasn't my idea. I can't take the credit, but I was happy to host.

Some of these lovely ladies are full time staff and others are just here for a short season. But all of them are amazing girls pouring out their gifts and talents and beauty for the cause of the Kingdom.

It has been interesting being one of the "Married Ladies". I was see-sawed right out of my comfortable "single girl" category and plopped into one quite new to me. But I have to say, I like my new found setting. Mostly, I love my incredible husband and will take every little change that comes with getting to keep him forever.

The beauty of it is, I am beginning to realize that I haven't lost the gems that I so endearingly called my own for so many years. I haven't lost my girls. I have gained a deep forever place, and now I get to live here and love all my girls from this new spot. It has taken me a while to realize this; to verbalize this change. But I'm getting there...and I kind of like it.