Ummm.

Somehow, the ol' blog seems to have missed spring...and summer.... and fall. It's a little depressing to be facing 7 months of winter, get on your blog, and see nothing but snow. I promise our lives are not all white. We actually have sunshine and green.

Maybe we were to busy enjoying our fleeting months of sun to document! 

James Bond

I hereby promise not to make any cheesy parallels between love saving the day and James Bond saving the day. There. I feel better. The title and the quote on the plaque were making even me nervous. Deep breath. And onward.

Valentine's Day is one of my very favorites. It always has been. 

I think, for me, it's always been a little deeper than the advertised romantic holiday. 

We should live to celebrate love. We are the products of an epic love. 

A love that has and will save the day.

We spent our evening celebrating with friends. Dinner and a movie. 

Good conversation over coconut shrimp and wine.

But the Lord spoke to me when I least expected. As usual. 

In honor of the guys, we scrapped the romantic comedy.

 Instead, we watched the latest James Bond.

There is a point in the movie where Bond returns to his childhood home in Scotland. 

We find out that Bond's parents were tragically killed when he was young.

That is when "M" found him and brought him to the agency. Her comment struck me.

"Orphans make the best recruits." 

...

There was a season in college, where I would wake up in the morning with an anxious sinking in my stomach. I began to realize that I was living out of an orphan heart. I had fear without cause and anxiety for no reason. I began to tell my heart. 

"You have a FATHER. You have a HOME."

And slowly, peace settled there. I began learning how to live out of my new heart. The heart of a daughter. A daughter is loved, protected, provided for, cherished.
A daughter has a hope and a future.

...

 The enemy is looking for recruits. He targets orphan hearts. And he does not only target unbelievers. He loves to stir fear, anxiety and abandonment in our own hearts. He loves for us to live out of the old. For daughters and sons to live like orphans.

Thankfully, God targets orphans as well. He puts the orphans in families. He rescues the lost, restores the broken, gives us a future and a hope. 

He calls us sons and daughters.

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, 

but you received the Spirit of SONSHIP. 

And by HIM we cry Abba Father. 

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."

Romans 8:15-16

 Orphans make the best recruits. Who is your heart listening to?

s.n.o.w.

It's sort of strange how much we actually rely on this icy white stuff. It affects so many things for us in the valley. We have all been praying for more and yesterday we woke up to such a treat! 

About eight inches fell during the night and it kept snowing throughout the day. It actually looks like winter now! 

Humor me?

Can I please just give a nod to my horsey side? I ask this as if a quarter of the pictures on this blog don't already include ponies. They're just so fun and I love them. 

I was taking photos of a specific horse that Redcloud is selling and I got a little carried away. 

But these red ponies are just too cute! 

Cash and Louie

Hike with the Honey

Ok, it's January. Late January. And we're hiking like it's April. People we need some snow. That said, we might as well take advantage of the weather while it lasts. Today got up to 50 degrees. What?

Dannon decided we should hike to Lamb's Rock. 

It's a big rock face that crowns the mountain on one side of our valley. 

He disguised his plan by asking if I wanted to go for a "walk". I would never "plan" to go on a hike...ever. But, his disguise worked and I had agreed to a hike before I knew what was happening.

But how could you not love this view? 

Gorgeous, even if the wind was frigid and we didn't quite make it all the way.

It turned out to be lovely and super fun. Good call, Honey.

 We finished off the day with hot chocolate and chinese checkers. And any minute I'm going to get off this couch and make an incredible dinner of macaroni and cheese and hot dogs.
Livin' it up.

Denver Stock Show

We spent a long weekend (not long as in monotonous, long as in Fri-Mon) working the 

"Denver Western National". 

That's Colorado-speak for Stock Show and Rodeo. I'm from Ft. Worth, Texas. I would know. 

Anyway. We were thrust into the world of cowboys. I was elated and gushed to Dannon over the rows of cows, pens of sheep, and the prospect of funnel cake. 

Dannon responded valiantly and bought us rodeo tickets. It was magical.

We also talked to lots of people about Redcloud. Cowboys and non-cowboys alike. 

Always a pleasure. 

I topped off the trip with a quick trip to see these lovelies and meet their "new" baby. Ok, she's almost one and I'm a horrible friend. But Orianna was forgiving and shared her batman action figures. Wouldn't expect less of you, Bethany. 

Before I take Christmas Down...

I know it's January 8. I'm just a little hesitant to move on from Christmas. So, I will document my favorites and then move on...or leave it all up anyway.

Our tree was a little droopy this year...but we loved him anyway.