Wyoming Adventure

In June we met our good friends Joy and Justin Victor up in Wyoming and went on some of the most beautiful hikes in Yellowstone and Grand Teton.



We absolutely loved the Tetons. They are so gorgeous.



We hiked up to a beautiful mountain lake and Jeremy decided to join the Polar Bear Club and dive in!


We saw lots of animals in both parks, including a grizzly, some moose, and all the normal bison, elk, etc. and some of the most incredible scenery. We're so grateful for fun time with friends in God's beautiful creation!

Backpacking with Jeremy and Kelly

It's finally summer in Colorado and we celebrated by doing some backpacking with our good friends Jeremy and Kelly Fowler. We did a 25 mile loop in 3 days in the Lost Creek Wilderness not too far from where we live. It was so great to be out in God's beautiful creation and be away from our phones and computers and the busyness of life. The whole trail basically followed "Lost Creek" which has it's name because it disappears a few times under some of the huge boulder/rock formations in the area. We saw some beautiful wildflowers, spectacular views, and even some big horn sheep hangin' out on a rock face. What a great trip!

Kyndal's Graduation

At the beginning of May we traveled to Lynchburg to go to Kyndal's graduation from Liberty. Jeremy's parents, Dave and Bonnie, were able to fly here from Tanzania and we all got to be together, which was wonderful. We had such a great time seeing friends and celebrating with Kyndal. One night we had a bbq with some great friends from the church we went to when we lived there. We threw a party for Kyndal on the evening of graduation and had fun playing Bocce ball and having a campfire. Special thanks to Ben and Jess for letting us stay at and use your house while we were there. Toby got a break from his duty and was able to come down and spend the weekend with us which was a total bonus. My good friend Heather was also able to come down from Michigan. We had a short little visit with our friends Nathan and Jessica Smith, and got to see there little guy Caden, who is totally adorable. On our last day there we went on a beautiful hike to Crabtree Falls - the highest falls East of the Mississippi! Congratulations Kyndal! We love you!

Biology Fun with Hayden and Marian

Our friends Rob and Heather Blanks are homeschooling their kids in preparation to move to Mozambique to serve the Lord there. Heather and I had been talking for a while about doing a fun biology lesson with "Nurse Charissa." So I decided to get out the washable markers and we went to town drawing our "insides" on our "outsides".

Of course Marian and Hayden LOVED drawing all over themselves - every little kids dream of course!
It was such a fun day!

April (snow)showers...

...bring 4 feet of snow and 4 days without electricity or water! One thing we love about living in the Colorado mountains is the crazy weather we get. In the beginning of April, people were packing up their ski's and putting on their shorts. We had a few days that totally felt like summer. Then last weekend it snowed for 3 days straight and we got almost 4 feet of snow. It was such heavy/wet snow that it broke the tops of trees and branches off, some of which found themselves tangled up in powerlines. So...we were without electricity from Friday until Monday night. It was crazy. Church was even cancelled! We had a good time though - lots of reading and game playing. It's fun to play "pioneer" for a couple days. Although I have to admit, by day 3-4 when you SMELL like a pioneer, it starts to get a bit old. Here's some pics for all you East coast friends who are already laying out in your bathing suits!

That big pile of snow is our car there behind Jeremy.

California trip

We just got back from a great trip to the San Francisco Bay area where we were able to meet a bunch of new friends and partners and have a lot of fun as well. What a beautiful place.

"...The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." Job 1:21b

"There must be thorns amid life's flowers, you know,
And you and I, wherever we may go.
Can find no bliss that is not mixed with pain.
No path without a cloud. It would be vain
For me to wish that not a single tear
Might dim the gladness that you hold so dear.
I am not wise enough to understand
All that is best for you. The Master's Hand
Must sometimes touch life's saddest chords to reach
It's sweetest music, and His child to teach
To trust His love, till the long, weeping night
Is all forgotten in the morning light.
Trust, trust Him, then, and thus shall good or ill
Your trustful soul with present blessing fill.
Each loss is truest gain if, day by day,
He fills the place of all He takes away."

-Ballarat-

Jay, Jackie and Lydia Grace!

Last week our good friends Jay and Jackie came to visit for a few days. They are some of our best friends from college and we love spending time with them and little Lydia. She is absolutely adorable and 100% girl!

We took them to our friends house for a broom-ball party. Everyone got pretty bruised up, but had a blast.

Lydia and I sat on a sled and cheered for the game. She was so cute - cheering for her DAdada!They pushed the gimp and the baby around a bit on the sled.
We love spending time with Lydia! She is such a happy little girl and always entertaining. We're so grateful for such good friends!

Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. Kyndal came and we enjoyed lots of time with family, good food, and playing Settlers of Catan almost every day! On Christmas morning we indulged in the Jones family tradition by having waffles with blueberries and ice cream for breakfast. We sure wish Dave and Bonnie were here to enjoy it with us. It was so fun to be with Brady for his first Christmas and watch him open his presents - he gave each one a sweet little hug. This Christmas we are thanking God for the indescribable love He showed us in sending His Son to Earth, and all the many blessings He has poured out on us - especially our wonderful families.

Happy Birthday Jeremy!

We celebrated Jeremy's birthday with my family. My dad knows how much Jeremy love MEAT, so he cooked an amazing prime rib dinner with all the works. I made Jeremy his favorite cake for dessert - German Chocolate!
I thank God for this amazing man. Im so glad he was born! Thanks Dave and Bonnie for raising such an incredible son.