This one ends a bit differently than the others...be forewarned.

After we stayed at the Queen's house for a few days, we took off for YWAM Colorado Springs.  It was only 20 minutes from them and we got there quickly.   We set up and were met by the person that would be giving us our tasks for the time that we were here.  ***Added bonus - he loves guns and we get talk about them allot!***  We took a tour of the base, met some folks, and were able to see what they do on a day to day basis.  This place is amazing!  The Lord has allowed them to take a hotel (awesome story on how they acquired it) and turn it into a multi-living/classroom area/workplace.  They even have a greenhouse that incorporates tilapia waste as fertilizer for an aquaponics system.  It was quite a learning experience for all of us.  Anyway, we were received with great warmth and welcome.  We were told that we could have the rest of the day to acclimate and get settled in but we kindly declined, headed to morning worship, and asked where we could get started. 

 

 

Walked in and quickly joined in with about 120 people for morning worship.

After worship, were all involved with the irrigation system.

The kids made some friends and enjoyed some time at the playground. 

The jobs that we have been able to do here has been from A to Z.  We started with fixing, digging, and sodding an irrigation system.  Zachary has continued his passion in the kitchen and has served nearly every day helping to cook two meals for 150+ people.  We are hearing rave reviews for his work ethics and manners and even greater reviews for his cooking!  In between meals he is also able to help us with demolition and the other work that we are doing.  He is a strong young man and has an ability to do so many things.  Caleb is a hug giving-always whistling-forever skipping-workhorse.  When I want to stop for the day, he keeps on.  When I want to take a break, he keeps on.  When he thinks I'm hurting, he tells me to stop and he'll keep on.  Him and I have worked allot together here and he is a true encourager.  He pops out all the time with encouraging words for me and for others and knows exactly what to say and when to say it.  He has helped with everything from painting stripes for a loading zone, handicapped spots, and parking spots to blowing leaves and dirt from roadways.  He has pulled up carpet and pad, ripped down drywall, and repaired holes.  He has pulled off wallpaper, taken out toilets, fixed a workout machine, helped textured walls and painted...you name it and he has done it here!  He is blessed with great strength and gumption and we are very thankful.  Kamryn is also like her brothers in working and has helped mommy with priming and painting allot.  But when she is done...she is done! Never fear though, she has surely continued her "loving on people" on top of the jobs she has been doing.   Thanks to her, each day for lunch or dinner (and on some occasions both) we have a new friend sitting with us.  It has been marvelous to get to know so many young people who have come here to focus on the Lord and further their knowledge of Him.

Zachary's first day in the kitchen.

 

Painting the dumpster area. 

We added some rebar for a new concrete pad. 

Zachary's time in the kitchen.  He even has a few battle scars to prove it. 

Caleb is cleaning the ground before we paint our stripes. 

Pulling the wallpaper!

Tiles is going bye-bye!

We got to fix a workout machine that has been broken for some time. 

Getting dirty and dusty. 

Keep them straight!!!

 

No sea legs here!

I honestly don't think we posed for this.

This was a typical hotel room when we started...we are knocking out some work!

 We have also had some good play time here.  We have visited Garden of the Gods and admired more of Creation.  We have had some good downtime with people that we have met here.  We have also had a few swim days...even though it was about 55 degrees outside.  We also went back to the Queen's house for an evening (our friends that we stayed with before we can here) and Zachary and I went to their church while Kelly and the other kids kept the dogs company.  The kids also learned about HAM radios and Morse code.  Last night we went to a pizza buffet/arcade place for their son's birthday and had a blast.  Do you know what happens when you get a bunch of adults playing Skeeball?!?!  It's not good, especially when the machine begins to malfunction and spit out tickets randomly...it was quite amusing.

A little down time in the camper. 

Learning about Morse code and HAM radios.

 

Cannonball!

55 degrees...not too chilly to keep us out of the pool.

Having fun!

Helping daddy make some dinner.

 

Zachary is waving his hands in the air like he just don't care!

Excuse me, would all of the adults please step away from the Skeeball and let the children play?! 

Kamryn and the Queen riding roller coasters.  Kamryn even put her hands up...and didn't squeal.

Our accommodations are more than adequate.  We were given a spot to park and able to hook up the electric and water.  We were also given a place to shower in the evenings so we would fill up our tanks so quickly.  This was quite a surprise and is only one example of feeling so welcomed.  Initially, Daddy said no to coming to Colorado Springs, CO because I was worried about freezing temperatures and didn't want to deal with busted pipes.  We prayed about it and checked the weather and for the following two weeks, the weather looked to be above freezing so we headed out.  Since arriving, last night was the only night that the weather had changed and we disconnected the water and made things were square for a night of cold.  We woke up this morning and had nothing to worry about.  Our view is amazing as we look right at Pike's Peak out of our windows and we are able to watch the top fill with snow.  We have been greatly blessed here and hope that we return those blessings through our work and relationships. 

Our yard and our view. 

I am going to end on a note that is not typical for these posts.  Usually, I have some witty closing that keeps everyone hanging on for more (yes, I know I am overindulging!)  ***The rest of this paragraph may not be for all ages...read ahead quietly before you read to your younger kids.  Then, you can explain as age appropriate if you see fit.  I won't go into it in great detail but feel led to speak of it and type this with tears I my eyes.  We had a beautifully focused worship time this morning and my heart was deeply touched.  We focused on the human trafficking trade and how it involves so many people forced to do things they probably would rather not be doing.  I knew of it but was totally naïve to the fact of how prevalent it is.  In the short time that we spoke about it this morning, I learned so much I didn't know and am very thankful.  It really is something to be aware of past seeing it on a billboard.  Sometimes it may involve someone who was troubled being misled and taken to a "better place".  Other times it may be that someone is just taken against their will or used to repay a debt.  All I know is that I now have a new prayer request to lift up throughout my days.   Even if I spoiled the mood for a bit, I hope that even my few words might spark something in someone's heart for education, action, or at least prayer.   

Ending on that note, and I feel it is of great importance, we are praying about our next destination and trying to figure out when we will head out from here.  There will be more adventures to follow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our kids have been spoiled!

 

While we were in Cortez, we did a day trip to Telluride, Colorado.  We really enjoyed it up there and had a great day.  The drive to there was amazingly beautiful and we took full advantage of a walkabout in the town.  We had a snack, talked to a handful of great folks, and ended up meeting a guy that was from my old hometown for the first 13 years of his life.  He lived in Telluride now and he invited us to stay on his property for as long as we needed and talked about heading back for a visit at some point.  We learned some great history in Telluride and had a free ride on the ski gondola all the way into the residential area.  We did some hiking on the top of the ski hills and headed back down.  We also did some fishing and caught some huge trout!  The kids were excited to be pulling those monsters in and I was glad to see their excitement. It was a wonderful day and we headed back home to Cortez and stayed a few more days before headed out to Durango, Colorado.  

 

 

A part of an old mine in Rico, Co.. 

Beautiful glacial lake near Rico. 

My beautiful bride and me. 

On the streets of old Telluride.

On the gondola at Telluride. 

Hiking at Telluride. 

More hiking. 

Poor baby wasn't feeling good. 

Beautiful views from the top of the Telluride. 

Might this be our Christmas card?

Rock climbing at Telluride.

Views from the gondola.

Fishing for trout in Telluride. 

Proud fisherman!

Look at the size of that thing!  Kamryn's was the biggest but it decided to jump back in the water. 

 

We moved into the forest near Durango and dry camped for 5 days in a beautiful spot.  We cooked over the fire for most meals, hiked the Colorado Trail, road bikes, and spent a few days relaxing as the allergy monster got a hold of a few of us and we got a little run down for the first time since we have been on the road.  While there, we also took a day trip to Silverton, Colorado.  This town was amazing!  It was an even better drive, had better views, and the town has an amazing history.  We spent the entire day there and had a chance to partake of the #1 rated funnel cake!  We met a couple from Oregon that wanted to know all about our trip and also another guy who was very intrigued that a young family would do what we are doing.  We also window shopped in most of the stores before they closed for the season and headed back to Durango.  On the way back, we found a glacial lake and got in some fishing.  This was one of those places that God gives us to enjoy because He is so Amazing.  Clear water, awesome views, only natural noises, and an experience that you can't buy; it was beautiful.  While in Durango, we also went to a fish hatchery.  These are always cool simply because we like fish!  We visited and met a Forest Ranger and she let the kids feed the trout.  They had a blast and we went to "eat out" (remember...sandwiches and chips at the truck is by definition, eating out).  The neatest thing about this trip was that while we were eating, we were joined by 3 deer at a distance of less that 8 feet.  We watched and talked to them and got in the truck and headed back home.  While we were in the forest camping we met a great 40'ish guy that was from Brooklyn.  He and his puppy decided to "take a break" and head out to see the country.  We exchanged stories for an hour or so and wished each other safe travels.  We placed him on our prayer wall and hope to hear from him to see how he is making out later.   We also had our own "AWANA" night and did verses, played games, and had a great time.  Another wonderful thing that we fond out while in Durango was that we spoke with YWAM Colorado and we were going to be serving with them for a few weeks!  We are so excited and look forward to see how God works through that.  We ended us having to leave the forest a little earlier that we needed to because it was rather cold at night.  We don't run the heat at night but it ends up running for a while in the mornings and uses a good amount of battery.  Anyway, that is something we have to work on, but nevertheless, we pulled out and headed towards Colorado Springs.  

 

 

 

 

Enjoying s'mores in the forest. 

Yes...there's certain perks to having bears in your front yard when you live in the woods!

 

Mmmmmm....dinner over the fire. 

 A forest ranger that we met and she allowed us to feed the trout at the trout farm. 

Some friends joined us for lunch. 

Famous Strater Hotel in Durango, Colorado.

Playing in a leather store!

Future cowboy of America. 

Looking over Silverton Colorado when the train is coming in. 

"Eating out" in Silverton, Colorado. 

Old town Silverton. 

Eating the best (says Trip Advisor) funnel cake!

I love my wife and this trip. 

An old silver mine. 

We found another lake to fish in on the way back from Silverton. 

Me and my girl!

We headed to Pueblo, Colorado and had a good and mostly uneventful trip.  From Durango, we had to dump after being in the woods for a few days.  We stopped at the Colorado Visitor's Center and dumped and met a couple who were on holiday from Germany.  We found out that it was Mr. Mike's (the husband) birthday and we all sang Happy Birthday to him.  We stood around for some time and traded stories and took some pictures on Mike's camera (our's died and he is going to send them to us).  We said byes and drove on.  We saw many places that we marked on our map for our future "forever home" and saw some beautiful country.  We went up and up and up and up the mountain and after 20 miles per hour to about 11,000 feet, we gave the truck a rest.   We stopped at the Continental Divide and this made the second time that we have stood on it.  The boys thought it was cool to be able to stand on each side and we hung out for a bit.  On the other side, after heading down the mountain, we experienced something rather different for us.  We were stopped in traffic in Alamarosa, Colorado while about 10 cowboys moved a LARGE number of cattle across the highway.  Quite neat and new for all of us.  We moved on and made it into Pueblo, Colorado where we stayed at a Wal Mart for the night.  This is where we spoke with my previous Commander/Queen and made plans to visit them.  We thought we were going to park the RV in the yard and visit a bit.  But...oh, were we wrong!

This was a neat reason to be stopped for traffic. 

Second time that we stood across the Great Divide. 

We showed up at the home of a beautiful couple and someone whom we have known for about 14 years.  We were greeted in the driveway of their beautiful home and we thought we were simply going to park in the yard and do a bit of visiting but no!...we were welcomed into their home and treated like royalty.  While here, my kids have become a bit spoiled by treats, TV, video games, horn blowing (aye yae yae!), staying up late, having clean towels and clothes, (I'm only kidding people...we wash their clothes) and any other thing that you can think of that they haven't had in the last 6 months...but we are very thankful.  We also had beds in a room that was heated, warm showers that had pressure, eats that should be offered in upscale hotels and Kelly and I also were able to have a date.  The boys even got to have a night out playing at a "Nerf Warz" place and we all got in some good fishing time today and pulled a handful of fish out of the water.  We have had many laughs and have had a refreshing stop before we head to YWAM tomorrow.

This is where it all began!

One of Kamryn's buddies. 

She loved blowing this bugle...allot...loud...everywhere. 

View from the back of our terrace.

Caleb was busy!

After she really learned to play, we starting letting her blow to the cows and falcons. 

Mr Bob doing his best Lewis and Clark impersonation.

Kamryn and her first big one!

Caleb and his big one. 

Kamryn's big trout.

Caleb and Kamryn went to meet the neighbors. 

Now they have spoiled all three of them. 

Such a beautiful sound...outside. 

The Queen was sewing the kids' badges on their vest.  They were in there learning how!  They almost gave her enough room to work.

The kids with the Royal family.  This photo is indicative of how the weekend was!  It was a blast!

The happy couple on a date!

I will catch up after we know more information of what we will be doing and how things go at YWAM.  We are so thankful for this trip, what it is doing for our family, and the amazing people that we are not only being able to see again but those who we meet for the first time.  Not much more to say than that!