The Difference a Few Days can Make!

This is the same view (almost, because I wasn't willing to get snowed on to take the same picture) as the other day. Look one entry below. What a difference a few days can make! The news is reporting we could get yet another 10-12" tonight and even more tomorrow! Yay! Welcome Winter :)

Here's another view from the patio door looking out. I should try to snap one of Oz as he blends in except for the black spots! He is quite put out with the snow cold on his feet you know.

So I turned this stay inside kinda day into a baking day. :) This is the making of "End of the search Chocolate Chip Cookies" . I found the recipe on a blog I was reading and wanted to try. So far so good. The first batch was yummie. Apparently I will be here a while as the recipe makes 6 dozen :)

I must run and take some cookies off the pan and of course sample because I plan to gift a few tonight at a gathering to honour our Youth Pastors' last night. :)

Isn't Fall just the best? This is my view from the computer these days. I am sitting at the kitchen counter and looking outside. There are so many pretty colours out there and right in my eye line too! :) While walking today in the neighborhood doggie, hubbie and I crunched crunched and crunched in the many leaves littering the street. I probably shouldn't say littering the street as my first thought with litter is trash and I definately would not call crunchable leaves trash. I would call them cheap fun! :) Take a minute, or several, to crunch your way around the block it is good for the soul and usually makes me remember piling the leaves and jumping... ummm, I mean raking them and putting them out for lawn stuff pick-up.... yeah, that's what we were doing out there for hours on end as children...

Simply Stated yet Profound

LIFE LESSON

You gotta read this. I couldn't have said it better myself and I didn't. A fellow blogger named Sarah wrote it in her blog Life in the Parsonage.

Enjoy

Bear Grass - from our Trip to Glacier National Park - Such a strange plant but very cool lookin'.

Kayaks and Cardies!

I can't believe it has been almost a month since I've been here. Eeek. While I listen to tapes I transcribe I have downtime until I get to the section I need type. So... I am using my downtime to post. :)

After the MT trip and the kayaking fun I had there I found and purchased a new toy! Yay. I found me a used kayak and paddle. There is a pond just North of us that I can put the kayak in for free (yay, free!). The only bummer is that I cannot put the kayak on/off the car without assistance so I have to wait til I find someone to go with. Bill has been a few times with me YAY! His new toy (an Ipod) makes it more fun for him since he sits on shore while I toodle along in the pond. My time on the water has been so great and I am so glad I found and purchased my new toy. No pictures yet but I will get some up soon.

We are preparing for another road trip and guess who's going with us!? Kayak! While I was on-line checking for any local kayak groups I found one in the area where Bill's parents live. Snooping on their website proved to be very fruitful. We were planning a trip to see Bill's parents and low - and - behold - there was a trip idea presented.... would anyone be interested in a trip in Aug.? ME ME ME ME.... I am so excited that the kayak trip was proposed for the same time we were going to be in the area. The trip is a camp/kayak trip. We'll camp Fri. night - go on the river Sat. day - camp Sat. night and return to St. Louis area on Sun. After enquiring about the trip I was encouraged to post a note to the members of the group to see if anyone would have a spare kayak/paddle for Bill to use. Sure enough a kind soul popped up and said he did AND he would bring it to the camp/put in for us! Yay God. We (the me part of we probably more so) are so excited for this trip... Actually I just found and purchased a dry bag for the trip. Craigslist rocks!

While we are in St. Louis we get to go to see the Cardinals Baseball team whip the tooshies of Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 1st. Yippeee. There's something for both of us on this trip! It will be a fun time as we are getting together with other members of the family for this game.

Kayaks and Cardies all in one little road trip. Yay us!

No Internet in the Middle of Nowhere :)

My sweetie and I have just returned home after spending some time away in the middle of nowhere. Luckily (or too bad) there was no internet connection where we were hiding.

Here's a hint...
There was no electricity at our lodgings...

... and we had other way more fun things to be doing :)We saw so many neat things... climbed, hiked, and even kayaked. I really enjoyed the kayaking.
At the last campsite we stayed in, our neighbors were kind enough to let us use their kayaks for a spin around a small lake. We were able to put in just across from our campsite. It was a lot of fun and I could have spent all day out there if I could have... :)

Now I want a new toy!
http://www.dagger.com/product/index/product_homepage/recreational_touring/catalyst/catalyst_12_8/
I am hoping to find a used one somewhere :)

Ok then, I will share more about our adventures in the coming weeks.

O-So Pampered

Do you have one of these? Mine sure is spoiled. I caught him napping on our bed. Check out the use of the pillows. As my sweetie says... he does have to eat, sleep and pottie. What a pampered pooch!

Today was a wonderful day for lazing around ... While reading a book Oz and I were hiding under a tree. I was reading he was snoozing. It sure was enjoyable. Isn't he so handsome?
Mom you ready to have him come live with you? He could keep you company under a tree.

Good thing we aren't out there now. There is quite the lightening storm a' brewin' out there. A flash flood warning has been issued for areas near North Fort Collins. We've only gotten sprinkles and a whole lotta lightening so far. Uh oh, it is now a tornado warning for NE Ft. Collins. Not having it here!

Enjoy your at home vacation like days!

Wild Weather

Oblivious to the weather brewing outside, I was being a busy bee and getting things done around the house. After watching a news report a friend called to say she was glad we are not on our hike today. On Sat. we hiked in NW Ft. Collins and today that area enjoyed some wild weather. There were tornadoes spotted in the area and sheets of rain falling! Phew.

This picture is between our house and the next. The clouds were most interesting but not funneling! Yay!
This one is looking Eastish and again the clouds are looking quite menacing.

another view....

Imagine what you miss when you get things done around the house. Thanks J for calling with the update to look outside!

Finally ... brrriiinnnggg brrrriiinnggg!

Yup, it's true I am finally hooked up with an active cell phone! It only took a month and a week. After the charger fiasco was sorted out I thought porting my number would be the easy part. HAH! Nothing was easy about this process. I kept calling and being told sorry but the computers are down, we are still waiting, check the info again, and I don't know what is going on. Since Virgin hadn't received my number (or so I thought) I was advised to cancel the port and take a Virgin number. Again and again I called in to check if the port was canceled. Finally I got smart and asked for a supervisor. He looked at things and said no the port was not canceled... wait some more while he sends a message to corporate to get things sorted out. After I left for some errand Bill took a message from "some guy from Virgin Mobile " that said, "port not canceled, you have your number, & you need to re-program phone." Of course I had tons of questions... no answers. Impressed that someone actually called me I sat in a state of shock. Finally I was moving forward. The long awaited text finally arrived that said welcome to Virgin Mobile. Ahhhhh Success! For my trouble I was given presents :) They put me on a plan no longer offered that is less money per minute, I was gifted a bunch of anytime minutes (that don't expire!), and finally instead of $9.99 owed to me from the promo when I signed up I got $20. Yay!

It pays to keep after people. AT&T canceled my account because they had forked over my number not because they were rude... oops, sorry stinky 'ole AT&T! I am glad I stuck it out because after a while it became a quest.. Bill didn't quite get it, but I had to see it thru... Bet those reps were glad they were talking to me and not him. So after all this was it worth it? Yup, tho I haven't actually used the phone yet.

:)

Argh... Do I Really Need a Cellphone?

Wow, I just got off the phone with a friendly Virgin Mobile worker who wanted to send her computer out the third floor window. Apparently they have had computer problems all weekend & it's continuing!

Ahhh, but I am jumping ahead in my story. As a refugee from AT&T Wireless I am a little touchy about customer service and dealing with reps on the phone. AT&T got on my last nerve so I used all my money that was on my account (except 15 cents!). They weren't getting any more than that! My phones were re-homed and I was finally free, or so I thought... To port my number from AT&T (yuk!) to Virgin I had to obtain my account number (not the phone number as I thought), a password, and find out if my account was still active. It was, I got the account number, and the password was finally obtained. You see, I talked to a lovely rep (who didn't pay attention) who said he would be glad to send the password to my phone. Yes, my phone that I had told him 3 times that I'd given away. Arrgh! Most companies, in my experience, when they hear someone is leaving their service because of dissatisfaction with their product say something like sorry you are not happy (or whatever), try to find out more, or try to entice you to stay. AT&T nah, they don't do that... just don't let the door hit you on the way out. In order to plug in my sim card & get the password I borrowed a phone. Finally, I think I am DONE with AT&T.

Now, I am ready to get my service going with Virgin Mobile. Or so I thought... The phone arrived and I tore into the packaging only to discover that the charger they sent is not the one that fits the phone I received. To the phone I went to get this taken care of and they send out another one. Yay... getting closer... or so I thought. That packaging goes flying only to discover I got a charger to a different make of cell phone. ARGH! Again to the phone to get this sorted out ... after an hour on the line and on hold the lady says I am going to get this sorted out for you but I am not going to make you wait on hold anymore. Hopefully she will call and say it is all set and your charger will be on the way! Here's to dreaming big ... and she will say I put a few other pressies in the box too (headset, etc.!).

At least the Virgin Mobile rep's have all apologized and whether they care or not I hung up the phone feeling like they cared about me as a customer. :) Hopefully things will be smooth sailing from here.

Update: Virgin Mobile called back and said the charger, the right one this time, should be on the way shortly!

Who knew such a small thing could be such a big pain?

Have I ever told you...?

Have I ever told you about this amazing blog I found last year...? It is the bestest crock pot bloggie ever. In this country there is a lady who loves her crock pot enough to use it every day for a year! She is posting about her experiences, the good, the bad, and the flop. One day she posted a recipe for Macaroni and Cheese... could you imagine? Some of the comments said it tasted like the out of the oven REAL mac and cheese... not like the blue box kind. That kind has it's special place in my heart as it helped me to afford living while attending college. I had to give it a try. Today is one of those days where comfort food is calling hence... dinner (pictured below) I know... it doesn't look all that appetizing... however, it is O so yummie! I've been stirring and of course instead of the utensil dripping on the counter I had to prevent it by licking the potential drips. :) The sacrifices I make. So here is the link to the best crock potting bloggie ever: crockpot365.blogspot.com
Page down til you see her version of the Mac. n' Cheesie goodness. Can't wait to make the crock pot granola! YUM!

I am off to go stir again and serve... hopefully!

Winter Wonderland

It is funny that my last post included the thermometer saying 68 degrees outside and that outside was warmer than inside. Funny how things change.. it is not so anymore. That same thermometer is showing 41 degrees in the sun and my thermometer on the computer says it's 20 degrees outside. We are enjoying a winter wonderland. I saw someone skiing by the window while I was visiting a friend who is doing battle with cancer. Such fun! The skiing part, not the battling part. This is the cornice that awaits some unlucky door opener! It is right above the sliding glass door we let Ozzie in and out of :) Any bets on who gets it?There is much snow in front and on top of the tub of hot. Ozzie isn't climbing up there any time soon... or maybe he will use the snow as a ramp!? We hope not to give him any ideas! The BBQ shows it all! That is the deck. As I shoveled yesterday I was wondering if there is a weight limit for this deck. The snow was very wet and gushie until late last night when it got so cold and then it was light and fluffy.Sure is pretty tho. Another cornice on the roof of the part that juts out. This one isn't likely to catch anyone beneath it. I really enjoy the snow.

I wish I had my new car to give the AWD a good test in the white stuff! We have a chance for more later next week... maybe then. I am enjoying the snow as I vacation at home! :) Some people pay lots to see, stay and play in this much!

Vacation at Home: Inside and Outside

Yup, here it is again. The panoramic view from where I sit. It is the most beautiful day and I came outside to get warm. You heard correctly... outside to get warm. Right now it is warmer outside than inside my house. And this here is the proof. The calendar still says March but is should be June right? The 68 you see is outside and the 67 is inside temperature. I've had a wonderfully slow day. This morning, upon my arrival downstairs, I discovered a pressie for ME! O' happie day! My sweetie brought me this lovely yummieness all wrapped in the colour of the sun.
Yay... he doesn't think I am wide if he brings me this! Right? Tee hee hee! I had a tea & bagel for breakfast. Next up, I read some more of the book Driven by Eternity by John Bevere. Wow, what a eye opener. Let's just say, I thought my eternity was for sure. This book is inspiring and challenging me to take a closer look. I would recommend this book be read by every Christian and pre-Christian alike! I am still chewing on a bunch of things I read this morning. Hopefully, I will get things sorted out and remember to let y'all know. A bit chilly, I decided to move the operations outside for a snack... (see above) and a soak in the sun! Well the sun got a little toasty so I drug out the umbrella that was just longing to see some sun. I gave it it's wish and voila.. here I sit getting warm and typing. There are a number of things I could be doing, but I've decided not to, and so I sit admiring the beauty of almost Spring :) while enjoying Summer temperatures!

This is another book I am reading.
Ok, so maybe I should have the Butterfinger before I jump into this one huh? This book is also wonderful. In it, the author, shares her experiences and the things French women seem to know instinctively or are so natural they are easily overlooked. From the dust jacket: ".... now, in simple but potent strategies and dozens of recipes you'd swear were fattening, she reveals the ingredients for a lifetime of weight control - from the emergency weekend remedy of Magical Leek Soup to everyday tricks like fooling yourself into contentment. Emphasizing freshness, variety, balance, and always pleasure, Mireille shows how virtually anyone can learn to eat, drink, and move like a French woman." The author uses great stories and has a suck you in writing style. I am enjoying this book. However, I do need a French dictionary to figure out what some of the ingredients are. :)

Better close the computer before the Butterfinger dust flies. Here's to enjoying vacationing at home!

Restoration, Times Seven

Hey all. I wanted you to be aware so you don't set yourself up to be a victim or someone else to become a criminal. Let me explain.... This weekend our church held a conference on Thurs. & Fri. evenings and all day Sat. During the conference I had stashed my tote bag, with my purse inside, in one of the rooms we used throughout the conference. There were always people around the area but not always in the room where I left it. Apparently it was not stashed securely enough as someone came in, looked in my bag, looked in my purse, found my coin purse, and stole $60 dollars.

If you would be willing to stand with us in declaring a restoration, x7, of the money it would be very much appreciated. A report was made with the police department and to our pastor. It will be a miracle if the thief is caught. This declaration is based on:
___________________________________________________________

Proverbs 6:30-31 (New Living Translation)

³⁰ Excuses might be found for a thief
who steals because he is starving.
³¹ But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole,
even if he has to sell everything in his house.

___________________________________________________________

I hold the enemy responsible for this act and also for the restoration of the money! Also, pray for the person who took the money.

Beware of leaving valuable possessions, especially purses, jackets, wallets with cash, unsecured. It doesn't matter if the item is somewhat hidden (ie: covered/not visible) because my incident was the second time this happened and both times the items were stolen from a purse that was not openly visible.

I believe what our money says, In God We Trust!

Yup, It's Time...

I think I was the last holdout... I have thrown in the towel with the rest of you... I am ready for Spring. Yesterday did it... The hubbie and I went on a bike ride. Sorry no pictures, apparently I need a larger purse & to get into the habit of carrying my camera everywhere I go. I'll go get it and put it in there now. I'll be right back. (enjoy some music while you wait)

The deed is done. The camera is handy again. Digging up a free SD card was a bit of a trick as I've not done anything with the Africa cards. I best get my tooshie (sp?- anyone know how to spell it?) in gear. Well it seems Blogger didn't want me to post any pictures (even if I had them) as their uploader is not working...

It's working now and here is a picture of the bag that went with me. As you can see it is plenty big to hold the camera... so the habit must set in... The sun is out today but it is a bit cooler. The wind is still whippin' tho. It's not quite a re-creation of yesterday but some elements are still in place.









Back to yesterday's festivities. We trucked the bikes to Ft. Collins and parked the truck where softball practice was to be later. Jumping on the bikes, we headed North to our destination, the Ft. Collins Museum. Using the bike paths we made it pretty far without having to take our lives in our hands on the roads. A bunch of miles later we arrived. When we began, I forgot to set the trip-o-meter (oops!). The museum was a good place to poke around and, for the $2 suggested per person donation, it was a cheap outing. It had to be as our cash supplies were running low. Banks, I know there are banks but we were trying to stay low budget and not visiting said bank forced us to succeed! :)

On the bike ride I realized something. Here we were riding along in our shorts and short sleeve shirts, working up a sweat, the sun beating down on us, the wind whipping through our hair his hair - my helmet & enjoying the Summer day. Only... it wasn't Summer. It was Summer-like. I noticed we had all the elements of Summer with one exception, the trees didn't have leaves on them. I don't know if something like that strikes you as odd but it did me so I decided to mention it. See, no leaves.









We returned, a minimum of 5.9 miles later, to the truck & loaded the bikes. I remembered sometime on our ride to set the trip-o-meter. :) Hubbie joined the boys for practice and I did my best not to giggle as they worked out the softball cobwebs that had formed over the Winter. Actually, they did well. I am looking forward to the season starting.

So there you go. A lot of words just to say... Spring ... come forth!

MY Blog... So I start with MY Kids!

My kiddos! AREN'T THEY SO PHOTOGENIC? How do I explain leaving CO and having no children to coming home with eleven? These are the kids of "Heroes of the Nation" Orphanage in Nyhururu, Kenya - Africa. They are the most amazing children ever! I decided that someone forgot to tell them that they are orphans. I've never seen so many smiles in one place. Each child here has their own story to tell. Many (not all, thankfully) were abandoned, their parents died, or were left with elderly relatives who were unable to care for them. One of my girls (Mary- pictured above & below) is not an orphan but attends the school as a day student and returns to her family in town each evening.

Our bus pulled up to what I thought was the gate of the orphanage. There were so many children around and they were soooo excited to see us. Later I learned they had been waiting all day for our arrival. We arrived close to 3pm (ish.). The bus began to move again and I realized we were not there yet. The children were now running along side, often while holding hands with our team, for approximately a mile back to the campus. Mary was running and holding my hand (at altitude - making it look easy I must say...). She was the first child who chose me.

Allow me to explain. Once the bus parked and it was time for us to get off (finally ... many many hours of travel and my legs were aching for some exercise) we made our way to the steps and looked out into a sea of children in orange and purple uniforms. The moment our feet hit earth there was a group of children surrounding each team member. We were chosen and ushered away from the bus. I use usher loosely as while we were walking being manuevered away there were more children than I could count attached to any available part of me. We made our way to a spot on the field they use for athletics and more. They wanted me to sit. One skill I learned was to sit while attached to many children and without using hands. We introduced ourselves and I did my best to learn each one's name. Wow that was a task.
Hannah, above, was one of my girls. She was a little different in the fact that she was always around but wasn't always touching me. Most of the other children were always touching one part of me or another. Hair on arms/legs was a big thing to them as their skin there is hairless. Often my hair was "fixed" by the girls (or boys) depending on who was around at the time.

Bill and I were chosen by different groups of children. Bernard is one who floated between our two groups. He is a wonderful young man. Each child is so very thankful for all they receive at Heroes and Bernard is one who expresses that thankfulness in such a gracious way. Along with other children, he worked his way to a permanent place in our hearts. Bernard was the first to write me a note and share his story with me. I hope to keep in close contact with each child.

Now... Samuel. He is a most wonderful young man with a charisma about him that is almost unmatched in one so young. Leadership seems to come out of his pores. It was often that he was the one re-directing my path when I wandered away from my keepers children. I will share lots more in the coming days but... allow me to leave you with this one. He said something to me that I am still pondering and 'chewing' on. "Samuel, are you ever sad?", I asked one day. Remember in your mind who an orphan is and what society says about them. Often they are abandoned, or their parents have died and they are left on their own with no one to care for them. They are left to fend for themselves. Back to the question, "Samuel, are you ever sad?" His one word answer still is running through my head. He answered, "Why?".

We're Back....

.... and adjusting to the local time zone. The trip was amazing and went, almost, without a hitch. After one missed flight, lots of time zones skipped, many snoozes, and airplane meals we arrived in Kenya ready to work. Lots more about this later. We took many photos and have lots to share. Although this trip was amazing and beyond all we've done before we are glad to be home. Our animals are happy we are home as well. In our absence, D took great care of them and it always puts our my minds at ease that they are at home instead of doggie/kittie jail. Yay!

KENYA HERE WE COME

We are all ready (hopefully) and about ready to walk out the door. Kenya here we come. More when we return... not sure what type of access to computer we may/or may not have.

Hugs!

Most helpful HTML site

I must say I am learning a lot by doing this bloggie and one of the things that I am working on is learning all sorts of html tricks. One of the things I have am learning is how to make a link.. AND have it open in a new tab. So here's a way I can show off and give you the link to the site that helped me ooooo soooo much! So here IT is. I hope! Thanks to Dave!

TTFN!

Almost on Our Way!!!

We are almost ready to go. It is hard to believe, after so much work to fundraise, get shots, etc. , that we are leaving tomorrow to go around the world to Africa. The bags are almost packed, the house is almost clean (for the sitter), and the "children" haven't been told yet, but I think they may know something is up. They usually do. This is an amazing opportunity. One of the Pastors at church gave us a word... don't mess with the lions. Interesting.... I think I will heed that one! :)

Our travel days are about 20 hours (ugh!) but we can't wait to get there and give those kiddos at the orphanage hugs and greetings from America (and all who have helped us to get to them!). http://www.htn.org
is a link to the website for the orphanage where we will be.

When we ALL Get Along

Don'tcha just love it when we all get along? Lookit' these two... who woulda figured it would be almost 9 months after introductions were made before they could peacefully coexist with one another. If they can do it so can we. Is there someone in your world you've not contacted because of "stuff" in the way? If so, why not clear the stuff and give them a call or drop on by?

On another note, lookit' that window, it's open! Isn't it January? Why yes, it is. After lots of prayer and petition...we've been experiencing the BEST weather ever. So much so I think we are all spoiled. Today's temperature at this very moment 15:32 is 63 deg.F Crazy huh? Some of the shrubs are trying to bud and the bottoms of my roses are greening a bit. It's a bit early for that tho.

The above being said .. the other morning when I was out with the poochie I came across the most beautiful sight.
It was soooooo pretty and suprisingly hard to capture the beauty by photo. See, I had to share this with you all, lest you come and try to steal our upper 60's from us.

Lots of news. Yesterday we found out that we have the money raised for our Kenya mission trip's expenses! Yay! Any money we collect now can go to pay for the vaccinations and/or to be donated to the orphanage with the money raised by our church. THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! TO ALL who have contributed or are praying for our trip. The countdown is less than a week. EEeeek!

Spare Bedroom now Serves Double Purpose

I was inspired by The Nesting Place and went a little crazy in my spare bedroom. I did forget to take before photos. Most of the time, guests aside, the room was not being used for much. Inspired by bloggie ideas, I dove in head first and decluttered, moved everything out, rearranged, & put it back together. After stealing relocating a chair (used only for clothes DH one is not wanting to deal with hanging up) from the master bedroom. I now have a sunny spot to curl up and read. Take a look at the final result... final for now as rooms in my home are all subject to change!
View from the door way... you can see I've already settled in...

The view from my command post in my nice relocated chair!

My beloved bookshelf. To move it I had to empty it. Instead of reloading all the books I pulled some to go to Kenya (books are very expensive there) and some to go to the thrift or used book store. It looks pretty nice, eh?

Wow! Has it almost been a Month?????

I could try to come up with all sorts of excuses why I've not been on here for a month but I just made a declaration to quit excuses... So, may I post a picture instead?I've had my hands full ... need I say more? My lap, velcro, co-dependent doggie is adorable isn't he? Things sure are interesting around here with our animals. As I type kittie is sleeping at my feet.

Before you ask... yes, she is on a diet, but please don't tell her :)

Both "children" know the sound of a tuna can opening and come running from whatever sunny snoozing spot they have tucked themselves into. Today was no exception. As soon as the pop of the first cut into the can was heard it was all about who got to me first. Being the wonderful human I am I drain the tuna water into bowls to share. No wonder they are so very trained to run to me at the sound of the can opener (and various other sounds). Mmmm there may be some training knowledge to capitalize on here...

Christmas Day was wonderful and shared with friends. Lasagne & Stuffed Shells was on the menu. Attendees brought various other sumptuous goodies to share. Fun was had by all.

Ringing in New Years with friends & enjoying an evening of more goodies, what more could one ask for? As if we didn't get enough calories in the Christmas and pre-Christmas baking/eating frenzy! :) Shouts rang out while we played games and competed for prizes.

We've been staying busy on the mission trip fundraising trail. To the wonderful, generous and amazing donors.. THANK YOU can not even begin to express how much your donation has meant to us! It has been a lot of work raising the money but I am glad to post that we are almost there. The gap is closing between being left behind and getting on that plane. As the days count down we are getting more and more excited and cannot wait to see the kiddos!