We Are Still Here!

It's been awhile...
We are well into summer and it feels great.

 Emily and Sydney finished their first year in a new school with great enthusiasm...

Sydney was actually a tiny bit sad to be done.
Not true for Em.
She gathered up enough "umph" each day to go to school, but it was a tough year for her.

Entering the scene as a new 6th grader is rough, but we were really in awe by her positive attitude and her strength to get up and do it day after day.

Sydney found friendship on the bars...playground bars, that is.

Below is her good bud Emma and the place where they would meet and play every day at recess.

Below is their last day of school and heading off on their bikes.

With the warmer weather, this of course means creek time.

Jeff and Syd took out the girl's newly purchased raft for a little spin...

Jeff rented one of these gizmos for a half day

He was one shivering monkey after a few hours.

Run off from the mountains is COLD!

Besides creek adventures, we have been hanging out with neighbors,

practicing guitar in the backyard...

playing BAGGO, our new favorite game...

having a tea party for Sydney's teacher...

slip-n-slide...

waterfights...

notice the two balloons coming right at Syd...

reading on the front porch...

just loving being outside!

Jeff turns the BIG 40 this week.

Woo-Hoo!!!

Earlier this week, I threw a dinner party on our front porch with 5 other couples.

It was a very fun evening of fellowship, laughter and trying to remember where we all had our first kiss...

And what's a 40th wiht out a few appropriate gifts...

The girls are at summer camp for the week,

so Jeff and I came to Summit County to play for a few days.

Wonderful.

Time together is such a blast!

We have been running, biking, chilling and just counting our blessings.

  We love Colorado, by the way.

Some thoughts from Jeff...

Well, it has been a while since we have posted, but so many things are happening. 

We are thankful, humbled, scared, and excited all at the same time.  That picture of my 40th birthday dinner is a picture of blessing for me.  Each person at that table has been a gift from God this year in their own way.  Some neighbors, our pastors, my good friend Matthew, and a new sense of community which we have longed for.  Real Estate is finally starting to take off.  Gone are the days I could go three to four days on a single charge on my i phone.  We are connecting with some great people here in Golden, many with the same passion to serve the community and be a light in the workplace. 

We have recently started a small group at our home on Monday nights.  It is a combination of  neighbors, people we have met at church, and other folks we have met.  We are reading Crazy Love together. 

I am also networking with several pastors and leaders in Golden in anticipation of a future young adult internship here.  Golden has a strong network of pastors, community leaders, chaplains, business leaders who all have a heart to invest and challenge others to live out the Gospel in their community.  I look forward to how this will all pan out over the next year. 

 The girls are doing well...we have a great neighborhood of kids and parents that have made the transition from camp much easier. 

Leslie here --- I am enjoying time off work at Love and Logic for the summer.

Thankful to be able to be home and play with the fam.

Hope you are enjoying all that summer has to offer as well!