Thursday, June 16, 2011

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!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Pandora, Steve Martin and Corn Bags

This title reflects our lazy Saturday morning.
It is just the girls and myself and we are still in our pj's at 10:40. Perfect. Watched the classic Cheaper By the Dozen staring good 'ol Steve while eating cereal, and are now cranking out Pandora tunes while Emily works on her famous corn bags. Corn bags, you ask? My daughter's claim to fame. She has been cranking them out since Christmas, buying great fabric, filling them with corn and sewing them on her own. You heat them up in the microwave and have a much cuter version of a heating pad. My sister in law, Molly, was in town in December and hired Em to make 12 of them to have as gifts. 
Below - the completed ones.
So if you happen to stop by, be prepared to leave with a bag.
Colorado hospitality at its best.

Christmas was wonderful. Lots of time to play and rest.
We enjoyed a week in Cali with the Fox family, headed back to Golden and spent Christmas Eve with the Bachalis, a long leisurely Christmas morning, had the Dykstra crew for New Years and several Horncreek friends stop through afterwards. Great to have folks in our home - we love it.

As we embark on a new year, the following article might be an ecouragement, primarily written for gals...sorry guys. It certainly caused me to look at my time and how I use it and prioritize it.

And now, a few pics from the last few months.

 Thanksgiving with our Horncreek Peeps

Baking with my mom
 Christmas tree cutting


 Found the one!
 All set up and watching ELF



 Violen concert!


 Coming down from the green hills of Northern Cali at the Foxes

 The cousins, minus two
 The girls with Aunt Julie's foster baby, Zeke

Playing piano with Nana

 The Bachali gang on Christmas Eve
 
 Christmas morning goodness


 Game on, thanks to daddy-o
 The guitarist
 The seamstress

Christmas dinner out. I highly recommend.
The Dysktra cousins
 Clear creek in winter. This is what we will be tubing down in 6 months.




My girl.

 Syd in her snow fort building glory...



 Ice skating on Evergreen Lake.
Tea party with my 9 year old.