Ramblings...

We literally live in the trees, pine and aspen trees. A forest if you will. There are times I miss cement sidewalks and the jingle of the ice cream truck, but on the whole, living in the woods offers our kids a backyard full of imaginative and creative play.

Yesterday, Em and Syd and their good friend Emma played in a lean to fort for 3 hours. When I sneaked up on them I saw a scene straight from Little House on the Prairie...in their verbage, dress and character. It was one of those moments that I wanted to capture and put in a bottle because I know all too well that in a few years, they will be way beyond dress up and acting like Laura and Mary from Walnut Grove. Here are a few pictures of their time together...

It is warm and sunny today and yet we are thinking ahead to the cold snowy days that will come in a few short months. Jeff has been working hard to get us stocked with firewood since it is our main source of heat in the winter. He heads out to the woods in his Ford F-150 with his chainsaw and country music and gets busy!

By far one of the girls favorite things to do during the summer at camp is the waterslide. As guests have dwindled here in the last few weeks, they have had all kinds of fun breaking all the rules when it is just our family and other staff kids... walking UP the slide, doing trains, damning up the water...

The other day, Emily and Emma were given $5 and the chance to roam the metropolis (ha!) of Westcliffe for an hour. They bought an iced coffee (a girl after her mama's heart) to share and then split their money to buy their siblings and mom and gift. Below is a pic of our goodies... PS Emma's mom Jill is my "live life with" friend. What a gift.

Finally, as I close this VERY random post...can I just say we love living in a place where ranching and haying is a major way of life. We clearly don't know a thing about how to do it ourselves, but we have grown to really appreciate and admire those that do. Emily's horse riding teacher is part of a 3rd generation ranching family here in the valley, so we have gotten to see up close the amount of devotion and work involved in that kind of lifestyle --- and for harldy any money, I might add. They do it because they love it - what a thought. Below, cattle grazing and a tractor at work with Westcliffe behind.

Final Days of Summer

Some photos from our summer activites...

As far as playing, recreational activities, being outside, staying in PJ's til 10am - it has been a fabulous summer. The girls have had wonderful weeks to simply be kids and enjoy this amazing place called home. Jeff has had plenty of work stress, but we have, as a couple and as a family, decided to truly embrace and enjoy each day.

The summer staff will be out-o-here next week which always makes this place feel like a ghost town. But we have relished our old relationships and have enjoyed the new ones. It is always such a treat to see our girls look up to and learn from these college kids. Sad to see them go. Our interns as well will be leaving and unfortunately, Horncreek will not be continuing the program this fall. That is a big loss to us personally, especially Jeff but to the whole camp as well.

Last month we were able to go to Ute Trail near Lake City, CO while Jeff spoke for a family camp. It was great to be on the "other side" of camp life and we had a ball playing and relaxing together. It was a highlight to our summer. We also had a fun visit from my brother and his family for a week - they were a sight for sore eyes since living in Africa for the last 2 years. The cousin time was priceless.

Other summer tid bits...the girls were flower girls for a former intern's wedding. Jeff officiated, putting his MDiv to work. Ziplines, western nights, fishing, waterslides, tea parties,

Life at the camp pool: Emily has learned to do a flip off the diving board while Syd has mastered her freestyle stroke. Both still love to sprawl out on the hot cement to warm up - didn't we all do that as kids? Wouldn't it be weird if we did that as adults?

Jeff is still a maniac - his last "outing" was a 16 hour hike across the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, climbing 11 peaks. He could barely speak, much less walk when it was all said and done. He is training for a 180 mile relay with 4 other crazies (team name: Daddies Gone Wild) in September... He is loving all of it.

And me...gonna savor each and every last day of summer. Love to lounge and read with the girls in the morning sun on our deck, have no agenda, let each hour come and go... Will be gearing up for another year of sub-ing at the best school ever this fall. Life is sweet right now.

Blessings to those reading.

Twilight

I write at twilight, listening to a new Coldplay album, looking out my window at fading colors as light slowly slips behind the mountains. Aspen leaves flutter, birds sing their final songs, the air cools and begins to bite, and silence begins to reign. The stillness is so sweet. The Fox gals are just coming in after a fun hour playing with hula-hoops, sidewalk chalk, and sprinklers. Summer is so sweet here, especially at twilight, when all the happenings of the day come to one grand conclusion, in a finale of light, stillness, and song. I am in awe of beauty tonight, of beauty in so many forms….

So much happening here at Horn Creek these days. Still in month 1, but yet every day has felt like a week. We are having a summer of great joy, but also of great anticipation and question as we await the fate of Horn Creek and its financial challenges. It looked like for all we knew, Horn Creek was on the verge of closure, if not something close with the financial woes that were upon the whole camp. Many were fearful of not getting paid, some actually didn’t get paid, as we waited for answers. Yet amazingly, a donor stepped forward and gave Horn Creek some life, at least for the summer. What an amazing surprise and gift, as time has been bought for the camp to figure out if it has a future, and what that future might look like. There are many obstacles, and many questions yet to be dealt with. But tonight at twilight, we can rest and revel in what we have here today. It is good and we are thankful.

I am struck at how difficult it is to take Jesus words to heart when He challenges his followers in Matthew not to worry about tomorrow. Really, do we take Jesus at his word? Do we trust that in the same way He feeds the birds of the air, and the lilies of the field, He will give us our daily bread? Do we really walk in His day to day provision, trusting that the manna that he lays at our feet today is enough, just enough to meet our need? I do not know if I have been forced to live in the immediate like we have in the past month. It is a wonderful, and miserable place. By miserable, I mean, that I can’t rest in the future, and that is so hard for a dreamer like me. Just enough for today, just enough. Jesus is speaking to me in those words “Do not worry about tomorrow.” Truly tomorrow is out of my control, I can only revel in today. Speaking of…. I got to lead a group of 15 fathers and sons up to a high mountain lake and watch them marvel in God’s power and majesty, and in the gift of their relationships…today…. What an awesome blessing, what a privilege. His beauty, his gifts, his people, his creation, his provision….. Today it is real, and it is here, and I praise him for Twilight.

-Jeff

Early Summer Pics

Dreams

On particular days, I would go take a hike, sit on some overlook somewhere in the woods near Saint Louis, and dream about the future. Often I would be struck with this deep yearning to live in the mountains with my family and to offer refuge to friends and strangers alike. I yearned to combine my love for the outdoors with my love of hospitality, discipleship, and community. The dream only got stronger over the years, and eventually led us Foxes to take the huge risk to move to Colorado in 2005 to work at Horn Creek.

It is funny, because like so many dreams we have, the reality often takes us down a different road than we thought. Indeed, having been here at Horn Creek for over 2 ½ years now, I am experiencing first hand God’s reshaping of those frequent dreams of the past. In many ways, our time at Horn Creek has been harder and more raw than we had idealized. I have cleaned more bathrooms, washed more sheets and dishes, and hauled much more trash than I would have liked. I have interacted with far more rude guests, youth pastors, and students than I ever would have imagined. The weather has been harsher than anticipated. I have shoveled far too much snow, chipped far too much ice, and cut and hauled far too much wood for my liking. I have gotten paid far too less and received far too little encouragement and strokes from campers and/or staff. It has not been the glorious experience that I once imagined this life to be. Yet…

I am living my dream. Every week I meet people from all over the country who are being awed by God’s incredible creation. Just three weeks ago I sat with a middle aged parent leader of a youth group who told me with tears in his eyes that he finally accepted Christ for real. He handed me his cigarettes and vowed never to smoke again. Every week we have people in our home, who are being encouraged, healed, convicted, and restored by God’s word. Every week we sit with people who have stories, pains, worries, joys, and hopes.. Every week we get to share our refuge in the woods with them. Our young adult interns from camp come over to rest, to share, to hear, to eat, and to escape. And we love it. Each summer college kids sit in our living room for bible study, come over for dinner, and hang out on our deck. And we love it. 8 couples from town come over each week to share, seek restoration, learn, and fellowship. And we love it. Our friends and our kid’s friends come over to laugh, play and dream. And we love it. I have hiked, ran, skied, and sat with many young adults and friends the past 2 ½ years, and I love it.

A lot.

We take walks and runs in the woods. We explore rushing streams and cool waterfalls. We fish in remote mountain lakes, and picnic in lush meadows. We watch dear walk through our yard. We stare at the stars off our deck. We ski up to quiet meadows in the winter and pick beautiful wild flowers in summer. This is a dream, so different, yet so similar to what God laid on my heart for so many years. This is hard and this is good, and truly God is using our dreams in this place.

-Jeff

Winter Greetings

While some of you are beginning to see signs of spring, we are still drinking hot chocolate and playing in the snow...

Hello again from the Foxes. It has been awhile since we've written. Our excuse: we forget we have a blog. People like Heather Dillard who post something new everyday must think ill of us, but alas, here is an update.

We are almost through the cold, white winter. There are still a few months left before we will see the ground, but we are hopeful and eager for the summer months. The snowplow on Jeff's ATV has been his best buddy and I can handle a snow shovel with such ease these days...

A few highlights for us right now are:

• Jeff's move over to the Rec Center as manager. This will allow him to do more of the things he loves in camping ministry. He will be able to use the outdoors as a way to reach our guests through all kinds of activities. He is already dreaming up all kinds of new and different possiblities to put into place...father son camping trips, family camp races, mountain biking, more kayaking, etc.


• The iternship is still somthing that keeps us energized and joy-filled. Our group this year is growing, being challenged and is finding out what the word servant really means. They are a great bunch.


• A marriage study that we are hosting at our home each week has been a whole lot of fun as well as a kick in the rear. The folks who come each Monday are truly some of our favorite people in the valley and we are loving the chance to learn and grow with them. The book we are studying is callled Love and Respect ... the title says it all. Jeff and I are enjoying the opportunity to study together, something we have not done in a very long time.


• Watching our girls change and grow --- it is just the best. Emily is learning to really love parts of school, which hasn't always been the case. She is understanding how to handle issues with much more maturity and less tears. Sydney is really just along for the ride, so to speak. She simply takes a minute at a time...a lesson for me to learn as I watch her wade through each day.


• Jeff took Emily night skiing last week in Keystone then they spent the following day together. With Jeff's days off during the week, sometimes he has to be intentional about yanking them out of school to just go play. It is good for each of them.


• Substitute teaching is still keeping me busy as well as moms in touch, a weekly prayer group for our kids and school. I cherish my friendships here and feel like my life is incredibly rich and full. I am savoring it all. I continue to enjoy the quiet and peacefulness of where we live.

Hope this finds each of you well. As always, you are always welcome to visit. We have fond memories of those who already have.

Warmly,

The Fox Family

O Christmas Tree

Today was the day to go find the "perfect tree". We went to the top of the meadow, parked the truck and hiked through out the woods along the Rainbow Trail. Both of the girls' personalities were seen so clearly in this process. Sydney walked about 12 steps declaring she'd found the right one. It wasn't really a good tree; rather, she was just tired and ready to call it a day. Emily, on the other hand, was not going to be at peace until she found THE tree. The turmoil she felt was quite evident. But alas, after an hour of hiking, we ended up 50 feet from the truck and there it was, the Fox Christmas tree. Syd was delerious and Em was satisfied, so down it came.

To Build a Cross

On a windy spring day last May, I got my axe, chainsaw, and draw knife and headed up to camp to build a fire ring and a cross. Most of the day was spend building benches and the fire ring, with help from one of our interns whose name is Dom. It was hard work, but I loved being outside swinging my axe and creating something new. One of the last things I did was to build a cross at the front of the fire ring area. I searched for the perfect sized log, cut it into the appropriate lengths and then spent the next few hours scraping the bark of the logs. While I scraped, I wondered how this cross might be an encouragement to some future camper. I hoped that I would get to see folks gathering around it on occasion as I drove by to do my other camp duties.

Finally, I finished peeling the bark, notched the wood, and put the cross together with huge steel nails. We then dug a hole, filled it with cement, and stood up the cross. The picture of the cross with the mountains in the backdrop was an awesome sight. I hoped and prayed that the Lord would use this place to minister and encourage many hearts. Yet each time I have driven by since, I have yet to see anyone there worshipping at the cross. It is often like that at camp. We do so many things behind the scenes; we rarely get to personally see the life change that is taking place at camp.

Then I got a call a few weeks ago.

My friend Matthew was driving by the cross and noticed a young Latino boy with his arms draped around it. The boy was weeping, and his counselors each had their hands on his shoulders as he cried. He cried tears of repentance and joy as the Lord healed his wounded heart. It was a beautiful seen. This young man, from inner city Denver, was here on a weekend retreat with other teens from the city. It was such a joy to hear. For not only had I longed to see the cross being used as a place of repentance and healing, but I also longed to see our camp reach out to those who could not afford to come on their own. I have prayed that Horn Creek would be a place where inner city kids could come and find Jesus. Amazingly, even in spite of us, they are beginning to come. Next summer we will have even more camps of inner city kids coming to Horn Creek.

Now, as I think back on that windy May day, I now know that the Lord had a purpose for that cross. He also had a purpose for that young man. I praise God I was allowed to be a part of it.

-Jeff

Chapter One Coming to a Close

Saying good bye to people you care about is hard. We just had to do that with our first ever Horncreek Interns this past week. Ouch. We will be feeling the loss of their daily friendship, endless jokes, fresh perspective on life and just their PRESENCE as we forge ahead with life at camp. They were truly a special bunch and we would not have traded this year with them for anything. We spent the last night with them up at our cabin on Monday and had such a sweet time of fellwoship in the truest sense. We had an extended time of letting each of them verbally encourage one another from things they saw in one another through out this year --- a beautiful example of seeing how words can be used in powerful positve ways. Wow.

One of things we hope they took away from this year - and I think most of them did - is the value of community and how to stick it out and love each other well when it gets hard. They couldn't run from each other so they had to learn to gently speak words of truth when conflict arose and then how to extend grace when it was due time. So cool to see and be a part of. They are all going different directions now --- TX, CO, MT, MA. They are already talking of a "reunion" this December. Their friendships with one another will be those that last for years.

But move on - we must! Our new group of eight arrived a few days later - three of whom were summer staffers, the rest are new to HC. It is wild to think that a year from now, we will be writing similar thoughts about these 8 - yet at this point, they are mere faces to us. We look forward to another year of living life together with these folks and being a part of their journey together.

School will be starting for the girls on Monday, so another chapter of sorts is closing and beginning for them. I always kind of mourn the passing of summer days yet welcome the routine of fall and all that comes with a new school year. It has been a sweet few months with them and I know they have enjoyed the lazy mornings on the deck, countless hours at the pool and of course, time spent with the people here at camp. I think they too are learning the value of people and relationships in their life.

Hope you all are enjoying the season God has you in right now. Appreciate where you are and love those in your life well. I am more and more convinced that Jesus was onto something when he said, Love others. It really is where abundant life is found.

Blessings to you,

Leslie and Family

Summer Snip-Its

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains --- summer has arrived.

This is some of Jeff's summer staff - a great crew of college folks from all over.

The Graduate on the left --- she has big goals for kindergarten next fall.

Check out the tongue of our big hitter on the right. This is serious stuff.

Jessie, Faith, Leslie and Polly
So much of what we love about our time here has to do with spending time with these folks and the other interns. Leslie has been mentoring Faith this year and will miss her big time as she heads to Nashville this fall.

Kinda makes you want to hum the chariots of fire tune....
This was at the Sand Dunes about 2 hours away. Hills of sand and in early summer, rushing water, too.

This was taken on Lake Dillon while kayaking with the girls and Mike, one of our interns this year. He has been an adventure buddy for Jeff as well as a big encourager to all those he is around. Mike is also a nut. Before he shaved his head, he went to our Menonite church with a huge, spiked mohawk.

Jeff recently turned 36, and celebrated it by running 16 miles across the mountains at 10,000 feet elevation. He also recently swam naked up at a mountain lake, hiked up and skied down Horn Peak (our 13,000 + foot moutain in the first picture), and has been loving hiking, and fishing this summer in the moutains. He has been a wild man.

Camp has been crazy this summer. Jeff is leading one of the family camps this summer, but will speak all week at our youth camp next week. We will have 3 different inner city groups come to Horn Creek this summer. This is very exciting for us, and a huge answer to prayer. We are hoping to have more interns next year, but money troubles may affect how many interns we can bring on. Jeff will play an even greater role in overseeing the internship, and planning the year.

Some Spring Shots

We have had some beautiful days. The girls are very ready for summer and outside fun.

Sydney giving the rock wall a try. She is becoming more and more adventurous, in her ripe old age of 5. We have had some suprising dumps of the white stuff...

Just when we thought it was all gone for the season...

Jeff tried to climb this peak with skies and boots strapped on his back before sun up, but it wasn't meant to be as he and his buddy lost the trail to the top. Another attempt to ski down may be in the works with our recent snowfall.

Words from the Mrs.

I thought perhaps it was time for me to contribute to our quite neglected "Horncreek Chronicles". As our good friend from Little Rock (you know who you are...) observed, it has been quite awhile since we last wrote. No good excuses, we're just slackers.

I always wondered how my brother and his family survived winters in Minnesota. Thought they were crazy. I admit now that I secretly said to myself, "I would never live somewhere where the snow stays on the ground past Easter. " Ha. Here we are with still a few snow banks waiting to melt, but I swear, I think spring is on its way. And when you live in a place where snow is around from November on, this time of year takes on new meaning. It is good to be outside just enjoying warmth with out having to wear smart wools and the like.

As some of you know, we purchased a house just off camp property at the beginning of the year. It is just a 5 minute walk to Horncreek, yet gives us some seperation from camp that Jeff will appreciate the longer we are here. It was a house that was stuck in the early 1970's as far as decor, so we spent 2 months (2 long months I should say...) pitching the avacado green toilets and plastic brick kithcen walls and giving it some life. We are thankful to be done, settled and living a much more normal life again.

Jeff is getting ready to gear up for summer and all that it entails. There are some possible changes looming as far as his job description goes, but I will let him expand on that when and if it happens. One observation about this place: things are always changing! And for Jeff and his make up, that is probably a really good thing. His passion with work is the internship and time spent with the interns. That is just life giving to him. And what a diverse group we have with in that group...as the year goes on, the layers peel off and you really begin to get at the heart of these folks. That is when the "fun" begins. But it takes time, a reminder that trust is earned. Hopefully next year as Horncreek expands the internship, Jeff will have even more time to invest and teach the group. That is our prayer anyway.

A few weeks ago, Jeff came home from work totally spent and physically exhausted. But when I asked what he had done, I smiled with thankfulness. He had the opportunity to build a fire ring, benches, and a huge cross for groups to gather around this summer. He hauled and split the wood, gathered rocks, dug the pit, etc. --- and was loving every second.

I continue to enjoy small town living and the community here at camp. Just like any place though, large or small, the question still lingers: who around me can I love or serve to a greater degree? I am amazed at how many opportunites exist all around me, whether it is at our K-12 school, church or the staff here at camp. Outside of moms in touch, a weekly prayer time for our kids in school, I really just take at week at a time. When Syd starts kindergarten next fall, I hope to find some part time work, maybe substitute teaching at the school. We will see.

Emily still loves horses, riding her new mountain bike, hanging out with the intern girls and staff. She is really figuring a lot of things out about what is right, wrong, good, bad...and loves to talk about it all. I am thankful for her desire to communicate what is on her heart. Sydney is coming into her own as she is now tying her own shoes, loosing her first tooth and taking off with out training wheels. Major milestones when you are 5...

Enjoy the new pics...our time in Cali for easter visiting the Foxes, including the Golden Gate, Jeff and the girls after a Six Flags ride, and Em and Syd playing in our new back yard on the ATV...

Thanks for reading...

Leslie