We'll give thanks to you, with gratitude...

 For lessons learned in how to trust in You.
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need...

Nana and her Grandkids :)

Fall and winter bring with them cold and dreariness, but also holidays and family. Though the aspens are bare and the air frigid, we are reminded each time that we walk into our warm home that we have a shelter to keep us out of the cold and safe from the falling snow. Though the holidays can be stressful and full of long road trips (approximately 26 hours of Thanksgiving driving if we want to talk numbers), we are so grateful for that time we get to spend with our families. Though they may drive us crazy at times (and I'm sure we do the same to them), it is great to be around them all, to share hugs, laughter, and our stories of the year. The food we share is not too shabby either. :)

Great song:
"Gratitude" by Nichole Nordeman

We have been quite busy lately. We are both taking classes. Jeff finishes out his semester today! Then Jeff will be getting his wisdom teeth out next week (I'll be sure to document any loopy comments from a drugged husband...). Christmas is right around the corner, so lots of baking for Ashley! Our theme this year is German. We are pretty excited about that one. Lots of yummy meats, pastries, and gingerbread cookies! I hear beer is sort of a popular German tradition too... is that right? :) We can't wait to spend more time with our families and share some delicious food.

Gotta love these kids!

The adoption process is moving along. LOTS of paperwork to get through still. We are about halfway done with the paperwork, so next will be our home study interviews, then more paperwork to turn in for our dossier. (In case you haven't heard already, we are adopting from Ethiopia!) This is going to be a lengthy process and our next big step will be a long waiting period, but we are ecstatic. It is probably about a two year process, so hopefully we can keep our spirits up throughout. Prayer would be greatly appreciated, and prayer for our future child that we will get to provide a loving home to someday soon. We pray for him/her daily.

It's illegal not to include
pics of your carved pumpkins!

We also might be moving again... Not really looking forward to yet another move (I think this is number six for us, maybe), but this one will be a little more permanent. We are looking into buying... so we'll see how that goes. Great investment right now with the market how it is. Of course we have to trust that the market improves before we have to move again. Once Jeff graduates seminary, we'll have to see how things with the Air Force go from there. If we do move though, it needs to be rather quickly because we would have to completely redo our home study interviews if we move after all that is complete.

Needless to say, our lives are pretty full right now. All the more reason to be grateful for each and every little piece of it. Though things have not turned out how we expected them to (and they probably never will), we still have many reasons to be thankful. We know that we are blessed and we can't take advantage of that fact for even a day.

A way we were able to share our own blessings was through Operation Christmas Child this year. Not only were we able to pack a shoebox or two of our own to send to children all over the world, we were also able to volunteer at a processing center this year and help pack and ship the boxes out! Our processing center in Denver was set to process over 700,000 boxes! Most of those will be going to Mexico and also some Native American Reservations here in North America. Last year, the total sent out around the nation was something close to 8.5 million boxes to over 130 countries around the world! Just the thought of a couple of little children somewhere on the other side of the world opening our presents to them is so exciting. I wish we could be there to see their smiling faces when they open their gift! Maybe one day. :)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Continental Drift

Like the the Earth's continents, our world is constantly shifting and changing its face. Usually, it is a slow and steady drift; other times it occurs with a more drastic event. Like an earthquake along a fault line; you know it is bound to happen, but a sudden shaking of the world around you still catches you by surprise.

Last month, our world and the world of those we love, experienced such a dramatic shift. A shaking of the world around us that caused us each to pause and grasp hold of those standing close; that changed the face of many lives, some more drastically than others. Jeff's mother, Jeanette, lost her battle with cancer. And although death is inevitable and unavoidable in this fallen world, there really is nothing you can do to prepare for the absence of that person in your life. She will be greatly missed, especially during this first holiday season without her. I wish I could thank her one last time for really reiterating the importance of family for me. From the stories I have listened to and from my time knowing her on this earth, she was a wonderful mother and loved her family dearly. The best way I can think to put it into words is that family is like a taste of heaven here on earth. The love and fellowship that you get to experience with your family can truly be heavenly at times. I think that is something that I knew having a great relationship with my own family, but that thought was put into words and emotions just a few weeks ago.

~A

When asked to describe his mother:

My mother was my safe place; she was an ear I could talk to and she was willing to give up anything so I wouldn't have to go without. Some of my favorite memories with my mom were grocery shopping, cooking, sewing, and doing puzzles with her. My mom always made sure we were cared for and loved. Family was her priority, she made our home a place we could bring our friends, and eventually our future mates home from college. My mom was a quiet lady, but when she needed to be heard she spoke, and when she spoke she was full of wisdom and authority. My mother will always be remembered. I love her with all my heart and I will hold to her teachings and the memories with had together for 27 years. My future children will see their grandma lived out through my life and even though she is no longer living, she would have loved them beyond words can express. My mother passed away at the age of 61 on October 18, 2011. I love you mom.

-J

Our World

If you haven't already read John Donne's poem, The Sun Rising, you should. It is great. And although it is just a tad self-involved, aren't we all? We each have this world that we live in; it houses our history, our dreams, and those we love the most. It is the window through which we see the rest of the world. Though we are not blind to the rest of the world and love and appreciate all that is has to offer including its many diverse people (and their food) and the beauties of nature, it is "our world" that we see daily. For Jeff and I that includes each other, our house, our pets, our hobbies, our family and friends... This is what we know best, what we cherish, and what will, naturally, be the topic of a lot of our conversations.


So why do I quote Donne's poem in our blog? Not because we are self-centered and literally think the world revolves around us (though we do have our days...), but because he couldn't describe our lazy Saturday mornings any better. Because when I open my eyes to another day next to Jeff this framed poem sitting on my night stand words my feelings best:

Thou, sun, art half as happy as we,

       In that the world’s contracted thus;

     Thine age asks ease, and since thy duties be

     To warm the world, that’s done in warming us.

Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere;

This bed thy center is, these walls thy sphere.

So, feel free to tune in as we share a little about our ventures together in this crazy world. We have a fun and exciting journey yet ahead of us and although we aren't sure of exactly what is around the corner, we rest in the comfort that our God knows what plans He has for us.

For now, some pictures of the beautiful world around us! :)

http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/sunrising.htm