Respite

December was a tough month for me. Now that I've had some time to process it, I realized that I was struggling to find a new way to rest and recuperate in our new home. When we lived in Denver, it was easy. Head west! We would pack up our gear (or maybe just pack a quick bag), load up the wienie dogs, and head into the mountains. Whether it was a day hike or a long weekend backpacking trip, Jody and I found that the surest way to rest was to spend time outdoors. 

So, after experiencing subzero temperatures, a foot of snow before Thanksgiving, and no view of the sun for a month (yes, you read that correctly), Jody and I decided we needed a break. We did what all Wisconsinites do to vacation (or at least it seems that way)... we went "up north" and rented a cabin. 

We did some research online and found a fully furnished cabin near the small town of Glidden, right near the Chequamegon National Forest - about a five hour drive northwest of us. So, the day after Christmas we got up early, packed up all our things and headed north. :)

It wasn't a long trip, but it was just enough to fill my tank. Jody and I had a blast! We hiked in the nearby National Forest, watched Band of Brothers, played board games, got warm next to the wood-burning stoves and ate home-cooked meals that I'd prepared before we left and brought with us. It was heavenly.

Your New Year's card picture. Ha!

Martens? We're not in Colorado anymore...

There were TWO heavenly wood-burning stoves.

Complete with an old school home entertainment system!

It was a fantastic trip, and I loved every moment of it. It truly helped to hit the "reset" button and to prepare for all the challenges that 2015 will bring. We came back home refreshed and grateful for the life God has given us.

Winter in April

I can hardly believe that it's late May already, and Spring seems to have finally arrived here in Colorado. Nonetheless, we did not escape Winter so easily. She came in April this year! We had beautiful sunshine and we had wet and heavy snow. It was wonderful and beautiful. 

One day we even got a snow day. It was fantastic. A perfect day to rest do some cooking! Alas, there was no rest in us... We had too many things we wanted to do.

Jody made a stew. I made chocolate chip cookies. And I even had enough creative juices flowing to make my own gluten-free concoction since I couldn't eat the cookies. I'm immensely proud of myself, since I feel I lack creativity most of the time. :)

The chocolate chip cookies are a mainstay, even though I can't eat them. I love being able to share the love, though. :)

Our snow day creations

So these beautiful treats are completely gluten free and consist of the following ingredients:

• oat flour
• bananas
• egg whites
• shredded coconut
• cocoa powder
• coconut oil
• coconut sugar
• baking soda
• salt
• chocolate chips

And they were delicious! Their consistency is that of a muffin, I would say. They are moist, but not gooey. And they keep for a lot longer than a lot of GF items. I made this recipe first on the fly, and then tried to re-create it (doubling it), and it turned out just as good the second time. Yay!

Our snow day adventures continued! After all the baking, it was time for some stew dinner, some Dr. Zhivago (Jody had never seen the movie before), and then some snow ice cream. :) Haha. So, Jody went outside and got some fresh snow.

Then it was time for some sugar, vanilla and milk. Honestly, this was my first time having snow ice cream, and it was delicious and tasted far more similar to store-bought ice cream than I could have ever imagined. Win for Jody's mom (Go Pam!)... I am more impressed with her creativity with her boys with each passing year. :)

Room Do-over

Three years ago, when we moved into our little duplex, we decided to paint it a bunch of fun colors. Blue-grey for our bedroom, bright blue for the bathroom, red for the kitchen, and an avocado green in the second bedroom. Well, what I thought was an avocado green anyways.

It ended up turning out like this.

The only problem was that - over time - it seemed to start glowing... literally, glowing. Hardly the kind of room you want to spend time in. And when you have so little space to begin with, it's a serious knock on useable space. It had become the catch-all room. The space you threw stuff in and then closed the door. I'm sure you all have some such spot. 

Over Christmas break, Jody and I decided to do something about it. We wanted to reclaim the room. We primed it. Painted. Stained. Spray-painted. Nailed. Melted. Cut. Potted. And here is what it looks like now!

We haven't fully decided if we're done yet. We'd like to get some window treatments at some point. And perhaps a plant stand... but at this point, we are just so thrilled to have an extra space that really does function as a study / quiet time room.  

This is where I spend my early mornings with the Lord. Perfect sunlight streaming in. Warm blanket for my lap. Excellent rocking chair. You should try it out.  

This is the side wall. It seems like it's uneven here, but we didn't see the point in clogging up the walls unnecessarily. Perhaps we'll add something to the right side later. 

My closet used to be wide open to the world. And then we saw these curtains at IKEA, and decided that they were more fun than a door. I love it! 

So thankful for the room...

All the beautiful plants... especially the succulents.
The bookshelves for all my Louis L'Amour  books.
The sweet book-ends that Jody made from old records.
The fun record pen/pencil holder.

We love it!

Desert Day Rest

In church world, there is always buzz about Mary vs. Martha. The discussion is based upon a passage in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 10:38-42), that describes a scene in the life of Jesus and the two sisters of his friend Lazarus. The two sisters were Mary and Martha, who hosted Jesus at their home. Here's the text from that passage.

Luke 10:38-42

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Martha and Mary

³⁸ Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; ⁴² but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

I often think about Mary and Martha, because 1) I am a woman, 2) I am in church ministry, 3) I am my mother's daughter and therefore have an attentiveness to detail, and 4) I am my mother's daughter and therefore love to sit at the Lord's feet, as well. 

Throughout the course of my week, I am constantly trying to balance the time I spend getting things done with time spent with the Lord. It can be exhausting always evaluating the levels of "margin" in my life, especially because there can be guilt and discouragement when I don't quite reserve time for the Lord like I know He deserves... Thankfully, I am blessed to work at a church that values rest, as well as knocking out what is on my task list, and the church leadership has proven so by allowing and even encouraging us to take one day a month to spend with the Lord. 

I love that. I love it, because it keeps me sane. I love it, because it helps me not to resent church ministry. It helps me pace myself in this marathon of life. It gives me the chance to hear myself. To hear God. To get outside and enjoy beautiful Colorado - a place I love so well. 

One of our favorite places to go is the Cherry Creek Open Space, which is a five minute drive from our house. It's in the middle of the Denver Metro area, but you would never know it when you're out there. You can't hear cars or anything. Just the wind in the trees. The sound of water from the lake. 

These pictures are from a Desert Day I took late last fall. I took my camera, hoping I would catch some of the late fall colors. I remember being surprised that there were still leaves on the trees (I think it was early November). Penny was at the vet all day, getting a medicine bath for the mange (poor girl!), so it was just Eu-mi and me in the great outdoors. I snapped a bunch of pictures, because it was just a perfect late fall day. 

When I see these pictures, I think of David's words in the Psalms.

19 

Psalm 19

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Works and the Word of God. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
² Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
³ There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.

So thankful for Desert Days... they give me the chance to be a Mary. 

Lovin' Me Some Fun Valley...

I know it's a little late (okay, a lot, rather), but I wanted to post a few pictures from the fun times that Jody and I had this past summer.

The best times to get in the mountains for camping, backpacking and hiking are usually mid-May/early June - September, but unfortunately time away - especially on the weekends - is so difficult for us because of our ministry schedules. And since our time in Colorado is forever marked with the uncertainty of how long we will be here, I have learned to treasure each and every time we are able to get up in the mountains - whether it's for a day or for a more extended backpacking trip. In fact, I have come to value it is indispensable for me in staying sane with the constant pulls of ministry.

Thankfully, this summer we had the chance to get away from Denver a few times and recharge. It has made all the difference in the world!

In July, Jo and I packed ourselves and the pups and headed southeast to spend time with Jody's parents at Fun Valley. And as I've blogged about our adventures there before here and here. Needless to say, it was so much fun to get away - even for a few days - and connect with Pam and Alan in a place that is so relaxing and so far away from the hustle and bustle of life just south of Denver.

This time around, we stayed in a "hotel-like" room, which was really nice for a change. It had much more room than the trailers we usually rent - with two queen-sized beds, a full shower and even a kitchen table and futon. What a blessing!

It was also fun to experiment with our new camera - with its super zoom lens. Here are a few snapshots from our time there. Enjoy!

No fishing for keeps in the river....

Yay for the camera's super zoom!

Love this place :)

I think it's time for ice cream o'clock!

Our view from our 'hotel room'

It's amazing no kids died on those swings & teeter-totter

And then we had a hailstorm, which was pretty awesome. And scary, too. Thankfully, our cars suffered no damage. Yay for Colorado flash weather!

Love this. Reminds me of what life could have been like.

Relaxing inside

Yay for ice cream!

If you're looking for a great chance to relax, Fun Valley is the BEST place to go! So thankful for the memories made here...