What's growing at our house...

It is hard to believe but we have celebrated our three year anniversary, since we have been in Colorado and in our home. Our time has gone so fast here...it has been a hard transition for me, but now I can say it has all been worth it. I love our life here, but mainly because I am with Duane, who I believe is the best husband in the world. Our family is closer than ever before, that alone makes this journey worth it.

Three years ago, we moved into our forclosure home. Three years ago we started our home and yard looking like this...

A year later, when the potable water was turned on in our development we were able to landscape and turn what was known as the "house with the dead yard" into the "house with the beautiful yard"....

Last year we planted our garden, and weren't too succesful, for we are still learning what grows well in Colorado and what doesn't....

This year, this is what we see...

And for all these things we give thanks ... for His goodness, His faithfulness, His grace and mercy, all of His provisions, His love and for the love and togetherness of this family. God we are truly greatful!

Summer Sunday Hikes

We have been enjoying our summer. It has been quiet, uneventful, non-strenuous, and peaceful. I would have to say this has been Duane and mine favorite summers. I have found that a life of an American is to plan how much you can cram into a day...and even into a vacation, we didn't do that this year. We have enjoyed each other. We have "been still and known God is God." (Psalm 46:10). We have discovered we enjoy our surroundings and we have so much to be thankful for.

One of the routines we made for summer was our day of rest. Being that we attend church on Saturday nights, we are able to enjoy a full day of rest on Sunday. So we have been doing Sunday hiking...other than the beach there is not a better place to experience our Loving God.

Blessed be your wonderful name. It is more wonderful than all blessing and praise.

You are the only Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, with all the stars.

You made the earth and everything on it, the seas and everything in them; you give life to everything.

The heavenly army worship you.

Nehemiah 9:5-6

I will praise the Lord at all times; his praise is always on my lips. My whole being praises the Lord.

Psalm 34:1-2a

Shout to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with joy;

come before him with singing.

Know that the Lord is God.

He made us, and we belong to him;

we are his people, the sheep he tends.

Psalm 100:1-3

Let the sea and everything in it shout; let the world and everyone in it sing. Let the rivers clap their hands;

let the mountains sing together for joy.

Psalm 98:7-8

God, my heart is steady.

I will sing and praise you with all my being.

Psalm 108:1

The Lord lives!

May my Rock be praised. Praise the God who saves me!

Psalm 18: 46

Everything on earth, shout with joy to God!

Sing about his glory!

Make his praise glorious!

Say to God, "Your works are amazing! Because your power is great, your enemies fall before you.

All the earth worships you and sings praises to you. They sing praises to your name".

Psalm 66:1-4

You do great and wonderful things, Lord God Almighty.

Everything the Lord does is right and true, King of the nations.

Everyone will respect you, Lord, and will honor you.

Only you are holy.

All the nations will come and worship you, because the right things you have done are now made known.

Revelation 15:3b-4

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the Father who is full of mercy and all comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:3

And so we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. Those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

1 John 4:16

God is strong and can help you not to fall. He can bring you before his glory without any wrong in you and can give you great joy. He is the only God, the One who saves us. To him be glory, greatness, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord for all time past, now, and forever. Amen.

Jude 24-25

He created the skies and stretched them out. He spread out the earth and everything on it. He gives life to all people on earth, to everyone who walks on the earth.

The Lord says, "I, the Lord, called you to do right, and I will hold your hand and protect you."

Sing a new song to the Lord; sing his praise everywhere on the earth.

Praise him, you people who sail on the seas and you animals who live in them.

Praise him, you people living in faraway places. The deserts and their cities should praise him.

Isaiah 42 5-6a; 10-11a

Skies, sing for joy because the Lord did great things! Earth, shout for joy, even in your deepest parts!

Sing, you mountains, with thanks to God.

Sing, too you trees in the forest!

The Lord saved the people of Jacob! He showed his glory when he saved Israel.

This is what the Lord says, who saved you, who formed you in your mother's body:

"I the Lord, made everything, stretching out the skies by myself and spreading out the earth all alone."

Isaiah 44:23-24

Because of the Lord's great love

we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-24

School is Fun!

I don't ever remember school ever being fun. We read everything out of our text books, not fully grasping what is written in them, memorizing facts and taking tests to see what our brain can hold, only for the fact to forget it a week later. I don't have any great memories in school. Perhaps it is just me...but that's my experience.

Now I have the privilege to do school all over again...not once but three times and counting! The end of the school year is quickly approaching and our girls are bombarded with projects. Each of them needing a bit of help. And this is the reason our blog has been quiet. Take a peak of everything we have learned...

Katie's Math, History & English Project...history of and how to calculate the dimensions of a building into a manageable size to reconstruct. Katie decided to learn about Big Ben and make it out of GINGERBREAD!

And then enjoyable for her whole class to eat!

Katie's science fair... Katie and her teammates decided to take three different black markers (permanent marker, dry erase and crayola pen) into four different liquids (Paint thinner, alcohol, vinegar and Sprite) to see which stain would remove/affect the stain better. Their project made the top 6, so they went to Denver to be in the ACSI competition. There they each received a 2nd place ribbon for their project.

Courtney's Science Fair...If science involves cooking, then Courtney will learn it! And that is the avenue she took. She learned the difference between high and low altitude baking due to the thinner air in the elevation. Thanks to some dear friends, they made toll house chocolate chip cookies and shipped them. Courtney made the same recipe and found them to be not as thick as CA cookies. She adjusted the recipe (dry ingredients and added an egg) and found them to be even thinner then the original CO cookies. She adjusted the recipe again (just the dry ingredients) and was able to get the same thickness as the CA cookies. And being that the science fair was on her birthday, all the 5th graders, staff and so much more were able to enjoy in her celebration with chocolate cookies!

Katie - soccer! And being that basketball season is at an end. Now there is soccer.

Coming soon...Concerts and Recitals! (just a little busy these days!)