Our first trip to Hidden Acres March 2012

These pictures were taken by Weston and Sierra.  We had a wonderful time here at the camp.  They have a special pastoral cabin and so we went up to check it out.  Swimming, campfires, hikes, peddle boats, mini golf and playgrounds and game rooms filled our weekend away.  It is like a little refuge. 

We are planning to go again the second weekend in September.  :)  Our kids would gladly live there!

I'm blessed

I'm having some down time listening to pandora.com, checking facebook, email, reading some articles.  Looking through the window at the 8 children that are playing here- make that 9 another just showed up!

I'm watching a family of three on Monday and Wednesday.  Then the neighbor kids join in and it is total choas, but not bad.  They are like locusts emptying the fruit basket, but that's OK.  Some on the trampoline, some in the wagon, some in the clover weaving necklaces, some looking for snakes, and some throwing a ball- an all around a good time.  A LOUD good time.  Peter came for lunch and left quickly wishing me luck- not his cup of tea!  Controlled/crazy days are OKwith me.  :) 

I have two loads of laundry to fold, rooms to clean, dinner to make, appointments to go to later, but for now, its full on summer mania.

We may be buying a bigger car

As many of you know, we've been thinking of buying another car.  We've shared a car for seven of the eleven years we've been married.  It's fine, but annoying so we think it's time to be Americans again and get a second car! Yay! Cue the Hallelujah Chorus!

After reading lots of reviews and things I decided on a Dodge Durango 2001.  It is the best car in our price range and has everything we want. 

• It's taller and better for snow driving
• has 4 wheel drive
• has seven seats
• can tow something
• is nice for Peter to drive around
• generally reliable

We decided we would just wait until a good one came along and not search around for it.  The day after we decided that, a man from church came up and asked Peter if he wanted to buy a 2001 Durango!  We were kind of shocked. 

Mel is a hobby mechanic, a welder by trade. He buys nice cars that people are going to scrap because of an engine problem and rebuilds them.  He  buys them cheap and sells them cheap.  He has a great reputation around town and so we went to take a look at the truck today.

It is really nice.  Older, with some minor dings and scratches, but in good shape.  Not much rust (a new thing to look for since moving to the land of salted roads and mud,)  Really clean interior, all the bells and whistles (i love you cruise control!)   And it is a low price which matches our impossible, unrealistically low amount we want to spend on another car now. 

back seats!  It will be good on long drives they can each have their own.
or they can bring a friend.
or we can all pick you up at the airport
or we could fit a infant car seat

glad it's an automatic and has CD

note the cruis control!  :)  I like the darker interior.
It might live through the destruction of our children!

From the back.  The back seat folds completely down.
Each row has its own climate control.

This is their super mellow great dog.  It sat and shaked hands.  If I had more land,
I would wait for this dogs pups and get one.

Nice color.  BIG!

Nice tires too!

So we'll probably buy it, we'll let Mel know tomorrow. 

Kids room

Looking in the door

 Sierra's bed with her Narnia costume above

 Weston's bed and Narina costume

 I made a picture wall with some ribbon, nails and clothes pins.

 New frame for Peter's art!!!

God planned this room too-

• All the furniture fits perfect.  
• There is a nook that Weston's cool shelf/head board fits perfectly- see picture. 
• His smart mommy remembered to save the heavy duty drywall screws for the castle bed- they were taped on for the move- genius! 
• Sierra's bed fits on the other wall with just enough space for the dresser at the foot of the bed. - see picture
• Her princess bed cornice thingy- happened to be right where the stud in the wall was- nice!  
• I had an extra gold curtain, which matched perfectly so I shortened it to give their room a finished feel.
• We got a  room darkening shade in that room as well that Peter hung up. 
• I also got a huge frame at the Goodwill for Peter's painting of the castle and country side.  It's a blue frame and had a blue/mauve mat (It had a cat poster in it too.)  I spray painted the mauve part silver and got a much more matching and completely custom made painting for their room for $5 (and Peter would add- $5 and a lot of time!)  Ya- it's nice and finished!

Alta

Tomorrow we leave Colorado and head towards Nebraska. Our goal: Omaha. It's ten hours from here. I'm starting to get butterflies about Iowa now. I haven't had time to think about it yet with all the packing and organizing. But now I'm starting to think...

"Monday the kids start school and Peter goes to work, I'll be alone in someone's basement."

"14 or more days is a long time to be living in a basement."

"What in the world are we doing?"

"We don't know anyone there!!!!"

And more things like that.

Then we got a call again today from the pastor. They found a better place for us since we need a place for so long. It's an apartment basement, 2 bedrooms, a living room, bathroom, and kitchen. It was clear we could stay separate for meals and such, so that we can have family time. :) God provides.

It's gonna be ok.

We're moving

Old news I know... but i haven't blogged about it yet, so it's not news yet.

Last month it came down to two options. Move to Singapore with the mission, or move to Iowa and Peter will be a children's pastor at Summit EFree there...

I cried.

I didn't like any of the options.

Then I went to Iowa. I like it. I'm glad to move to Iowa.

Since I'm in Colorado on the way to our new life, I thought I better stop and write down all the amazing reasons that Iowa is great or else i might forget.

1. good job- peter is very good a children's ministry.




2. good church- laid back, kind, alive and healthy




3. good town- nice for the children to make a "home town."




4. good house- we bought a duplex and the rental income will make life very affordable.




5. good school- small 2 classes per year. Sierra's teacher was a special ed teacher until this year.




6. good speech therapy- the state speech therapist there is great and really knowledgeable about apraxia and uses the Kaufman method, is fluent in sign, and has a homemade prompt method.

There was just an obvious leading there and thing worked out real easy.

So easy--- i chuckle at myself. because it was so "easy" to pack everything, load it into an ABF truck, leave everything and everyone we know and love and then pack the children into a small sedan and drive 1600 miles.

It's so easy! :)

interesting day

Today almost everyone i met was like minded. It was bazar. At the store, this women gave me parenting advice when she heard Sierra whining. I had to push down the desire to be offended. She told me to make the children talk polietly and if they don't know how to make them repeat me. Good advice, really. Yet it was a bit odd to have someone launch into a parenting discussion/advice in the applesauce isle.

It evolved into a great chat about all manner of things. Gardening, canning, several books that we had both read and clear indication she was a Christian. She homeschooled her kids. She said they all turned out and that she was so glad for the years with them.

Then today I got a delivery. The UPS man knew about K12. He was discussing the great program and that he and his wife home schooled his kids with Christian curriculum. His kids are all in high school now. He said he thought I was making a great decision to home school. He said, "I'll be praying for the girl at 7413."

Wow, encouraging! It almost felt like angels... weird.

Espresso... yum

We found a treasure while we were walking yesterday. A nearly new espresso machine at a garage sale for $5!

It makes great foam (name that movie)~ Peter likes cinnamon on his- no thank you! Cocoa for me please! ;)

Groggy morning faces enjoying their special drinks! :)

Wardrobe Dilemma

Most of you already know this but it is so cool that I wanted to write about it so that I could remember.

I have been struggling to assemble a wardrobe here in the USA. I only brought a few things from Mongolia. So I was shopping at the Salvation Army and another customer came up to me and asked me my size. I felt a little strange, but I told her. She said, "I brought a whole truckload of clothes to donate here today and they don't have enough staff to accept them. Do you want them?"

I said yes and went outside. I got the kids in their seats and then she backed up her truck to my minivan. We FILLED my van to the brim with about 20 black garbage bags of clothing. This was a strange, wonderful, mildly humbling way to get a wardrobe.

I was feeling a little funny and like a begger. Then I thought, "No this is from the Lord." And just to assure me- God sent me a little message: The women said, "Do you play darts?" She held up an electronic dart board. That is when I almost started crying. It was the exact same one that Weston had put on his Christmas list.

God is good. I am thankful.

A Neat Song

This is a song that Peter really likes. He says it is our Mongolian theme song.

I think there is a slide show thing on You Tube that goes with the song if you want to hear it. It is too much for me to download here, so I haven't seen it.

Enjoy!

If You Want Me To by Ginny Owens
The pathway is broken
And The signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to

Chorus:
Cause I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will walk through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone

ya oh oh no

So When the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley If You want me to

Hunkering Down

This pictures some of the contrasts of my life.

What does that mean exactly? I am preparing mentally to go back to Mongolia. I am on a personal journey, not just a physical one.

It is a journey that I am thankful for because it has caused me to grow in so many ways, but it is not necessarily a trip that I have enjoyed.

I live in Mongolia- not a place that I would even vacation, but I live there. I live there amongst the cows and sheep and goats; more than that though, I live at my house. I don’t have an exciting life of ministry outside of my home. I wake up and go to bed and all I see is snow or the brown landscape of winter and the inside of our fence for eight months of the year.

I battle. I battle the dirt, the slow pace of life, the different culture, and at times my own children. But more than that, I battle myself. I battle my laziness, my complaining heart, my discontent.

When I battle alone I fail. When I battle with Him at my side and as my strength, I win. The battle pushes me, shoves me to Jesus.

That is why I like the battle, I have come to embrace the battle of this wonderful life. Dare I say I actually enjoy this international life?

I couldn’t say it before, but now I can. I enjoy this life.


PS- I really missed blogging... so glad to be back. I think all day and writing here really helps me. Thanks for reading.

MeRrY ChRiStMas!!!

Just a few clips of our morning! Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

How to make a person's day--- especially one who is far away from home!

Send them something.

I realize that I am preaching to the choir here, since most of you reading are family or close friends that already do these things for us! But I thought I would draw attention to your kindness and let you know how wonderful it feels to be remembered when you are far away from home.

Proverbs 25:25- "Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country."

Some ideas-

1. Send them an email around the holidays, or anytime! It can make a person's day. Just 3-5 sentences can spread cheer world-wide! Attach a picture. It is good to see how your garden is growing, your yard filled with snow, your kids are getting bigger, your last hobby event.
2. Comment on their blog or Facebook status update. It is good to hear back from those you write to. The blogging/Facebook world is an interesting one because the reader is attached to the writer but the writer doesn't know who's reading or who's not and can in turn feel less attached to their reader when they hear nothing. Interesting. I look forward to my inbox every morning to read blog comments. :) I know, I'm so self centered!!! :)
   
3. Write a letter. No need to go to the post office, it's .97 cents now, I think. Just pop it in your mailbox. Write something nice, tuck in the comics from the paper, a great article from a magazine, a stick of gum, a spiced or mint tea bag or an instant drink mix if you want!
   
4. Mail a small padded envelope mailer. We just received one- it cost $10 to mail it here. There was a small Strawberry Shortcake doll and cat for S, a cool color changing Hot wheels for W, a couple of sheets of stickers, a nice card and a CD for us. What a treat!
5. Send a CD or movie- they are cheap to mail as well. It is the gift that keeps on giving. If it is in our house or circle of friends, we watch it. Many of you have saved us by sending more TV-- bless you! We were about ready to have to watch all the seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer-- yes they are in Sukhbaatar! We have watched SO many things we never would if there were choices- but there is not! That is why as grown adults we watched ALL the seasons of Smallville (which I like by the way, but how many times can there be an evil villainous student at Smallville High? Come on!) I just got a mix CD in the mail from a dear friend. It is so so so wonderful to get a new set of songs and NOT have to hear the same thing I've heard 49,8 million times! What a wonderful gift. Here is a snippet of my thank you note,

   "Music is like a memory of a certain time to me! It is like the fabric of my mind that has been the sound track to my life and my memories are embedded into it… You know?"
   

6. Just as a heads up, you can have the flat rate international (or domestic) box delivered to your home if you go onto USPS.com. You can also schedule a pick up at your home, with your regular mail person--- no need to go to the post office! Wahoo!!! I don't know about you but going to the the post offices with my children in tow, ranks up there with getting a root canal! ;)
7. Send a great big, giant box full of wonderful presents and elaborate gifts!!! Ha ha just kidding. This happens for us quite regularly, thank you everyone.

We are so looking forward to Christmas. We got 2 more packages today and our closet is filled with wrapped goodies. I CAN HARDLY WAIT to open them! I feel like a child on Christmas. It takes every fiber of my being to NOT open the gifts right away!!! I am so impulsive! and yet responsible because they are safely wrapped in the closet!

PS- For all you grammarians out there, so sorry for yesterdays SEVERAL typos and more than my normal amount of grammatical errors. I don't have the heart to edit it now-- so there it sits in all it's horrid splendor. Good night!

New Shoes

Yippie! New shoes... $10! This is Crocs deal of the week! There is even free shipping. They come in black, bronze, and brown.

I hope they are super comfy. I hope they look cute. I'll see in three months when I get to try them on! They are a perfect teacher shoe aren't they? My teacherness still comes out so clearly sometimes!

Do great deals suck you in too? Sometimes they get me, but a black pair of platforms is nearly a need, right?

Guess what we had for dinner?

Green beans (and Thai casserole)--- they were so good. My garden is SLOWLY growing. I bought these at the market. I made them the Bunnell way steamed with chopped onion, butter and salt. SO GOOD!

We haven't seen anything but cabbage and carrots for awhile, so we all ate our greens first, like candy!

Guess what we're having tomorrow? Broccoli!

3 Posts about CA house....First 5 pics...More Info in Third Post

Finished Living Room

Yard and Flowerbeds

I couldn't find before pictures in the yard- just imagine 4-5 foot high weeds, overgrown trees and two small dead trees.

Garage Door before and after

We just flipped over the existing plyboard, added trim and hardware and stained it.

5 more pics of CA house

The kids helping us paint the garage graffiti

Bathroom before and after

Bedroom before and after

Finally---the before and after pictures of our CA house

Bathroom vanity before and after-

Kitchen before and after-

My mom went to our house to take pictures for me. I forgot to take pictures with all the hustle and bustle of moving and packing.

Guess what? Our home is rented and we are so happy. The people seem great and passed the screening and background checks with flying colors. We are thankful for God's provision.

Looking at the before and after pictures, I am shocked that we were able to accomplish that much. Here is a quick glimpse of what we did in SIX weeks. We worked to the last day in the country-crazy---

Kitchen- scrubbing on hands and knees and on a ladder, taking down cabinet doors, restaining cabinet boxes and doors and changing all the hardware, cleaning and repainting inside of cabinet boxes and shelf papering on all cabinet shelves, painting, new stove, refinished sink, new faucet, new pipes below sink, new light fixtures, regrouting the tile, refinishing the sink, re-screening and painting the screen door, and a new laundry machine!

Bathroom- scrubbing on hands and knees and on a ladder, painting, repairing the toilet, replacing the countertop, sink, and faucet, new pipes below the sink, new light fixture, painting the vanity and the hardware, new towel racks, new doorknob, re-grouting tub and scrubbing repeatedly!, and a new bath shower curtain.

3 Bedrooms- scrubbing carpet on hands and knees, vacuuming repeatedly and then cleaning with rented Rug Dr twice, cleaning all walls and painting, replacing all the screens, replacing on the outlet and the outlet covers, and painting all the closets.

Living and Dining room- scrubbing (see a common theme here?), replacing outlets, outlet covers, painting, scrubbing grout and windows, replacing screens, painting doors, replacing locks, and new light fixtures.

Heating and Cooling- replacing thermostat, installing an evaporative cooler, fixing the wall heaters.

Outside- removing 5 foot high weeds (a half ton- that's a lot of mowing and raking!), having 5 large trees trimmed and 3 trees removed, reseeding front grass, putting in a small sprinkler system, putting in 3 flowerbeds and flowers to line the front fence, mulching the side driveway and front sidewalk area with bark, repairing and redoing the garage door, replacing light fixtures, painting the inside of the garage (graffiti), replacing one fence post, and adding some rock.

Whew... I'm tired just writing it down! I think we need a vacation! :)

Alive and Kicking

We have pulled through the flu and infection that it caused! I am truly thankful for antibiotics. Peter is at work again, still recovering, but much better. Sierra is also on antibiotics because I was concerned about her breathing. She is so susceptible to pneumonia- now her breathing has cleared and she is fine! :) She always seems fine because she is such a trooper, but she was breathing hard. Pray for me, I am feeling run down a bit and hope I am not getting the flu!

I am settling in, finally, and feeling more in the swing of things. I am enjoying the simplicity of life here today. I never settled very well in America last winter, some because I didn't have time to settle and some because I was going through some reverse culture shock I think. I did enjoy my time, LOVED IT, wish it didn't have to end, but I never got into a groove. You know?

Part of the reason for me not ever getting a groove is the amount of choices in America. I am overwhelmed by all of the wonderful choices in my home country!!! It is easier to make choices here. It's cabbage or carrots, potatoes or rice, beef or chicken here. It's a work day or a rest day. It's gardening or housework. It's the choice to buy ugliest shirt in the world or an acceptable one. It's choosing the worst dish soap in the world or "Fairy" the only acceptable soap in the country. :)

Today I am thankful for the simplicity, although other days I am frustrated by it! :) A girl can never be satisfied I guess!!!!

Kitchen before and after pictures

Here it is. I am not completely finished but wanted to post pictures.

Improvements-

The walls are repaired and papered.

The counter top is tile now.

We got new top cabinets.

Highlights-
I can't believe the glass cutter worked. I must say, it didn't work well. We had several broken tiles and it came down to the very last tile. We don't have a single whole tile left. There was several jagged cuts that we made with pliers and it was questionable to use them but we had no choice! I was a little discouraged. But then I opened the grout- it was white. You must understand there was only one store in the whole town that had grout. There was only one 4 pound bag. When I asked the shop keeper what color it was she shrugged. I was so happy that it was white because the print on the tiles is white and it matched so well that it hid the poor cuts and placements of the tile!

Just a small thing in the scheme of life, but I am so thankful for a clean kitchen. I spend several hours a day in there and it's a nice inviting room now.