Pics from this fall

Jacob playing in the freezing water at Presque Isle
It was very windy and the waves were enormous. I questioned my quality of parenting after crossing the sound over to the isle with the kids.... we were nearly knocked over many times. It was a fun day to end an awesome summer with the HoneyRock '08 staff. Good times...

Jordan soaking up the beauty that is Capkeechy Lake in Northern Ontario. Having a big stick to "fish" with is enjoyable too...

Good Friends
From Left~ Melody Lake, Robyn Walsh, Jacqui Sharpe, Haley Ledbetter and Grace Ribbe

"Can we go to the ranch?"part 2

Jacob exploring one of the barns.
Becky, the ranch coordinator, teaching the kids about different wounds that horses get. We love Becky and how willing she is for us to come over and chat, ask questions, get rides and patron the HR ranch.
I did not pose these children! That's why I love this pic so much. It just was. I was talking to Becky and I turn around, and there they were, watching Mia and some of the other horses. This is why I always take my camera.
Jordan's gift to me while at the ranch. I love his little hands. So many times they're so dry and cracked and broken out they hurt me just to look at them. But this day in this pic, they're just beautiful.
Waiting to ride, they're always excited just like it was their first time ever. This day, Jordan was going first and Jackson was excited for him, put his arm around him and said,"You're going first buddy!" I love moments like these and that I get to remember them forever.

"Can we go to the ranch?"

The kids are always wanting to go the ranch. And I always take my camera...
Jacob, being curious.
The cool cowboy pose must just come natural to some.
I love this pic of Haley. How sanitary it really is for her to have that in her mouth I don't know, but it's definately not the 1st time and won't be the last and she has yet to get sick here in WI.
I don't know what Jordan's doing. Just being cute as usual.

One of our favorite things~

We love to be on the lake. Haley and Jackson help paddle and Jordan has lately been wanting to try his hand at it as well.( Recovering the paddle from the lake is just a part of a 4 year old learning to paddle I guess. ) Jacob, my not-afraid-of-anything-dangerous-kid, just likes to lean over the side of the canoe and feel the water as we glide over it. I like watching him. Most of the time he just sits there quietly, feeling the water and looking around like he's just taking it all in and sometimes it looks as though he's thinking. I wish I knew what it was considering he's 2.

Mia~ The HoneyRock Philly

Mia, less than 24 hours old
Mia and momma, Ginger.
Mia, 4 weeks old
It's so cute the way she runs around and kicks her legs. We've really enjoyed watching her as she changes. Jacob loves her the most. He's always wanting to see, "baby hoss."
Haley with Mia. She loves to feel her mane. It's so soft. We're having to be alittle more careful these days though. Mias been nipping.

My Little Cowboy's

All three of my boys LOVE cowboys right now.. here Jordan and Jacob are "holding up" their dinner cook... literally... it always takes a little longer to do everything these days.....it's all good... I like it....
"Stick 'em up!"
Can you say "cowboy from south of the border" ?

Going Way Back.... to April...

Jordan's birthday breakfast... french toast with strawberries and whip cream...yum
I always have to make his before the rest of the families b/c of his allergies, so I just plated it all up for him. It looks like alot b/c it is!!! He usually does eat 4; just not with strawberries and whip cream.
We couldn't understand where it all was going!!!

What a piggy!!!
Oh well... it was his birthday!!!!

What happened to your blog?

A question I've been hearing alot lately. I apologize for my slackness in blogging everyone. My main problem after uploading pics onto the computer is transferring all of them over into a file that I can access on the web. Anyways, I take full responsibility and will be working overtime to see there are updates soon........ I can't wait to share all the pics.
There are so many of kids playing, climbing, riding horses,playing with cousins and my favorite and yet most sad catagory, my little and last baby, getting his first haircut and transforming right before my eyes into a little boy!!!! A sad day for mommy seeing that it wasn't just a haircut, it was a buzz cut!!! I knew the day would come and now I have realized, I no longer have little babies. What a sad thought but a very real one. Don't we all wish they could just stay little forever ?!?! But, after all, he is only 2 so I have many more of these "lasts" with him thank the Lord. None I look forward to..... except one...... the last diaper!!!!!!!!

I am so thankful for my healthy children and I am savoring these young years. I do admit there are days I feel like screeming, but only into a pillow, in my room, with the door closed. They are so fun and funny and I try to remember every little thing lest one day I should forget.
Thanks for checking in on us. We Love You !!!!

The Little Chapel

This is the little Edman Memorial Chapel in the HoneyRock village. It really is beautiful and these pictures don't do it justice. It was really neat walking in there. Last years burdens and commitments were still nailed to the cross, and I can imagine the special times that have happened in there throughout the years.

HoneyRock pics

The sign at the entrance of the camp road.The lodge where we eat and fellowship.
The fireplace in the lodge. Rather messy with loads of stuff the students left there while they ate
A few of the HoneyRock staff. Most pictured here will move on in the fall. That's whats so cool. These guys invest in the camp and get to know the staff and make friendships and grow in Christ and then leave to go start the ministry God's calling them too. At the right is Brandon and Jackie. they will leave in the fall to go to another camp out in Colorodo. They have been called to serve there. One girl has just left to go to England to work in a mission there. A couple will be returning to Columbia , South America and yet others over in Czech and Africa. Its awesome to know they're so many willing to still go and share the Gospel of Christ in foreign lands and love the whole world as Jesus did.

Snowmen!

The snow was perfect the other day to build snowmen.

They were outside a long time rolling them and then waited for Daddy to get home to stack them. They had so much fun and I liked watching them as I passed the sliding glass door. They've helped me to remember the fun times I had as a kid playing for hours outdoors in the winter wonderland. It was so fun!!
Haley's snowman w/ Jackson playing football in the background.
Jackson's snowman

The snow had melted quite a bit when these were taken last week but has since returned and is falling very heavily right now.

Words for the Day

I'm reading a book right now called, How I Know God Answers Prayer, by Rosalind Goforth ,1921. It is their family's memoirs of answered prayer in their lives. They were missionaries in China and these are some of the times God showed Himself to be all-powerful, all-knowing and full of grace. This is a poem from the book .

"He answered prayer: so sweetly that I stand,

Amid the blessing of His wondrous hand,

And marvel at the miracles I see,

The favours that His love hath wrought upon me.

Pray on for the impossible and dare,

Upon thy banner, this brave motto bare,

'My Father answers prayer.'"

It's not the most poetic,fluid and beautiful poem in the world, but after reading the ways God worked miracles in their life, I tried to understand from their perspective, after all those times and trails, how these words came from her heart and how humble and inspiring she was.

He has worked miracles in all of our lives and how many more He wants to give if we would just be ready to receive them from ready, obedient and faithful hearts,lives and attitudes.

Exploring camp

We've been outside everyday since we've been here. It's a beautiful time of year. Not too cold and its the time before it all melts and makes a muddy mess. We've had alot of fun exploring the different and interesting places here at camp. We were walking on the lake yesterday evening and saw either bobcat,lynx or mountain lion tracks along with a multitude of other ones. The kids and I haven't looked up the track online yet but it's been interesting to see all the different animal tracks there are in our yard and around camp and try to guess what they are.
The sun reflects so brightly off the snow and its just beautiful. I love being in the midst of such beautiful creation.

Our Home at Honeyrock

Here is a couple pics of our house here at camp. We are in the middle of camp and the kids are loving it so far. The broomball court, rink, rockclimbing and one of the tubing hills are right out our door.

Dell walks up the this path to go to work and we have been enjoying the closeness to him. He even talked me into coming to make french bread for him in the lodge kitchen a few days ago while the little kids napped and the big ones watched a movie.( We have walkie talkies and can talk back and forth. ) It worked out well and it helped him out alot.

You might be a redneck if.............

.....your youngest(and last)
childs 2nd birthday consists
of a ham sandwhich and coffee crisp
chocolate bar at 8:30 at night :)

We had just arrived at Honeyrock after 2 days of traveling in terrible weather: it was -3 and we were all so.. tired but you gotta do what you gotta do. Needless to say we had a really good laugh about it all and will make for a good story to tell about him.

I really don't know why we didn't celebrate his birthday over breakfast at Cracker Barrel when he had a pancake with whip cream on it! I guess the thought didn't cross my mind in all the chaos.

We're here!

We are here at Honeyrock in Three Lakes, WI. The Lord has truly blessed us with a smooth transition so far. We were amazed to have over 25 people unload our 2 trucks in less than an hour! Everyone has been so great to us already and its nice to already begin to feel at home here and so welcomed.
Last night was family night where the entire staff and their family's eat together. We met alot of people and ate some great food in the beautiful lodge here. We pulled the kids over in the sled and they thought that was so great.
Today was a mild day although it has snowed all day. I put the kids in the sled and pulled them around camp. We saw the horses and are eager to get a chance to ride them. Jackson has already become friends w/ alot of the college students here and they have included him in several games of broomball. He's loving it!
We also went iceskating this afternoon on the rink up the path from our house. I even got out there and did pretty well for not having skated in 15+ years :)
We had alot of fun!!!