Old Friends

This past weekend we had the blessing of traveling to northern California (all four of us!) for the wedding of a dear friend from college. The trip was fantastic and really made me thankful for the way God sovereignly places people in our lives, and for the unique fellowship that exists between brothers ans sisters in Christ! We were able to spend time with people who have shared some different seasons of life with us; partnered with us and impacted us in one way or another.



Jacob Schwarze and his beautiful bride Olya!! Jake and Todd and I sang in Majesty together in college and made our first trips to Russia with one another. He was in our wedding, and it was exciting to be a part of his! Jake and Olya are a perfect match and I am so thankful for the way God brought them together. They will make their new home in Moscow.



Sergei Omelcheenko is a man Todd and I spent only a month with, but he had quite an impact on us and became a real friend. As our translator when we traveled to Ukraine and Russia in 2001, he was our lifeline! More than that, He demonstrated consistent Christlikeness and was a constant servant, showing preference for others and considering others as more important than himself. Sergei translated at Jake and Olya's wedding & reception, and Todd and I were thrilled to be able to catch up with him and introduce him to our children!



The wedding was a little bit of a reunion with several friends from college, like Marshall and Bekah Walters. It was neat to catch up and hear what God is doing in the lives of others!



We spent the day Sunday with some very special people, Kevin and Rebecca Boesler and their kids. Kevin and Todd were on staff together at our former church in California, and the Boeslers shared in our days of dating, engagement, and newlywed-ness! Their oldest son Caleb was my first piano student in Tehachapi...it was so fun to hear him play for me again! Eleanor enjoyed playing with 2-year-old Anna, as you can see. We had a day of sweet fellowship!

Toenails, Pigtails and Smiles

A Few More Minutes

....that's what I have, so here are more Christmas pictures! Please note the temperature in the top picture....20 BELOW zero!

Slow and Steady

I am learning that to get things done I just have to maximize small amounts of time instead of waiting for big chunks that will probably never come! I am a list maker, and lately have laughed at how my to-do lists have changed over the last couple of years. They used to be 20 items long and pretty well crossed off by the end of the day; now, they consist of about 3 items, perhaps 1 of which is crossed off by bed-time! :D But I have precious, precious time that I get to spend with Eleanor and Will, and that is far more worthwhile than accomplishing all the tasks I think of! Anyway, that explains my "slow and steady" thought regarding blogging. So, here are just a few pictures of Christmas in Lake City.

My Munchkins on Christmas

I have a ton of photos, but here's a teaser for now!

Recent Photos

Eleanor and her Uncle Andrew (and his glasses) : computer genius-mountain biker-4.0 student-musician-gourmet chef-etc.etc. Yes, he really is all of those things, and more. His gourmet chef side came out last night when he made us a fantastic chicken alfredo dinner....there was a small kitchen incident during which we almost lost our lives, but hey, that's the price you pay for good food!




William and Uncle Andrew. And William by himself, because he is so cute! He has found his fists, as you can see.

Still Alive!

My neglected blog has had some of you wondering if I had vanished off the face of the earth...so here is the proof I'm still here! We have been busy, but sure enjoying this sweet stage of life! Will is changing so fast, but his happy laid back spirit has not changed! He is really delightful. I continue to have so much fun with Eleanor, as she is able to do and communicate and "help" more and more! (She also is loving her little brother!) She has definitely reached a new stage in her development - one in which her sinful little heart is becoming more evident! Todd and I pray daily for wisdom as parents, as we strive to both rebuke and train Eleanor in righteousness, and for our children's salvation. I am so thankful for the love of our Heavenly Father...being a parent has helped me grasp a little more of that love. Well, here's what you all really want: a few pictures!

Eleanor with her Papa Steve over Thanksgiving



William and Shaggy Bear over Thanksgiving



It had been a few years since Todd got to sit on Santa's lap! This was at the Bass Pro Shop in Denver, where Eleanor had a great time with her Daddy and Grandpa looking at fish and all sorts of game!



Mama and Will -Thanksgiving.



Picking out our Christmas tree!




Best Daddy!!



Decorating the tree



Eleanor making her Daddy proud - eating ribs!