Bayfield Elementary and more....

Mason and Landon started school at Bayfield Elementary on Monday. Mason's 5th grade teacher is Mr. Foster and Landon's 2nd grade teacher is Mrs. Magno. Both are young and seem very sweet. The boys liked them. With a knot in my stomach on Monday, we took them to school and walked them in. The whole way there they were laughing and playing which helped my feelings a lot. Landon went in his classroom like he'd been going there forever. Mason went in looking very uncomfortable but said he was not nervous(differences in their personalities). I had peace that day so thank you to all who were saying prayers for them. When we picked them up, we were somewhat lost about what to do because there was no line to get in. Turns out, when the bell rings, the kids just go unsupervised to where ever they are supposed to go. Well, Landon's classroom has a door that opens to the outside so we knew he would come out that way. Mason on the other hand we had to hunt down because he did not know where to go. I am so shocked at the lack of safety issues they have here compared to Parkside. Other differences are that there is no snack time or bathroom stops(kids just have to ask for a pass when they have "to go"). The boys were excited that they have recess here, three 15 minutes increments of free play on the playground. There is no PE or PE teacher. Everything went well and they were both excited about going back to school on Tuesday. They are out of school from Wednesday through the following Monday though so we lucked out! Below is their new school....

On Monday after school, we finally got to take that bike ride we were wanting to take. Lake Vallecito is a reservoir so they start letting the water out some slowly in the fall. In the spring, all the snow begins melting off of the mountains, flows down in the lake and fills it back up (I hear it is very muddy in the spring). So, in the spring and summer, the lake water is just about 50 yards from our house. Right now, it is probably about 150 yards away, still visible to the right of the house. So we rode out to the lake bed that is now barren and there is a stream flowing down the middle of it. It is so beautiful to stand there and look at the view. The stream is enticing to the boys and I can see hours of fun playing in it with some high rubber boots! We walked on over to the lake and hundreds of mallard ducks flew off. This is where we met John, the butcher from the general store next door, with gun on his shoulder and dressed in camoflauge, there to do a little duck hunting.

On Tuesday, we took the boys to school and Mike and I stayed in town to run errands. The boys missed the basketball sign ups for Bayfield Park and Rec and they would not let us in because they had turned other people away already and the teams were packed full. They recommended we drive 10 miles down the road to Ignacio, because they still needed players. So we went to Ignacio and signed the boys up with the Southern Ute Indians league. Now, this is going to be interesting. The Southern Ute Indian Reservation is in Ignacio and they have two casinos, so you can imagine how nice their community center was. It has a gym, a rock climbing wall, exercise classes throughout the day, a tumbling tots class for Haven, and a nice indoor swimming pool that is open all the time. You can join for a nice fee or pay $4 to visit to use the facilities. Interesting facts I learned about this Indian tribe is that they have oil wells on their land along with the casinos. So, everyone that has any Southern Ute blood in them gets a monthly check for $1500. When the kids reach 18, they get a $20,000 check and can go for free at any college of their choice on top of that. Unfortunately, because money is handed to them, only 3 or 4 a year go to college for education and many of the Southern Ute's don't even work. They all get to use the community center for free though so they should all be in shape! Practice for the boys start next week and their games begin in December. I was told that most of the Ute's don't play basketball, that it will mostly be white boys that we are playing with.

We were invited over to eat with Mark and Margie on Wednesday night and got to eat our first ELK!! It was delicious!! It tasted a lot like steak. Mark is a sheriff's deputy and Margie is a LPN that works for the county jail. They are in their 40's and have two teenage kids still at home. They have not been in the church for a while because Mark gets disgusted with the legalism that the church is full of, and he did not trust the last pastor they had too well. He and Mike have a lot in common, most important their love for Keith Green! (70's Christian artist). I believe the church members would be shocked to find out that they were the first ones to invite us over.. ...so I can see God moving already. Mark seems to have a great heart and really loves God. He kills 2 elk and 2 deer per year to feed his family for the year. He cuts up and wraps his own meat. (We have had two other families bring us some food over)

Well, I am finally caught up with what all has been going on. The boys have been out of school Wednesday and Thursday so they have been fishing (with no luck :() biking back down to the stream to play in the water, and Donny came over for a little while yesterday. Haven had her snow boots on in the steam and kind of fell down, so that cut the water play short as I had to get her back home and dry her off. Today we plan to go see HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3...(yea!!!) and go to a Halloween Festival that the Service League is having for the community tonight. We hope to meet many of the younger families in Vallecito tonight. Below is our house and church...(didn't mean to post the picture twice and I haven't figured out how to remove a picture yet.) Praise God a little more today than yesterday, pray that He gets tons of glory on this "holiday" and pray for safety of all those who will be out tonight. Also, pray that we will get an offer on our house today!!

(By the way, would you please post a comment on Mike's entry......after he wrote it, he keeps coming to check to see if anyone commented and finally said "I'm done blogging because no one comments on what I write".....boo-hoo!) LOL!!

Pray for our house to sell!!

Today is Thursday and they are showing our house tomorrow (Friday). Everyone who reads this please pray that the "looker" will love it and want it. This will relieve a huge financial burden off of us. Thanks!

First Word from Mike!

Hey everyone! This is the first time I have been able to get Lori off the computer so I could write some things. Just kidding. I just really haven't been able to sit and do this. I guess this makes it seem more real to sit and write this for you guys. I miss you all already and wonder what in the world I have done. My first sermon is going to be entitled "What in the world is God up to?" I really don't know but I know He has a good plan because that was His promise in Jeremiah 29:11, I just wish I had all the details up front. (Don't we all) Anyway we are settling in and meeting a lot of people in the area. There are many people yet to be reached here and we believe God is going to use us to reach out to them with His love. Pray for us. Pray That His word might sound forth all over this valley and the moutains surrounding us. (That sounds so King James doesn't it) Pray that everyone around here might find Jesus. (That's how we do it at Grace isn't it)

The area we live in is awesome. Those of you who love the outdoors would love this place. Mountains and lakes and deer and elk and bald eagles; we saw a bald eagle catch a fish out of the lake and land on a tree not 25 feet from us and eat it. It was awesome. I had a perfect shot.
They taste like chicken by the way. (Just kidding).

I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love on our family over the last few weeks. It was really overwhelming and we could never express to you have grateful we are to you for your love and kindness. I thank my God everytime I remember you, which is all the time. You are my family and the best friends I have in the world. I say about you guys what Paul said to Philemon, "Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brothers, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God's people." You were and are that breath of fresh air to our souls.

I leave you all with one final word from Paul that applies to us as well; it is found in the final few verses of the book of Titus, Please come before winter, because we have decided to stay. I love you all.
Mike

Colorado Rocky Mountain High!!!

Ok, so we are here and it is absolutely gorgeous! The title above is a John Denver song....do you remember that song? If I have to hear it one more time, I'll scream!!(Thanks Jonathan!!) So our home is the church parsonage, directly behind the church, nestled in a valley beside Vallecito lake. On Friday after we arrived, we unpacked as much as possible, set up the beds, and the church fed us pizza from The Market up the street. Landon woke up Friday morning in New Mexico complaining with his index finger hurting and you could see right up under the nail looked a little greenish-white. He did not know what happened to it but it really bothered him until we gave him some Tylenol. Anyway, Friday night was a really bad night for Mike and Landon, as he was up and down all night, crying with it (I never knew a thing--guess I was really tired!). So...Saturday morning we got up, got ready, and headed to Urgent Care. The doctor there lanced it and got all of the pus out and put him on an antibiotic. It still doesn't look very good but it is not hurting him any longer.
We also took the U-Haul back and made a trip to Wal-mart for essential items. On Friday, after we ate pizza, the ladies showed me a table in the back that was full of "Pounding" items. What a blessing!! Our pantry is so full right now that we can't get it all in so that made our Wal-mart trip much easier. We arrived back at the house around 3:30 and within 15 minutes, I looked outside and there were two boys playing in the church yard. Now, the church yard has a sand volleyball court, a baseball back stop, and a basketball goal. Mike and the boys went over to meet them and their names were Donny and Alex who were neighbors (not brothers). Donny was in the 5th grade (that's Mason's grade-Praise God!) and Alex is a 6th grader. The boys played with them until they left. Now, this may not seem very news worthy to you, but for a mother who is filled with anxiety about being in a church with no children and her boys starting a new school, I just had to PRAISE THE LORD!!! He brought the children to us without us even having to go to them!! What a Blessing!!! and Donny has been over every day since!
After the boys left, we went to the school Fall Festival where we got to meet Alex's mom who has a total of 5 children. Both Donny and Alex are new to Vallecito also and started Bayfield school this year. The Fall Festival was fun but we didn't really meet anyone else because two people in our family was in a rush to get home to see a certain game on ESPN! ROLL TIDE!!!!
Mike's first day at Vallecito Church is Nov. 2nd so on Sunday we slipped in church as it started and sat in the back. This was the interim pastor's last Sunday and he has been with them for a year and a half so we did not want to take any attention off of him. However, Jerry had to point us out as visitors! There were probably 40 people there and I as a little disappointed that Donny and his Dad were not there after Mike had invited them. For those of you I haven't told, many members go to another state for the winter to live so all the winter people have left. In the summer the church has around 150 people but in the winter, it goes down somewhat when just the "year around" people are here. We were invited to go to The Market for lunch with a group. The Market is the only place to eat around the lake in the winter. It is an old looking store with not a lot of room to sit and eat but it is sufficient I guess. They serve Mexican food and sandwiches. Next door to us is a general store but you can imagine what the prices are there! They are opening a steak house and bar next door also(we-hoo!)(When I get to missing Alabama too much, I've got a place to go!!!). Most of the summer lodges have closed and the only guests in the area right now are hunters. We went riding around one day and the potential for growth is awesome! I can't wait to see how many new families are in this church this time next year!
After lunch on Sunday, we planned to take a bike ride around the area but had company all day and did not get it in. It is beautiful during the day, around 68, but when the sun starts going down it gets really chilly. The kids have adjusted great so far and have not been sad. Haven is just happy go lucky all the time! The boys were disappointed when they arrived on Friday, and the pool table, hocky table, and ping pong table had been put in storage. On Sunday, the men got the pool table out for them and restored their joy!
We have felt your prayers, my friends and family! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I will pick up with Monday through today later....love you all!

Thursday, Oct 23...Trip continues.....

Hey everyone! I hear it is cold in Alabama.....we must have brought the Alabama weather to Colorado because it has been absolutely beautiful here. During the day it is around 70. Anyway, On Thursday we traveled from the edge of Oklahoma, through the top of Texas, to the middle of New Mexico. It was so cool when we crossed into Texas and were at the "Welcome to Texas" sign, and a tumbleweed blew along side the interstate!! The Texas landscape was different-- very flat and a lot like the scenes in a western movie. We came up on the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere and had to stop to check it out. There were scenes from the crucifixion all the way around the cross. It was awesome!! Check out the pictures......

We soon crossed into New Mexico.....OK...imagine going down the old Route 66. Did you see the movie "Cars" by Disney??? Remember how the road is just out in now where....nothing is around but road, dust, and scenes from western landscape. We were in an area like that at one point on the trip and the U-Haul just started spraying out something onto my car. Now...we were in a place where I thought any minute I would see a sign that said "Next gas stop- 1000 miles." I called Mike and asked what it was and he did not know anything had happened. Soon the radiator light came on and we thought oh goodness.....this is a scene from the movies. Of course both of us started praying, slowed down so the U-Haul would not over heat and finally made it to the next exit where there was a gas station AND a parts place.....wow! God is good and I want to give him the praise for taking care of us. Turns out, the clamp on the radiator hose came off so Mike was able to fix it and we were back on the road. Between Amarillo, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, the land is beautiful and so different. There is hardly any houses or trees....lots of desert bushes but no trees. We spent the night on the other side of Albuquerque and the hotel had an indoor pool that the kids loved!

I really enjoyed seeing this part of the country but by the time day 4 (Friday) rolled around, I was so ready to get to Colorado. (Now take note, that because we were both driving, we chose to take our time and stretch it out to 4 days so we could see some sites---you might could drive it in one 22 hour day but planning to drive it in two days is more sensible). The drive from Albuquerque to Colorado was ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!! The pictures just does not do it justice. The mountains are different and just beautiful country. Again, not alot of houses. I would almost say that view is worth driving the whole trip (Or you could fly into Albuquerque which is 3 hours away!)!

We arrived in Bayfield, CO, around12:30 and went straight to the school to register the boys so they could start on Monday. We met their teachers and both seemed very nice. We then headed to the house and arrived there around 2:00 (it is a 20 minute drive from the school to the house). When we pulled in, there were 17 people from the church waiting on our arrival to help us unload. So Grace family, they did help us unpack the van and stayed to help unpack some of the boxes also (I know many of you were concerned that we would not have help). Now, getting almost 4,000 square feet of stuff into a 1,400 square foot house was definitely a challenge!! Thank GOD they cleaned out the church storage building so that we could store some of our stuff there!! I am still unpacking and trying to find a place for everything. That sums up our trip from Bama to Colorado so tomorrow I will start with Colorado info. Drop me an email anytime....I would love to hear from everyone! (We have DSL.....YEA!!!!!)

And We're Off..........Tuesday, Oct. 21st

Moving day arrived at last....a day I dreaded for 8 weeks. Becky and Pete Kritner, and Dawn Wright came over to see us off and help with the last minute loading. Becky and Pete's son Josh gave Mike an Auburn sweatshirt and out of love for their family, Mike told Josh he would put it on before he left. SO........Can you believe he left Alabama in an Auburn sweatshirt???!! It didn't seem to bother him but me and the boys had a problem with it every time we looked at him! As you can see in the picture below, we are trying to cover it up as much as possible!

Pulling out of the driveway was extremely difficult but I can say that it was not as hard as the day before had been with all the goodbyes. I cried all the way to Grace and past it but I will say that it was a relief to have all the goodbyes behind us. I was reminded of the verse in the Bible on my drive into Cullman leaving Holly Pond about forgetting the things that are behind and pressing on to the prize of the high calling of God which is in Christ Jesus. Now Grace family, please don't take that the wrong way.... I will never forget you but to cope with the reality of leaving my home of 9 years, God placed that scripture on my heart as a reminder that we are called out to be obedient and press forward. A sense of excitement sparked and Mason, Haven, and I sang with the VBS CD "Strong and Couragous" which became my theme song for this journey. It says "Have I not commanded you to be strong and couragous. Do not be satisfied, Do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go." AHHH, scripture is like water to a thirsty soul.

So, our Tuesday destination was to Little Rock, Arkansas. The drive there was fine. We went through Mississippi, Memphis, TN, then to Arkansas. Nothing exciting to report on that drive. The kids were awesome. We met up with Randy Pate and his son Wesley for supper and a tour of his new church. Do you all remember Randy?? He moved there in April and is the Minister of Evangelism and Outreach at Geyer Springs Baptist in Little Rock. They only have 19 ministers on staff and it took us an hour to tour the church!! Penny did not get to join us due to a stomach virus.

On Wednesday, we left Little Rock to head to Oklahoma City. We went to the Oklahoma City Memorial which was very sad and touching. Oklahoma was extremely windy and cold. Oh, and we got gas there for $2.29 a gallon.

The chairs represent the 168 people that died in the bombing. The small chairs represent the children who died. (Notice the boys are having to cover up that Auburn sweatshirt again)!

The water you see is a very thin layer of water and there are monuments at each end there with "9:01" and "9:03" on them. Landon asked the park ranger what that meant and Landon told us that the 9:01 was the last peaceful time before the bombing which took place at 9:02. The "9:03" represented the fact that the world would never be the same after that happened. The fences around the area are still loaded with pictures of the victims and things people brought as a memorial gift.

Across the street from the memorial is this touching statue of Jesus, ensribed at the post "Jesus Wept."

We then loaded back up and decided to drive until we couldn't drive any more. We made it to Elk City, Oklahoma, just 30 miles from the Texas line. The boys and I were amazed at the huge windmills that lined the fields in Oklahoma......

Ok, I have to stop here and get in the bed. I'll finish the trip info tomorrow......sorry!

The Funeral.....Monday, Oct 20th

The Funeral?????? Yes, last Monday, moving day, was like a funeral at our house! We had so much help and support from our Grace family and couldn't have done it without them.....thank you-thank you-thank you!! For those of you who do not know, I had a stomach virus that got worse as the day went on. I definitely did not want all of you to have your last glimpse of me in that condition!! And sorry if I passed it on to anyone.......

Thanks to Jerry Creel, Tracy and Kevin Tankersly.......

Tammy and Jeff Silvey, Jessica Creel, Cameron Tankersley (who entertained Haven all day!!)

Meredith Wade, Tommy Todd,.......

Shane and Bonnie Bowman, Becky and Pete Kritner.......

Aleycia and Mike Skelton(Wait..that's Mike Owen), Gery Fuller, Dawn Wright, and Doug Jones. You all worked so hard as I curled up in the back closet!! Many of you gave up a day off at work to help us and we acknowledge that and appreciate it. I wanted to pack you all up in that moving truck and take you with us! As each person left in staggered intervals throughout the day and night, we cried as we said our goodbyes, knowing that the relationship as their pastor/wife has come to an end. Just remember, there is a new relationship now instead of pastor/friend, it is friend to friend. As I watched and relished the reactions to us leaving, all day, I couldn't help but think "Are the people in Colorado ever going to love us like these people love us?" You know, they may not and that's OK because you, Grace family, showed us enough love to last a life time......and for that, we are forever grateful! We love you!!!

***GO BACK TO "SPECIAL PEOPLE" Post to see the pictures of mom, Hannah, Jeff and Tammy Silvey, and I added a picture of Chandler Wisener to the post********

The Grace Finale- Sunday, 10/19/08

Hello Everyone! We are in Vallecito, Colorado, now, settling into a new home and just got our computer hooked up today. I have so much to share with everyone so I am going to have to go back to where I left off last Sunday morning, our last Sunday at Grace.

It was so bittersweet.....bitter because it was our last day worshipping with the greatest church family on earth, and sweet because well, they are just so sweet!! They made us feel so loved and so special, and so equipped to complete the mission before us. We love you all so much and a piece of our hearts will ALWAYS be there with you. Thank you for the gifts, the encouraging words, the hugs, and even the tears that showed us your hearts! Bonnie made the biggest, greatest sign for us with a big Wagon HO! over it and we had a huge cake with our picture on it-
(Don't know why it is distorted)

I want to say a special thank you to the most wonderful, godly deacons you will ever meet: Gery Fuller, Jeff Silvey, Tony Jetton, and Bruce Wright. They have been the reason that Mike is still in the ministry today. They believed in him, trusted him, encouraged him, served with him, and loved him. Words can not express our appreciation for all you have done for us.....keep serving with a cheerful heart and God will continue to bless Grace for your faithfulness! WE LOVE YOU!

Below are pictures of some very special people. I was not able to get pictures of everyone that I wanted to and want to apologize in advance if your picture did not make it on......

This is my Dawnie(Wright), my Tammy (Silvey), and my Tracy(Tankersley)....

This is my Meredith (Wade) and my Jessica(Creel).....

This is my Dylan(Cone) and I am sure going to miss those hugs!! This is Dylan's mom (my) Sandi

This is Lisa #1 (Jetton) and Lisa #2 (Tidwell) with her gorgeous daughters Calli and Lauren..

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This is our Regina(Whitehead) and Bonnie (Bowman) who have always had a special relationship with the boys.. (Now that takes talent to publish a picture upside down....sorry Bonnie! What am I doing???!!)

There are many, many more people at Grace that I didn't get a picture with that have touched our lives in so many ways. We love you all and thank you for making our last Sunday so special. Thank you Becky Kritner for all your work in decorating and preparing for the day. Thank you Jessica Creel for the wonderful slide show. We will cherish it forever! We love you all and please don't forget us!!

(Remember, leave a comment to let me know who all is checking in. It's nothing to register in. Thanks!)

Quick Update

Hello all! We are currently in Elk City, Oklahoma and are leaving to head to New Mexico today. The hotel we are at had a computer so I thought I would drop an update. When we hook up in Colorado, I will go back to what all happened Sunday at church and update you from there. It was a very hard day but also filled with many blessings. Monday, I had a stomach virus while everyone moved all our belongings out around me. It was awful!! Anyway, thanks to everyone who helped out in the move and showed their love to us in so many ways. We pulled out on Tuesday morning, drove through Mississippi, Memphis TN, and stopped in Little Rock, Arkansas. Wednesday, we drove through Oklahoma and stopped at the memorial in OK City. It was touching and very sad, but I was glad we stopped. Today, we will be driving to New Mexico. The road trip is somewhat fun and the kids have been awesome. We'll arrive at our new home tomorrow. We'll update you as soon as we can hook up the computer at home. Keep praying for our safety and our emotional well being! Love you all!

One Last Sunday at Grace

I woke up this morning around 5:00 and laid there a while but decided to get up and blog some. I have been sharing what is going on around us but have not shared much about what we are feeling during this time. Although Mike sounded very excited when the decision was made and he was sharing our plans, he has had a really rough couple of weeks. It is hard to do what God has called you to do sometimes and as hard as it is to move across the country, it is not half as hard as saying goodbye to the life you've had for 9 years and people that love you. Life as we've known it is ending and a new phase is beginning and it is very scarey. (I am having to stop and sqawl while I type this-- not the strong person I was yesterday). Me? I haven't cried in several weeks until this morning. I've just been working through it and coping by staying busy. It would be so much easier to leave a place that you did not feel wanted....but we are thankful, as hard as it is, that we are not in that position today and we are leaving a church family that loves us. I don't think Mike realized how much he was appreciated and loved by Grace....... but brothers and sisters, you have shown us that and their is no greater gift that you could give us. Please pray for us as we hold hands and walk through the next week of change. Today is going to be so hard but I know a blessing is in store for us. I'll let you know what happens.......

Special People...

My mother came up this weekend to see us and help me with the yard sale since I was going on a field trip Friday. In Cullman, yard sales are huge and people have them on Thursdays and Fridays. Anyway, because of Mother's broken elbow, she can not drive so my niece Hannah drove her up here and Hallie joined in on the trip. Thank you Hannah for sacrificing your weekend for me and Nuna!

My mother is a pillar of strength. Her and my father divorced when I was young and she rarely ever cried about that in front of me. I know that she hurt for years but in her love for me, she shielded me from seeing her pain to try to create the best life possible for a child in a broken family. I know this move is killing her but she won't dare let me know. I have to ask other people how she is doing because she is not going to let her pain contribute to my pain. I will never live up to being the mother she has been to me. She has sacrified all her life for me and I know without a shadow of a doubt that she loves me unconditionally. Getting ready to leave yesterday she said "now, we are not going to cry.....I am sending you off with my blessings." Now whether she meant that or not, it sure did help me with saying goodbye. Tears came to my eyes when I typed it just now but yesterday, I was that strong women that she fostered me to be when she left and I did not break down. Mom, I love you with all my heart and don't deserve you! I love you more than all the sand on the beach and stars in the sky!!(That saying goes back to my childhood)
Two very precious friends of ours for the past 9 years are Jeff and Tammy Silvey. They also have been a pillar of strength that have held us up in very dark times and kept us laughing in the brightest of times. I can't help but cry as I type this because they mean so much to me. We have went on vacations together, watched our kids grow up, and watched other friends come and go. I will remember the cookouts, days at the pool, trips to Barry's BBQ, long walks for exercise, fundraising for Brazil, and Alabama football games. There were times that we would have easily walked away from Cullman if it hadn't been for Jeff and Tammy. Had they ever turned their back on us, we would have for sure. Thank you for your friendship (which is not stopping here).....God has put us in the same town for a season but in a friendship for a life time! We love you guys!!

Let me throw in how special Chandler Wisener has been to our family. He has brought much joy to our boys over the last 6 years. We are waiting for you to come visit Chandler!!