Sunday, December 7, 2014

September 2014 Baptisms...

Septemeber seemed to be the month of camping and backpacking trips for Benj and I and many of our friends!  To end the camping season right, we were able to go away on the last weekend of the month with some of our Trademark Church family to be a part of their baptisms.

We were so thankful to be able to experience a little piece of what happened that weekend…(and I was even more thankful that I didn't have to experience how cold the water was)! Everyone had the chance to share a bit of their story, be prayed for by people that helped lead them to Christ, and then be baptized in the stream by Benj and Josh.  And then we feasted!

I had hoped to post the video but here are a few pictures until I can figure it out :)










Friday, August 29, 2014

Happy Birthday to Benj!

Last month Benj turned the big 27!  Though the celebrating was fairly low key (totally my fault for not planning better…yes I'm lame), he received an awesome birthday gift from a large group of friends and family!  To those that pitched in, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!  He is so thankful and so excited to start putting your generous gifts to good use.    

We've always loved riding, even before we dated we loved riding bikes together.  Probably one of my favorite memories of getting to know him and spending time with him.  Well, now he's taken it to a new level.  We got a steal of a deal on this Scott 2013 model that they were trying to get off their floors and he loves it.  It's his new baby, second probably to his guitar :)

Side Note:  He may not like this but I have to brag….Benj has lost 30lbs this past summer and is trying for 15 more!  He has worked hard for it and he continues to amaze me.  I would love to post a picture of him in all his gear with the bike, but he would probably kill me and I'm sure you all don't want to see him in spandex anyway!  I'll keep that to myself.  

Happy Birthday Benny!

Friday, July 18, 2014

The Man Trip….

Clearly I was not invited on this trip, but I'm not sure I would've been able to hack it.

Benj, Josh, and his oldest son, Mason trekked through the 7 Devils Mountain Range, surviving like men!  This was the first trip Benj has been invited on and now that Mason is 15, this was his first "Man trip" in which he had to carry his own weight and was fully responsible to be part of the team.

6 days

5 Nights

44.6 miles

Elevation:  7,000-9,000 ft.

Ave. Temperature:  Highs--70's/Lows--40's

The terrain is rough with snow still on the ground in parts, but the views were amazing and the time they had in the quiet and with each other were worth it.  Benj and Josh work hard week in and week out to lead, grow, invest in, and pray for our Church and the community around it and I was so thankful that they were able to just get away in the wilderness.

Each night they would check-in with an "okay" message that Josh's wife and myself would get, so that we could know that they were still alive.  They took a SPOT device so we could see their coordinates.  Being the worry-prone person that I am, Benj decided to say right before leaving, "if we don't check in 2 nights in a row, call the ranger."  What!?  Thankfully they arrived home safe and in one piece (a day earlier than expected because of some painful knees), and I don't think I've ever smelled that kind of stink from my husband.

Enjoy the pictures that don't do them justice and give Benj a call to hear his stories!






















Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Family Reunion….

After an entire year, we were able to make it back to Ohio to be with family!

It's a little different living so far away now that we have no immediate family nearby.  However, as we've said before, we are thankful that God has provided friends and a church that have become family to us here in Idaho.  Nevertheless, we still miss everyone.

It's rare that we all get to be in one place at one time so this trip was extra special!  Benj's family knew we were coming but we kept it a secret from Steph's parents as well as her sister and her family!  We loved seeing everyone even though it flew by too quickly.  We ate a lot of food we miss, saw so many sweet faces, held a lot of babies…a lot, stayed up late, got up early, went fishing, disc golfing, and just enjoyed a crazy week!

We loved visiting but have never been more thankful for our own bed and a quiet home.  Enjoy some pics from our trip :)
Steph and Grandpa McDonald

On our way to bowling with cade and the twins

Benj and Isaiah 

Hiking with Aunt Jan

Pool time with Shan, Lacie, and the kids of course 

We went fishing one night and of course Jason caught the biggest fish of the night in the first 5 minutes

Steph and her brother Joel

Benj and his big catch


Joel, Austin, and Benj 

Ending the fishing with a good fire and s'mores 

The newest cousins Scarlett and Annalee

Lots of time reading 

Steph's family

Playing in Grammy Litter's fountain

Loved seeing Nat and Shan 

The infamous Crunch Coated Cone

Did we mention kids…..loved seeing nieces and nephews and how much they have all grown

Schmidts in German Village is always a favorite

Steph's mom and older sisters

Couldn't get enough of these sweet babies!


Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Welcome to the family Samson...

Here is our last week in a nutshell….

We bought a dog!

Samson Facts:

Breed:  English Greyhound (He's retired from racing and seems to be very healthy)
Last race:  August 2013
Age:  4.5 years
Color:  Red Brindle
Height: Huge
Weight: Almost 80 lbs
Temperment:  Very calm, very affectionate, very skiddish around new things, and very stubborn (it's like pushing a cow into his kennel when we go to leave the house)

He doesn't know commands yet but is learning to "come."  And he doesn't know how to play with a ball yet either but loves to toss and wrestle with his fuzzy stuffed toys (but only for 10 minutes and then he goes back to sleep).  He sleeps up to 18 hours a day and he's finally starting to run and play when we take him to our friend's house who have 2 big dogs.  He walks really well on a leash and leans on you when you pet him.

Living in a kennel all of his life, he's never been in a home so this last week has consisted of getting him used to things and sounds and setting boundaries.  Overall, we could not have asked for a better dog!