Hello again!!!

So, I've decided that I must be the worst blogger known to mankind! I mean, who goes four months without on measly message? What kind of person does that? Obviously someone who doesn't truly appreciate the community and value the 'blog' has created. So, from this truly oblivious person to you, I'm deeply sorry for my lack of participation!

Now that the berating and gross groveling is done, it's down to business...that is, uploading the downlow...I mean, transmitting the blognotes...well you know what I mean. We've spent the last four months in Colorado visiting family and friends and trying to sort out what our next move will be. It's been nice, a little uncomfortable at times, but nice. We spent three months parked in Stretch's parents backyard. At first, it was great. Tucker was relating to his grandparents (since both live there in Rifle), we were able to get out of the rv for extended periods of time (basically we slept in it and that was it!), and we got caught up with the parents. Then the honeymoon was over. Not that our parents did anything wrong or that we did, but a grown person who has a family of their own really isn't supposed to be back at the parents. Everyone kind of reverts back into the parent-child roles and when you've been out of the house for 10 years, that's a little hard to swallow. So now we are parked at our church in Grand Junction and are loving it! Stretch works Monday and Tuesday at the church and the rest of the time he has a handyman business he has started. It's been steady and very exciting for him. I've been doing the mother thing and helping my mother-in-law, Betsy, get started in her art business-website building, art festival applying, and organizing galore. You should check out her website www.betsyblackard.com

We've also decided that in order to go towards the goal of building a lodge, we have to put the ol' life on the road to rest. So, while it didn't last as long as we expected, it fulfilled what we expected. With the dream of the lodge firmly in our hearts, we never imagined God would bless our obedience so quickly.

So, you might ask, what's next? Well, even though we are putting our rv to rest, we are not planning on staying in Colorado. Even though we love it here, we are ready for a change. So, come February, we will be venturing off to Roseburg, Oregon. Roseburg, Oregon? Why there? Well, that's easy. Neither of us have been to Oregon, so we figured it'd be the perfect place for something completely different! We'll be traveling out there and staying in the rv. Then once we're there, we'll sell the big rig, rent a place, and get Stretch's handyman business up a running. I'll continue to help him with the books, continue to expand and challenge my new painting hobby (yep-that's right-I've taken up painting, pastels and acrylics-lots of fun and very relaxing!) and get involved with whatever church we find. Oh yeah, of course all of that is somehow squeezed into the full-time mothering gig I've got going on.

So, that's the upload of our downlow. Hope you are doing good! God bless!

Love you all!
Sara

Oh...here are some long promised pictures!
Stretch, Tucker and Nation touching a glacier in Valdez.

Tucker waiting for construction on the Jeep hood.

Me and Tucker in Dawson City, Yukon at the town overlook.

Cow moose and her calf in our backyard in Chicken.

Tucker eating wild cranberries off of the bush.

All of us in front of a glacier on the wildlife cruise in Seward.