The Crazy Non-Traditional Conservative Family Blackard

A little more settled than before!

2008-07-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

So, we are currently parked behind our church (Family Praise Center, check out the website I built for them www.thefamilypraisecenter.org) and are patiently waiting to move into the parsonage. Since we have moved here, God has really been lining things up for us! The people who are renting our the parsonage are supposed to be out by the 1st, so hopefully we will be moving in soon. We were hoping they'd be out early and cleaning it, but it doesn't look like they are very motivated to pack things out. The house is ginormous! It's a 2200 sq ft place with 2 living rooms, a big kitchen, a dining room, 3 bedrooms, and 2.5 baths. It also has a utility room and a 2-car garage. It sits on an acre (but really the church sits on like 10 or 11 acres, so our yard is huge!) I've already been told I can plant a garden, so I'm researching and planning my sight and such. We haven't actually seen the inside yet, so it's all my imagination going to work, and believe me it's working overtime right now. The huge blessing is that they were asking $1050 for rent, but when we told them we wanted it (it just felt like God was telling us to do it!), they lowered the rent to $850, which is really good for this area! So God is just really blessing us right now!

Stretch and I are also in the process of registering and licensing our new contracting business. Stretch will be building, fixing, and just about everything in between! So, pray that everything goes smooth with that!

Here are some pictures for you:

Overlook of Coos Bay

Playing in the ocean at Coos Bay

Stretch & Tucker at the river

Hiking from a waterfall (there's lots of those here!)

Tucker waiting for the candy to come at the 4th of July parade.

Settled-kind of!

2008-06-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

Well we have landed and somewhat settled in the little town of Cottage Grove, Oregon. It's incredibly cute. Very small town feel (in fact, in order to get wifi I am now in my car, hopping onto some very nice, but unknowing person...hence the reason why I have not blogged recently.) I'm in search of a job. I have my resume into several places, but the Farmer's Market in Eugene and the University of Oregon are the two I'm really praying for. I haven''t heard from either of them which means I'm still in the running!!! Stretch is going to be staying home and launching his handyman business and working on the lodge. So it's very exciting and testing of faith at the moment, since we have no money coming in. El Jirah will provide, because we are working on activated faith! So any prayers you can send our way is really appreciated! Well, I'm not sure how much longer my battery will work, so I'm going to keep this one short. There is an Internet cafe opening here so hopefully next week I can upload some pictures! Love you all!!!

God Bless,
Sara

T's Big Weekend

2008-05-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! Two posts in one week!!! This may be a new record! hehe Anyways, Tucker had a big weekend. Yesterday we went out to lunch with Granny and Papa Prow. It was supposed to be Granny's birthday present, but then they pulled a fast one and made it my Mother's Day present, those sneaky grandparents! Then, Tucker, Stretch, and I went to the amazingly fun and exciting Dinosaur Museum! Tucker really likes dinosaurs, so we figured it would be cool. They have animated dinosaur robots, huge bones, a place to 'dig for bones', a movie on dinosaurs, and an earthquake simulator. Tucker was a little hesitant at first and really didn't know what to do with the moving dinos, so Stretch held him a lot of the time. But after an hour or so, he must've realized they weren't going to eat him and ran around like a crazy child. It was a blast.

Then we went to church, and Tucker got beat up for the first time in his classroom. Now I don't know really what happen, but Tucker came away from the encounter with scratches all over his face and habitual bully had to sit in time-out. Despite the beating, Tucker was excited as ever to go to his class this morning. He's such a awesome kid that way. He really doesn't let much get to him.

Today he got to play at church all morning, then help daddy work on stuff this afternoon. And any minute our friends are showing up for a bbq. So, needless to say, Tucker's weekend has been very full! There's pictures below capturing some fun times! Love you and God Bless!

Tucker and Stretch moving a robot dino

Tucker and Me digging for bones

Our Paleontologist

Tucker's battle scars-bad picture, but his cheek is all scratched

Holy, Holy, Holy

2008-05-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain
Holy, holy is He
Sing a new song to Him Who sits on Heaven's mercy seat

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings
You are my everything, and I will adore You

Clothed in rainbows of living color
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and glory and power be
To You, the only wise King

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings
You are my everything, and I will adore You

Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your Name
Jesus, Your Name is power, breath and living water, such a marvelous mystery

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings
You are my everything, and I will adore You

"Revelation Song" from Gateway Worship

Isn't He amazing!?! I pray you are as blessed by this song as I've been! Love you all. Until next time, God Bless!

Phew-where did the months go?

2008-04-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

So, I'm in the process (and believe me it's a hard process to stomach) of watching Clinton and Obama debate. I am having to force the vomit down every couple of minutes, but it's important to know the enemy and see what we may have to endure the next four years! So if this blog is a little chaotic, I apologize.

I was looking online (truth is, Stretch has Tucker helping him put in the car stereo, so I have time to actually blog and type) and realized that it's been a couple of months (again) since I have blogged. So, again, I apologize. The last few months have flown by, which is good and bad. We haven't yet moved to Oregon. As soon as the Jeep sells, we will be out of here. It's taken a little longer than we have hoped, but we know it's all God's timing.

Tucker and I have also come to terms. Yes, he is still two, but we are learning how to make this stage one of good memories. He helps me cook dinner almost every night. With it getting warmer, we are playing outside and hiking in the mountains. Last week we went hunting for lizards (he loves how fast they run!) We are getting ready to potty train once we get to Oregon, so we've gotten a new potty chair that he loves to sit on and have his toy doggie sit on.

Last week I got to see something truly awesome and fun. Vice President Cheney came to Grand Junction for a fundraiser. Of course, there were the idiots protesting, so to counter that, I made a sign saying we loved him and found a spot very close to the airport, so one of his first things seen in GJ was positive and not hateful. Seeing him drive down the street was so incredibly cool. There was a huge police motorcade and a long line of fellow Republicans following. It was like I was in a movie where the president (or vp) came rushing by. It was truly a very exciting moment of my life.

I know I said I wouldn't be political, but I have to say it because the debate is really burning me. I love how the Democrats like to blame the Republicans for everything. It really makes me sick when Clinton and Obama says stuff like "the Republicans should apologize for the Bush/Cheney administration by not running a candidate." Its like the Deomocrats don't like to look at the fact that the nation wasn't in a bad shape until the Democrats took power in Congress two years ago!!! If they'd stop passing idiotic laws and policies, we'd be in a lot better state than we are right now. Now, I don't agree with everything the Bush administration has done, but the nation would be in a worse state if Kerry would've won.

So, below are some new pictures...hope you enjoy!!! Love you all!

Tucker in his KC duds!

Tucker's Easter present---duckling (he couldn't keep it, unfortunatly)

Tucker looking for Easter candy

Traveling to Iowa--he's a great traveler!!!

Happy Late Valentine's Day

2008-02-20T07:52:00.000-08:00

Hello! Boy, has February flown by us or what? Well, we spent the last three weeks battling colds, croup, and ear infections. It was a very trying few weeks, but we made it through by the grace of God (I spent a lot of time praying for wisdom and understanding!) Sick kids are no fun. Now everyone is well and doing great, and we are just dealing with a 2-year-old. Those of you who have kids know what that means. Those of you who don't...well the best way to explain is that when they get in their moods (which is often) you find yourself wondering if perhaps your child has been replaced with a feral creature there to destroy any semblance of order and calm. But no, he's just two!

We're getting really excited about the move. We still have no departure date, yet we are getting closer everyday!!! In the mean time, I've been going to a mom's bible study Tuesday's mornings and have enjoyed the fellowship! These ladies are incredible. Their stories are diverse and inspirational. I truly look forward to Tuesdays more than most. So while we don't know for sure when we are leaving, I'm glad I'm getting these few precious weeks with my new friends!

Well, that's about it for today. The feral creature, I mean Tucker's, crying and pulling on my arms so my typing time is over. So until next time,

God Bless and we love you!!!!

Title explanation

2008-01-17T06:45:00.000-08:00

So, what's with the 'Crazy Non-Traditional Conservative Family Blackard?' you might be thinking. Well, with all the hype in the upcoming election, I thought if I was to label our family, what would we be called by the media? Not that the media has any reason what-so-ever to be interested in my blog, but I thought it'd be fun. So, the explanation is:

Crazy: In today's society, people who go against what is considered 'the American dream'-you know, house, good paying stable job, good retirement, 2 kids, and loyal trusty dog- are looked at with eyes of awe through sunglasses of stupidity. Though deep down, most wish they could break free from the societal constraints of normalcy, they bury their dreams in running the rat race and call anyone who steps off the track impractical, erratic, crazy. If you are a reader of my blog, you know that our track is far from normal. With enthusiasm and no hesitation, we jumped out of the rat race and into the life unknown. To top that off, we have a very strong faith in Christ our Savior. He is what we base our whole life on. He leads our every step. Because we felt Him calling us, we sold everything to follow. He lead us to Alaska and back. Now we hear Him telling us to go to the Northwest. Without ever being there or knowing anyone, we are packing up again and going to Oregon. Because of our faith and prayers and allowing Him to guide us in what we do, we don't have to worry about if we are doing the right thing. Even if we go off track or misinterpret, He'll provide because of our faithfulness (just an example-there is a company in Portland we were told about last night who help Christian ministries, i.e. our lodge for ministers. Now, could there be a reason why we were called to that area? I think so!) Now, in our secular and sometimes Christian world, people are very uncomfortable with those of us who follow the Bible in every way and truly live a Christian lifestyle. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we're perfect by any means. I'm just saying we're crazy!

Non-Traditional: Now a lot of what I said in the previous paragraph automatically puts us in the non-traditional category of life. However, we do have a few more things that throw us that way (but in reality make us non-trad by today's standard but traditional by past standards which is confusing in itself). We have a strong desire to homeschool our children. We don't want our children to be taught opposite of our beliefs and values. We want our children to truly learn and not just be taught to pass the standards. We don't believe in going to the doctor for every little thing. Tucker only gets the vaccinations we feel are important, not blindly say 'Yes stick my son and give him something he doesn't need at this time." We rarely take medicine and will first try homeopathic remedies. Now I'm not saying we're granolas or anything, we just don't do something just because everyone else is doing it.

Conservative: There's a lot of conservative and liberal banter being thrown around lately. So with no apologies whatsoever, I formally declare that we are conservative, and strong one's at that. We believe in upholding family values. We believe that less government means stronger nation. We believe that legal immigrants are welcome, but come in the tradition of immigrants of the past. Those that came because of the desire to become Americans and live and raise their families as Americans. Melting into the melting pot, not sticking to the sides and bottom and expecting others to accommodate. We believe that a person or business should take financial responsibility for their financial stupidity. It is not the government's, and by extension the people's, problem to bale people out of their mistakes. I would never expect a neighbor or a stranger to bear the weight of my decisions. We are not entitled anything, but must and should earn it. Only then can we be proud of who we are as a person and a nation.

Whew...who would've known I would have so much to say. First you don't hear from me in months then I go off on a monologue of epic proportions! I promise to try and keep the political comments to a minimum--well, now that I think of it, I can't promise that. I'm a little opionated and have a tendency to not keep my mouth shut, which is why some of you love me so much! Until next time...God Bless and we love you!

Hello again!!!

2008-01-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

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.

September in Chicken

2007-09-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a long summer, but very educational. Chicken was a lot of fun, but I realized that I like having women around (with only few of them here, and only one I could talk to when she was here, it made for an interesting summer.) Don't get me wrong, the guys that I worked with, and of course Stretch, are all great guys, but it's hard not having that bond with other women. Plus guys, on a whole, really don't know how to talk and be a 'girlfriend'. So, while I've enjoyed this time in the bush, I'm looking forward to getting back to Colorado. Oh yeah, we've decided to go back to Colorado for the winter. We're not really sure at the moment where we will live or what we will do, but that's all part of the adventure! Then, once we get home, we'll start praying and planning the next trek. I can't wait to see where God sends us this time! It's starting to get cold here-this morning it was 24 degrees when we woke up. Luckily we have plenty of propane! I'm still not able to put pictures on. For some reason, our server won't let any pictures upload to blogger. So...sorry for the lack. When we get out of the bush, we'll have lots of pictures to share!

God bless!

2007-07-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

The bears have not eaten us, nor have we fallen in the outhouse. We've been so incredibly busy working and there for awhile our only form of communication with the real world was running at dial-up or slower speeds. So once again, I must apologize for the lack of postings on my behalf!

We love it here. God has really blessed us with a gorgeous place to work. Since we stepped out on faith and went on our adventure, God has really given some direction in our wanderings. We know that our purpose is to have a lodge that will cater to people in ministry and provide those vacations free of charge (airfare, lodging, etc.) It's a pretty big vision God has given us, but then again if it wasn't it wouldn't be from God!!! He is so amazing and we can't wait to see how everything will unfold. We know that to begin with, the lodge will have to be able to make money, so, unless we can get funding for the purchase and the expenses of the lodge, we will be temporarily running it as a for-profit lodge with times the ministers can come up. Then, with God's help, we'll be able to turn it into or build a new lodge totally devoted to ministry! We are so excited for the endeavor and are looking in the area for the opportunity that God is going to open up for us.

We are still going to Tok almost every Sunday so I can teach in the Sunday school. Church has actually been our biggest struggle. It's hard going from a church that is filled with the Holy Spirit and filled with Life and Love to a church the is dead in Spirit. Every time we are there I'm so overcome with grief for this church that is dying that I'm really having a hard time getting the excitement of driving an hour and a half to go. The church is full of good people who have just gotten so focused on tradition that the church is moving backwards instead of forward. But I guess there's always growth in struggles. My relationship with God has definitely gotten stronger because I've been forced to search for Him in my everyday and personal studies more than I ever have. God's blessed me with great insight in this hard time and I can't wait to see what else comes from this trying summer!
Love you guys so much and miss everyone of you! Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. We could do this without your support and love! Below are some pictures of the area and our time here.

Chicken, Alaska

2007-05-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Sorry it's been a while since my last posting. We've been setting up a new store in Chicken. It's nice up here. Chicken used to be a booming mining town of 400 people. Now it tops off with 7 permanent residents and a ton of tourists. I can't seem to locate my usb cord for the camera, but once I do, I'll post some pictures.

We've found a church in Tok (which is 78 miles from Chicken) called Faith Chapel. It's a little church of around 20 to 30 people each week. The service is very traditional, which is a change for us, but the people are incredibly friendly. What drew us to this church was the pastor and hisdesire to reach the community. He has such an intense spirit that wants desperately to affect the town that we immediately after talking to him realized God has sent us here to help him. We'll see what kind of direction God will work through us to help this small community.

We've also gotten some new friends who we instantly felt a connection to at the church. Kevin is a math and science teacher at the school and Shannon is a mom and caterer. This couple is awesome. They saw the need of reaching out to the youth in the community and have been holding a youth group at their house in order to teach this children about Christ. They've been able to minister to so many children who otherwise may not have had any other positive influences in their lives. The interesting thing we've learn about Tok is that a lot of the parents have the idea that because it is a small town that there is nothing to do. So instead of showing them alternativves to partying, the parents figure that since the kids are going to party anyways, why not party with them. So there are 3rd graders who party with their parents just because there is "nothing to do". So the need is here, and luckily there are people here who are wanting to answer the call.

Well, I don't have much more to say. We miss everyone and can't wait to tell you more of God's great work in our lives! I'll post pictures as soon I locate that darn cable!

Pictures!

2007-04-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Tucker and his co-pilot, Nation

All Alaska Gifts, where we are going to be working

Our yard for the next few months

Tucker playing in a hole Nation dug. He loves our front yard!

We are in Tok!

2007-04-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

Well, sorry it took so long to write in. We made it to Tok on Sunday evening. It was a very long trip, but was blessed with amazing scenery and wildlife. We really like Tok. It's a small and friendly town surrounded by forest and mountains. I'll have to post pictures next time though, because Stretch is helping our boss build a new gift shop in Chicken (a little mining stop about 70 miles away) and he took the camera.

Sunday we are going to be trying out one of the churches. After looking in the phonebook, it looks like we may only have two churches to choose from. One of them is just two doors down (though most of Tok is two doors down-hehehe!)

We are really glad that we followed God's lead and took this step of faith. Not only are we closer as a couple, but both of us have grown deeper in our relationship with God. I know God's guidance is even more important to us than ever and we'd like to thank you all for your prayers!

We got an new address so if anyone wants to mail us a letter (though I'm not sure if people still do that-hehe):

PO Box 67
Tok, AK 99780

We love you all!

Almost there!

2007-04-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

Tonight we are staying in Haines Junction, Yukon and should be able to get to Tok tomorrow!!!!! I've enjoyed the drive, but I have to admit I'm ready to take a break. We've been driving about 6-7 hours a day, which starts to take its toll (especially since a lot of the scenic stuff has been closed.)

Thursday we stopped at the Liard Hot Springs pool. It was very nice and relaxing. Even Tucker liked swimming. As we were pulling in to park for the night, Stretch noticed that the back brakes were squeaking. So we stopped in Watson Lake yesterday so he could replace them. One pad was completely gone and the other was deteriorating. Not very good at stopping big rvs. Luckily, God has been watching over us the whole way, because Stretch has been able to catch these things before they were big problems.

We have been very fortunate to see some amazing animals. Just today we saw two moose (I was in the Jeep and went back on the highway to get some pictures with the 35mm), a gorgeous red fox, caribou, rock sheep, and huge buffalo. Here are some of the pictures we were able to get with the digital while driving down the highway (they prefer you don't stop since most of the way there isn't much for a shoulder and blocking traffic could cause accidents--picky, picky)

Rock Sheep-like baby big horn sheep.

Caribou

Nation got really excited after seeing the first caribou, so she's keeping watch for more.

More caribou (or maybe they're the same ones-I can't remember now!)

Recharge in Squamish

2007-04-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

I'd like to start this post with a shout out to our new friends at Church on 99 in Squamish, BC. Sunday we went to a church service at this completely amazing church. Before we could even get out of our car (which takes a while with a kid) we were greeted by a very nice man named Jeff, who in the next couple of weeks will be leading youth services on Sundays! Everyone was incredibly friendly and we instantly felt as if we were home. Pastor Steve Chapman gave a wonderful service on the meaning of communion (I took a whole page of notes.) At the end of the service, Steve had us come to the front and those who wanted circled around us for a prayer circle. Talk about feeling loved and experiencing an amazing stewardship by people who had just met us 45 minutes earlier. We thank our new friends for your support and prayers. If you ever happen to be in Squamish on a Sunday, you need to go to this church. If you aren't there on a Sunday, stay for a couple of days, then go to Church on 99.

We'd also like to give God another praise and thank those praying for us at home. Before we left our church in Grand Junction, a group of our friends prayed over the motorhome and Jeep. When we got into Squamish, Stretch noticed that a piece of the trend had come out of a tire on the Jeep. We aren't sure how long it had been like that and normally it makes the tire weak and blow. But God was protecting us and opened Stretch's eyes and he was able to switch out tires. Then when we were getting ready to leave Squamish, Stretch noticed that the hitch wasn't really attaching to the ball. In fact it was so loose and the road was so rough to Squamish that the Jeep should've detached from the motorhome. So please don't stop praying because God is listening to you!!!

We stopped tonight at a beautiful place called McCleese Lake. Our motorhome is looking over an amazing lake with forested hills all around. I think we truly are living the life now. I wouldn't trade this for anything! Below are some pictures.

Tucker and Stretch at Brandywine Falls

Our view out our window today.

Walking around McCleese Lake.

Goat, the moose--our mascot

We're in Canada-Eh!!!

2007-04-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, we have made it to our neighbors to the north. It's been a blast so far. Not much time with others, but the family time has been much needed. Yesterday we stayed in Seattle and the funniest thing happened. We were checking into the rv park and the lady helping us looked way familiar. I asked if she was from Grand Juncion, and she said yes. I then asked several questions all to no lightbulb. Then she told me she used to be a doctor, and suddenly there was light! She was my OB when I first moved to Colorado! What a small world. She's been workamping for two years and loves it. It was totally crazy seeing someone you never in a million years thought you'd see, especially in Seattle!

We've seen everything from winds in Wyoming, plains in Idaho (along with a frozen water hook-up...ooops!), the Oregon Trail Interpretive Museum in Baker City, OR, which was awesome and shouldn't be missed if you're going that way, moss on the big trees outside of Roslyn, WA, and flying fish in Seattle. It's been a busy but relaxing five days. Today we crossed the border into Canada and started up British Columbia's highway 99. Vancouver was a nightmare (not very RV friendly) but after the city was breathtaking views. The highway has the sea on one side and mountains jutting up on the other. God really blessed the people here with spectacular views! We are staying in Squamish for the night and will be going to a local church tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see what God has waiting for us further down the road. Here are some pictures, though it's much better in person.

Gypsy-Mama's first go at driving the home.

Stretch and Tucker on our hike outside of Roslyn.

Lunch in Seattle's Pike Place Market

Boondocking in a snowmobile parking lot after running into a closed road. Isn't that view beautiful?

On the Road

2007-04-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well...we have a contract on the house and it should close next week. We had a yard sale and made over $1200.00 on all our stuff (yeah God!) We have the house pretty much gutted and the motorhome loaded. We have one more day here, then we are off!!! I'm soooooo glad that the day is finally here! We are going to spend Sunday at church and at the parents, then Monday we leave Rifle for Wyoming! But you know what that means....internet access may be limited. I will post whenever possible and give everyone updates. We'll keep everyone in our prayers, and we'd love for you to do the same!!! We love you and talk to you later!!!

Thank You Cards

2007-03-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

Boy, Tucker is really on top of things! He's already done his Thank You's! (Just an FYI-the blue I dyed the yogurt with dyed his poo a beautiful teal color that then dyed his tosh! We'll see how long he has a teal bottom!)

Holy Cow!

2007-03-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

Wow...God takes such good care of us! He took a day that was weighing heavy on my heart and turned it into a day of blessing. We just got back from our party with our small group and it was amazing. Our 'family' really knows how to take care of us. It is a completely mind-blowing, life-altering experience to have several very godly people huddle around you and pray to God for you. I've gained a whole new perspective on our influence in others lives, just from the powerful prayers that were said over us. With God leading our path and our 'family' praying behind us, we can do more than move mountains - we're on our way to move nations! We love everyone of our family at Fellowship with all our hearts and hope you know that you will always be in our prayers. So, as Sheila would say, see you later!!!

Tough Day

2007-03-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

So today has been a little bit of a tough day. I've been going through our house and pricing pretty much everything that we own for the yard sale this weekend. I went through all of my pictures (a big tote full) and threw a lot of them out (we are down to a shoebox full). I've been looking forward to getting rid of stuff and for the most part it's very liberating, but there's that little bit inside of me that's a little bummed or nostalgic or hormonal. Who knows! To top it, we are having our going away party with our small group from church tonight. These are the people who are as close to us as our family and have been through so much with us. It's just been a tough day, and I'm getting really anxious to leave. So I'm blaring the David Crowder Band and spending a little time praising God. I'd also like to ask everyone to keep us in your prayers as we get down to the final countdown of days. I know that we are going to have opposition from the devil, because God's going to do amazing things through us and the devil hates that! And since prayers are powerful, we could use your help! Love you all!

1st Birthday Party

2007-03-28T06:47:00.000-07:00

So I'm a little behind on posting! Tucker had his 1st birthday party on Sunday. It was a lot of fun. We were fortunate enough to have his dedication at our church on the same day. So all the fam went to church to see us pledge to raise him in a strong Christian family, then friends and family came over for hamburger and cake! He had a lot of people come to see him. He made out like a bandit on the present end of things (every thing from a $100 savings bond to a four-wheeler to a swimming pool and lots of bubbles and books!) He'll be a very happy boy for a while! Here are some pictures:

Tucker loves cake He wasn't too messy though.

But he did need a hose down after. Look closely and you'll see his blues tongue.

He loved the presents, though getting him to focus long enough to open them was tough!

James and Scarlet Milsaps

2007-03-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

We are very fortunate and thankful that God has blessed our lives with truly amazing friends. Last night we were able to enjoy dinner with two of our favorite people-James and Scarlet Milsaps. This couple is doing completely awesome things for spreading the Word of God. Not only does this couple go on missions to third world countries, but they train others in discipleship as well.

James and Scarlet are currently living and working at the Youth With A Mission (YWAM)base in Cimarron, Colorado. They just got finished leading a Discipleship Training School (DTS) were they spent 3 months training five 19-year-olds for a outreach mission trip to Thailand and India. I'm not sure if any of you have ever tried to teach teenagers just out of high school, but it takes a lot of grace and love.

After training, James and Scarlet and five teenagers left for Thailand on December 2nd. Yesterday they shared their photos and experiences with us, and I tell you, God's hand was really on them in protection and love. They spent two months in Thailand which is primarily Buddhist. They were able to travel around Thailand doing several services for the Thai people. They went to the tsunami area and helped there. They were also able to teach English to a school for orphans from the tsunami.

They also went to an area that is being filled with refugees from Burma. There is a flood of children coming into Thailand whose parents were murdered as they tried to escape. The sad thing is that there is no funding or room for these children once they make it through their horrible trek. So the children are forced to live in the jungle and eat the scrapes the villagers are able to give (the villagers themselves have a hard time feeding their own families.) Even through all they've been through these children still had a face of hope in the pictures. The DTS team spent time there loving on the people and handed out blankets to the children.

They also helped a hill village clear the ground for a church. God has really opened the hearts of these people and several are being saved in villages throughout the area. The team spent a week digging up trees with rusty machetes and hoes, moving the dirt with sacks, and plowing it with a human plow the village had made. The pictures that they showed us made you tired just looking at them!

They were also able to visit a Christian orphanage that has 60 children and 2 twenty-something Thai women who take care of them. There were several children through the whole experience that James and Scarlet would've packed up and taken home in a minute. The need for families to take these little ones in is so great!

They worked at a Christian-owned smoothie shop on a university campus. A big 'wow' thing that they were able to do was go into a high school of 750 and speak about Christ. They were told they could do whatever they wanted and had two hours. So they did a concert for them and were able to witness to them about the power and love of Jesus. For most of the students it was the first time they had ever been told about Jesus.

Thailand for them was hard work, but very rewarding. They said the people were full of hope and smiles even with their situation. Scarlet was hit by a motorcycle and they thought she had broken her hand. God really had a protection around them, because she wasn't seriously injured and her hand healed within a week! (one of the top reasons for death in Thailand is by motorcycle!) With the Tsunami, God has really open the door for discipleship to Thailand, and James believes that harvest time is coming and Christianity is going to explode in that country!!!

After Thailand, they traveled to India were their strength in God was forcefully put to test. India is a country that the devil has buried deep roots of fear and hate. The country is made up of mostly Muslims and Hindus (who dislike each other intensely). The group was able to set up an English class with the help of a fulltime missionary there in the poorest part of the poorest part of the country. Every morning they would ride their bikes through the crazy, dangerous traffic to a unimaginably filthy slum. There is no plumbing, no electricity, no bathrooms. To get to the village they had to cross a river where the people dumped their trash, the poorly cremated remains of their dead (Scarlet said the riverbed was riddled with skulls and bones that didn't completely burn to ash), they defecate there, wash their clothing, bath, and play.

So many people wanted to participate in their English classes that they had to do an enrollment and lock the doors once the students were in or the crowd that waited outside every day would crowd into the room. The muslims thought that the team was only allowing hindus into the classes so they began to attack the group, threatening them with machetes. But God's grace intervened and the police arrived right in time to disperse the crowd. One of the girls on the team has blond hair with blue eyes, which is desired by the men in that area. So she had to be constantly watched and never left alone. The devil was vehemently attacking the pioneering they were doing, even so much so that they would be awaken in the night by demonic screams outside their windows. But the team persevered and overcame. Because of the month they spent in that one area, doors have been opened for more missions to go and teach and hearts will be softened to eventually hear the Word.

Now you can see why we feel so blessed to be able to call this wonderful couple our friends. They are an inspiration to us in our path, and we hope to one day be able to do a mission trip with them. We are so glad that God has blessed us so that we can help support them in God's work. If you want to learn more about what they do, visit the base's website at http://www.ywamcimarron.org. If you want to help them in their mission, please send a check to YWAM Cimarron, PO Box 158, Cimarron, CO 81220 (to write it off on your taxes, only put their name The Milsaps on the outside of the envelope, not on the check itself.)

Happy Birthday Tucker!!!!

2007-03-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

That's right! Today is Tucker's 1st birthday! I can't believe that 1 year ago after 36 hours of intense labor Tucker decided to pop out at 9:20 in the morning on his due date! I guess he wanted to be on time and not early. But no matter how much work it took, he is totally worth it. I can't believe that God blessed us with such a perfect baby. He is almost always happy and loves to flirt with any girl who peaks his interest. One of my favorite parts of the day is when he first wakes up and he cuddles his head right into my neck. I could stay like that all day if I didn't have so much to do to get ready to go. We are having his birthday party on Sunday so I will post some pictures for you all. Well, we have someone coming to look at the house in a little bit, so I have to go do the frantic clean.

Heat Wave

2007-03-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

Spring is definitely blooming in Grand Junction, CO. Yesterday it was so hot we took the sides off the Jeep and let the wind blow freely through our hair. Tucker loved the wind. He's in his new big boy carseat, so it was a whole new world for him to view. He'd just scream and shake his head excitedly back and forth. Now as my fingers were typing away, I heard the weather report on the tv say that it's supposed to get cold and rainy this week! That's GJ weather for you! Get you all excited for shorts and tank tops then hit you with a cold front. Speaking of cold fronts, I checked what the weather was doing in Tok, AK this morning and it is currently a whopping -27. Ouch! Stretch is assuring me that the summer will be in the 70's though, and I'm hoping he's right! I really am tired of my sweaters!

Snowmobile Trip

2007-03-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

So the first weekend in March we were finally able to give my parents their Christmas present--a weekend with me and Stretch in the mountains at a lodge and snowmobiling. Now normally I really distaste snowmobiling. I've never really felt comfortable or confident at controlling the beastly things. And since my run in with a tree (the tree jumped out in front of me and I fit it head on. Many bruises and very broken machine equals not very much fun!) a couple of years ago, I really have gone on the one token ride a year and left it at that. This weekend was a lot different though. Instead of 99% agony and 1% fun, it was only 1% agony and 99% fun. I totally believe that it was because I had God with me this time. Now this may sound crazy, but whenever I would get nervous and feel like I wanted to throw up or my body got tired, I would just pray or think of verses about strength or fear and I would feel 100% better. I handled the machine better than I ever have, and I was able to play and attempt some little tricks. Now don't get me wrong, I still got stuck, a lot, but even that was fun (for the most part). I have included some pictures for your enjoyment. There's a good 7-8 feet of snow there!

The first two pictures are Stretch and I at the overlook. I know I look sexy in my outfit, but if you can look past me you can see the gorgeous view.

This is one of my many sticks. Not too bad!

The next two are my mother. You'll notice the tree jumped in front of her, too!

The next two are Stretch. Yes, even the master gets stuck every now and then!

This last one was a fun one. My mom was following Stretch (which isn't always the best idea) and got into a sticky situation. Her machine rolled over into a tree on the side of a hill. Luckily she was wearing her helmet! The guys had to climb up the hill in the snow, dig the whole machine out, then lift and move it to point it down the hill. Good going, mamacita!

A New Name

2007-03-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been trying to come up with a family name for this blog that embodies what we are doing and who we are. I think I figured it out. NOTW Road Warriors-We are donning the armor of God and climbing into our big white chariot and fighting to save God's children. We know it will be tough and that there will be opposition. We know that our path may not always be clear and we may not understand God's will. Thankfully, we also know that we are not of this world, but a citizen of the Kingdom of God sent here to fulfill the calling God has put in our hearts. We know that if we endure to the end, we will be rewarded in heaven for all eternity. So with God's Word in our hearts and His Spirit in our souls we set off, for:

Wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. 2 Cor. 2:14-15

The truck is outta here!!!!

2007-03-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

Yeah!!! The day of take-off is ever closer, and our prepartions are coming together like an ooey-gooey peanut butter and pickle sandwich! However, we do have to observe a moment of silence for Stretch and the seperation of his beloved Tacoma. He loved that truck with all his heart and will cherish all the four-wheelin', stuck and pullin' memories. sniff-sniff. Sorry, I have a little cold. God's really looking out for us though, because we also sold our other vehicle that we had to get rid of the same week. On top of that, we got more than we had said that we would settle for, so we now have the money in the bank to start our travels! The only other big thing we need to do is sell the house. So keep us in your prayers and we'll let you know when God answers them!

Manly Things

2007-02-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

Ok. So a wise man I know named Eric (his beautiful family can be seen on my link to Moore's Adventures on the left) informed me that while pictures of Tucker are nice and dandy, I needed to satisfy the guys' obsession with vehicles and their mechanical things. I should've realized that I needed to include pictures of our new home and Jeep when Stretch and his friend Jeff spent close to two hours looking at the bumper of the Jeep on Tuesday. When I went to join in on their conversation they were talking about modifying this and lifting that. I'm not sure what all of it meant, but I could've sworn that attaching collapsable wings was mentioned at one time. After listening to this guybberish (that's guy for jibberish), for about fifteen minutes, I had some ideas of my own. You see, though it's hard to tell, Stretch is insisting that the Jeep is primarily my vehicle. So I'm thinking that I'd really like to have it painted pink. Not a cotton-candy pink but more of a deep hot pink. I think it'd be fun to see a pink Jeep rolling down the rugged trails, honking at her fellow Jeepers! By the looks I got you would've thought I suggested painting over the Sistine Chapel or something. The boys immediately decided it was time to take the Jeep to do manly things and were gone for an hour or so putting the Jeep on two wheels and climbing rocks and what not. So the Jeep was redeemed, but what Stretch doesn't know is that I was and have been seriously thinking about it. A pink Jeep would defintely be something to talk about! A lot more interesting than two-inch lifts! Well...Eric, I hope you enjoy the pictures and I promise to keep my guy readers in mind more in the future!

Here's the jeep. If you look closely you'll see I have very cute shoes on today!

Here's our new home! I guess it has a Ford V10 engine or something like that. Also, the inside is going to be about twice that size once the slide is out. Not bad!

A Little Jealous

2007-02-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

So I open up my email today and while the ice is defrosting off the grass I look at the picture my mom sent me of my brother. I have to say, I was feeling a little jealous. I mean look at him...

Maybe I can someday talk Stretch into putting Kauai on our travel destinations! (Though I'm not sure if he could handle living on an island, but there's no harm in trying!)

So...while my brother is surfing in paradise, I'm surfing in baby boogers. Lucky me! Tucker's front teeth have been trying to come through for the last week, which translates to non-parents as extremely runny noses and cranky attitudes (both his and mine)! And bless his heart, now he has a yucky mucus cough that starts at his toes. I'm praying that those darn teeth poke through soon, 'cuz I can't stand seeing him in such pain!

Stretch's Birthday

2007-02-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday was Stretch's 28th birthday! Though it wasn't action-packed, he did get an extra special gift. Tucker did his first piece of art for his daddy. It was so cute! He had paint all in his hair, down his diaper and covering his chest. He had a blast smacking his hands on the paper and seeing the paint splatter all over the place. We are going to have a little birthday party this Sunday with all the family. Everyone's coming down to help paint and texture and whatever else we can get out of them! It should be fun.

Tucker the Artist

Another Step Closer

2007-02-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

Motorhome? check
Job? check
Tow vehicle? check

Yes, you heard correctly! We are now one step closer to leaving! Yesterday we traded in our Durango for a much lighter vehicle! But that is a very interesting story. Little did we know when we bought the Durango a little more than 7 months ago that the value of our new purchase would drop $3,000.00! You heard me right! Now pick your chin from off the floor so you can pay attention. Needless to say when we took the Durango to the dealer to do an even trade for a Wrangler, we were a little surprised to find out that our vehicle wouldn't even get us a KIA!!! Just joking, we may have gotten a KIA, but not much more. So we were a little disappointed when the absolute best the guy could do was give us a $1000.00 difference, and that was being very, very generous. So...we went home and prayed for God's guidance and assistance and decided that we would have to find a little hatchback or some other little car. Yesterday, Stretch called the dealer back and told him that we weren't going to be able to come up with the difference. God must have been working on the dealer's heart because he asked what we were planning and why we were wanting a Wrangler. So, Stretch told him of our plans and how we were going to be starting in Alaska and then going where God took us. The dealer then told Stretch that if we could come up with $500.00, he would trade us for the Durango, even though that puts the dealership at a huge disadvantage. Through God's blessing we were able to get the vehicle that works best for our trip and lifestyle and came out better than we could've anywhere else! God is truly awesome, and I can't wait to see what else He has planned for us! Now, all I have to do is get used to driving such a little vehicle...though parallel parking is now a possibility!!!

Tucker's Tongue

2007-02-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

Well...Tucker has now found his tongue. It's very cute. He uses his tongue in all of his speech which makes everything have a unique 'blee' sound. You stick your tongue out and he mimics you, laughing hysterically. It's very funny. I'll try and get a picture to show you all!

He had a great first Valentine's Day yesterday. His cousins RJ and Allie sent him a card and a very cute book that he looks through constantly. His Granny and Grandpa Prow gave him a card and his parents got him a singing book. He wanted to give some Valentine's of his own, so when we went to church service last night, he took Valentine cards to all his girlfriends in the nursery. Kayla, an 11-mo. old, loved his gift so much! (Now personally, I think it is a little sad that his mother has to live vicariously through her son, but, quite frankly, I miss the days of homemade mailboxes and tiny cards! What can I say, I love giving people special gifts!)

We also were able to wish a very special person a Happy Birthday yesterday. Our good friend and mentor Jill Buck turned 80 (though she doesn't look a year past 60!) She's such a strong woman and has an amazing giving heart! I feel very blessed to be able to call her my friend and hope her birthday was extra special!

Finding a Job

2007-02-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

So I thought I'd give a little insight to the whole finding-a-job-thousands-of-miles-away experience. As any of those who know me will say, I'm a little bit of a people person. I love meeting new people and talking with them and what not. The more I can interact with them, the happier I am.

Well, our interviews have been done online and over the phone which goes against every grain in my being. I feel like a huge part is missing and our introductions are incomplete. You can't really get a persons personality on the phone or online, but we've tried our best.

Take for instance our new boss. He's 29 years old which is totally awesome because it will be great to have someone our age to give us the lowdown of the area. He owns two businesses and seems like a really driven guy. When we talked on the phone though, I really didn't get a real glimpse into his personality. Me being the person I am, could've spent hours on the phone, just talking his ear off trying to get to know him a little. I guess we'll just have to wait until we get up there, but I tell you, I can't wait to be able to shake his hand and put a face with a name.

I guess I'll have to practice the meet them after you're hired routine before I'm totally comfortable.

See you later!!!

2007-02-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

Tucker's 1st Halloween

2007-02-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

My Uncle Heath Visited From Hawaii

2007-02-14T09:55:00.000-08:00

Uncle Heath did my hair!

Snowshoeing

Christmas Day

Great-Granny Donna

2007-02-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

Tucker & his Binky

2007-02-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

On the plane

2007-02-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

The Family in D.C.

2007-02-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

Stretch & Tucker Sleeping

2007-02-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

Tucker's First Day Here!

2007-02-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

A Bad, Bad Girl

2007-02-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

I've been a bad girl! So, I decided to start this blog after my good friend Kylene said I should. I entered two postings then totally forgot to continue entering. After receiving an email from Kylene and looking over her awesome blog, I realized that I need to step up and do this thing! So thank you Kylene, and here goes nothing.

Stretch and I are so excited for the trip and it is coming up really fast. In November, we felt like God was calling us not only to just travel and have fun, but to minister and help others along the way. We haven't really figured out what type of service we will end up doing or where He wants us, but we have faith that He will be leading our travels until He tells us to stop.

Our trip is starting in Tok, Alaska. This is a little town of somewhere around 1500 people (our current church is about 3 times that size!) Tok is the first town that travelers driving to Alaska get to after leaving Canada and is at the junction that goes to both Anchorage and Fairbanks. We will be working at a gift shop, doiong gift shop stuff (not entirely sure on the details). We've decided to leave on April 9th or 16th and take all the time we want to get up there.

Right now we are in the process of fixing our house to sell it. It's proven to be a little bigger project than we first expected, but we are throwing ourselves into it. Our renters will be moving out next week and that will help us out a bunch.

We are also preaching in our church's 3rd-5th grade class called The Dive. On the average, there is about 300 children a week coming to the services. It's been a lot of fun and really educational. You definitely learn more about the Bible when you have to describe the stories to children. My faith has grown just by diving into the stories and dissecting them to find God's truth. We're going to be calling the few churches in Tok soon to see where we can serve while we are there.

Well, that brings us up-to-date, and, Kylene, I promise I will keep on it! Below are some pictures of my family. Enjoy and see you the next time. God Bless!!!

The Decision

2006-10-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

My husband, Stretch, my son Tucker and I were traveling in California visiting family when we decided we wanted to live full time in an rv. We had been looking into numerous different avenues for making a living from moving to Oregon and starting a rental shop for recreational vehicles to staying in Colorado and starting a guiding business. Yet none of the options we came up with seemed to fit us or work with what we dreamed of for ourselves. So when I suggested that we RV for our lifestyle, Stretch was excited that I had come up with a plan he had been secretly wanting for a while. Now all we have to do is take the next six months to get everything ready and we are off.