Hi Friends! We've had some busy days and just keep hoping that we can all get to a time when every member of the family won't be feeling under the weather. Last week it was Penny who was crashing. Now it's Jay's turn again. It's been like a revolving door with sharing the crud around here. But, somehow, through it all, we are still all managing to go to work (Jay had to skip just a couple of times), do homeschooling (Penny got a few breaks), get at least the bare minimum of housework done (Penny is a very good helper with that when I'm at work.), and we've managed to go out for a few outings. Last week we went on a drive to the mountains to try and see the Fall foliage.
Unfortunately, the aspens were mostly done turning their brilliant golden color. We were about a week late, because one of us was sick the previous week. But, we managed to see a few patches of beautiful color.
The mountain drive was on Saturday. On Sunday, after going to church, we came home and packed our bags to head out for an overnighter in Fort Collins. It was bittersweet to go back there. We miss it a LOT in Fort Collins. Penny is finally expressing her true feelings about how much she misses it and how she wishes to move back there. It was good to watch Monsters University at the cheap theater. (We liked the first movie better.) And it was exciting to hear that the Broncos won, again! They're still undefeated! It was a treat for us to watch TV at the hotel, since we've been without cable for a couple of years now. Most of the time, we don't miss it that much. And now it's a fun treat when we get to watch it while we're on a little trip. Penny and I had fun doing a little shopping for her school picture day, which we did at JC Penney yesterday. Her pictures turned out GREAT! I wish I could post them all here. It was SO hard to choose one pose for the portrait package that I used a coupon for. JC Penney managed to get more money out of me than I expected, due to an unexpected/unmentioned added sitting fee. I sure wish I could have afforded the CD! This girl is so gorgeous with such a stunning smile. Like a lady at church said the other day, "Your daughter's eyes are SO beautiful! They are SO full of life!" They are! And while I know that some of that sparkle comes from her knowing that she is loved by us, I can't really take the credit. I have truly marveled at the miracle of her blossoming before my eyes. Even deeper than our love for her is her ever-growing understanding of how she was made and loved by God. He had a plan for her life even before she was formed in her mother's womb. As that knowledge deepens in her heart, she just seems to grow more and more at peace and turning into a maturing young woman of God. The message that all kids need to know is that they are loved by the King of Kings and accepted into His family be His free gift of grace. If they get this, it really starts to heal their past hurts and help them grow so much more secure. I've know this in my own life, but it's so amazing to watch this journey unfold for my daughter right before my eyes. I'm also glad to see her growing more relaxed and accepting of our recent move to the Denver area. She's getting happier, beginning to smile more and beginning to notice the positive points of living here (like getting her favorite Asian food more easily). Here are some fun pictures of her personality coming out...
It was fun to see Jay's parents while we were up in Fort Collins on Sunday and Monday. Here's a picture we took in front of their neighbor's tree.
This morning Jay and I headed over to our church for a marriage seminar. It was a good refreshing time to talk about some of the tough times we've faced in our ten years of married life, but especially the past five years. The best part is that we both have made a commitment to stick with it, no matter how hard the times might become. We're praying that God's Kingdom will reign ever stronger in our marriage and our family so that people will be drawn to know this loving Father who never leaves us nor forsakes us. Tonight I'll go fellowship with some Japanese friends at our monthly potluck/Bible study time. I'm bringing my own version of a Japanese dish called "Oden". Mine has less fish cakes than the true Japanese version, since it's pricey. But, it's packed with veggies. So, hopefully that will help ward off the germs that have been plaguing us, lately. Hope you are all doing well and keeping healthy!
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