Internet Cafe...What a Joy!

Hello friends. We found an coffee shop with free Wi-Fi in town. It is Tuesday here and things are going really well. It is a true vacation, since we have no way to be in touch with the real world. We are learning to live without electricity and cell phone service! While it is quite nice, it is definitely a test of patience!! 

We have been having a great time though. Sunday, we came into town to charge our phones and see the big town of Lake City, pop. 206. We shopped a bit and then headed back out to the cabin. Then Vicki, Terri, and I went on a little adventure. We saw the North Clear Creek falls...it was amazing. Then we hung around the cabin for the evening. 

We have all been up by 6am everyday. The sun rises early and it is really bright in the cabin. Which means that we get a lot done in a day...but maybe not as much sleep as we would like. Monday, Terri and I headed out for an early morning hike up the mountain. We did about a 6 mile hike. It was straight up hill for the first two hours...pretty tough...but we summitted the mountain and it was beautiful. Then we headed back down ...it only took us 50 minutes to get down. It was an awesome hike!! (I don't have my camera here with me, so no pics of this now. )

Ben, Taylor, Garrett and Pop all spent the afternoon fishing and enjoying the outdoors. They caught a bunch of fish...I think we are going to eat them this evening. 

Our cabin is really pretty neat, even without electricity! The most beautiful hummingbirds that eat right outside of our window on the porch. They are pretty aggressive little buggers!! Ben has named the most aggressive one, Brooke...so funny right!! I just love my creative husband. 

Today, Terri and I headed out for another hike. We think we hiked about 11 miles today!! It was intense, let's just say that. It was definitely beautiful, but I was glad to be off the mountain when we finished. The boys fished, while Lyndsey, Richard, and Macy went for a jeep ride. Tomorrow we head out for our big jeep ride along the Alpine Trail...should take us about 8 hours. It has been a great trip so far...we have definitely bonded and gotten to know each other better. 

Sorry, couldn't get the pics to post!! I will post them at a later date

We Arrived!

This should have posted Sunday, but didn't....

Well we finally made it to the Oleo Ranch outside of Lake City, CO. It was raining when we arrived, so we quickly unloaded. We figured out which two cabins were ours, moved the stuff we had already unloaded to the cabin we would be cooking in, then got unpacked. We quickly discovered there was no electricity in these cabins...yes thats right no electricity. Everything is run on propane, including the refrigerator and all the lights. It is quite rustic, but so beautiful. We have an amazing view of the mountains. Our cabins are nestled in a valley with a beautiful spring running through it.  We had a nice dinner, went for a walk, and then hung out before heading to bed. We have had beautiful weather so far. It was a little chilly when we arrived ...45 degrees. It was 50ish this morning. Now it is in the upper 70s. We are in Lake City now...the only place we get cell service. Vicki and I had to sit outside a little shop and charge our phones. So no work for me while I am here..since with no electricity or cell phone service there is little I can do. We are going to jeep the Alpine Pass Wednesday which should be fun. I will try and post when we come back into town later this week. 

On the road!!

Well we are on the road to Colorado now. Ben and I flew into Amarillo yesterday morning. Went to Sams with pop to get stuff for the trip. Headed to Stratford. Ben and Pop went to build some fence, while I stayed at the house to wait for Terri, Vicki, and the boys to arrive. So I took a quick nap, proceeded to bake cookies...but had to make two trips to the grocery store before I had all the neccessary ingredients!! The family arrived, finally finished the cookies, then we headed to the county barn for the Stratford high school reunion. There is nothing like small towns where everybody knows each other. It definitely makes you want to raise your kids in a place like this. Then we headed home to hangout and get some rest. I was up by 6:30 geting packed up and ready to go. We finally got on the road at 9am. Stopped for breakfast in Clayton,NM...it took an hour and a half to get our food. Lets just say I got a little impatient!! When we finally got our food it was delicious which made it somewhat okay (but not really). We made it about 30 min down the road before Macy(our niece) decided she needed to potty!! So we stopped at a neat rest stop. She didnt go of course, but the rest of us did.We passed the Capulin Volcano..apparently it is still classified as active. We are in truly beautiful country. I am amazed at how creative G-d is. I mean he's talented. So, we are driving through New Mexio now...248 miles from our destination. The Oleo Ranch outside of Lake City, CO. This is going to be fun. I will try to post pics later if I can. Till then I will blog off the blackberry.

Garden Days

So blogging is a lot of fun...but I am sort of out of ideas about what to post! So any ideas would be great :). 

So I love to garden. My sweet husband built me a garden about 4 years ago. This year we doubled the size of the garden, so it has been even more fun with the extra space. My garden rocked this year! I wish I had pictures of it when it was big and lush, but now it is starting to peter out which is sad. While my plants are starting to turn brown and die off, I am still harvesting tomatoes, squash, zuchinni, and peppers. They are just a little smaller these days. Here are some pics.

Garden Picks

The esperanzas in the front!! I just love their color. Hopefully the duranta will bloom soon. 

Okay, till I think of something more exciting...enjoy!

The Dog Days of Summer

Well, my first thought. To respond to my good friend Jen Taylor's comment on my last post, as well as Jack Dean's comment this morning at church...I reserve the complete right to post whatever pictures or captions I want to on my blog. If you want to get me back for posting "not so flattering" pictures of you, start your own blog and put silly pictures of me up! So there you go!! At least you made it on the blog...so be HAPPY! Just kidding, I love you guys (but I am serious). 

To make up for bad pictures of you guys...here is one of me! I guess Ben was taking pictures in the middle of the night while I was sleeping. I have a tendency to be a pretty heavy sleeper, so I don't often notice the STUPID tricks my husband plays on me when I am asleep. But check out the plethora of sleeping Brooke pictures I found in our photo album. I must sleep a lot or Ben just really thinks we are cute. 

If you look closely at the clock it is about 1:25am... seriously go to bed Ben. This is where Gus sleeps every night...right next to my head!! Apparently he isn't as heavy of a sleeper as I am, because he woke up. 

This was taken about 2 years ago. Lori was still a puppy. Isn't she cute. 

And yet another sleepy picture. If you look closely you can see Lori curled up under the blanket...her favorite place. This really is a great napping chair. 

Also when I was going through pictures I found some of baby Lori. Oh she was so cute and so little. Check out a few of her before and a few of her now. 

Lori is maybe 6 months old in this picture. The bone is almost bigger than she is. 

Look how tiny she is!! 

We love our bones. Look how Gus towers over Lori in this pic...not anymore

And look at the sweet baby now!! She's so big!. 

Okay for all of you who have children out there, I know this may seem ridiculous...posting pictures of my dogs and all...but hey, they are my kiddos for now. I will be just as obsessed when the real babies arrive too.  

And it's over!

Well VBS came to a close today! It was truly a great week! So fun, yet so exhausting. Kuddos to Jamie King (our children's pastor) for all of her hard work and dedication. She has an amazing heart for the kiddos in our community. Congrats Jamie on another great VBS!

I would also like to give a big shout out to my good friend and trusty sidekick, Jack Dean!! This man truly has a servant's heart. He is simply an amazing man. Maybe I am just saying that because he is the only man in my life who doesn't question me when I ask him to do something! No really, he has a huge heart and gives of it freely. I love that! Thanks Jack you are the best! 

Oh and Jen Taylor!! What a rock star friend she is. She is always so willing to serve where she is needed. I just love her heart and the fact that she is truly a kid at heart. She did such a fantastic job this week. And come on...how many people can balance baskets on their heads!

And Glenn Green (our worship pastor) how could we have done it without his amazing musical skills. He pretends to be all sophisticated (well maybe one day a week)...but he truly is a ham! Thanks for all of your energy this week. All I have to say is "Go Bananas!" 

And finally, my lovely husband! I love watching him with the kids and seeing how they responded to him. He is a fantastic teacher. Now if I could just get him to stop talking in that funny accent. You did a great job babe! 

Thanks again to everyone who helped out!! You guys are awesome!

VBS Continued

And VBS continues in grand style. It is going so well!! There are so many great people helping out. Thank you all so much for being willing to serve with these amazing kiddos. It is so cool to see all the kiddos faces light up when they are being loved on so well!! Check out pictures from the past few days. 

Joanie and Meg!! Two great helping hands! Love the smiles. 

Look at those lovely ladies. 

Jamie and Jen!! Looking so in charge! Way to go ladies, it has been a great week. 

Rabbi Benjamin you can't look at her like that. She's married silly...Ben might be upset. 

Please friends...look at Jen's stance in this picture!! She is getting ready to defend something. 

And there is the awe inspiring Josh!! He is such a trooper

VBS!!

A few pics from another fun day!! I just love VBS!

Scott, The Roman Solider!! (or our pastor)

Scott threatening poor Caleb!! 

Rabbi Benjamin teaching in the synagogue. 

Vacation Bible School!!

That's right it is VBS time again at the Riverside Community. Which means it's crazy time around these parts!! This year we are traveling back to the Jerusalem Marketplace. Our kiddos get to visit a variety of shops where they complete cool crafts, head out to play fun games at the seaside playground, and then visit the rabbi in the synagogue. Ben is acting as the Rabbi in the synagogue and teaching the kiddos all about what it was like to grow up in the time of Jesus. He has developed this accent that the kids find really amusing, plus he has a great costume to complete the whole look. I will post a picture when I get one of him tomorrow. By the end of today, we had 75 kiddos or so joining us for VBS which is awesome. We will see what happens tomorrow. The best part for me though, is seeing all of the adults working with the kids and having such an amazing time. Man our children have so much to teach us, if we would just give them the chance. 

Cathi Heare & Brooke Getting Ready for VBS!

But the best moment from today was Glenn Green...our worship pastor getting down with the kiddos. Glenn is an amazing musician and an all around great person. He is a little silly most of the time and truly a kid at heart. But this video below shows just how goofy he can be. (I mean that with all love and respect Glenn) I was cracking up at him the whole day. Just take a look at him teaching part of a song to the kids. Glenn you rock man!! 

Sorry it is sideways...couldn't figure out how to change it. Still funny anywho!! Just wait till you see the Roman Solider that showed up at VBS today. 

A Visit from the Padre

A couple of weeks ago, my dad finally made it to our house for the weekend (we have lived here almost 4 years). Well not really the weekend, really only about 12 hours or so...but hey he got here. And he brought along Susie, my soon to be stepmom (they've been dating for like 17 years or so), my soon to be stepsisters, Irene and Jamie and her husband, and my soon to be step niece. It was fun to see them all. It is crazy to think that Dad and Susie are finally tying the knot on September 29th. I am so excited for them. I mean we have been family for these past 17 or 18 years, but now I guess we will finally have the official titles. Anywho, thought I would share some pics from their visit. 

Susie (or MooMoo) and Kayden Jo. 

Doesn't she have such cute hair. 

Jamie (mom) and Kayden 

Look at that hair. It is so curly and precious. 

They keep it pulled up all the time because otherwise she looks like this. 

Kayden and Aunt Brooke. 

Do I look like a natural or what??

New Favorite Chick Flick

Ben was away this evening, so after mowing the yard, feeding the mini horses, and throwing the ball with the dogs, I tucked myself in for one of my favorite activities....watching chick flicks.  Now don't worry, Ben will watch them with me when he is home, but most of the time he pretends to be bored or sleeping, but I know that really he is soaking up every minute of them. I think he even cried in PS I Love You!! Anywho, my new favorite chick flick is Definitely, Maybe!! So cute. If you haven't seen it, go rent it. It is a great feel good movie with some fantastic lines!! 

Other Great Summer Chick Flicks 

PS I Love You

27 Dresses

I love Corn!

Okay, sounds like a funny title right! But that is the truth...I love corn. When we were in Oklahoma this past week, I ate some delicious home grown corn. Oh my gosh, it was so juicy and sweet. It was a variety of corn called Peaches and Cream and it was to die for. So, when I returned home, I went out to check on my garden and what did I find...my very own home grown corn. That's right friends...I grew my own corn. It was good eats, but not nearly as good as that peaches and cream corn I had in Oklahoma. So next year, that's what I am going to grow. Here are a few pics of my meal last night though.

Uhmm...delicious corn from the garden

Yummy...this is actually the second ear I ate!! 

(shh...I didn't share with Ben)

Fortunately, my garden has been extremely productive this year. I wish I had pictures of all the beautiful tomatoes I have picked this summer, but the camera came a little late. Production has slowed down a bit as it has gotten hotter and drier. But hopefully with the rains we just had things will begin producing again. Every time I venture out to my garden, I am reminded of the glory of God. This week, I was reminded of one of the parables. As I stood stooped over, hamstrings burning, pulling out the overwhelming amount of weeds that had sprung up in my garden while I was away, I thought of the story Jesus tells about the enemy who came to sow weeds amongst the wheat while everyone was sleeping. He goes on to explain the parable saying, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angel" (Matthew 13:37-39). As I labored to pull out all of the weeds that had sprouted in my absence, I thought about how often I allow weeds to grow up in my own life. How often am I so asleep, distracted, stressed out, or just plain busy that I don't pay attention to the seeds the evil one is sowing in my life. How often do I let the sprouts of the enemy overtake and overrun the garden God is sowing in my heart, soul, and mind. Those times when I speak out of anger or am quick to judge, I have let the weeds overtake the beauty God has sown. When I swim around in negativity or have pity parties, I have let the weeds of the enemy overtake the God's beautiful growth. When I gossip, I have let the weeds of the enemy overtake God's garden. When I concentrate more on the task and not on the relationship, then I have let the weeds of the enemy overtake God's beautiful growth. I don't want to be too distracted, stressed out, or busy that I allow the beauty of God's garden to be overrun. It is time to slow down, take a breath, have sabbath, and be vigilant. So if you see me doing any of the things I have mentioned above, please ask me, how is your garden growing (and I don't mean like in mary, mary quite contrary style...I mean for serious). There is no way for us to be Kingdom people alone, it is all about community, so I need your help. 

God is good, so good!! So if you forget or are down, just eat some fresh homegrown corn (or other garden veggies) and you will taste a little piece of God's glory!! 

4th of July Weekend

Terri and Lynn's Cabin...all decked out for the fourth

We made our annual Independence Day pilgrimage to Oklahoma this past week. We left Spring Branch on Tuesday around 12 and arrived in Tulsa at 9:30pm...and we only stopped ONCE. Yes ladies that's right...I only peed one time during the 9 1/2 hour trek. Could have helped that I slept about 50% of the trip. Ben dropped me off in Tulsa at his mom's new house. Terri (ben's mom) and my mom greeted us on the front porch with big hugs and a pitcher of vodka tonics. Great way to end a long day. Ben didn't stay long before heading on to the lake to see his dad. 

The next day mom and I worked on unpacking Terri's house and getting things slightly more organized. It is a great house, just a little lopsided in places. After lunch and a little shopping mom and I headed to the lake...Grand Lake that is. We spent the next several days eating and talking, talking and eating, going for an occasional boat ride, eating, playing with the nieces, and just hanging out. 

Mom and I and another lovely lady threw a shower for Ben's sister, Lyndsey, on Thursday night. It was lots of fun! Lyndsey got lots of fun stuff and I got to play party hostess...worked out all around. We got to spend some great time with the family, which is always nice. Check out the pics below. 

Lyndsey (Ben's Sister) and Elizabeth (Ben's cousin). Both are due in October!

Seth Lawson, Lyndsey, Me, Mom 

Terri and Macy (our 4 year old neice)

Maggie Jane 

(our 18month old niece...really our second cousin, but what the hey, that is just too hard to understand)

Maggie Jane...peeking out from her nap. We were sitting on the deck and this is what we saw. So cute!!

Richard and Lyndsey on the deck. 

Richard, you are responsible for this :)
Ben and me on the 4th. 

We went for a boat ride to watch the F-16 fly over and then the fireworks show. It was awesome.

Terri and Macy

Mom and me! 

It is awesome that Ben's family is always so gracious to invite mom along. Does my nose look huge in this picture or what??

Lynn and Maggie. All decked out for the 4th!!

We'll give this a try!!

Since I love reading blogs so much and we just got our very first digital camera, I thought I would give this whole blogging thing a try. 

Disclaimer: I make no promises to the caliber of my blogging skills or the consistency with which I will maintain this site. 

So here we go!! Wish me luck!!