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August 6, 2020 Its Ours! We bought a cabin in the Colorado Mountains!

Here’s the story….

Late one evening (July 15) I was looking through listings on-line and a notice popped up on my app – “just listed 5 hours ago”! I showed Lorree the listing and we both thought the same thing…”could be the one?”

I texted our realtor, didn’t know if he was available or not. Yes he was on-line, yes the listing agent was on-line, Yes we could see it tomorrow afternoon, Yes, we had permission to leave work early, Yes, yes, yes!

When we arrived at 4:00 pm, there were other cars just leaving the property. It had already been shown several times within 20 hours of being listed! We prayed for wisdom as we met with Dan, our realtor, and looked at the property. He agreed with us that it was worth more than she was asking based on our previous experiences (so thankful we took the time to explore other options). He repeated his thoughts from the outset that this will go fast and he added that it will go for more than asking price. Lorree and I had already agreed on a set amount to offer, but just at the last moment I had a impression from God to offer $5K more than that. I looked to Lorree for confirmation and she didn’t have any reservations, so we made the offer. The next day Dan called and said “good thing you made the offer you did, there were three other offers that afternoon for more than the asking price, and you got it!”

It was like, “Welcome home!” For the next three weeks we re-lived our initial visit by looking at these photos over and over. The views from “our” property were amazing. Each time we felt peace and assurance in our spirit that this is the place God had picked out just for us! There were a few issues the owner had to resolve before closing (septic system and Tuff shed) but everything came together very smooth and on time!

Here’s a brief tour inside the cabin that we saw on our initial visit…

With the funds we received from selling our house in Canon City along with a bit of our savings, we were blessed to be able to pay cash for the property. We were committed to not have any debt is our retirement – God is so good to honor that for us.

…and we have a future bunkhouse for the grand-kids! On one end there is an open loft that may be as good or better than a tree house! We’re SO excited to be able to share this cabin, shed, and 20 acres with our family.

On August 6th at 10:00 am we closed on this property, by mid afternoon we were parking our RV (had to clear a branch to fit)! We were overcome with the joy of being blessed by our Lord Jesus – So grateful for all He has done in our lives and for the continued adventures. We just had to take time, pause, and reflect on His goodness and His gracious love for us (and for you!) In scriptures there’s a word for that….”SELAH, ” to pause and think about that”

We’ve named this place, Selah Acres. A place to pause and reflect on the salvation He freely offers to everyone, and for the many adventures God has for each of us!

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July 24 – Aug 6, 2020 Exploring the Colo mountains looking for some land…to land! and a week in Cripple Creek, CO!

When we were caught in Texas (back in March) with COVID travel restrictions, we became unsettled about not having a place to get off the road and “go home to”. In June and July, while at Glen Eyrie, CO, we started talking with others and searching online (Zillow) for some mountain property we could park our RV on that was somewhat near our Colo. kids.

Since we were in the area, we spent hours driving and looking. We became very familiar with the Pikes Peak area from Woodland Park to Cripple Creek to Guffey and a lot in between! We had a dream that became clearer to us everyday: “Ahhh – to have a CABIN in the mountains!” This has been a recurring discussion and dream since we were high school sweethearts – is now the time? We prayed and looked and talked to friends and family – there was much adventure in the hunt!

We started out mapping the Zillow choices we wanted to go see and spent multiple days and lots of hours driving to various locations. It was a challenge to keep them sorted out in our notes – they all had very scenic views and ranged from 5-6 acres up to 40+ acres. Lord, where was “our place”?

Then we found a great realtor (Dan from Guffey’s local Saddle-up Realty) who really helped us understand mountain property. We learned about septic systems, road access, power lines, water wells and usage, solar systems, internet and cellular availability. Whew! – so much to learn and consider. Thank you Lord for providing someone to help us make wise decisions!

We learned that owning some land in Park County to park an RV on wasn’t a permanent option (can only “camp” on your own property for two weeks at a time, and no hookups!) . We began seriously looking for “that cabin” on already developed land. It would save a lot of time and money if there was a cabin or some out buildings and utilities already on it.

We toured several possibilities, even made a low–ball offer on one far off the beaten path with 10 acres that needed a HUGE amount of fix-up work (we were willing – but thankfully God “delivered” us from that one!) We kept looking and praying……

In the meantime…..

In addition to visits to our kids and grandkids in Colorado (see previous post), we “got away from it all” and spent a week in Cripple Creek. A perfect location for some sight seeing and close by to keep on property hunting!

We drove Phantom Canyon Road (part of the Gold Belt tour) from Canon City to Victor, CO What a road and what beautiful sights! No place for anything over 25 ft long and maybe 10 foot wide. Lots of narrow, dirt, winding roads. It is only 35 miles but takes two hours one way! It used to be a railroad connection to and from Victor and Florence during the gold mining boom. We got caught in a downpour that made the roads slick and somewhat treacherous – thankfully we were almost to Victor when that happened!

Cripple Creek! Now a location for casinos in Colorado (they say they “saved” the town), it wasn’t very bustling with crowds nor activity during these Covid-19 days, and we were OK with that! We learned that back in the day, there was a vote on which city in Colorado would be the Capitol of Colorado. Cripple Creek lost to Denver by only 4 votes. Can you imagine what differences there would be if Cripple Creek had won?

During the 1890’s gold rush / mining days Cripple creek boasted a population of over 10,000 (today about 1,300) – housing was spread out across the nearby hills and valleys. Hundreds of millions of dollars were mined out of the nearby mines – still happening today!

We rode the Cripple Creek Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad. Learned lots of bits of history from the conductor and really enjoyed the views.

It was fun trying to imagine what life was like over 130 years ago (Thankful for our modern day life now!)

We stayed at the Cripple Creek KOA for the week. It was great to see the sunsets and early morning Moon-sets over the mountains. Somewhere out there is a place for us to call home!

Still loving our adventures every day – especially when they include ice cream! More to come….Selah! (means to “pause and think about that”).

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July 2020 – A busy month – full of fun family adventures, activities, and events!

We enjoyed a July 4th Bar-be-Que and swim at Ben & Heather’s house. Carl, Beth and Anya also joined us. It was a beautiful and relaxing day in Rocky Ford!

Happy birthday to Kaylee! (June 30) She is so full of joy, giggles and smiles! In July the family also celebrated Tate & Kimberly’s anniversary, Jon’s birthday, Nick & Rachel’s anniversary, Anya’s birthday, and Lorree’s birthday! We had a full month of family love and celebrations!

Gary and Wanda came to visit us at Glen Eyrie. We had a great picnic lunch and toured the campus – including the castle. It was great to get together and get caught up with each other!

Carl, Beth, and Anya traveled to Michigan for a vacation and to see Anya’s cousins! They had a great time together. We loved these pictures they passed around the family.

Anya threw a big birthday party and invited lots of friends and family for her First Birthday! She shared her beautiful smiles and those big blue eyes with everyone – we all felt the love! Love you Anya – Happy Birthday!

She wasn’t too sure at first….then Mommy put a taste in her mouth. She LOVED her first birthday cake – so much fun!

…and of course the presents! Anya really had fun opening the gifts and was full of big smiles! (I think Jayden and Issac wanted in on the presents too – LOL!)

Nick & Rachel and the kids came over to Glen Eyrie for a day trip. We hiked the “Lady Bug” trail and enjoyed a cookout together. We also toured the campus – the kiddos loved riding in the open 6-seater golf cart. It was a sunshiny fun day!

These are just some of the random pictures we get from our Family Chat group – its a joy to have a constant connection with all of our kids and grandkids – much love!!

“Happy Birthday Nana!” For Lorree’s birthday, Anya and her parents took her out to eat at a favorite Mexican restaurant. It was a wonderful time together!

Probably the most significantly-shocking event this month was seeing Megan off to college – did I just type that? Another milestone in her life (and ours!) Megan is at Faith Baptist Bible College in Iowa studying, Biblical counseling and Office Administration. Praying for a great year for her!

Corny mirror picture, but its fun to look back and re-live all these memories and adventures – hard to believe this was just one month!

Now, we’re running into the next adventure fast – SELAH! (Find out about this in our next post!)

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July 2 – 23, 2020 SOWER’s Project #6 at Glen Eyrie, CO – We stayed for another round – this time as Group Leaders!

Yes – we are still at Glen Eyrie, Colorado. We signed up for both June and July – this month we will be the Group Leader (GL) for the team. This is our first time being “in charge”. We moved to a roomier site and changed our view of the beautiful area area us – so colorful!

Our first attempt as leaders – planning a FUN group adventure, was to see the Colorado Springs fireworks show! The city had arranged for 8-10 locations scattered through-out the city to launch an amazing and colorful show for all to see. We told our group to meet down at the Volunteer Center lawn – we would be able to watch and enjoy an amazing show together – BRING THE POPCORN!

This is all we saw! Our view was behind the trees and the nearby hills – UGH!

We did see a VERY small burst of color through the leaves of a tree a few times – so we did the proper Ooh! and Ahh!….but what a disappointment. One couple encouraged us with…”Well, as group leaders you can only go up from here!” We all had a good laugh and certainly made a memory! LOL!

We met together – outside and separated – to abide by the COVID-19 regulations that were still in effect. We wore face masks only when in the buildings that had Glen Eyrie guests and/or staff. Dennis met with the facilities managers (Aaron and Jason) and received our work list for the coming weeks. We separated into teams and went to work – our official SOWER song ends with the words: “unto HIM is due our best, our all!”

Our first week was filled with gardening, painting, laundry, re-finishing benches, sewing, and painting speed bumps! Everyone worked hard and well together – this team was such a blessing! Harold & JoAnn Flaugher, Jack & Shirley Krohn, Gary & Diane Smith, Dale & Barbara Livengood, Robert & Gail McCandless, Larry & Gerrie Bliven, and us

On our breaks, in the evenings, and weekends we did a variety of “fun” things and enjoyed getting to know each other in different settings. We have a lot of good memories!

Everyday was an adventure as we served the Lord at Glen Eyrie – God had specific things for us to do – and had brought in the right people. Our “to-do” list was constantly getting checked off -“DONE”! …and then more to-do’s were added – we will never run out of things to help with!

So many projects, so much work, and all done with love and smiles. This has been a great experience both as leaders and as co-servants/workers. Dennis turned in three pages of accomplishments – the facilities staff were so grateful for all we did.

We enjoyed getting out to celebrate a great month – we were able to go to the Flying W Chuck Wagon for dinner and entertainment (they had been closed for a couple of years due to a local fire). We had a great time – very inspirational and patriotic!

We ended our July work assignment – everyone was already talking excitedly about what and where they were going next. The SOWER’s ministry is a great way to spend retirement serving others with the love of Christ! “RV-ing with a purpose” is their tag line – and it definitely is!

SO…… we’ve been up to something as well! We’re pretty excited looking ahead to our next amazing adventure – God continually surprises us. Sometimes childhood dreams do come true….check out our next blog!

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June 25 – July 2, 2020 Weekends in JUNE – full of life and fun with the family!

Lorree was feeling creative and wanted to start a new quilt project. So after a fresh haircut – we went shopping! We love the colors and the design, this will give her something to do in the evenings!

Carl & Beth sold their house and purchased a new one! Papa helped Carl install a new larger microwave before the big moving day

Moving weekend was June 13 – we had a good group to help with the move, it all went well! We even got cooled off in the late afternoon with a downpour of rain (it felt good!). So thankful for Carl and Beth’s new home and the room it gives them to raise little Anya! We were all tired – but it was a good tired!

Welcome Home Gary! We were over joyed to learn that Gary was able to go home after 12 weeks in the hospital and re-hab recovering from COVID-19 and bed-sore complications. God was so good to restore his health and prolong his life here on earth. More healing to come – but a joyous celebration today! (June 18th). We were able to visit and have lunch together the next weekend!

Fathers Day! We enjoyed a weekend with Ben & Heather and family in rocky Ford. Ben cooked ribs on his new smoker (sooo good!) then we relaxed in their backyard pool. We had a great day! We also touched based with all of the fathers in our family – we are grateful for the solid spiritual foundation they are leading their families with – so thankful for God’s presence in their lives!

19 is a great number! Wow, our 19th grandchild, Faith Lorraine Johnson – born June 19, 2020.

We flew out to meet her and help Ray & Sarah – and play with Jeremiah and Asia! So much fun! God has truly blessed our family and we are thankful to Him for all of these precious lives!

Just a few more of these kiddos….Faith is full of expressions – and yes she does cry ({{hugs}}} !

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, off to work we go. Ray & Sarah now needed more beds! We were able to help them re-paint and carpet Jeremiah’s room and build and add full-size bunk beds to both Jeremiah and Asia’s bedrooms. Everybody worked together and got the job done – it was a fun weekend!

These beds will be great as the kids grow – and will still have room for Nana & Pap when we visit!

…and the food just kept on coming! This was a “ten-pound-project”! LOL

We will “see ya later”! We had a full month of weekends in June – so much adventure – so much to thank God for! Praying for more fun and adventures in the future!

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June 4 – 25, 2020 SOWER Project # 5 -Glen Eyrie Colorado

We spend a few days transitioning from family to our next SOWER Project. it was nice to spend a few days as “just us” in the Colorado Mountains at a KOA in Woodland Park, CO. While there, we started thinking, talking, and dreaming about a cabin in the Colorado mountains someday – we’ve always had this dream, could it happen? (More on this later).

Welcome to Glen Eryie, Colorado – Our JUNE SOWER Project!

What a beautiful place to “have to work”! The staff here was so very accommodation (even with the crazy COVID regulations that we had to adhere to). The RV site reserved for the SOWERs was very spacious and close to the campus – and wildlife!

We enjoyed meeting our new “family” of SOWER’s that we would be working with for the next three weeks. Eric & Donna Grimm, Marion & Donna Berriman, Jim & Marsha Lyon, Jim & Pat Kloosterman, Jack & Shirley Krohn, Bill & Betsy McClintick. We learned to meet outdoors in the sunshine for our morning devotions.

We all had to learn how to meet and work together during the COVID regulations handed down from the Gov. of Colorado. No meeting indoors, had to wear masks within six feet of each other, had to record temperatures and answer COVID symptom questions everyday prior to work. We learned that while we were paired up and working, we could lose the masks except when inside with Glen Eryie clients. Unfortunately there will be no socializing together with game nights, daily breaks, or pot luck meals while we are here this month.

We came to serve….let’s get started!

We received our “to-do” list of work projects and hit it hard. The guys had a “punch-list” of finishing touches that needed to be done at the Big Horn Lodge building. They had just finished refurbishing it and wanted to get it open “next week”! The ladies were busy sewing masks and decorator pillows, cleaning rooms, and gardening through out the campus.

In addition to the inside projects at Big Horn, the guys re-sealed the big beams on all of the bridges and totally remodeled the “Tour Room” inside the Carriage House building.

It was a lot of fun to work on different projects and get a lot done for the limited staff they have at this time. Because of COVID they only have a skeleton crew working and very few volunteers from the city. Hoping we left them with some big items checked off their list!

We were blessed to receive a tour of the Castle and learn of the history from General Palmer days to Dawson Troutman (Navigators) up to today. It was so interesting and we could see God’s hand in all of the stories and events!

W enjoyed a farewell thank-you breakfast from the Glen Eyrie staff in the Castle! We shared memorable times and events over the last three weeks. This was a special group of SOWERS that God put together, we so thankful for new friends and memories!

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May 30 – June 3, 2020 A Fun Project at Nick & Rachel’s – loving those kiddos and our church family.

What is this going to be?

This started out with a “simple request from Issac to his Dad – “Can we build a play house?” (Isaac even helped with the design!) We were delighted to spend a weekend with Nick & Rachel, Issac & Kaylee helping with a special project in their back yard. Carl, Beth, and Anya also came to help!

We will never get enough time with our grands! We had so much fun loving on them and sharing life together – even in these small moments of time. Adventures with family – the best there is!

Anya recently had corrective hip surgery for a birth related hip dysplasia issue. We loved just “chill’n” with Anya – she never let her awkward cast slow her down!

We traveled to Canon City to worship together with our home church (Canon Community Baptist Church). This was a celebration of the first Sunday to be back TOGETHER INSIDE singing, praising, receiving the Word, and real fellowship after a long drought of being forced to separate. (Notice no masks or social distancing) We even wore t-shirts proclaiming our “family”!

Meanwhile – back at the “ranch”….. the playhouse was being built with love and care. It was a joy to share the experience of our generations (Papa, Dad, and Isaac) working together on a joint project – lots of memories to be shared later!

The weekend was a success – playhouse up and enclosed! More finishing touches to come later – but the kiddos loved the new playhouse and were up and playing in it early the next morning. Mom will love the hours they will spend playing outside in their new “house!

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May 18 – June 3, 2020 on three wheels AGAIN ?!?! What is going on? Adventures in Fort Morgan, CO with Mom Johnson!

The plains and rolling hills of Kansas were very green this year, we traveled in ease – their tall white “trees” were spinning in the breeze! (Then in Colorado, our rig suffered another wheel departure – three wheels again -Oh No! -EEEKS!)

Welcome to the great plains of COLORADO!

We stayed at a KOA Journey in Limon, CO – a nice place on the plains. We are always amazed at the endless open terrain – we can see for miles and miles and miles – not a tree or shrub in sight! Wonder what the pioneers thought as they crossed this prairie?

AND Then……

Count ’em, one…two….three….????

Somewhere another wheel disappeared from our rig between Limon and Brush. We were able to pull into a service shop in Brush. He couldn’t help us, but gave us directions to Great West Trailer Service & Sales between Fort Morgan and Wiggins. Can we make it another 25 miles? God was with us! They were very experienced and able to completely replace both axles, leaf springs, brakes, wheels and mount new tires. What a relief! Thank you God for your provision and care for us!!

All of this took us off the road and “camped” at Mom Johnson’s house for two weeks. We were so thankful for a safe place to stay and so enjoyed our special time with Mom! We shared stories, celebrated Dennis’s Birthday, laughed, shopped, attended online church together, listened to old LP records, played games, connected her with family via the internet, and completed several “to-do” lists that needed attention.

And a time for memories….

We took some time to drive around Fort Morgan to reminisce. We drove by the High School, Riverside Park, Rainbow Bridge, the GW Sugar Factory (YES it still smells like “that”!) and the pond at the park where we had our first “date” ice skating after school one day.

Our trailer was fixed, It was time to say “see you later” to Mom. Our next SOWER Project would start in a few days at Glen Eyrie. Mountains! – here we come! It was great to have Pikes Peak in our view again …loving our adventures!

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May 11 – 17, 2020 Lets go to Kansas (on three wheels?) and “Autumn Glen” adventures with our Busenitz fam!

A Petition and a Proclamation!

How Fun! We received this petition from the Busentiz clan inviting us to come visit. We responded with a formal proclamation “To the citizens of Autumn Glen of the kingdom of Newtonia, Kansas”- what a fun way to start our next adventure!

Traveling during the COVID-19 regulations meant we could still not eat indoors. Our rig would not fit through the drive thru lane – so, Dennis had to do a walk thru between cars to order some lunch! …. making memories!!

What!?? We checked into Gunsmoke RV in Dodge City for the night. When we came out of the office we did a double look… the trailer only had three wheels! We never felt a thing – everything was fine in Garden City when we got gas (only 40 miles away!) We arranged to have it fixed the next day and went looking for the missing tire/wheel. We never found it. We are still dumb-founded about the whole ordeal! Due to damage on the axle, they had to cut off the end and put on a new spindle and temporary wheel/tire. After staying an extra day and night, we headed out to Newton again (although a bit gun-shy (pun intended!) about pulling our rig).

We were able to park at Ben & Janna ‘s house in Newton – THANKS! – a perfect setup for us! Our first day with the family was a beautiful day! The kiddos were full of energy riding their bikes and showing us new tricks!

These beautiful girls are basically the same height! We enjoyed a special time together with the “olders” as we went to a coffee shop to pick up some drinks and sat in a park just to talk. We got caught up on their lives, their summer plans, and their dreams for the future. Love these special times!

…and we went fish’n with the “littles” (not so little anymore!) We caught a lot of fun, smiles, laughter, chatter, and sunshine (but no fish). More special times – and great memories!

It was so much fun – these kids have a silly streak in them – its gotta be from their Mom and their Nana for sure!

Jon got a griddle! We enjoyed making several meals on this large griddle. Our meals were not just eating together, but we were able to cook together – every moment we spend with our kiddos is such an adventure!!

Let’s plant a new tree! We were able to help with a yard project, it was a whole family affair. Lots of fun digging in the wet clay soil ! It will be interesting to watch it grow and become a conversation piece in the years to come!

These kiddos kept Nana and Papa very “young”! We played hard every day and then enjoyed some sleep overs in our travel trailer (with bacon for breakfast of course!)

CONGRATULATIONS MEGAN!

One of the unfortunate results of current COVID–19 regulations was the abandonment of public celebrations that used to be so common for every graduating class and their families. We were determined to give Megan a joyous celebration of her completion of High School – the family came through with flying colors!

We love you Megan! Praying for your future as you step out into the crazy world we now live in!

Its always hard to say “see ya later” to any of our families – we are SO BLESSED with all of our kids, spouses, and grand-kids that love the Lord and serve Him well in every way! We love the memories, the smiles, and the exciting adventures of meeting again soon!

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May 1 – 10, 2020 Smiling from ear to ear! meeting up with friends and family – loving our kiddos!

We made a trip to Colorado Springs to see our Kiddos and Grand-kiddos! We loved getting one on one with our family and catching up on all the news. It was a beautiful Colorado sunshine day – “it’s been too long” – what a joyful adventure!

Isaac, Kaylee, and Anya were all smiles and full of energy! We played, celebrated Isaac’s birthday, talked and shared our love…ahhh we needed this! The day ended too soon, but we’ll be back.

We were invited to Rick & Sharon’s cabin in the mountains near Guffy, CO. Wow – what a beautiful place! They have done most of the work themselves and have created a peaceful haven to live and share with others. We hiked down to their pond and had some great times of sharing! A very enjoyable adventure that God put together for us – we are so blessed!

Jesse and I payed our instruments on the mountain top! So much fun!

More smiles! We traveled to Pueblo to see Ron & Deb – also got to see Jason! More good times shared news and updates with family. We have missed these moments since we started traveling but its great to give/get our love and hugs again!

And then to Ben and Heather’s house to see them and Josh, Jeremy, and Jayden! Ben was recovering from back surgery so we told them to give us a “to-do” list of projects that we could help with – they were grateful for our help! We also played games and enjoyed just being a family – more great memories!

We were able to help replace several veneer rocks on the front of their house, Jayden helped mix the mortar and butter the rocks. Then she made her own “rock” with her hand-print! We also put up some crown molding in the kitchen attached to the cupboards. Something new for us – but Dennis went to “You-Tube University” and was able to make a jig that helped cut the correct angles. Turned out alright!

Wow – their neighbor Sam brought over his catch for the day – three large Wipers (striped base). He taught Jeremy how to fillet – then Dennis fried the fish outside. they were so good! Interesting story here – there were a good amount of leftovers that we bagged and put in the fridge. The next day we set the bag on the counter to prepare for lunch and the bag disappeared! No one knew what happened, although we all suspect Sadie, their large dog, did a “grab-and-run with them!

So now we HAD to go fish’n! Those fish didn’t have a chance! And we caught……nothing! But it was a great afternoon – we all enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air!

Sunday we enjoyed having church at their house – we watched an online session of David Platte and had some great discussion afterward. The we had a great Sunday lunch and played outdoors – Heather’s team won the bean bag toss tournament, look at that form!

We are thankful for our family and the friends God has given to us, living life together with others is always a great adventure! Looking forward to the next time we meet again – should be soon since we plan to stay in Colorado for the summer!