We have been walking on a “soft floor” for several months. The good news is that after a thorough inspection we determined that there was not and never was a water leak causing this. Dennis tried to shore the support up from underneath with additional bracing – but it never really worked. So after a night or two of attending “You Tube University” Dennis decided it was time to try the next recomended fix…it seems this is a common problem.
Here we go! Grab a sharp razor knife, cut the vinyl linoleum, peel back to expose the flooring. After cutting out an area, we confirmed the floor is made of styrofoam sandwiched between ultra thin layers of ply-board. When laminated together it creates a strong but very light floor throughout the RV. Ours had become un-laminated in front of the sink area and therefore “soft” when walking (or dancing?) across it.
Dennis drilled holes through the top layer of ply-board at every 6 inches both vertical and horizontal. We found that there was an air space between the ply board and the styrofoam.
Educated and determined, we were able to pick up some two part epoxy at a nearby Ace Hardware. Lorree mixed it up and Dennis injected the epoxy into the air space through each hole he had drilled.
In addition we added dowel plugs to seal off each hole after the epoxy was applied. This process re-laminated the wood and styrofoam together creating a strong bond once again.
After weighting it down and letting dry for 48 hours, Lorree cleaned it up and Dennis resealed the linoleum. It worked! It’s solid! It’s fixed! Thankful for a quick solution that we could do ourselves and for the information available on You Tube. We can once again dance-a-jig in our RV! (Hmmm…maybe that’s what caused it in the beginning? ! ?)
A quick trip back to Phoenix to see Josh!
We connected with Josh at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ. After church we had a great visit over lunch together. We know God has a special plan for Josh and that he has a big heart as he serves and interacts with others. It was a great visit! We’re so glad the timing worked out before we left the area!
And… Mom’s special 94th birthday!
Three candles = One for all the Birthdays past, one for the Birthday, and one for the future Birthdays! We were able to face time with Mom and send her our love and wishes. She is amazingly well and active and continues to be full of the Joy of the Lord! Love you Mom!
Time to head out! We’re leaving Gospel Rescue Mission in Tucson, AZ – headed to California for a new adventure! We’ll do a bit of vacationing before our next SOWER project – be sure to check out our next adventure … in the desert!?!
We’re feeling great after our extended rest during January. We’ve booked 8 different SOWER projects for the year and its time to get on the road and see what adventures God has “booked” for us!
Our first “re-direct” …we planned to leave on Wednesday to arrive in Tucson, AZ on Friday. But over the weeekend we received a major weather warning: “WINTER STORM EXPECTED TUES – WED”. It’s no fun driving in wind, cold, and snow, so we decided to hit the road on Monday morning. Thankful we can be so flexible!
We spent Monday night at a KOA Las Vegas, NM and Tuesday night at the Hatch, NM RV Park. Yea! – just down the street was the Hatch Chili Marketplace. We bought some famous Hatch Chilies! So good! Another short but fun adventure that we never planned – thanks again God!
So now we had a couple of extra days ahead of us before we were scheduled to be at our SOWER project in Tucson, AZ. We got in touch with Alan & Karen Johnson (cousins) who live in Cochise, AZ (see blog from April, 2020).
They said, “sure! come on over!” So for our next two extra nights we stayed at their property, “Chapel of the Rise” in Chochise, AZ. Beautiful country!
Dennis was able to help Alan finish the install of the last end wall of the new shop. This is a great new addition to their vision for their property. The next projects will be a new house and the chapel. I’m sure we’ll be back to help whenever, wherever we can!
We had a lot of great conversations, sharing meals together, and playing games in the evening. It was such a joy to spend time encouraging each other, sharing our experiences walking with the Lord, and learning how God is so active in blessing each of us. We serve a great God!
On our way out we saw orchards of pistachio and pecan trees. We also had to slow down to let a family of javalinas cross the road – what a surprise to see! We learned that these guys can be ferocious. We also learned that they cannot raise their heads so if you stand on a rock above their line of sight they can’t see you! Hmmm, I’m keeping that tip in my “back pocket”!
An adventure at the [outdoor / living] Desert Museum in Tucson
We took a drive outside of Tucson to the visit the Desert Museum. The drive to get there was full of beautiful sights. We’re amazed at the desert and cactus landscape – such a contrast from the pine trees and mountains that we’re familiar with. The sign mentioned that there are “islands of mountains in the desert sea”. That pretty much says it all! (FYI: This adventure took place while we were serving with SOWERS at the Gospel Rescue Mission).
We saw more wild life than we thought we would! The Mountain Cat and the Rattle snake were behind glass but the others were all there for us to see. We missed the Raptor Falcon Flight presentation: they fly free out over the desert and come back to the trainer while the crowd watches.
WOW! There are so many different types of cactus – who knew? We spent about 3 hours just walking the paths through this outdoor living museum. It was facinating to see and experience the variety and creativity of our creator God! We didn’t take pictures of everything but these are a brief sample of some of the things we saw.
It’s Super Bowl Weekend! …and valentines Day!
We enjoyed watching the game and just relaxing after church. Look at that amazing apple pie Lorree made for me for Valentines Day. She is a very special love and a great cook!
This is my Valentine! Lorree has been growing her hair for a few months – look at the french braid she can do! (People pay big bucks for a look like this!) Love it!
We enjoyed a face time visit with Mom and Kay later in the month. She is doing so well – she’ll be 94 next month, what a milestone in life! Talk about adventures, she sure has had an wonderful journey with the Lord all these years! We are blessed to have her praying for us during our adventures!
Over the plains and through the streets, to grandmother’s house we go…..
What a relaxing, bright, joyfilled Christmassy day we had! Mom served her “famous” salisbury steak. We also enjoyed twice baked potatoes, crunchy salad, and all the other fixins – plus pie! So good! We ate out in the sun room with Mom, Kay Gary & Wanda – lots of stories were remembered and shared!
That afternoon we went to the cemetary and decorated Dad Johnson’s grave with poinsettas. We also saw the grave stones of Mom & Dad Darby & Chuck. It was good to remember the lives of our close family that are now in heaven. “We’ll be there with ya!”
We had more time of sharing life and adventures of the past year. We are all thankful that Kay is now living with Mom, she is doing so well! We also did a bit of work in Kay’s new office, she has made it so cute and practical. We’re thankful for this time to spend with our family – it’s a blessing to have the support, love, and encouragment of each other!
On down the road to Rocky Ford to meet up with the rest of our Colorado family! We all met at Ben & Heather’s house on Christmas Day – they had everything decorated and the food was smelling so good!
Look who we found! Welcome to the family Mary Irene! She’s a precious little doll – so adorable! It was good to get to hold her and give her some love! She’s wearing the same outfit that her daddy Nick came home from the hospital with when he was a baby! How fun!
Had a great time and lots of laughs with Ben & Heather, Josh, Jeremy, and Jayden! They just had to make a unique family Christmas picture, with the caption: “It’s America, we eat beef, drink beer, shoot guns, and speak English – Merry Christmas!”
It was a great day! Full of activities, laughter, stories, pranks, and Christmas goodies!
What another great adventure! It was a very…MERRY 2021 CHRISTMAS!
Before leaving Phoenix, we met up with some of our precious kin folk…
It’s been too long since we had our hugs! This is Aunt Thelma and some of our Darby cousins (Papa Lou’s side of the family). Top left picture: Andrea, Brenda, Thelma, Lorree, and Jennifer. (Also pictured Shawna and Chuck in bottom left.)
WAIT! WHAT?
49 years ago (December 17th) we committed to a lifetime together! What an AMAZING ADVENTURE together, and we’re loving each other more everyday! Thank you GOD for giving us each other (and everything in between!)
Nothing like a long road trip on your 49th! (and a late snack in the motel room!) We decided to head from Arizona to Colorado by going through Kansas…? (Yikes – 1,550 miles and 24 hours! Maybe we’d better look at that map again!) Our road trips always create memories!
The next day, look who we found, “Stand’in on the corner….
…in Winslow, AZ!” Of course we had to stop and take some pics to show we’ve been there done that! It was a frosty 25 degrees that bright morning, but we still played a few tunes!
Home for Christmas – 1 (with the Busenitz clan in Newton, KS!)
Gotta get to making those snacks! It seems that it’s always the kitchen that generates the most conversation and fun. We got pretty silly and had some great family fun!
How many games of “Sweep” did we play anyway? Love those smiles!
Jon took the day off and Arnold came over, we had a job to do! Jon decided to add more insulation into his attic to help keep things warm and energy efficient. It worked out very well with all the help and great weather!
Then everyone jumped in to help make a delicious mexican feast! So good!
One evening, we drove to Wichita and saw Christmas lights followed by sharing gifts back at the house. It was a fun evening – lots of joy and laughter!
Papa and Caleb shared a good time making a game out in the shop. Caleb did all the cutting and assembly and Haley and Ryan helped with the sanding. We all played it over and over – it was a fast moving and exciting game trying to shoot all the pucks to the opponents side first!
Just like that, it’s time to hit the road again. We sure enjoyed our Christmas Stop No. 1 in Kansas! Now we’re headed to Colorado for more Christmas adventures with family!
What a special surprise when we arrived at the cabin at Selah Acres! Special local friends gifted us with some fall decor and a very special guest book for all those who will be guests at the cabin in the coming years! Short story – we were able to let a couple stay for a restful weekend while we were serving in New Mexico – and this is a result of that.
Let us know if you are in the area – and need a “Selah Pause” from this crazy world, maybe things would work out for you to get refreshed and re-energized at this quiet peaceful place!
If you know us – we can’t be found sitting around around too long. Since we didn’t have the RV with us this trip, we took advantage of the opportunity to make a level parking area for it next time we bring it home. Dennis had the pick and shovel going and was able to use the cement pads given to us to create a landing for the trailer tires. We’ll be able to test it out next spring – hopefully its level! (…and Dennis can back it in between the trees!)
The beautiful landscape wasn’t as green and lush as when we left in August and Fall was certainly in the air now. We enjoyed seeing these graceful deer, some active rabbits and a few majestic bucks wandering around these acres. So thankful for the beauty God blesses us with – every day – wherever we are at!
We headed over to the fence that needed some repair with our bucket of wire and tools. The neighbors horses heard the bucket and came running! It’s fun to have these horses nearby, they’re older and don’t go riding any more, but they are very loving and make our day every time we get to pet and feed them.
So we decided that we are officially “ranchers” now that we know how to stretch and repair our barbed wire fence around the property. We learned that one section along road 102 had been damaged by a car running through it…over eight years ago! Well it’s fixed now!
We made a trip into Colorado Springs and was able to connect with friends and family during the weekend. So glad we live close by when we’re in Colorado, always gives us an opportunity to live life together with kids and grandkids!
…and we tried our hand at fishing at Eleven Mile Reservoir – just 8 miles from our cabin. Didn’t catch anything but was very relaxing and was able to “practice” for next time!
We kept our eye out for the changing colors of fall. It was just in the beginning stages while we were home.
We will sure enjoy the changing seasons next time we are home. We’re making plans to be at the cabin for Christmas – how fun! Next for now, we’re getting ready to head back to New Mexico and pick up our rig to head on to Arizonia for our next SOWER Adventure.
But first we had a great visit with Ron & Deb in Pueblo as we headed South. It was great to connect with them and get caught up with each other. We sure have a blessed family – thankful for God’s faithfulness!
On the road again – we stayed one night at Gallup, NM before heading to Flagstaff and on to Prescott.
We sure enjoy the big sky and big landscapes of the West – what a glorious world we live in! Looking forward to serving at Prescott Pines with some new SOWER friends – what’s in store for us?
Nana & Papa offered to bring a Bar B Que meal to Colorado Springs if one of the ‘Springs families would host us – Nick & Rachel, Isaac & Kaylee joined us and we all met at Carl & Beth & Anya’s house. (…oh and Mo’s house as well!)
Oops! …not many pictures but we had a great time of visiting, sharing stories of our summer since the reunion, and eating a great meal together. We were saying “see y’all later” as we shared our plans for the coming months. We’re going to be leaving next week to serve in New Mexico in September, and then on to Arizonia for the rest of the winter until next April!
Love all these smiles – we are so blessed to have these kiddos close by and available to help with so many things. God’s love is lived out well throughout our family!
And then there’s this……….!
Jeremy loves to compeat with his dirt bike…but this caught his eye. “$1,000 to WIN!” A friend had a car for him but needed work, he found sponsers, another car to use for parts, a big shed to work in, and some help from friends to get it gutted, running, and painted. He has never raced a car before, and wasn’t sure what a “figure-8-jump-race” was, but after working really hard on this car, check out what happened!
Enter the “General Lee” (as in Dukes of Hazard) only this is a Subaru not a Charger….
Load ’em up! Get some gas! At the field! Last minute fix! Getting the track ready!!
So the track is a figure 8… we can see that. The “jumps” are like mogels on a downhill ski race (they tend to wreak weaker cars and trucks!) As they are racing they must give right of way to those in the intersection of the figure 8 – yes that means stomping on the brake if needed. Crazy!!
There was excitment ….and a bit of aprehension before the race. This could be…”not good” but we were rooting for Jeremy! We all wore special t-shirts “Johnson 01” We really stood out from the crowd – lots of spectators were asking, “which one is he?” (…and then they joined us in rooting for Jeremy!) This kept building up into an amazing adventure!!!
The race started, lots of shouting, screaming, adrenaline, Jeremy kept passing everyone – what was happening right in front of us?!
We knew that Jeremy had passed every car and truck several times – we were mind blown! We learned later that he didn’t know this, he kept passing because he thought he was behind!
What a race! Thankfully no one ever got hurt, but lots of wrecks and tangle-ups!
There were several mis-haps, but Jeremy avoided all of them. When a car or truck quit running it was hauled off by giant tractors or forklifts. the race was haulted until the track was cleared. then….GO! The race picked up where it left off. Jeremey was still in the race!!!
…and then!
Jerremy won! ….$1,000 dollars! …and this amazing trophy!
Everyone was blown away by the final results of the race. Even Jeremy asked, “did I come in second or third?” He blew his radiator, sprayed all over him, and wondered if he would even make it to the finish line. CONGRATULATIONS JEREMY! What an exciting evening! FIRST PLACE!
Time to hit the road!
On our way back to our cabin we stopped in Fort Morgan to say hi and “see you later” to Mom and Kay. (Forgot to take current pictures). We helped with a few tasks and enjoyed a great german sausage and sauerkrout meal – thanks Mom! Kay has settled in nicely and is able to do her on lione work from her new office. So pleased with how things turned out and so thankful that Kay is now living with mom to care and love on her!
The calendar says it’s time to move on to our next SOWER Project! It seems too early in the season to leave this place! We have had a very fun, exciting, and productive summer – full of adventures!
We were blessed at the last minute to be able to offer our cabin to a young lady to “house-sit” for us for a week. So glad to share our cabin and Selah Acres to bless others! We can leave knowing that the cabin will be cared for till we return in a about 3 weeks.
We spent the night at Trinidad State Park. It helped us transition from cabin living to RV living before we go “full-time” again! Glad we did, it helped us to relax and pray/plan for the days ahead.
Headed to Glorieta Adventure Camps, Glorieta, NM for our next SOWER Ministry assignment. What does God have in store for us in our next adventure?
We’re continuing to celebrate our 2021 Family Reunion with so many fun times, great food, and memories. Sharing life stories and catching up with each other was a highlight of the week. We were surrounded with laughter, love and bonding of brothers – sisters – cousins.
For at least three of our days we experienced late afternoon “monsoon” rains. (We didn’t know there was a monsoon season in the Colorado Rockies!). The shade sail was good for shade but not for rain! We were forced to separate – the girls all headed to the bunk house to stay dry, the boys headed downstairs and played on their ipads, and the adults all got cozy in the cabin. We wondered what we would do if it rained….it all worked out great! (…and the rain didn’t last long).
When the sun came back out each day – the fun just seemed to increase! So many activities to do – no one ever said they were bored! These kids are just full of smiles!
OH! The zip-line!
The older “boys” installed the cable and mechanisms at around 100′ between trees, and the younger boys built the platform. Great job everyone!
HEY! Remember the first time to try? Zip lining at night in the pitch dark? The screaming contest? How many times did everyone go on it? How many of the adults went? ….and Grandma LC clapping and cheering us all!
Guffey Gorge Swimming Hole!
About 15 minutes from the cabin is Guffey Gorge (also know as Paridise Cove). Normally busy but today it was all ours! Good thing ’cause we pretty much filled it up!
The water was refreshingly cold! Lots of brave kidos in this family – they had so much fun playing in the water, splashing, and riding the logs. Lots of memories made for sure!
While a serious volleyball game was being played (Go Lindsey!) the guys helped Papa remodle the North end of the shed so he can park the tractor in it.
So… we had just finished eating a meal and Ben looked up and pointed, “LOOK at that!” It was a tribe of four pretty good size Badgers scurrying across the property not far from where we were sitting. Of course the hunters among us immediately went for their guns and took off after them. One was taken and the others dissappeared. When the guys went back to show the kids what a badger looked like – the carcass was gone! We supposed the other badgers (or a mountain lion?) hauled it off for lunch?!
Which led to this…target practice! Lorree had picked up some old fry pans at a thrift store and the guys set up a shooting range.
It was great to spend time with the grandkids and teach them gun safety and how to shoot. What a variety of hand guns and long guns that we had to choose from! More memories!
Loving these kiddos!
Who knew the John Deere would be a big hit with the grandkids!?
Ice Cream, S’Mores, singing, and campfires!
We are SO Blessed! What a wonderful experience to have our family together for these days and the amazing memories that will last a lifetime!
Setting up camp! We had three pop-ups, our Travel Trailer, the Bunk House and the Cabin (upstairs and downstairs). We all fit! It was fun to have so many people on the property! We had everyone here (except Tate and Jeremy)…plus Grandma LC and Aunt Kay! 32 of US!
On Thursday – a day or so before everyone else, Megan (Busenitz) and Megan (Burnham) were our first arrivals! We enjoyed an evening with them with a hamburger BBQ, great conversations, and some new card games. Ben & Jayden came the next morning with their four-wheeler and pop-up camper. On Saturday, Kimberly came with Emily and Jessica, driving in from Dallas (that’s another story!) Later that day the rest of the Busenitz family made it. By Saturday July 3rd everyone was here! So much to take in and enjoy all at once! These kiddo’s immediately bonded and started having so much fun together!
We were overwhelmed – everthing we had conceived in our mind as everyone arrived fell short of the actual experience! Thank you Lord for allowing us to have so much fun as one big family – WOW!
While the cousins hung out and played together, we were enjoying the laughter, sharing, and love. It was going to be a great week! Oh the JOY of having family that love each other and the LORD. We are SO blessed – God is SO good!
Exactly! We had to pause – “Lord, in this world we don’t know what is ahead of us and the future of our kids/grandchildren – but YOU have everthing in your control and everything will be for the best in your divine eternal Kingdom!” Thank you for your many blessings!
Our neighbor (or is it “neeeah” – bor) has horses! The kiddo’s loved petting them and feeding them mountain grass. The horses seemed to really enjoy this also!
And boy did we eat good! Each family participated with one main meal and all the grandkids helped by being part of the clean-up teams. We were thankful for the shade sail and the “eazy-up” shelters (…that direct mountain sun got hot!) We were cooled off every afternoon with a nice rain shower – the mountains are so lush and green!
The great food gave everyone a renewed boost of energy – so blessed with great memories! Everyday there were more and more fun activities to enjoy!
To put an exclamation on the arrival of family – Grandma LC and Aunt Kay arrived for the day! Mom’s still going strong! She’s healthy at 93 years and so full of love and joy to share!
It was amazing to see each child and grandchild spend special times with Grandma LC.
We are reminded of the Scripture from Psalm 100:5 ” For the LORD is good! His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.”
Thank you to our Mom’s and Dad’s and our Grandparents from both sides of our family for your MANY prayers for each member of our immediate family. You all set the example! God has truly honored your faithfulness and answered your prayers “to all generations”!
….MORE FAMILY ADVENTURES to come…! (Wait till you see the swimming hole and the zip line!)
First things first! We headed over to Cotopaxi, CO to attend our friends church (Pastor Steve and his wife Lisa Holcomb). Steve is the new senior pastor here and we wanted to show up and encourage him.
They were having a special guest speaker that Sunday – our friend and missionaries, Joel and Wendy Soloman, from Chile (we spent a couple of weeks serving in Chile in 2019). It was great to re-connect with them and to hear a great message from God’s Word. We also enjoyed a fellowship meal after church – good times!
Meanwhile… back at Selah Acres, Lorree was working hard mowing while Dennis was dreaming Hot Tub! (of course he’ll share – right?)
We made a major decision about this new land we owned – we need the right equipment to “tame” it. After a lot of research and looking at our available budget – we bought our first John Deer! It came with a front scoop, mower deck, and a pull behind cart – just what we need to get some of the big things done. (After the mowing and digging we’ve already done, we came to the realization that we were getting older and our mowers, shovels, and rakes were a lot of work especially at 8,700 feet!) PLUS… who knew this would become one of the favorite “toys” of the reunion!
While Dennis was putting the final touches on the bunk house, Lorree was power washing and re-staining both decks. She is an amazing hard worker! We continue to be motivated by making this place “ours” and the vision of our family coming to enjoy Selah Acres!
” RING! ”
We recieved a call that the sliding glass door arrived in Fort Morgan to finish Mom’s house remodel / Kay’s office. The next weekend we headed back to Fort Morgan to finish that project! Always on the go it seems – but loving every moment!
WHAT? Two amazing things…..
Amazing-1 !! First – after filling up in Divide, CO we averaged over 41mpg! (It was all downhill into Colorado Springs and Dennis never stepped on the gas peddle 🙂 Wish this was everyday event! (We typically avg around 8 or 9 mpg pulling the trailer).
Amazing-2 !! Then to capture this amazing thunder head! From our view it was spectacular with the massive display of clouds and color that the sun was highlighting! A friend of ours was also watching and taking pictures from the eastern plains (near La Junta where we used to live). She shared her picture of the same massive thunderhead from the other side! She saw such dark-forboding-imminent-seveve weather approaching! What a contrast!
Amazing-3 !! Another first for us…installing a glass sliding door! Those old “barn doors” were weathered, warped, and somewhat rotten. What a team, so thankful that Kay was there to give us some help! It went together quite well – it was so great to work together!
The next Sinday, we attended our nearby church at Four Mile – just 15 minutes down the road from Selah Acres! It was great to meet about 20-30 new friends and neighbors! A new Pastor, Steve & Leslie Randall (sitting just to the left) was recently accepted and will start being the full time Lead Teaching Pastor next week. This day we enjoyed the lesson from God’s Word from a visiting Cowboy Church Preacher. We loved the warmth of the church family and the solid stand on God’s word, we could be drawn to this church family!
Over the next week or so, Lorree started to refurbish the basement bedroom. She painted the floors, the louvored doors, and the walls. Kay gave us a southwestern style room carpet that fit in perfectly! Lorree was able to unpack the quilt she hand made many years ago to be used now, it’s beautiful and is perfect for this space! The bedroom is ready for guests! Things are being checked off our list – the time is getting near!
While Lorree was working hard downstairs, Dennis was getting things ready for the Hot Tub! The dealer stated that the best foundation was a dirt/pea gravel base. We decided the best location was just off the “front” porch. After removing those rotted steps and leveling the ground, Dennis was able to utilize leftover lumber from the bunk house and gathered lots of stones from around the property to square things up for a good base! (We were thankful for that tractor!)
” RING! “
Dennis received a text from Nick, “Dad, can you come help me lay-out the foundation for my new deck this weekend?” This was Nick & Rachel’s major project for the summer and we had already discussed coming up to help. SURE! So we made plans to be in Colorado Springs to help (Opportunities like this is why we want to be near our kids as much as possible!)
Yes, I know it’s blury – we were so excited! It read 56.1 MPG! We beat our previous record from Divide, CO. …of course it was another downhill into Colorado Springs, but….it still counts right?! It’s officially documented now – bet this will be our recocrd!
Nick had the building permit, the plans and the lumber already on site, ready to go work! Carl came over to help – and of course Issac and Kaylee helped to get this deck leveled and attached to the house! When we finished Nick had to get a sign-off from the building inspector – a week or so later it all passed! He was able to finish his deck – YEA!!
Our reward – we spent the night and enjoyed smores over their new portable propane fire pitSo yummy and fun! (Hmmm — a great idea for the cabin maybe?)
We came back to the cabin with a few new ideas! What about adding a little deck to our Hot Tub location – it sure made a lot of sense – thanks for the vision Nick! We were able to pick up supplies on our way home and finished this just in time – The Hot Tub was going to be delivered in just a few days!
What a great addition – we’re already loving the hot tub – relaxing and getting our bones refreshed! Anxious to share this with our friends and family when they come for a visit!
One thing we noticed was that our entry into Selah Acres was a bit narrow – especially if you are bringing in a trailer or RV. The driveway at the cabin-end-of-the-road was also pretty muddy after a rain. So we ordered a couple of truck loads of road base/gravel to help with those issues.
Dennis had fun spreading the dirt and leveling off the road with his new tractor – again thankful for God’s provision! Now everyone will feel comfortable and safe coming up our drive – even the delivery guys (UPS, Amazon, and FedEx) “Ah oh!” – Lorree has her fingers on her keyboard and that look in her eye!
The finishing projects: Build a door to our master bedroom, install an outdoor shower, install a shade-sail for our back deck, and bring in some port-a potties for the week ahead! We’re thinking we’re ready (and a bit tired) for the FAM! We’re pumped – “let’s get this party going!”
We love our United States – always proud to fly the colors that our Dad/Grandad’s fought for and that we have prayed for. We wanted to highlight the entry into Selah Acres and honor our country with some Red-White-and-Blue! Thank you Lord for our Freedom and for the priviledge of living in this great land!
Only one thing left to do…….
Now we’re ready!!!
Looking forward to a great adventure with our beautiful family – expecting 33 guests: friends, kids, spouses, grandkids, mom, and sister…. (only 2 of our immediate family couldn’t make it)!
“Lord, please grant everyone safe travels and bless our time together in this great adventure that You have orchestrated for us!”
Catching a few rain drops as we’re headed “home” to Selah Acres near Guffey, Co. Its been so long since we left our little cabin – doesn’t seem real that we are headed into the mountains to arrive at home! We are so looking forward to being somewhat settled for the summer. Can’t wait!
The views; Pikes Peak, Sunrises, Sunsets, Big Sky, green meadows…so overwhelmed ! We’ve named this place “Selah Acres” it is such a blessing to us – knowing that at this time in our lives God provided this for us to live, enjoy, and share! We always dreamed this dream – never thinking it would ever be a reality….but here we are!
“SELAH” …to pause , ponder, meditate, relax, consider. Also: an exclamation…”FOREVER!” Also “to connect two subjects/thoughts” Next time you read the Psalms…you’ll appreciate the word “Selah” with these definitions interspersed throughout the text.
Oh…the wildlife; Colorado Blue Birds nesting in our bird house -and having babies! – deer wandering through the yard, bunnies, chipmunks, humming birds, blue jays, woodpeckers,(and our neighbors horses) were amazing! It seemed that every day we would see something new. We stand amazed at God’s creativity in making all of these curious creatures. For our good and His glory!
What!?! ….even though it’s the middle of May, we get to enjoy ice/snow at 8,700 feet! It was a shock, but not a surprise. We had to deal with and embrace the “coldish” weather. It was all good, melted and warmed up fast. Gotta get used to mountain weather apparently!
In 7 weeks -company is coming! Gotta get things ready!
OUR TO-DO LIST! We have only 7 weeks before our upcoming family reunion (July 3-6). We are beyond excited and ready to get things done to host a memorable time with each other!
So this was our “list” but in addition – we had many weekend/daily adventures with the fam; Nick & Carl families coming for a visit, helping Nick with his new porch, celebrating Valerie and Josh’s graduations, keeping in touch with the rest of our family including Faith, our newest grandchild!, back to Mom’s to install the sliding glass door to finish that project, and more!! “Lord, help us get these things done!”
Lets start with the bunk house. Previous owners had some sort of “housing” for animals, or simply a play house for kids – not sure. We needed to remove all the interior structures to make an open space for our bunk beds. Think we can get 4 bunks (8 beds) in here?
In the mean time … Dennis created a storage room in the south end of the shed and installed a shelf above the stove for our microwave. It fit perfect!
Nick and Carl’s famillies came up for a visit the first weekend we were back…we had some great conversations! We learned what the kid’s were up to and also what they were anticipating for the reunion, It was fun to dream together! Anya, Kaylee, and Isacc were full of energy and life – so much fun!
Whenever we have to go to “town” we’re always keeping an eye out for bargans. We knew we needed to pick up some furniture for the cabin as we didn’t have much to sit on since we downsized last year. These pieces really helped!
Another great thing about coming home is attending our home church in Canon City. It’s a joy to reunite with our friends and participate in the life of our church family. We met our new pastor, Steve Vanwinkle and enjoyed his message from God’s word. Pastor David Almanzar is now living in Kentucky, retired but ‘m sure still finding places to preach.
It’s Finished! 3 weeks later (mingled with numerous other events and travels) we could call the bunk house completed. We really enjoyed working together for the vision of our grandkids enjoying this space! – Now, we just need some electricity for the lights and hairdryers!
We found a perfect 20 amp circuit that we could tie into for the run to the shed. Dennis hand trenched (through the rocks) the buried cable, and Lorree covered it up. We installed outlets, lights, and wiring from the cabin to the shed. This replaced the overhead extension cord that the previous owners used! LOL!
We were able to go to Rocky Ford and attend Josh’s graduation June 5.
Josh had the celebration in his backyard along with a classmate. It was well attended with lots of fun and food! We enjoyed helping get things set up and then visiting with many “old” friends from when we lived nearby. It was a great day!
And…Valerie had her graduation (in Kansas) as well! We’ll be sure to give her a special hug and congradualtions when she comes to Colorado for our reunion! These kids have really grown into beautiful yong adults – so proud of all of our grandkids! Number 20 is on the way!
Coming home this year was such a joy – we learned to take advantage of every opportunity to be with family and share life together. (We also met some of our neighbors and got official libray cards from the Park County Guffy Library!) There is so much more to do – so looking forward to our next adventures at Selah Acres!
