Vino for Selling Our Iowa Home

The Baumi Family gave us a bottle of wine for selling our Iowa home. Thanks guys! We are ready to celebrate the home selling and move on to finding our own home here in Colorado after the holidays! We have been so blessed lately and we give God ALL the Glory!!

A Christmas of Thanksgiving

We have SO MUCH to be thankful for this Christmas Season! We all have our health, we have a beautiful home, I've been blessed with a beautiful wife and a great job. Sandi can stay home with our 2 wonderful children, our house sold back in Iowa this month and on Christmas Eve I received a phone call from my Colonel that I was picked up for a 3 year Active Guard Reserve (AGR) tour!! This is what we've waited for for 9 months!!

Sandi's Grandmother went to be with the Lord on Christmas Day. The blessing is she is no longer in pain and she told all 11 of her children she was ready to go be with Jesus! We are all blessed for sharing life with her. I still consider her the fortunate one, being in the awesome presence of God forevermore!

I concluded my Christmas Day by picking up Bill, Sara & Mya from the airport. They just returned from their trip to China to pick up their beautiful Princess Mya! What an incredible indescribable gift! Mya is a little "firecracker" always on the go. I am so thankful to have been able to be a part of their journey. Thank you Bill & Sara for demonstrating God's love to us that He adopted us into HIS family!!

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!!"

Happy Birthday to Him who is born this day in the city of David. He is Christ our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer. Every soul needs a Saviour. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our Pastor put it best when he said "Let us not focus on the manger this Christmas, but on WHY He came to this Earth. Let us focus on the cross 33 years later when God's ONLY son died for my sins and yours." He was obedient even unto death on a cross. If we could only be obedient for a week or a month. Fix your eyes on the cross this season, give thanks for His love, His goodness, His grace and mercy. EVERY soul needs a Saviour! Merry Christmas!

"When in Rome...or in this case, Colorado" (Julie S.)

As you may have guessed, Sandi's sister Julie, is a Denver Broncos fan. And since we now live in Colorado she wants us to be Bronco fans too. I will admit, I wish they would have beat the Bills today!!

No, our team has been the Packers and we were/are BIG Brett Favre fans. So as you can imagine, we also watch Brett the NY Jet. Julie & Troy did bring us these wonderful gifts at Thanksgiving so we would fit in around Colorado. I have worn mine and Colin loves his. In fact, just today he said, "I want the Broncos to win. They are Julie's team so I like them."

Believe it or not, I am warming up to the fact that I live about 40 minutes from an NFL team. This was not the case living in Iowa. Keep your fingers crossed, Julie! But for now, I'm still wearing green for #4!

It's Mya Day!!!! - We are so excited for our friends!!!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27 (Thank you Bill & Sara for modeling God's Word for the rest of us!)

After 2 1/2 years of waiting, our friends, Bill Sara, Cole & Carter finally got the newest addition to their family. The most adorable little Princess Mya Jian!! You can see Bill & Mya laughing and blowing bubbles on their blog. This was the first day she was officially theirs!! God's amazing love is all over these photos!! We're so happy for you guys! Hurry home!

Our House is Sold!

Thank you Jesus! We hope the new people enjoy it as much as we did for 13 years. We are just so happy that we no longer have that obligation back in Iowa. A HUGE thank you goes out to Terry & Diane for checking up on the house all the time and for Terry raking up all the leaves from our two 70' trees in the backyard and our tree in the front. You guys are awesome! Another special thank you to Kay for also keeping an eye on the place and helping keep it "show ready" as Sandi liked to call it. It was definitely easier to keep "show ready" when we weren't living in it! :) Goodbye Fruitland Blvd!!

Thanksgiving....."Thank you Lord for all the ways you continually Bless us!"

We are very very thankful for all the ways the Lord has blessed us recently!! We were also blessed with Sandi's sister, Julie & family visiting us from Minnesota. Julie made excellent chicken and dumplings for dinner and Sandi made a great ham supper with cole slaw, cranberry sauce and etc.

Sandi is seen in the last picture posing with her awesome "high heeled" pie server she got for her birthday. Of course we also had an apple and pecan pie for dessert.

Enough blogging for now......it's time to decorate for Christmas!

He's Part Jedi, Part Clonetrooper and Part Cookie Maker

"Look Daddy, I'm Luke." "Wow, buddy, that is quite the fighting stance you've got there."

Here he is checking in with the Clonetrooper Battle Destroyer. "My work on this planet is done, Clonetrooper 94G6B7." Or in English, "Hey Cousin Jaxon, what's up?" "Not much Colin. Aren't these helmets sweet?" "Oohhhhh yes!"

"Woohoo, fightin bad guys and eatin cookie dough! This day rocks!" The Queen teaches the young Jedi Knight the ways of the Domestic Force. Tune in next time when the Jedi Knight says, "Can you show me how I groove?"

Air Force Academy Football...."GO FALCONS!"

Colin and I went to 2 Air Force Academy football games last Sat and the week before. It is awesome! Every game has about 6 or 7 parachutists land on mid-field all carrying a flag (US, AF, CO, POW/MIA). Then there are 3 jets that do a flyover that come out of nowhere because they are so fast. They shoot straight up supersonic! It's amazing (and LOUD). Then everytime the AF Falcons score, the cadets empty the stands and do pushups in the endzone for the amount of points they have. At halftime, there are about 4 or 5 live falcons that cadets work with. One of them goes to mid field and lets the falcon fly over the croud around the whole stadium while another cadet tells all about them. They swoop down at the lure the cadet is swinging and eventually the cadet tosses it to them at the end. We tailgate outside with our friends and their camper, Bill & Sara and their boys Cole & Carter. Bill has been my boss for the majority of my career and brought me out to CO. Awesome weather too! Today was in the 70's on Nov 19th!!

"I WON!!"

Now that I have your attention......settle down.......I only won the "Worst Blogger Award." It's been almost a month since my last entry but I have a pretty good excuse. We moved two states away.

We received our first care package Friday from the Baumifamily which was awesome! (see picture) Thank you so much!!! You guys rock! Especially you Pottabaumgartner! :o) Adam, Lynn, Sidney P., Jaxon & Carter all came to see us the week before the big move. It was a blast! Colin still says we have to go back to Cedar Rapids to see Jaxon at the hotel. The Baumi's will also be delighted to hear that Colin rode his bike around the block (we finally have sidewalks) and earned his Stormtrooper Helmet. Now he wants to Skype with Jaxon sporting their helmets. (I told him a mirror would produce the same results) Hannah has started school and is using a lot less oxygen. It can take up to 2 months for your body to adjust to using less oxygen. We are at 6,500 ft. Of course, we have Pike's Peak out our front door and if you get the urge, you can climb to 14,000 ft. I'm told you can see the curviture of the Earth from up there. I'll get up there eventually.

WE'RE MOVING!!

How awesome is our God? Let me tell you. We house hunted for a home on the internet for a year. We looked at a couple model homes in May. The first one we looked at in October (above), we liked a lot and we were done looking. Ranch homes are extremely rare but HE had the perfect one waiting for us. The first Pediatrician we talked to, we liked a lot. We felt very comfortable with her, her team and her office. They have an office/outpatient team and a hospital team. We really liked that approach. And of course we talked to one dentist and we were done dentist hunting as well. He is amazing! All praise goes to God!

Our house is on the market. We have had a number of people look at it. Please pray that it sells quickly. We know it will sell in His time. If you know anyone interested (all appliances stay), please let them know. Thank you!

Bill, Sara, Cole & Carter Rock!

Thank you so much for the hospitality! We are so blessed to have good friends like you! We can't wait to get to Colorado. It won't be long now! We are looking forward to the new job, getting involved in church and meeting new people. See you soon!

Mountain Men Retreat - Fishin for Trout!

At age 4, Colin learned how to fish (for fish). Next task is training him to be a fisher of men. What a great weekend and quality time with my son and other believers!

Colin and I both caught 1 trout each. I think it was one of my proudest moments Sunday morning at 7:30am. It was so quiet, lots of fog, just dad and son fishing. All of a sudden I hear a splash. I look to my right and there is Colin, fighting with a fish. He hadn't said a word. Up to this point everyone would let him hold their pole and fight one in. The problem was when it got close, Colin would hand off the pole and run up the bank. NOT THIS TIME. It was his pole, his cast, and now HIS fish to fight! After I told him how proud I was of him and that he was a real fisherman... he was marching around with his chest puffed out. "I'm a real fisherman!" Look out Grandpa Denny, we're ready for Canada.

We end the weekend with Colin saying, "I love fishing!" and "I'm already planning our next camping trip."

Thanks to Rick, Andrew, "Uncle Mike" (as Colin called him), Richard, "Phil the Fisherman" and Gary for their fellowship, insight and friendship.

This will not be seen on "John's Big Ol' Fish" on channel 9 because neither one of us caught this one. We just set it up to look like Colin did before he caught his on Sunday. I prayed Sat night and Sunday morning that he would catch just one on his own so he didn't leave discouraged. Sure enough, the Lord came through as he always does!

LIFE 101.9......A Huge Part of Our Lives!!

We listen at home, in the car and at the office via the internet. On Valentine's Day 2008, Sandi won their Valentine grand prize package fo tbeing the best wife and mom, especially during my deployment. LIFE is so inspiring and encouraging. They always play exactly the right song you need to hear when you need to hear it. God is amazing! This station has truly been been a HUGE blessing to me and my family! Thank you to 'Positive, Uplifting, 101.9!'

Check it out! Click on the link. Dave

A FREE GIFT FOR YOU!

1. GOD LOVED
2. GOD GAVE
3. WE BELIEVE
4. WE RECEIVE

IT'S THAT EASY, ACCEPT HIS GIFT TODAY!!

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

WHOEVER is you, WHENEVER is now, WHEREVER you are in life. He takes you as you are... now!

Dave

"Meet Me in the Stairwell"

You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news On September 11, 2001. Neither will I.

I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say 'Good-Bye.' I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him thePeace to say, 'Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK..I am ready to go.'

I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.

I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to Me for help. 'I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!' I said. 'Of course I will show you the way home - only believe in me now.'

I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.

I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the believers there, comforting and assuring them that their faith has saved them.

I was in Texas, Virginia, California, Michigan, Afghanistan. I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news. Did you sense me?

I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name - though not all know me. Some met me for the first time on the 86th floor. Some sought me with their last breath.

Some couldn't hear me calling to them through the smoke and flames; 'Come to Me... This way... TakeMy hand.' Some chose, for the final time, to ignore me. But, I was there.

I did not place you in the tower that day. You may not know why, but I do.

However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for me?

Sept. 11, 2001, was not the end of the journey for you. But someday your journey will end. And I will be there for you as well. Seek me now while I may be found. Then, at any moment, you know you are'ready to go. 'I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.

I love you so much! I....am God.'

Sister Weekend - Lemars, Iowa

Julie, Sandi & Hostess Lynn

" Don't you love my pants?" Lynn

(MORE LIKE - "Dave, don't take a picture of my pants!")

"Daddy, it's so hot!"

"I will beat you at Tetherball, Daddy!"

Swinging with my sweetheart!

TETHERBALL CHAMP! Colin 4 games to Daddy's 0

Let's Break Down the Title.......THE QUEEN...

My Queen is the most beautiful, loving, caring person! She is the best wife in the world and the most awesome Mommy any kid could ask for. The kids tell her that often. Without her I would be lost!! God has given me the greatest gift in my wife Sandi. I love her, I need her, I look forward to sharing the rest of our lives together!

My Beautiful Family! I thank God for Them Every Day!!

Our beautiful niece, Ashley recently placed as a runner up at the Miss Iowa Pageant. We love you, Ashley. Great job!!

Adventureland Blast!

Colin did everything from Infant Ocean......

to the Log Ride.....

he even wanted to ride the Outlaw Roller Coaster.......and yes he is 4.

Hannah (& Sandi) are secretly big truck lovers!

Everyone was winning prizes for Hannah (or else storing them with Hannah)

Colin and his cousin's Zach & Ashley love getting wet! Colin got the big waterfall. It was a blast!! Thank you so much to Zach, Ashley & Tracie for spending a fun day with us at Adventureland Park!!