I'm Back!!

I can't believe my last blog was Labor Day Weekend! Well, I just completed my final exam and I'm taking Nov and Dec off of college. We have friends and family visiting and I want to enjoy the beauty of the Christmas Season in His presence with the awesome gifts He has given me; His Love, His Grace, His Mercy, His Forgiveness, His Inheritance (only through Jesus Christ!!), my Beautiful Bride, our Gorgeous Princess and our wittingly Handsome Jedi Knight!!

Well, more blogs to come soon! In the meantime, I want to share a great verse that popped up on my verse of the day when I returned to Blogland.

Ephesians 1:18 (New International Version)
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints...

May the joy of this Christmas Season be yours and fill you to tears knowing what that baby in a manger did for YOU!

2009 Colorado Balloon Classic

Colin and I woke up at 5:30am on this clear, crisp, beautiful Labor Day morning to watch the Mass Ascension of 80+ hot air balloons at Memorial PArk in Colorado Springs. The first balloon team we walked up on was from Indianola, Iowa. Small world. It's called "The Spitfire". It was a blast! Inflatable fun stuff for kids, food, Colorado sun and a sea of hot air balloons. Colin could barely contain his excitement. Definitely a new Labor Day tradition!!

Our New Home

It has been one blessing after another since we came to Colorado. We are now homeowners again. We are so happy to have a home where Hannah will be able to get around easily. This home fits our needs. Again, God provides. He knew our needs before we did and provided again at just the right time...His time.

No More Hospital Couch!!!

We are HOME!!! Hannah's stay lasted from June 4- 23. Dave slept in her room, every night, on this couch!!!





I can't believe it! His legs hung off at the knees; clearly not made for a person over 5'9. I offered to take his place but he wouldn't allow me to stay. What a great daddy!!!

Happy Father's Day!! We LOVE you!!!!

To the best dad ever!!! Love, Hannah and Colin

The Iowa Trip

It was fast and furious but still fun. We got to see family and friends. We had a meal with different people. Here was the schedule:

- We visited Hannah's old school (Truman Elem.)
- Ashley's Graduation (our niece)
- Max's Baptism (our nephew)
- Dinner with Sandi at The Blend
- Ashley's Graduation Party
- Hannah's Birthday Party
- A Hannah Thank You Party for Dr's, Teachers, Therapists

All of this while we stayed at a great B&B!! The Belmont Hill on Cedar Rapids' NW side. www.belmonthill.com

Friends That are Godsends!! Marc & Kim Rock!!!!!!

Ana, Mitch & Thea are awesome too!! We were so blessed to have our good friends from Iowa stay with us in Colorado. We had a great time! We laughed, we cried, it was better than Cats! Seriously though, we did laugh so much it was hard to breathe. Someone (no names) spit out his water....THAT is how hilarious they are!!! Then they took Colin on the next leg of their tour to see their family because Hannah ended up in the hospital with Pneumonia. They are incredibly big hearted Christians!! We love them and miss them as they just left. At supper following their departure, Colin prayed, finishing with, "Thank you for bringing Ana, Mitch, Thea and their Mom & Dad here."

Junalyn (4) Philippines

Compassion.com "Releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name."

What can I say? She's a sweetheart. She's part of God's family & now a part of ours.

I will miss my good friend

Have you ever had someone in your life that you look up to? Someone that is always there when you need them?? Someone who also has mentored you through your career?? And most important, someone who you can always turn to and share your highlights and lowlights in life?? How about someone you just need to call for advice?? Someone you can openly talk to about your walk with Jesus?? Someone who you walk through life with?? That's my friend, Bill. I know it's for the best for your career. I'm proud of you for getting your new Command position and promotion that will come with it. I guess I'm just being selfish when I say I will miss you a lot, Brother!

Reverse Offering

Our church passed out the offering plate last Sunday and we were told to all take 1 dollar OUT of the offering!! This cost our church thousands of dollars. At first I was feeling guilty about having to do this. Then I thought about it. The point is that the dollar is not ours and neither are any others that we have. We were charged to multiply it and apply it to His Kingdom!! Pretty awesome!!

A Military Father/ Daughter Dance - Same hotel and ballroom as February's Dance

Thanks again Hannah for being my date. We had a great time!! Professional photos again, dinner, dancing and a magician. I love you, Princess! Daddy

Family Fun Weekend

Well, you guessed it, I'm behind on blogging!! I just wrote down 5 posts I need to do so hang on!

Last week we went to Focus on the Family, It'z - a pizza and game place much bigger than Chuckie Cheese's and the Dinosaur Museum up in Woodland Park. All on different days, of course.

Focus was really neat! The whole basement was set up for kids. To top it off, we ran into some friends there. Colin got to play with his friends Cole & Carter. There's an Adventures in Odyssey theme, a wardrobe you go in and then you are in Narnia and you can even record your own Adventures in Odyssey show by reading the script. Colin also loved the HUGE tornado slide. You climb several flights of stairs like a giant waterpark slide but it's dry. They put your legs in a cloth bag so you don't get hung up on the way down. The slide starts inside and ends inside. The rest of the slide is outside. Pretty cool.....and Hannah slept.

"It'z" had games with tickets, rides and of course prizes for the tickets. Love the green Dracula teeth. (sense the sarcasm?)

The Dinosaur Museum in Woodland Park, CO is at 8,500 feet elevation. Hannah slept the night before with NO oxygen needed! We knew it would be a good day to head for the hills. Anything you ever wanted to know about dinosaurs (And I know you're all dying to know) was answered there. They had some artifacts found nowhere else in the world. A little pricy but Colin still loved it and we all had fun.