...and they danced ~

Psalm 149:3  Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!

Isn't there just something soul stirring about a great song?

Add a good old fashioned, boot-stompin beat and you just gotta dance!

Samarah Jo is convince that her daddy is building the dance floor for her wedding and not the floor of

 our barn.

There has always been dancing in our house since the children arrived.  We regret very few things in life - not dancing enough is one of them.  You just about can't dance without a smile on your face....or infectious laughter at silly mistakes.

There are precious few days to dance with grandpas....oh that we would't waste any opportunity!

And there are ways to bless others through dance that we pray we would be good stewards of~

Moriah dancing during worship at the

Nazarene Church in Leavenworth.

  

Now this post might seem a little lopsided with girly pictures...

The men in the family use their talents in other ways and might I say :-)

haven't been so blessed with the gift or rhythm and dance.  My point illustrated:

Ahh,  but they are supportive souls and willing dance partners if they are asked...

Think about it....will you regret not dancing more, laughing often and attempting things that are too hard? 

Watch for an invitation to an old fashioned barn dance in November 

T

Why We Hunt...

Tradition is defined as a long established or inherited way of thinking or acting.

Legacy is defined as anything handed down from the past.

Hunting for our family is both.

There is a special bond of teamwork, family unity and focus when we hunt together.  Some of our dearest memories are of grandpas hunting with grandchildren or great-grandchildren.  To pursue a goal together in this way cements memories for a lifetime.  What a blessing to have etched in the memory of our children the evenings all snuggled in the toasty wall tent listening to Great Grandpa play "Yankee Doodle" on his mandolin, or sitting on a frosty hillside during the coldest part of the morning - just before the sun rises - next to Dad.

There is so much more to hunting than dragging a lifeless animal out of the mountains as some would view it.  Hunting season starts in so many different ways, months before opening day......

~ with car conversations about the important differences between preservation and conservation

~with gun handling drills at any given moment

~with late night pillow talk about how to meet the needs and skill levels of all family members involved

~with tears and some sighs as we grieve the great grandpas who can no longer join us

~with friendly competition with any weapon we are shooting

~with debates around the dinner table about the most ethical and effective shot placement

~with hikes all together to prepare for the hunt

~with equipment sorting - "OK...who took mom's headlamp AGAIN"

~with holidays and birthdays when we add to the kids hunting gear collection with needed items

~who gets a range finder from her husband on our anniversary and is THRILLED?!

~with recipe collecting for new ways to use the anticipated harvest

~with the annual boot try on....my how feet grow in a year

You see, it is not just the hunt, but the living of a common goal that builds a lifelong love of something.

What is your family doing together to build memories, teamwork, heritage, legacy?  Go for it - the investment is absolutely worth the cost in time and energy.

Life is measured in decades, years, months, weeks and days.....but they all start with moments.  How will you fill these moments today with your family?

Mountains ~ Majestic and Massive!

Our family has made learning the surrounding landscape one of our goals for fall.  We have been driving the logging roads with the hope of understanding more fully the lay of the land.  What has surprised as more than a little is how much we LOVE being in the hills!

 The more we are out in God's magnificent creation, the more in awe we are about where we live and what He has blessed us with.

 This week alone, there have been breathtaking sunsets, crazy hard hikes and opportunities to put the sneak on some pretty awesome looking deer.  

While in the mountains this week, we have made family memories killing rattle snakes, hunting grouse, eating granola bars till we can't stand them anymore, and putting some miles on the hunting boots :-)

Psalm 121:1 says " I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."  The more time we spend in the hills, the more evident is His spectacular creation.   Did you know there is a butter yellow variety of Indian Paintbrush?

Did you know that the hills surrounding Hay Canyon have the most beautiful white rocks with orange veins?  Did you know that in the higher elevations, the fire weed is still blooming yet the leaves are changing down low?  Did you know that you can get a blister on the side of your heal from too much side hill hiking :-)  Ouch! Did you know that the best place to welcome daylight is on the face of a mountain?

 It's been an awesome week surrounding ourselves with God's creation.  We are thankful~

When I Look At You

When I look at you I see forever

Even when life takes its tole

Not that it won't be hard

Not that there won't be pain

But I know the journey's worth it all

When I look at you

These are the words to a song I surprised you with on our wedding day 18 short years ago.  Can it really be 18 years?

Our engagement picture from Spring 1995

age 19 and 17

Christmas 1995

 A lifetime worth of experiences and a blink of an eye all wrapped together.  Thank you Jordan for choosing me, cherishing me, mentoring me, and growing in Christ with me these past many years.

September 2, 1995

 The journey we have been on is one of adventure, lots of laughing, lots of tears and countless evidences of God's amazing grace.

2013

I love that life with you is so unpredictable and yet secure all wrapped into one.

I love that we laugh in the face of challenges as we tackle whatever is next together

I love chasing dreams and being crazy with you.

I love that you make playing with the kids and I a priority.

I love that we can make any hard, dirty or mundane job a competition.

I love dressing up in camo and chasing animals with you.

I love that you seek Christ first and hold me to a standard that causes me to continue to grow.

I love that we can team up in parenting these four precious blessings.

I love you!

In Dryden, our new hometown 2013

I would sing to you all over again and knowing what we do about this journey together, the words would mean even more.  I recently heard the words "so what if your life's going to be messy.  Perfect isn't the plan, purpose is!"  I am thankful that you, Jordan, live with purpose in everything you do.  Happy Anniversary!

Lani