All Is Well, All Is Well...

I'm looking out at the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs. I see "my" beautiful Pike's Peak with the cloudless blue skies stretching out as far as I can see and the wind is gentle and cool.
I am home. The reception we have recieved from old friends has been gracious and warm. It is good to be around so much familiarity...I know where my bank is, where my Albertsons' is, and how to get to the Post Office. The whole northern part of Colorado Springs has changed more than I can describe--it is so much bigger! But I look at those mountains and they are the same as when we left here 3 years ago. They haven't changed a bit. I missed them.
Our trip back began on Saturday morning @10:30am from Meridian, Idaho. I'd had about 5 hours of sleep; Kent had less than 4. His flight into Boise from Denver was delayed by 3 hours. he got in at 3 and up at 7am and we took off for Colorado. The trip was 20 hours start to finish. That's right 20 hours! The moving truck can only go so fast, and up hills dropped down to 50mph or slower in some places. Kent drove the truck, I was in the Suburban, and Danielle in her little red Blazer...all of us following along. Around midnight we were in Rawlings, WY. Fatigue was settling on Kent, tho I was wired to keep going because I knew how close we were to Colorado. We rested at a truck stop for an hour...I say rested, but Kent is the only one who shut his eyes. Arianna was asleep in my car, while Joseph was wide awake in the truck with Kent.
We kept trying to get the dog, Denver, to go potty at every rest stop, but he was just too confused about what was going on: Aspen was gone (having been sold to a 12 year old boy in Idaho for a wad of $5 bills he'd been saving up and diliriously happy to have his own dog! but left the rest of us in tears when we had to say goodbye to our golden retriever)...so Denver was too distressed to potty. Poor dog. He just held it all in!
Anyway, when Kent rallied, we were in Colorado in no time it seemed! Dani and I talked via walkie-talkies as we drove down I-287 towards Ft. Collins. We'd left Ft. Collins in July 2006 for Idaho...so that was kinda nice to see some familiar streets. I knew we only had 2 hours to get to the Springs, but I too was feeling fatigue set in...so Dani and I chatted on the walkie-talkies to keep each other awake. We talked about the huge moon in the sky and how we could see the stars so clearly, unlike the skies in Idaho where it seemed to be cloudy alot and the veiw from our house was mostly limited to straight up. And we talked about the new boy in her life, Brad.
It was going pretty good until Kent phoned me and said that Joseph was going to be sick. We found a place to pull over, where Joseph held onto his cookies until we could get him out of the truck. The night air was cool, and he was shivering. The constant jiggling of the truck had upset his tummy so we put him in the car with me, covered him up and he was out in about 5 minutes.
Dara traded him places and she rode with Kent the rest of the way. We did stop just north of Denver (Longmont) and slept for exactly 1 hour. We all needed it. I was getting wonky, and Kent was already tired. Dani however tired she was, was stil motivated to get to the Springs because she knew Brad was already at the Jones' waiting for us.
Anyway, we made it THRU Denver in less than an hour --the sun was coming up as we entered Colorado Springs at 5:50am. We got the kids in the house, put the dog Denver in the backyard, and he and I just sat outside as I soaked in a beautiful sunrise. Oh, and Denver peed like he had a 20 gallon bladder.
I went to bed around 6:30am, got up at 10am, and helped all of the kids get ready for church meetings that began at 1pm. Now, I know what you're thinking, and yes, we were beat-tired, BUT, we needed to be at Church. Kent wanted to take the sacrament. I wanted to see old friends and feel the Spirit...I had alot to be grateful for, right?!! So off we went.
In our meeting, we were able to witness a new Bishop being presented and sustained: Bishop Sterling Rogers, our old hometeacher whom we love so very much! That was so cool--because as I was getting ready for church I was thinking, "who do I want to see today?" and I thought of Sterling..tho I wasnt' sure if he was even in the same ward, as the Stake had changed so much since we've been gone. SO that was so cool to see him called to be the new Bishop!
The next few days have been spent house-hunting. We have one, we think and hope to be moving into it either today or tomorrow. We'll see. It is in the Colorado Springs North Stake, Northgate Ward---with Bishop Rogers. How cool is that?!
We just left the Edinburgh Ward with Bishop Rodgers--whom we came to know, appreciate and love, and now we have another wonderful Bishop to lead and guide us.
So we are home. I must admit that tho we are physically here, our hearts have not caught up to us from Idaho. We were loved and cared for by so many good good people there and we miss them more than words. Thank you Idaho for being a "blessing and a joy" for our family. You truly were.

The Moving Countdown

The Sign I made for the kids upstairs. I think it says it all, don't you??
what's left in the girls room besides their beds. all that's left in the kitchen pantry

this is the front livingroom...done

We're down to 10 days before we leave Idaho...we've been packing stuff like a fat kid on a cupcake...

Called to Serve!

Elder Zant (home now in TX)
E. Larsen and Zant
Densmore, Larsen, Zant and Peters Warner

Missionaries in the Idaho Boise Mission: Elders' Zant (Texas), Larson (Fallbrook, CA), Densmore, and Warner...

Moving Sale & Missionaries

We had to have a Moving sale hoping to make a little cash off the stuff we don't need last Saturday. We did pretty good actually. And to make the day a little sweeter, our favorite people in the world came by--Elder Johnnie Densmore from Bessmer, AL. (blue tie)and Elder Chad Warner (red tie)from San Antonio, TX. We love these guys so much! In fact, we are able to claim Elder Warner as family because he is related to Tisha's family from Burley! And he is so great, we HAD to claim him! SO here are some pics from our big sale!

Uncle Zane's trip to Idaho

At the MK Nature Center in Boise, ID
Brothers

Kent's bro Zane came thru town on his way to Yellowstone. My SIL Sascha and her sister and Mom flew in and met him here too. It was so good to see family. Thanks for coming to see us in Idaho--come and see us in Colorado SOON!

We hadn't seen them in seven years...too long. We love you guys!

100 Thing Challenge Update

So we had the Moving Sale over the weekend. It went pretty good actually. We sold one of our refridgerators for $350 bucks and a bunch of stuff that I can proudly say I do NOT miss!
Even things I was at first hesitant to part with, as I sit here now, I don't miss 'em. Those navy blue heels I bought in '99 for that skirt are gone just like the others excesses in our home!
I actually mentally FEEL Better! I admit to having a physical reaction to a mental decision. I've always been this way tho...I hate being responsible for "stuff". I am known to empty whole drawers of miscellaneous stuff into a garbage pail, after I have picked thru it and gotten important things out, I announce to the family they have til the end of the day to do the same, and then it gets dumped! Clutter is cluttering.
So I am feeling positive about my take on the 100 thing challenge ! If you're thinking of clearing out the clutter in your life, I am here to cheer you on!!!

Cactus Blooms in a Drought

Did you know that cactus' bloom more prolific during droughts? They have more blossoms on the driest years!

The Lord keeps His promises. In 2003, I was given a priesthood blessing in which was said that we would be moving to Idaho, and that it would be a "blessing and a joy for [our] family", and also that I would serve the sisters in the church thru my calling. I have been a RS teacher almost since the day we got here!

We are calling these past 2 years our "Idaho Boise Mission Experience"-- it is two years this week that we arrived here with no clue about what lay ahead of us or what would be asked of us. But honestly, we are better for it. The lessons have been ingrained in us and we are anxious to see where the road takes us as we head back home. I now know what it means to "wait upon the Lord"...it is worth it to be patient and long-suffering. I know what those words mean too now with greater depth and understanding.

When we lived in Arizona, we had a HUGE Prickly pear cactus tree in the front yard...the white blossoms were so beautiful! It wasn't until years later I learned why some years there were more blooms than others...the years that had the least amount of rainfall is when the cactus sends out blossoms to save itself. I think about that sometimes and hope I am not that different under pressure. I would hope I could show my best even when life is uncertain.

It has been a dry year, hasn't it?

Ari lost a tooth!

She wiggled and jiggled it for a few days and it finally popped off in her fingers! She is so darn cute...the other front tooth is wiggling now too so she will really look like a jack-o-lantern by the time she starts 2nd grade this year!
Joseph lost a front tooth too, but I haven't been able to get him to stand still so I can take a picture this summer yet! He's got "THINGS TO DO"!

Sundresses!

Here are those pics I promised of the girls in their matching sundresses. Way cute, hunh? We even found one for Tisha...gotta get a pic of her too! We got it at Ross !!