Smokey

We have a new addition to our family!  Her name is “Smokey”.  She’s all aluminum, 17’ long, and glides like a champion (when both people are paddling…Eric ;o) You guessed it!  God answered our prayers for a canoe!  As we were literally driving into Bemidji, MN we found a post on Craig’s list for a steal of a deal that “just happened” to be in…you guessed again!  Bemidji.  Now we tow behind “Georgia” our 32’ motorhome, “Black Coffee”, our jeep, loaded down with 5 bikes (“Sea Star” and “Mantis” to name a couple), and, drum roll please…”Smokey”!  We haven’t capsized her yet, but we weren’t brave enough to take her on Lake Superior.  So far, our favorite trip with “Smokey”, was up at Voyaguers National Park in Norther MN.  Our favorite pastime in her is paddling quaint little lakes and cabin hunting for the world’s cutest cabin.  Although we have our favorites, our newest friends have talked my husband into building one of his own someday.  I’m on board as long as we have some good helpers.  So it might be a few years ;o) 

The past few weeks have yet again left us in awe of God’s comfort and encouragement.  Feeling so homesick parked at a Walmart in Wisconsin, my prayers were answered just minutes later when we were visiting at a beautiful duck filled pond with a sweet couple who both grew up in Wheatland.  And just this last weekend, UNPLANNED (by us), we spent Sunday with the uncles and cousin of dear friends back in Wheatland.  God is so good!  We also met an extraordinary family who not only built their own cabin (as mentioned: Eric’s dream), but homeschooled their 6 amazing kids, and all play in a Gospel bluegrass band together.  They also have uprooted several times, selling their homes, and getting rid of their stuff.  Okay we’re not the only “crazy” ones (you are! Try it and you will see how freeing it really is!)  Currently we are on the UP (upper peninsula) of Michigan.  Beautiful!  Much less rain than MN, and fewer mosquitos than Wisconsin.  The kids are enjoying all the berry picking and I am enjoying not meeting any black bears on my morning runs ;o)  Very cool, slow, and rejuvenating here (especially with smores ;o)  Praying this finds you and yours just as happy and at peace as we are.  Remember to stop and smell the roses this summer, it’s short but oh so sweet! 

Peace and Love,

Eric, Jenna, Addalynn, Ethan, Abram, Sophie, Holly, and Slimey (even he is not a pout pout fish!)

Leaf Peeping?!

I have some bittersweet news.  Alaska was not part of God’s will for our family this summer afterall, as we are STILL waiting for our daughter’s passport so we can travel up through CANADA.  The sweet part you ask: we are well on our way to do some leaf peeping on the east coast this fall!!!  I have to admit, I am still pretty bummed about Alaska.  It’s been a dream of mine for almost fifteen years and I wanted to embark on such a journey so badly I admit, I was pushing my will pretty badly.  But you know what?  Even though I didn’t picture the east coast for this season of our lives, God’s plan, I know, is so much better than I could ever imagine myself.  That being said, I’m thrilled to see what He has in store for us.  So far, we camped next to a couple who just moved down here from Alaska, and said they would never recommend taking a big rig like ours up the Alaskan Highway.   The next day we camped next to a couple from the UK who just traveled the east coast and loved it!  Last night we camped next to a couple from Canada who is traveling in the US to avoid unbelievable high Canadian gas prices.  Okay Lord, we get the picture: we are not to be traveling to Alaska through Canada in our big rig (not to mention the missing passport). 

Truth be told, for a while I thought our trip had come to a halt altogether when our family’s cabin in the medicine bow national forest was on the brink of burning down.  Folks this is literally a miracle!  Cabins just yards away lay in ashes and not a tree on our property was burned!  Praise God and all the hard-working firefighters who saved “the cabin”.  So here we are, on the border of North Dakota and Minnesota praying God will provide a canoe for our family of 5 (is that even safe!?), as we venture northward into the tranquil boundary waters (which won’t we so peaceful after we arrive).  Still missing and praying for all of you: our precious friends and family.  Partnered with our gracious Father, your love and support have kept us going.  May He and we do likewise for you!  Peace and Love, Eric, Jenna, Addalynn, Ethan, and Abram (Sophie, Holly, and Slimey…our ever-resiliant goldfish who survived swimming in our toilet ;o)