Govin's Farm

 For the start of our second week ok vacation...our "stay-cation", we headed to Menomonie for a visit to Govin's Farm to see the baby animals!  With over 300 lambs, many goats, piglets, calfs, puppies, chicks, and more, the kids were in awe!  It was fun to see Bennett's reaction since he was too little last year to enjoy it much.  It was much colder than our visit last year!  We had to bundle up and we were still chilly.

Logan remembered the farm as soon as we went into the lambing barn.  He was excited!  The kids just love the animals and its so fun to watch.

As usual, Bennett had no reservations.  The lambs/sheep bleat right into Bennett's face and he just screamed and laughed!

Bennett's latest injury (happened just this morning) was a big fat, cut lip.  Yikes!

Logan could have climbed and run on the hay bales all day!

Logan feeding the goats.  Like a pro, after our Children's Farm class last spring.

Holding the squealey piglet.

Baby chicks!  Always a hit.

So soft...

The giant dogs are so calm and sweet.

Logan cuddling a baby lamb.

Bennett didn't hold any animals but was great with a gentle touch.

"What are all the boys looking at???"

These adorable puppies!

Hayride and back to the car!  Brrrrr!

Vacation Week One (March 19-24)

After John's last day with YL, we ventured off for our first-ever vacation as a family.  We have not ever had a family vacation that did not include YL or our extended family.  So, we were just so excited!  Our dear friends, Dave and Shelly, have offered their beautiful cabin to us all year.  We never found chance to get away for a until now!  

We are so thankful to Dave and Shelly and their whole family for lending beautiful lake home in Minong, WI to us for a whole week!  It was a blessing to the four of us!  with the snow starting to melt, we weren't sure what to expect, but we had plenty of fun playing inside, enjoying the outdoors, and resting.  In addition to the end of Young Life for us, this week was spring break so Logan didn't have preschool and we didn't have any of our other normal weekly activities.  It was the perfect week to be away together!

We headed outside the first chance we got.  The snow was mostly turned to slush but the boys didn't mind one bit.

Afterall, puddles are soooo fun!

The boys were totally soaked but it was well worth it!

The boys got to walk on the lake with John - it was a little slushy on top, but it was still frozen.

I love this photo of Bennett with his sly little grin.  The boys loved the playset, even in the winter!

We found lots of fun toys to play with inside and out.  The cabin belongs to a family who have lots of kids around all year, so there was plenty to explore!  Logan loved this pedal tractor.

Inside, we did a lot of this (laying around and relaxing)...

and this (playing with the train table in the loft)...

and this (making puzzles).

And Bennett spent a lot of time with his new buddy, Buzz Lightyear.  On our first day, Bennett took a tumble outside and scraped his nose in a couple places and his upper lip.  Poor Benny!  It didn't slow him down one bit.

It began snowing on Tuesday and didn't stop...we couldn't believe it!  Afterall...this was "spring break"! Haha!  We didn't have any computers along and hadn't checked any news or weather reports, so we didn't know the storm was coming.  It was the perfect picture of Northern Wisconsin in the winter.

While John shoveled, the boys played on the deck and had the best time!  John snapped this photo while they were out.  I was inside enjoying a super hot bubble bath and a yummy latte (oh yes...the espresso machine of course came along to the cabin!).

Bennett is so funny.  He loves being out, but doesn't really want to be "in" the snow, just wants to walk in it, kick it, and stomp around.  And, mostly, he wants to do it on his own agenda: don't mess with the toddler in boots!  He has a mission...that only he knows.

There he goes...

John and Logan had a great time sledding down the driveway!  It was so beautiful!

The snow continued on through Wednesday night, dumping somewhere between 10 and 14 inches of snow!  We spent most of Wednesday inside because of the hard snow and wind.  We ran out of eggs and milk because we had planned on taking a mid-week trip to the store.  We were totally stuck with drifting snow around the car, in the driveway and on the private road.  John even called the township to see when the road would be plowed...we learned that they don't plow it!  Ah!  It was an adventure!

We had lots of laughs...

silly boys!

We played new games,

and played hide and seek!

Here is Logan in his cute little nook.  He has such a comfy, cozy, soft bed to sleep in.  Bennett slept in a crib in another room and John and I had our own room.  It was so nice to be able to spread out and for all of us to get good rest!

On Thursday, we woke up to the sun shining on all the fresh new snow!  The boys couldn't wait to go out!  We had such a great time and enjoyed the sun after a day of being inside.  In many places, the snow was drifted up past our knees, making it hard to trudge through.  Bennett and I came in early because I got tired of carrying him through all the snow.  John and Logan did some sledding.

We decided Thursday was a good day to leave...if we could get out!  John and Logan spotted the neighbors walking down the road as they headed in for lunch.  It turns out, they were on their way to their cabin for the weekend and got stuck on the private road.  John went out to the road to help dig their car out and then they called a plow to come clear the private road and our two driveways.  We were out!

While John was out getting the roads cleared, Logan fell asleep during his "quiet time".

Farewell (see you next week!)

Last night was our "farewell" gathering with Young Life.  It was more of a formality than a necessity.  We are lucky to be staying in Eau Claire, close to the leaders we've been serving with in YL and able to keep relationships strong.  We saw kids, leaders, and committee last night...and didn't shed too many tears.

We had a time to speak to the leaders about how much they have blessed our lives and our boys' lives.  Logan prays for the "young life leaders" every night when we ask, "who do you want to pray for tonight?".  It shows how much they have become a part of our family.  The greatest part is that we will see them all regularly.  They all attend church at Jacob's Well and the girls and I have a bible study together that meets weekly.  Beyond that, we have great friendships.  We are blessed.

  Our favorite people.

Though it seems like a "farewell" in many ways, please know you are always in our hearts and a part of our family!  Our thanks to you, for serving Christ and kids.  What an amazing gift to walk alongside you as you have grown and learned.  

See you next week! :)

What's Under There?

Yesterday the boys were playing in the kitchen and living room while I put laundry away.  Bennett was looking under the fridge saying "Memm-emm" over and over.  I had to go see what was going on!

This is how I found the boys.  They had tried countless spatulas and wooden spoons to get what I determined was an "M & M".  Here is what I heard while I watched and let them have their quest...

Logan: "Mom, Benny said there's an M & M down here so we're trying to get it out"

Benny: "Memm-emm!"  (Then Bennett got his own spoon to help)

Logan: "No don't, Benny, I will get it" (spoken like a true oldest-child)

Logan: "Ewww...I don't want this dust" 

Mom: "Yeah, its dirty under there...let me just grab that dust...oh and hair...yuck" (mom is mortified and needs to clean under fridge)

Logan: "Oh, I got it!  Its not an M & M.  Its a VITA-MIN!"

Okay, I guess I felt a little better that the kids were searching under the fridge for a VITAMIN and not an M & M, but still I felt a little of the mom-guilt (I mean, how hungry ARE these kids if they are searching under the nasty fridge for food?!).

They quickly retreated back to reading books after the let-down of the treasure under the fridge being just a vitamin.  I will be cleaning under the fridge and stove this week.  :)

Benny loves to read these books all by himself.

An Ending...

leads to a new beginning.  That is my mantra this week as we experience some endings to our 8 years on Young Life staff and our 15+ years of being involved since we were each high schoolers impacted by Young Life.  Half of our lives have included some sort of involvement in YL - making this change a big one.  Though we will still be in Eau Claire, see friends and leaders and kids from Young Life, we recognize this week as an ending.  We are excited for the new beginning that will bring us to in a couple weeks.

Last night was John's last Young Life Club.  The boys and I went along.  It was a perfect ending.  It was a great night of laughs, love, fun, and chaos...just as Young Life should be!  It was great closure to hear John's talk last night and bookmark it in my brain as closure from this chapter.

Guitars practicing before club.

The boys had no trouble making themselves at home and enjoying their special snack.

Nothin' like a little Bieber Fever!  Logan and Bennett both sang "Baby" and danced!

Of course, it wouldn't be complete without a couple crazy characters in the house...

John took time to tell the kids about our journey to switching jobs and about our heart for each of them.  It is sad, but its mostly exciting because we get to follow along on this journey God has set before us...not knowing what's in store.  We have been privileged to see lives changed through Young Life and to walk with kids on their own journey - whatever that may be.  We have been blessed by each of them.

"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."

1 Thessalonians 2:8