Jacob's Well expanding East...

Spencer took these pictures himself during part of a church work day on the East end of the building this summer. It's a vacant, former grocery store that needs a lot of love but our landlord is working with us and many people have donated time, money and supplies to make the space suitable to be occupied. We hope to be using that space for Sunday morning services by the first of the year. We are elbow to elbow in our current space and need the room. Thanks to God for allowing us to serve in the neighborhood where we've planted. We are grateful that He is God and has shown himself as such time and time again in the last year and a half.

Deep Creek Canyon - July '07

Eric and I are in agreement that this is probably the coolest hiking spot in the Spokane area. The kids and I love this place. You get a true wilderness experience and you can get there within 20 minutes of downtown; 40 minutes from our house in the Valley. We went for an early morning hike with Eric and his boys (Micah, Austin & Christian), Mike McMullen and Bruno (a boy Eric invited who attends Jacob's Well with his mom. You can see Bruno standing alone on the trail below.)

some pit stops along the way

The last shot is from the high ridge trail above the canyon. This is the route we took on the way out after going all the way in through the creek bed at the bottom. The tree in the pictures below is right at the end of the bridge.

the end of the trail

There is a picnic table under a tree where the hike ends at the Centennial Trail right next to the River. The kids had a blast climbing the tree while we had a snack and rested before heading back.

Williams Family Farm

Here is some of the late season harvest from our garden this year. The kids all scratched their names onto a pumpkin when they were little and they each got to harvest one with their name scarred on it.

A surprise birthday guest

This little fella crashed Spencer's birthday party this summer. I saw him out of the corner of my eye as his little body bobbed above and below the top of the grass. We tried to chase him into a bush without touching him, but he kept following us. Eventually he ran into our neighbors yard.

I love these pictures of Sophia

These are from the Jacob's Well camping trip in August. Sophia is sporting the Dora bike helmet the Hurley's got her for her birthday in April. She's sitting on a huge rock right next to the site we shared with those very Hurley's.

Tubbs Hill on Lake Coeur d' Alene in July

...more from Tubbs Hill (July '07)

I need a coffee break!!!- - - - FROM LIFE!!

Thanks to Darin---- he captured this picture of me! Although, each time I look at it I laugh...I seem so peaceful and calm and put together. But, holy cow~!~! I am so not! I finally crashed and burned a couple of weekends ago, I thew my hands in the air and yelled "TIME OUT" My life has been in non-stop motion since June 14. I think I was doing great and motoring along beautifully, navigating though MS, family sicknesses, kids' schedules, church life and even the deaths of family members. The sudden death of my grandfather in June I believe is what has thrown me. I find myself replaying wise words from Dan. When I feel myself distant from God he always encourages me to think back on the last time I felt close God. Lately, I have been asking myself, when was the last time you felt you had it together. Each time I ask myself that, I go back to right before I had to leave for Portland for my grandfathers funeral.
I remember my mom calling me Wednesday morning and telling me that my grandpa was going to ER, they thought he had or might be having a heart attack. (this was something that has happened before, so was not really too worried) As the day progressed he went in for surgery and things went rapidly down hill. Into the night my mom would call and relay info to me that I could relay to my sister in Australia and by 3am I was frantically trying to book a flight online so I could try and see him before he passed away. A little while later I was packing and the phone rang and he was gone. From the time I left to go home until 2 weeks ago, I think I have just been in motion, burying thoughts and feelings and allowing life to keep my heart protected via softball/baseball/soccer/MS appts/school...(you fill in the blank). Slowly over the last 4 months, I have become something I have no desire to be. I have been so emotionless that I really didn't grasp totally and celebrate the incredible news of my MRI this year. When I look back at those things I think to myself..."what the hell is my problem"!! After thinking about this stuff for the last couple of weeks I think it is grief that I haven't yet really dealt with. Probably the eye opening moment for me was this last weekend. Dan had to fly back to Portland because his grandma is fading. She is 91 and is one the most precious women I have ever had the privilege of knowing. At one moment Dan had called me from her bedside and he relayed to her that I love her and I could hear here in her strained little voice echo the same words. A flood of emotion came over me that I would never have anticipated. I am so thankful that Dan was able to get there and see her and hold her and tell her one last time how much he loves her. In that moment I realized how much I have tried avoid feeling the loss of my grandparents. My grandparents were to me a second set of parents....they always lived within a mile or two and even for a time they lived with us. I have so many memories from quick trips to the store to my friends and I raiding there home friday nights after football games for grandpa to whip us all up homemade hot chocolate. Even the smallest of memories still hang in my heart. Ironing handkercheifs and grabbing the saccharine for grandma's coffee. I don't just have memories of holidays at my grandparents...We had meals together all the time. We shared life on pretty much a daily basis. I could look into the stands at any of my games or into the audience at any of my choir concerts and see them both. I can still hear their voices and the little things they would say. My grandpa and I were especially close and had a relationship that I will cherish all the days of my life. I could talk to him about anything and count on him for same. He was a man of his word and loved unconditionally. I think making myself come to a ceasing halt was the smartest thing for me. Though, I have many feelings I am wading through, I would rather feel the emotions....than feel out of control and in utter chaos just to avoid a weeping moment. So...stick with me while I get myself picked up and put together...and soon I will be posting a landslide of family pictures so you can all see just how busy I have kept myself!

THIRD ONE'S A CHARM

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! Yea!!! they are all 3 in. Sophie started kindergarten this year and Spence is in 2nd and Maddie in 3rd. They are all loving it! And Mom.....she loves it most! You'll notice that we don't have a picture of Maddie in her desk. She has officially moved into the "stay away parents" stage. Every day she gets dropped off at her side of the school, Sophie tells her "bye Maddie. I love you!" and we are lucky if we get a goodbye....when I asked her about it she said very bluntly " uhhh, it's embarassing...I am in front" Oh how the times change.

YIKES-the dad is the MONSTER

In Dan's desire to change his eating and drinking habits he began a growing love for the low carb monster. Though he has dropped over 60 pounds, which is great-- at times I think he may have a sickness....and now he has involved the children. He has saved nearly every empty can over the last 6 months and now is in the process of building a grandfather clock out the empties with the kids.