Time to cool off, and I mean COOL off!

We all had a swim before heading back. This water was cold beyond description. Patty and I stayed out there for 5 minutes or so and never really got used to it.

Liberty Lake Trail - August 24th

Patty, Eric and I hiked the Liberty Lake Trail the Friday before Deep Creek. It's a beautiful hike with a lot of elevation, switchbacks, creeks and an old Boy Scout cabin at the summit. We had a great hike and some good conversation. The only drawback was the herd of power walking moms who stampeded by us like they were trying out for the U.S. National Powerwalking team. Other than that, it was a great day with good friends. It beat the heck out of being stuck in my office at work in front of a computer all day.

Here's Eric and his trusty guide dog (uhr, uh, little kid with black fur). The second picture is a grove of cedars about mid hike.

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