Going back through the summer....

New Diapers
At the beginning of the summer we decided to embark on the cloth diaper journey. It was a bit of a process to get there but we did it! Living in a place like Santa Cruz has opened our minds the "Green" trend in a non-trendy way (if that makes any sense). I think ultimately we have become more educated about what going "Green" really means for our environment and healthier living for ourselves. That said we started asking questions about what it meant to throw hundreds of diapers in the trash each month. The more research Lana did the more we found that cloth diapers really weren't as intimidating, gross and time consuming as we thought. And overall they would save us money in the long run, especially if we stuck with it as our family grows.

So we took the plunge! We ended up with a combination of GDiapers and GrowBaby diapers. It was a learning process but we did it and it really wasn't that bad. We have a washer and dryer at our house so that sure makes it a whole lot easier. At first we had to do a load about once every day or two. But as time progressed the cloths actually helped to speed up the potty training process for Sadie. I read somewhere that since the introduction of disposable diapers the average potty training age has gone from 18 months to 3 years. Disposables have these gels in them that hold in the wetness so a lot of times the child doesn't even realize they went to the bathroom because they're still dry. With the cloth they know right away because they feel wet and it stays that way until they're changed. So we are now at a point where she is diaper free during the day and wears a double cloth at night. We have been in this stage for a little over a month, with an accident every couple of days. During that time she would tell us "ba ba ba" when she needed to go and we would run her to the toilet and help her pull down her pants and get on the potty. Just the other day she mastered pulling her pants down by herself. She was home with Lana and she took her pants off in the kitchen, ran to the bathroom, used her stool to get up on the potty and held onto the side of the bathtub so she wouldn't fall in. Lana went in to try and help but she wanted nothing to do with her, she was gonna do it herself! It was pretty hilarious!

We haven't had to incure our monthly $50-$75 to buy disposables since April and we now have a potty trained 20 month old. It was a great investment!


A Summer Camp Adventure
This summer we had the privilege of heading north to Mount Hermon's High Adventure Camp, Kidder Creek. It's located about an hour west of Mount Shasta in Scott Valley county, about a 6 hour drive from where we live. John was asked to go up there to capture some video footage for promotional pieces in the future, they wanted him to get a piece of everything they offered. This meant we needed to be there for just over a week, we got there in the middle of one session and stayed through the middle of the next since they were two different age groups and focuses. Kidder Creek has a Ranch Camp and an adventure camp on site, adventure encompasses backpacking, rock climbing, cliff jumping, white water rafting, ropes courses, etc.

As we were driving into camp the first day the horses were out in the pasture and we heard our little Sadie saying "Neigh, Neigh" and pointing out the window. Lana had been trying to get Sadie to say what the horse says for weeks and felt like she was getting no where with it so it was a really neat moment to hear her saying "Neigh, Neigh!" Guess she just needed to see the real thing. She loved seeing horses all week, and we even got a chance to have her try and sit on one, but she was a little apprehensive of that.

Sadie and Lana got to spend the week exploring the grounds and hanging out by the pond while John bounced between programs and staff testimonials and rest time with his girls. At home we live at the Conference Center where we eat in a staff dining area and the camp is kinda spread out so it's easy to go on with your daily life and forget that there's a program happening around you. John's job kept him in his office a lot or out filming specific things so there wasn't a whole lot of camper interaction. Our week at Kidder felt more like summer camp than at home, we were totally immersed in it, seeing what activities the kids were doing and interacting with them at pond time and meals. It was kinda fun to be a part of that and get to know the staff! We really felt blessed to have that time this summer.


A Road Trip

As most of you may know as a family we value relationships and being able to support the people in our lives. At times this has been harder due to our current financial state. We had some dear friends invite us to partake in their wedding weekend which would be held at a camp in Colorado. Naturally we wanted to say yes, two people we cared for deeply and an opportunity to experience another camp, what more could we ask for. But we had no idea how we were going to afford a trip to Colorado, so we had brought ourselves to terms with having to tell them no.

In discussing this with some friends who were also attending the wedding we wrestled with how to be the best stewards of our money while also not wanting to miss something so important in the lives of people we love. They came up with a solution, as monthly financial supporters of us and our ministry they would further their gifts with the gift of a ride to the wedding. They were planning to make a road-trip of it and invited us to join at no cost beyond helping with meals. Even-more was that as a second year intern John was required to take some time off before the new year. We felt God saying, “go, invest in people and listen to what I have for you.”

So we took the road trip...
We met up with our friends the Swigarts in Concord on a Wednesday evening ready to pack up the van and head to Colorado. Our other friends and supporters, the Hasagawas, were gracious enough to loan us their van so the six of us could fit in one vehicle. We set the two carseats up in the very back for Sadie and Ava, Jaci and I took the middle and John and Jer were in front taking turns as pilot.

Day 1, 5.5hrs to Winnemucca, NV, we arrived about 1 a.m. and crashed at a friends house. We woke up and celebrated Jer's 30th Bday with the Swigart's dear friends and their 3 boys and then were on the road by 10 a.m.

Day 2, 15hrs to Gunnison, CO, we took a pit-stop for lunch in Wendover, NV right on the boarder of NV and UT. The girls played at the park and we enjoyed sandwiches then back in the car. Another pit-stop just past Salt Lake City, UT for a special treat of ice cream at a McDonalds with a play structure to get some energy out for the girls, then on the road again. We made it all the way to Grand Junction, CO for dinner at IHOP and a trip to Walmart for camping/food supplies for the night. From there we were headed to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, CO to find a campsite. With sleeping kids and half-awake mommas the men decided to keep going as long as possible...making it a 1 a.m. arrival at a campsite past the national park, took some searching, but we found a site that accepted tents and walk-ins near what we think was the Blue Mesa reservoir. We were the only ones at the site and from what we could see in the dark it looked beautiful!

Day 3, 4.5hrs to Hillside, CO, it was a relaxing morning at the campsite, making breakfast and a fire and a little hike for the kiddos. Then we broke down camp and got back on the road at about 11 a.m. We headed straight for Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp. When we got there we were greeted by the bride along with other friends, excited to see we all made it! The Swigarts got settled in their room and we found a place to camp on site for the weekend. We ended up finding the perfect spot under the high ropes course nestled back in the trees , right by the river. It was beautiful! We finished the day off with the rehersal dinner in this open dinning area with lots of friends and the couples' family. It felt so right to be there retreating and celebrating with all of these people.

Day 4, there were activities laid out for people to do throughout the day as well as meals provided to all the guests. Sadie and Lana decided to go on a hike with some friends and John took some time to himself to go on a run and explore a little, he saw a bear along the way which was pretty exciting. We enjoyed a restful afternoon and then got ready for the wedding. John had the opportunity to film a little of the wedding which was really fun! It was a gorgeous wedding in the outdoor chapel followed by appetizers, dinner and dancing. It was such a wonderful celebration of Julie and Mark Stover and the journey they've been on and the new life they're entering into together. We felt so honored to be a part of it all!

Day 5, 10hrs to Salt Lake City, UT, we started the day with breakfast and a small communion service at the camp and then said our goodbyes to everyone and hit the road again. We motored through making only a few stops for gas and lunch and made it all the way to Salt Late City where we set up camp at the KOA at 10 p.m. for the night. And quite the night it was! There was a crazy storm, thunder, lightening and lots of rain complete with sirens, helicopters and bus station across the street to keep us awake. Needless to say we were ready to get back on the road the next morning!

Day 6, 6hrs to Winnemucca, NV, we left the KOA at about 9 a.m., searched high and low for a Starbucks and then hit the road again. We made it all the way back to Wendover, NV for another lunch stop and then on to our friends to enjoy time together for a while. The guys enjoyed a run and the kids got to play and we had some great fellowship around the dinner table and with some after dinner hangout. Sadie had been getting sick and restless in the car so we decided to hit the road again around bedtime and make it home in the middle of the night.

Day 6 part 2, 6hrs to San Ramon, CA, we left around 9 p.m. putting us back in Concord around 2 a.m. where we unloaded the van and hopped in our car and headed to the Shotwell's (who were watching our dog) to crash for the rest of the night. Thankfully Sadie slept most of the drive and then went right in the pack'n'play when we got there. Our parents took care of her in the morning so we could get some extra rest, then we packed back up and headed back to Santa Cruz!

Whew! It was a world-wind trip but it was awesome. Our time with the Swigarts in the car was really rich. The time at the camp and for the wedding was so realxing and God really stirred some cool conversations about our desires and our future. It was just what we needed after a busy summer!

A bit of a back story for why it is as it is...

As a story teller I believe that all good stories must have a solid beginning, middle, and end. Now although this is not a story; it is just a reflection of the posture Lana and I have assumed with our family over the past nine months. I feel that it is essential to explain a bit of the past and the present, to help communicate how God is working in us, to refine the future of our unfolding story (as well as this blog).

Before I take a look back at explaining how and why we came to Mount Hermon, let me explain that our reason for committing to be here is simply because we desire to say, "yes" to the holistic process of becoming more and more like Christ.

Over the past nine months we have been able to make the most of the space given to us, in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains, to answer a couple of deeper questions pertaining to our life. Is camp ministry an area that we are being called to grow and develop our gifts in? Is there a bigger calling into other areas of ministry that we should be pursuing from a different posture? Are we listening to what God has to say through the stories around us?

To answer these questions and explain the transformation of our story I feel as though I need to communicate the value we have found in the simple yet challenging act of listening. Now why is this important? Well simply because of the day to day challenges we face in saying yes to living out faith the best way we know how.

As God has shown Lana and I His provision in guiding us while at Mount Hermon, I would be lying if I didn't fully express the challenges that we have faced by committing to this call. Questions around health care, finances, community, and job satisfaction have all been over shadowed by the weight God has placed on our hearts to be patient and not anxious as we listen for peace in Him (Philippians 4: 6-13). We believe that this has been tangibly preparing us for ministry in more ways than we thought we could have ever dreamed of.

We are on an intense journey and like most of you it is filled with moments that we can rejoice in and moments we have to lament. I do not feel that Lana and I could be successful at this on our own apart from God or those that love and support us. We need your support by simply speaking truth out of love to us when you see it fit to do so. Or when you just want to say it as it is...