A Peek Into Our Accommodations

This view of the mountains never gets old for me. I love to imagine what the slope looks like during ski season, with the runs and trees covered in snow. I also think it would be fabulous to ski right into the hotel in which you are staying. How awesome would that be? Maybe someday we'll get to do that, but for now we'll enjoy the fall days here. The question I get asked most often always has to do with how our family fits wherever we go, so here's a peek into our hotel room or condo if you'd prefer. I usually plan meals and pack a ton of food because eating out for every meal can get quite costly. I love crockpot meals. They're quick to prepare and the they cook all day while we're out having fun.

The main floor has a small kitchen, dining room table, couch, tv, and a fireplace. It's a tight squeeze for all of us to be here together, but we do fit.

There's a decorative mirror on the wall that all of us kept mistaking for another room and a few of our children even walked into it by accident. It makes for fun selfies too!

Up the stairs are where 2 bedrooms are located. The master bedroom may have the largest bed, but it is not the largest room.

The kids were pretty spoiled with having three bedrooms to split between nine of them. Their rooms were all the same. Just imagine a regular hotel room with two queen sized beds and that's what their rooms were like.

There were two bedrooms upstairs. Then a spiral staircase that led back down to two more bedrooms just like the room above.

Excuse the mess, but there are several children occupying these rooms. Each room also had their own TV. That's 4 more TVs than we have in our house. The children thought it was so cool that they didn't all have to watch the same show. The funniest part of all of this, though, was when they tried to call each other on the land line phones in each room. They'd make plans to call each other then the child receiving the call would pick up the phone and wait for it to ring, while the caller couldn't figure out why they were getting a busy signal. Our children are definitely growing up  in a different time than we did.

The sun was gorgeous on our last morning in town. A few leaves were holding out as long as they could before turning yellow and fall off their trees. There were still some flowers peeking up through the icy ground too. All good and fun things must come to an end, but not before trying to figure out how we fit everything on the way there, and now we're wondering why it won't fit on the way home. Hmm. . . It definitely takes some careful planning and packing when fitting 11 people in a large van.

We took the faster route home and the scenery couldn't be any more beautiful. It totally looks like we're about to drive into the mountain doesn't it?

Wouldn't you want to drive through or maybe ski down that lovely snow-capped mountain?

Well, how about we just drive through it for now! The tunnel is quite entertaining to our children. They think it's the coolest thing to be driving through mountain while we adults just think we're driving on a road. Gotta love the minds of children, right? After going through the tunnel it was just a short drive back home and we were glad to be home.

Breckenridge Fun

My children look forward to our trip to Breckenridge every year. We usually arrive a day early, so we don't have to wait in the forever long check-in lines and we can leisurely unpack. Showing up a day early gives us an extra day to swim and we usually have the entire pool to ourselves. The hotel has this awesome pool that is half indoors and half outdoors. Swim under that wall and you'll be outside. Brr!

This is a view of the hotel and conference center from our room. It's like a huge maze trying to find your way around, but now that we've been coming for years we're old pros!

The conference usually begins with an opening service. This year, with the extra children in tow, we filled up and entire row. It's important to arrive a little early to claim your seats or you'll be stuck standing in the back of the room.

There is a game room that keeps the little ones quite entertained. You don't have to give them money or tokens, and they still feel like they're playing the game. It's a win-win for me. Free is good and they're enjoying themselves.

There's also a random cow in the game room that turns milking a cow into a game. The little ones were quite intrigued. You don't have to stick any tokens in it to make sounds come out of the cow's mouth. They think her mooing is udderly hilarious!

Nine holes of mini-golf can keep children busy for hours while they learn proper form and/or get the balls into the holes.

This is for you, Summer! I'm jealous that Wendy is probably hanging out with you right now, but we sure missed you in Breckenridge. Thanks for sharing your friends with me. :) We wives had a lovely evening hanging out while eating brats and drinking beer and wine!

After a lovely dinner I went on a hunt to find my family. Guess where I found them? It was snowing, but that didn't stop them from hanging out in the hot tub.

   

We spent a lot of our time in the game room and I even got a chance to play a little basketball against Carlos. Can you guess who won?The cold and snowy weather was perfect for fires every evening and morning. Winter is on its way, people! Well, hopefully not in the city, but I think the mountains are getting dumped on these days.

The Road Less Traveled

Every year we head to the mountains for a church workers conference. The conference usually occurs just as the leaves are turning their colors. 

Since I like to view beautiful scenery and because there was road construction being done on our usual route we decided to drive on the scenic road of Boreas Pass.

I think we caught the tail end of the leaves changing color and falling off the trees. Nonetheless, it was still pretty.

Did I mention that Boreas Pass is a bumpy, dirt road? I think it added about an hour to our drive. My children were thrilled.

The weather seemed to turn colder earlier this year giving us snow-capped mountains on our arrival to Breckenridge. The snow usually pays a visit on the last day of the conference.

We made it to the Continental Divide where the air is thinner and the trees are more sparse.

The children were happy to get out of the van for a family photo.

Then they realized that it was colder than they had expected. Brr!

An old railroad track used run in these parts.

The temperatures continued to drop the closer we got to Breckenridge.

As we continued down the road less traveled we spotted a deer. It scampered away too quickly, so we weren't able to get too close.

We found a random little lake with snow-capped back drop. I think I could live there, maybe. Could you?

We spotted our hotel down below. The kids got excited when they realized we were getting closer.

And, that's about as much 4x4-ing as we were able to do in the bad boy of a tank. There was no jeeping for us this year, but that's ok. It was a fun tradition while it lasted. ;)

An Ordination

Attending the ordination of a new pastor is a beautiful thing. It brings pastors together and it brings the church together.

While we have seminarians graduating every year, an ordination is a rare thing to attend for most church members, so if you can attend one do it!

It makes me smile to see that all of these pastors have come out to support and pray for their new fellow pastor.

Taking a vow into the office of the ministry is a difficult thing. I often think that the devil works even harder to bring down good pastors.

It is difficult to find good pastors today. It takes a lot of work to care for the members of a church and to teach and pray for them.

These men spent and will continue to spend many years studying scripture to bring God's Word to the people in their churches.

They also bring us the sacraments through baptism and holy communion.

This summer we were able to attend the ordination of Pastor Vanderhyde in Denver. It was wonderful. All of his children were in attendance as well as his father, also a pastor. 

Without pastors where would we be? We'd be lost, so make sure to support your pastor and pray for him as he does for you.

Maundy Thursday

Why Have You Forsaken Me?

22 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

and by night, but I find no rest.

3 Yet you are holy,

enthroned on the praises of Israel.

4 In you our fathers trusted;

they trusted, and you delivered them.

5 To you they cried and were rescued;

in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,

scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

7 All who see me mock me;

they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;

let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;

you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.

10 On you was I cast from my birth,

and from my mother's womb you have been my God.

11 Be not far from me,

for trouble is near,

and there is none to help.

12 Many bulls encompass me;

strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

13 they open wide their mouths at me,

like a ravening and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like wax;

it is melted within my breast;

15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to my jaws;

you lay me in the dust of death.

16 For dogs encompass me;

a company of evildoers encircles me;

they have pierced my hands and feet—

17 I can count all my bones—

they stare and gloat over me;

18 they divide my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.

19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off!

O you my help, come quickly to my aid!

20 Deliver my soul from the sword,

my precious life from the power of the dog!

21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!

You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,

and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

24 For he has not despised or abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted,

and he has not hidden his face from him,

but has heard, when he cried to him.

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;

my vows I will perform before those who fear him.

26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;

those who seek him shall praise the Lord!

May your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember

and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

shall worship before you.

28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,

and he rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,

even the one who could not keep himself alive.

30 Posterity shall serve him;

it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;

31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yetunborn,

that he has done it.

Our Annual Trip to the Mountains

The Rocky Mountain Professional Church Workers' Conference is held at the Beaver Run Resort every year. If I were a lover of cold weather and snow I would probably try and make an effort to visit this place in the winter. It's a lovely place with ski runs that run right into the resort. There was a little snow dusting the tops of the mountains while we were there. The ski runs, you can see, were begging for snow.

The Divine Service went off without a hitch and there were no worries of a return visit to the ER. Good thing since Dr. Stork no longer works there.

We did a lot of exploring around the resort during our stay at Beaver Run. 

It seemed like we ended up in the game room often. It kept the children occupied for quite awhile.

David learned the proper way to hold a golf club.

Thomas tried to milk a cow to no success.

The props on the mini-golf course represented the town of Breckenridge and the Beaver Run Resort.

The little girls actually thought they were playing video games by climbing onto this game. That ended up saving me a lot of money.

The older children enjoyed exploring the resort, on their own, with their friends. The resort is, seriously, just like a big huge maze.

We even enjoyed dinner with friends one evening, and Anna enjoyed a little lipstick when she and her friend, Abby, locked themselves in the bathroom.

The day we left we headed into town where the views of the mountains can be seen from anywhere downtown. Ski runs rule this town.

The streets are lined with beautiful Aspen trees making you want to visit this beautiful little town doesn't it?