Apple Picking Adventure

So we had this great idea -- let's go apple picking after church on Sunday! Sounded like a great idea for a beautiful Sunday afternoon with a few other families. And we found out that there were apple orchards within a couple of hours from us....rather than having to drive 3 - 4 hours into the mountains. I printed out directions to Solvang for everyone. Of course, one of our dear friends thought his GPS had a shorter route.

OK -- what the heck, we'll try shorter!

The road started out as two lanes, but as we made our way through the mountain it got more and more narrow. The higher we went the more twisty the road became. At the top it was barely one lane and the pavement totally ended. The road down the other side of the mountain was dirt and more the size of a bike path rather than a road for two large SUVs. You can imagine the looks that we got from mountain bikers, hikers, and dirt bikers!! We made it, though.

The dirt path from the back seat.


Of course, my camera ran out of batteries right after this shot. Our picnic was fun and the apple picking was short and sweet. But we will never forget our journey to get there!! And yes, Paul washed the car as soon as we got home that afternoon.

While We Were Playing.....

We decided to get in a Disney day before school starts. As we were exiting Small World, Connor's phone rang. It was Christopher!! We had been thinking of him on his way to Africa as we watched the cute little African dolls and animals sing just moments before. Come to find out, his flight was canceled and he was still in Zurich. Just after Indiana Jones, we got another call saying that another flight was canceled and he would be in Zurich another night. Long story short, he is on his way right now to Dubai and will then fly to Entebbe. Our boy is becoming quite the world traveler.

Off To Africa

He's off! Christopher left yesterday for a three month stay in Gaba, Uganda. He will be working African Renewal Ministries at the Wentz Medical Clinic. He decided to take a break from school and wanted to do something purposeful. We are so grateful to the folks of ARM for allowing him this opportunity. We are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for him on this journey! His first stop is a short visit with Auntie Pam, Uncle Markus, Nickolas, and Julia in Switzerland. You can follow his journey at

www.chrisrichertuganda.blogspot.com

We miss you all ready, Christopher James Lawrence!!

A Birthday Celebration and a Drama

Yesterday we had friends and family over to celebrate Livi's birthday. We were also entertained by a hysterical skit that Sarah wrote. She wrote it right before we left for vacation and the girls practiced while we were in Jackson. They put together their own costumes and Tegan helped out with makeup.

Vacation Bliss

So thankful for our time away. Wyoming really feels like a little piece of heaven here on earth. The weather, the mountains, the river, the wildlife......

We just marveled at God's handiwork the entire time. We also loved spending time with dear friends.

Besides just spending special time together, here are the specific favorites of the family:
Paul loved using the tractor and leveling the driveway.

Barbara loved swimming in the pond and in the lake.

Christopher loved kayaking and the shooting range.

Connor loved shooting and the Crazy Eight races at the county fair.

Sarah loved horseback riding and shopping.

Olivia loved playing in the playhouse.

Summer At The Beach?

We are having the coolest summer that I can remember. It is foggy every morning and doesn't clear up until very late in the afternoon, if at all. We decided to go to the beach no matter how chilly. We had a fun time, even though we were COLD!

Happy Birthday America!