Our Fall Colors Trip to New England

 An unexpected joy for us in this season of life has been to take several trips together with dear friends of ours. And this month we were so very blessed to travel on our third trip together, this time to see the gorgeous fall colors in the New England states!

We drove about 4,000 miles altogether on our 11-day trip! Our main destination was the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Vibrant, gorgeous fall beauty captured us at every turn ... we could hardly take it all in! These first two photos were taken during our 3-day stay in New Hampshire.

Since we weren't that far from the coast, we decided mid-trip to drive all the way to Bar Harbor, Maine! This was such a treat for us ... to be right along the Atlantic, re-visiting this beautiful spot that we had been to as a couple, back in 2012. A short overnight stay, and then the next day we began the journey back west, traveling the back roads of Maine for the first stretch. We were fascinated by the glimpse into that part of Maine ... winding roads, isolated homes scattered here and there, white churches nestled in the hills and trees, even more beautiful in the fall.

We continued our journey back home through New Hampshire, Vermont, and then enjoyed a meal right along Lake Champlain. The next day we drove through the beautiful Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York (photo above), stopping at Lake Placid where we saw the famous spot of the Winter Olympics of 1980. 

Our last night on the road was at a peaceful, beautiful retreat spot (a surprise, as it just randomly came up as we searched lodging under Travelocity)! The next morning we drove to nearby Lake Michigan (photo above), before driving the final stretch home.

We are thanking God for this "retirement trip" with like-minded, kindred heart friends, enjoying the incredible beauty of autumn in the New England states! (Thank you, Jack & Linda, for the joy of traveling together!)

Our Autumn Overview

Our fall season has held quite a variety of things. From weekly staff meetings, to meetings with volunteers and student leaders, to the weekly student meetings on our seven Cru high school and middle school campuses. Fall is always a very full season of Cru activity and energy!

Our month of September was maybe even extra full for us, as we were also preparing our volunteers and student leaders to cover for us while we would be gone on our vacation trip from Sept. 27 through Oct. 16. It was unusual for us to plan a vacation trip near the beginning of a school year! 

We prayed, planned, and saved up our vacation days, and our money, to visit our son in NYC, and he had suggested that we come in the fall instead of during the heat of summer! So ... that's what we did! We also planned our trip around the time of the beautiful autumn colors in New Hampshire and Vermont, as we drove up there after time with our son. 

The highlight of our trip was our 5-day stay in NYC ... we loved our time visiting our son, Lance! The first day we arrived in the city, we also got to see my (Cherry's) brother and sister-in-law, Steve & Beverly, and one of their daughters, Izzy. Meeting up in Chinatown was such fun!

After our days with Lance, we drove north of the city to spend the weekend with Steve & Beverly ... such a treat! Then we headed up through Connecticut, Massachusetts, and into New Hampshire for a few days, and than a few days in Vermont, before we started the journey home. We had planned and hoped to be in NH and VT during peak fall color season, and amazingly, we hit it just right! It was simply gorgeous, as you can see from the digital scrapbook page below!

Our route back home took us by Niagara Falls, and then a very special overnight visit in Michigan with one of my (Cherry's) dearest friends from my childhood years in Japan. Though Debby and I have only seen each other three times since our childhood, our friendship continues, and it is always such a blessing for us to spend time with Debby and her husband Dave.

Just five days after our return home, we hosted three visiting Cru staff leaders for three days.  Our amazing Cru leadership try to visit staff regularly, giving encouragement and support. Bill came from Orlando (representing the leadership at our Cru headquarters). Scott (from Denver), and Nicole (from Dallas), are our new regional leaders who oversee and give support for our Cru Omaha team.

You can read more about their visit, and see more photos, by clicking here.

The first weekend of November held our annual Cru Harvest Party, hosted by a sweet, generous couple from our church, Citylight. Some students from four of our seven campuses came together for a fun evening of hot dogs, smores, games, hayrides, and an inspirational time around the campfire.

You are invited to read more, and see more photos about this evening, by clicking here.

Thank you so much for your interest in Cru Omaha, and in our lives as a couple and with our family! We love to give you these little updates, and we are so grateful for your prayers and support!

Wrapping Up Summer

Officially, the calendar still says it's summer for awhile yet, but in reality, the season has already made a change. The focus is now a new school year, both with our families, as well as for us who work with Cru. So here is one last post wrapping up some of our summer memories ... with family, and also with Cru.

We had a very special treat the first week of July ... a visit from our daughter Cristy together with her husband Mark, and the younger two of their four children, Luke and Brianna. Our grandkids are growing older, so two stayed behind: Crystal, with her summer job at DBU where she attends college, and also Abigail, who is now married and preparing for her first year of teaching after college graduation this past May! It's hard to keep up with everyone growing up and that also means that we are growing older, as well.

It was a wonderful time with family home! Then mid-way through the month, we headed off for Chadron State Park, in the northwest corner of our state, for a week of v-a-c-a-t-i-o-n. Our bigger trip of the year does not come until the fall season this year, but we knew that we needed a "week off" during our busy summer. We decided to stay fairly close to home, and reserved a cabin at one of Nebraska's state parks.

Our week away was just what we wished for, and more. Just the two of us ... resting, enjoying the beauty from our cabin deck, reading, extended devotional times ... it was glorious! And another special treat was driving back home to Omaha/Fort Calhoun via a stop in McCook. It was very fun to stop to see Carrie & Tyler, Cruz and Eva just three weeks after they moved into their new home there. We loved our visit with them, and getting acquainted with their new life there in McCook.

July and August have also been filled with Cru activity, as our involvement with students continues throughout the summer ...

Just a few days after our trip to Chadron State Park, we, together with some of our students, had the opportunity to partner with a group who serve the homeless in downtown Omaha once a week throughout the year. It was eye-opening, and heart-breaking, and such a joy to serve together providing a meal to nearly 175 of Omaha's homeless. You can read more and see photos by reading "Cru Summer Update" at CruOmaha.com.

Then at the beginning of August it was such a joy to have Jake & Chelsea, Eleanor and Audrey, over for a mid-morning breakfast gathering just five days after they returned from their month-long Cru mission to Tanzania, Africa. They, together with three other Cru staff, led a group of 16 college and high school aged students to love and serve students in Tanzania. We loved to hear many of the exciting things that happened, along with hearing about the challenges that were also present. You can read more and see photos of their trip by reading "Tanzania Summer Mission" at CruOmaha.com.

And now, as we near the end of August, schools have started up again, and we are very much involved meeting with our volunteers, our student leaders, and on campus in student meetings. On one of our campuses (Omaha North) a few of the students (above) joined us in a prayer walk around their campus at the start of this new school year.

Would you join us in praying for each of our campuses this year, as well? We desire to keep in touch often this school year, alerting friends and family to prayer needs, and also sharing what God is doing! You can check back here at GaryandCherry.com, as well as at CruOmaha.com for updates throughout the year.

Our Pacific Coast Trip

Our long-awaited trip to the Pacific Coast,

celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary,

and 25 years as Cru staff!

Also, this was our first trip out to visit Lee & Cheryl, and Loren (two of Cherry's brothers and a sis-in-law) since their move to the Portland area, and also ... our first trip to visit our son Seth since he moved to San Francisco! We were so very excited! And so very thankful for our 25-year bonus from Cru to help fund the trip! A four-part trip, over 18 days ...

Sharing just a few of our many, many photos, starting in this post with a few photos from the first part of our trip:

Portland area - July 12-16

Time with Lee & Cheryl, and Loren

Day 1 (July 12) - flying from Omaha to Portland, 
with a glimpse of majestic Mt. Adams as we neared Portland

Visiting the beautiful Portland Japanese Garden, and also the Rose Garden
on our first afternoon, the day of our arrival

Day 2 (July 13) - a day driving through the gorgeous Columbia River Gorge ...
in this photo, a view of Multnomah Falls

A picnic with this amazing close-up view of the Columbia River

Day 3 (July 14) - a two-hour drive up into Washington to view Mount St. Helens

So proud of my brother, Lee, for his research on the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens as a volcanologist for the Smithsonian - his name even included on a display in the visitor center 

Another view of beautiful Mount St. Helens 

Day 4 (July 15) - a one-hour drive to Mt. Hood, and to Timberline Lodge,
built in 1936 at 6,000 feet elevation, about halfway up Mt. Hood

A view up Mt. Hood through the visitor center window

Another view of Mt. Hood, from Trillium Lake

Enjoying our last evening meal of our visit
with Lee & Cheryl, and Loren ...
fresh salmon, caught from the Columbia River by a neighbor 

Our visit came to an end much too soon ... it was such a sweet time with family. Such beautiful sites to see, and the best gift of all was the great conversation and connection together with those we love. 

Besides our days staying with Lee & Cheryl in their relaxing, gorgeous retirement home, it was also a real treat to see Loren's spacious 10th-floor apartment in nearby Portland. We treasure our time together, and have many, many photos to help keep the memories close.

We picked up our rental car the morning of  Day 5 (July 16), and after a few more hours together with Loren in Portland, continued on with our 18-day trip, driving to the Pacific Coast ...

(to be continued)

Birthday Getaway Trip to KC

This was the year for significant birthdays for both Gary and me. And as we had some vacation days left to use this year, Gary asked me where I'd like to go for my birthday the end of September. Such a treat to go on a three-night little getaway at the time of my birthday! We loved our stay at a beautiful VRBO rental in Kansas City ... thank you, honey!

Click here to go to my Pursuing Heart blog to see four more digital scrapbook pages capturing the memories of our stay in this historic neighborhood of KC.

Our Mahoney Retreat

Instead of traveling a distance for another of our allotted vacation weeks for this calendar year, we chose a restful, quiet spot not far from where we live - at beautiful Mahoney State Park. It was just perfect for our needs to get away, rest, and be refreshed in the midst of a busy life of family and ministry. 

The view from the upper level of our tree-topper cabin looked out over the Platte River - such a beautiful season to be there with the changing colors of the fall leaves. We spent hours there, reading, resting, being refreshed - with windows on all four sides of the room to view the beauty through, and warmed by the wood stove. 

Beautiful weather for taking walks along the Platte and through the hills of the State Park - the perfect time of year to be there. Click here and here for more words and photos on Cherry's Pursuing Heart blog. We are so very thankful to God for giving us this quiet retreat - perfect for our needs, and beyond what we even hoped for.

Colorado Vacation

After taking part in the DCC planning meetings near Denver the weekend of Sept. 19-22, we stayed on in beautiful Colorado for a week of much-needed vacation time. Our summer had been very full; no time for a vacation trip, so this was the perfect time. 

We drove to Grand Lake, Colorado, where we had reserved a cottage for the week of Sept. 23-27, and stayed for night on the way at the ski resort of Winter Park (with their lower off-season rates). A first for us to stay in at a ski resort, so that was fun. And even more fun, as we woke up to snow the next morning!

Driving from Denver to the beautiful mountains.

The first snowfall of the season in Winter Park.

The cottage we had reserved online by Grand Lake was just perfect - so restful, and with a gorgeous view, overlooking the other cottages and Grand Lake in the distance. 

Our restful Eagle's Nest cottage.

We could not get enough of the beauty all around us. Our first full day we walked or drove to a number of spots nearby, right on Grand Lake. The weather was perfect ... 

Gorgeous Grand Lake with a view of the mountains.

Our second full day we drove past Grand Lake, to Shadow Mountain Lake, by Granby Lake, and then spent some time at a beautiful little lake, Monarch Lake. We spent several hours hiking the four-mile trail around the lake. Again, it was just perfect weather, even though rain had been in the forecast.

Restful, peaceful Monarch Lake.

The next day we drove to nearby Adams Falls and walked the mile-long trail along the streams and up to the falls. 

Along the trail to Adams Falls.

After lunch back in the town of Grand Lake, we drove into Rocky Mountain National Park, and walked the Coyote Trail through a quiet valley - so peaceful, and such gorgeous views.

Walking the Coyote Trail.

On the way back to our cottage we drove through a magnificent display of aspens in their beautiful fall foliage. We were continually amazed at the perfect timing of our stay in the area - the days were just gorgeous, and the trees were at a peak of brilliant autumn color.

Beautiful aspen trees.

We took many, many more photos - this is just a very small sampling. There was so much beauty at every turn. We thank God for the incredible blessing of this week away. Besides the walks and drives to the nearby lakes, we spent many hours at our cottage - resting, relaxing, reading, and being filled up with God's love and the rest that He provided for us.

(Many more photos will be used in the coming weeks/months on Cherry's Pursuing Heart blog.)