Fall Freezer Meal Day

A couple of times a year our three daughters (who live nearby) and I get together for a fun and productive Freezer Meal Day. We each bring ingredients for a main dish recipe or two, and multiply it to make enough for each of our households, plus an extra for a son who also lives nearby (and who joins us on some of our Freezer Meal Days). We are so blessed to live close to each other so we can do this together, and it is wonderful to have meals to put into our freezer for the weeks ahead.

Saturday, Nov. 16, was one of these days for us - and it has been so helpful to have meals already prepared and just waiting to be heated up during these busy holiday weeks! Please click here to read more, and for links to the recipes that we made.

Boyer Chute

Just a few miles east from our little town, you will find the Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge. We are fortunate to have this prairie-like natural habitat so close by, and we have gone there often. 

"Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1992 to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat in and along the Missouri River. The refuge is one of more than 550 refuges across the country. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the largest network of lands and waters in the world set aside for the benefit of wildlife.

The Boyer Chute (or channel) lies at the center of the refuge and runs parallel to the Missouri River. The chute carved out its path from an island formed by the Boyer River. It was blocked in 1937 to make boat travel on the river easier, not knowing that this would disturb valuable  wildlife habitat.

The Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked together to restore the Boyer Chute. With the help of other conservation partners, the 

chute is once again a functioning part of the Missouri River. This cooperation continues today to benefit fish, migratory birds, endangered species, and resident wildlife." (Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge brochure)

As a couple we have been there often, and also, Gary likes to make the short drive there even more often, and go for long walks along the water, and through the fields. A great place to go to over the weekend, after a busy week of work/ministry - walking, praying, and enjoying God's amazing creation.

On a recent visit, he came back with some photos of animal tracks - deer, turkey, coyote, racoon, and fox footprints. So thankful for the opportunity to live close to this refuge.

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.

Fall Family Day

A beautiful fall day for family fun at Skinny Bones on Saturday, October 19th! Here are a few favorites from the many photos that we took ...

Sharing a beautiful day together with three daughters, one son-in-law, and six grandkids!

Adorable little Eva - 19 months old

This play jail was one of the grandkids' favorites at Skinny Bones

Our four youngest grandkids

Love this shot of Levi with ET

Our fun day ended with a bonfire at Sean & Sara's, which included a birthday cake and presents for grandson Levi, who had turned 11 on the 11th!

Click here to see a few more photos, in digital scrapbook form, from our day together (on Cherry's Pursuing Heart blog).

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.)

DCC Planning in Denver

Student conferences are a big part of Cru, as conferences are a place where college and high school students are often impacted for eternity. And as staff, this requires a lot of prayer, planning, and concentrated effort, following God's leading to put on conferences that will meet students in their places of need, seeking to create a place where great spiritual growth can happen.

We traveled to Denver as a couple for the weekend of Sept. 20-22 to be part of one of these planning sessions in anticipation of DCC (Denver Christmas Conference), the student conference that takes place in Denver between Christmas and New Years. 

Students from our Omaha area campuses will be traveling to this conference in late December. Last year was our first year to bring students to this conference, as we had previously taken them to the FastBreak Conference in MN. We are grateful to be asked to join DCC with our high school students, and it is a valuable time to be in on the ground floor of planning this conference. Our presence is important, as we give input from the viewpoint of the high school students that we work with.

More detailed news about DCC 2013 will be coming in the near future, and will be posted on our Cru Omaha blog.

Our Sweet Crystal Mae

It has been quite a year so far for our beautiful, sweet 15 year-old granddaughter in Texas. And there is much more that she will go through this calendar year.

After some physical concerns in the beginning of this calendar year, and after a series of doctor visits and lots of testing, we heard the devastating news that Crystal has Juvenile Nephronophthisis. This is a very rare genetic kidney disease (chances are one in a million), where a person's kidneys will fail sometime in their teen years. There is no cure; and the form of treatment is to have a kidney transplant.

At the time of diagnosis, Crystal's kidneys were functioning at about 40%, and the doctor estimated that she would be in need of a kidney transplant by the spring or summer of 2014. 

However, at Crystal's testing and reevaluation in August, it was discovered that her kidney function had already dropped down to 24%. This is the level when preparations for a kidney transplant begin in earnest. All the paperwork in preparation for a transplant and for insurance coverage has been done, and has been approved. And tomorrow Crystal will be going through a full day of lab work, testing, and meeting with an array of doctors who will be involved in the process of transplant. 

We don't know yet when the transplant will be, but are assuming that it will be before the end of this calendar year. Cristy & Mark, our daughter and son-in-law, will be considered first of all as possible donors. Cristy will begin some of the necessary lab work tomorrow to see if she will qualify. Both Cristy & Mark's blood types are good matches for Crystal, but there is much more that is checked to find exactly the best possible match. 

Please pray for Crystal, for her parents, and the rest of their family - Abigail (17), Luke (11), and Brianna (7). It has been a year with a lot of doctor visits, and a lot of unknowns. We are so grateful for their strong faith and trust in the midst of this difficult situation. 

Even Crystal has been so strong, and has often been the one who encourages the rest of us. She suffers daily from the affects of poor kidney function, struggles with nausea through much of each day, needs to have repeated shots, takes medications to keep her blood pressure in normal ranges, and experiences general overall fatigue. She continues on with her sophomore classes in the midst of all that she is going through. Her sweet spirit and her faith and trust in God are a blessing to us; we thank God for His presence and love in her life.

Of course, this is so hard for us as grandparents, as well. How we would love to be nearby and be of help on a continuing basis. Our trip to TX the end of May was a very special time. And we are so grateful for the support and encouragement we have been given by our leaders at Cru headquarters in FL - granting us time off to help our family for two to four weeks at the time of transplant.

You are invited to read many more details that our daughter, Cristy, puts up on Crystal's CaringBridge site - click here. And we greatly appreciate your prayers - and thank those of you who have already been praying for our sweet Crystal Mae.