School!

Elizabeth and Sarah are both enjoying school very much this year. Sarah goes three mornings a week to Preschool. Elizabeth and I do school at home every day except Friday's when she goes to a homeschool program all day. It has been working out great and we are really enjoying it. Joshua has cooperated very nicely and naps in the morning while we work and we finish up in the afternoon if needed while he naps again!

The girls (and boys!) on the first day of school...

Another significant adventure

I am finally getting a chance to sit down and write about the 14er we did this summer. It was another wonderful experience. Nate and I and the kids were staying with our friends Brian and Sandra (and their kids and our other friend Trish and her kids...lots of wonderful!) down in Del Norte, CO. We planned on climbing a peak close to them so that we could leave Joshua in good hands for the day. Uncompahgre Peak is about 2 1/2 hours from their house, so we left around 5 after I fed Joshua and got to the trailhead at 8 - after a few stops to see the sunrise. It was a beautfiful start to the day and we got some amazing views of the peak on the way there. The trailhead starts at 11, 000ft so we just had a few minutes before we hit treeline and the rest of the hike was above treeline. The day was a bit cloudy and grey, with the sun peaking out on occasion - actually the perfect weather for hiking all day.

As we began hiking I just felt like the whole day was going to be significant for us and time and again i kept realizing how this journey we are on in life is so much like the mountain we are climbing. We are going through some hard things in our family right now, the journey does not feel easy, at times we cannot see the "summit", or feel the exhilaration, however, we know that good things are at the end, there is a refreshing wind that helps us on, a spirit of freedom and life that is seen everywhere when the clouds roll out.There are times of joy, times that feel hard, the path is sometimes easy to follow and other times it take more work. When you reach the summit, it literally takes your breath away, it is beautiful, amazing, indescribable...will heaven be that way?! Is Jesus like a refreshing wind that keeps me going? He asks me to just take one step at a time and trust him through it all. There is no fear, there is no defeat, in Him there is victory, beauty, life, and refreshment!

So many lessons can be learned on the mountain.

On our way home, we got to see the most amazing rainbow - I have never seen one so big, beautiful, or last so long as this one did (of course the pictures do not even do it justice!). Another feeling of significance - God's promises to us.

Nate and I loved our day together so much, it was an amazing time of reconnection for us after a hard year. Joshua did wonderful with his friends AND we were home in time to celebrate his 1st birthday with him! That was another signigicant thing about the day - one year to the day that I had Joshua, I was at the top of another mountain!

Again the mountain fever has been caught and I cannot wait until next summer when we can do another...or two perhaps?!

Beautiful Ballerina

Sarah has been patiently waiting for her turn to start ballet. We decided that this Fall would be the perfect time, so last week she has her first class. She walked in so confidently and did a great job! She loves it and sure is a beautiful ballerina!

Birthday Boy!

Cake, mmm, good!

We have a ONE year old! Joshua Daniel turned one on August 29 and we celebrated in a very special way! That day Nate and I climbed our 3rd 14er together, it was very symbolic and meaningful to do one year to the day of having my sweet baby boy. We summitted at 11:30, the year before I was in labor at that time, he was born at 1:15! It was really a neat thing to do. Don't worry, we also celebrated with him! In good Smeltzer family fashion, he actually got to have two birthday parties, one before we went on our trip that was celebrated with his cousin Caleb, and one the day of, that was celebrated with dear friends.

Joshua is officially walking now, I still haven't gotten much good video of it, but it sure is cute! He still sways a bit but seems to prefer it now over crawling. The other day he walked into my room - it kind of caught me off guard! He is entering such a fun stage, still LOVES to be outside, is doing well with sleeping and eating, and is very, very busy.
Trying out his first taste of cake, yes, I think he liked it!

Caleb is Five!

His first hammer...look at the look on his face!

He loved snuggling with his quilt from Grandma Smeltzer! He kept laying down on it and cuddling in - so cute!

Joshua we love you so much! Happy Birthday to my little man!!