Visitors to the Parsonage!

The parsonage received a VERY important visitor today! His name is Kevin Brown. He and his family attend Sidney First United Methodist Church.

As you can see from the picture, of all the kids in America, he won "The Cheesiest Kid at Wal-Mart" award this year. His picture was actually on the box of Macaroni and Cheese, along with his hometown designation of Sidney, Nebraska! Yee-haw! He "even" autographed one of "his" boxes for Pastor Charles! Of course, we have it in a place of honor in our kitchen! (Actually, he gave it to Pastor Charles on his first Sunday to preach at the church. It made the day all the more special because of that generous gift!)

Well, today, Kevin was recognized in our local library's children's reading program. He read ten books, so he was eligible for prizes AND a special reading button/badge. His mother Carrie said that when he received it, he told her that he wanted to give it to Pastor Charles, because he probably did not have that button. It mentions getting a clue, since that was the theme of this year's program.

Kevin convinced his mom to drive him to the parsonage for the button presentation. Unfortunately, Pastor Charles was away in Lincoln, attending a pastors' meeting, so he wasn't on hand to receive it in person. He certainly has a big surprise when he gets home tonight! Pastor always says, "a day when you get a button is a VERY good day, indeed!"

Belinda gave the family the parsonage tour, especially pastor's button collection in the basement. (Total is over 7,000 buttons now!) Kevin and sister Samantha had fun looking at some of them, recognizing ones from movies they have seen and others from different businesses and restaurants. We enjoyed a great visit!

Praise be to God for a young man with a sweet, generous spirit! Praise be to God for parents who nurture such a soul!

And tonight, as Charles was driving back home, Rilla Draper, a dear lady from the church, stopped by the parsonage and collected Belinda, so she could go with her to the Christian Women's Group gathering at the local Holiday Inn. With Rilla was a lovely lady named Ardis, who lives in a farm near Rilla. So off the dynamic trio went. We had a lovely dinner, and then Rilla gave a wonderful special presentation about her collection of bird nests. Afterwards, there were door prizes, newcomer welcome gifts, musical offerings by an amazing couple of ladies and a a featured speaker. We had a great evening!

God is SO good!

A Good Monday!

Today was a good day!

The highlight of Charles' day was his meeting with a couple who want to get married in a couple of months. He enjoyed hearing about their story and getting to know them.

Belinda's success story for the day was using the new lawnmower for the first time and getting ALL the parsonage grounds mowed. Whew! It took a morning session and an afternoon session to get it done. In between, she had to run to the store to buy a gas can and get it filled, so she could finish the job. The yard is really big, so keeping the lawn mowed is going to be her workout routine! (One cool thing: while mowing, she had a great amount of time to pray. So from now on, it's going to be the lawn-mowing prayer time for Belinda.)

The highlight for us this evening was that we were able to visit with a lovely family who live on a nearby farm; it has the most amazing views across the fields all around them. It was wonderful to spend time with them, sitting outside and enjoying the breeze. We took a tour around their property and heard about some of its history. Their girls are delightful, and their family pets were so cute. The girls showed us their tree house and their favorite places on the farm. Dad grilled some amazing steaks, and Mom made yummy baked potatoes and salad.

This dear family made the extremely generous offer to us that we can consider their farm home as our place in the country "get-away." We told them not to be surprised if they look out their windows some day and see us sitting in their swings, enjoying the breeze. What warm hospitality they showed us!

Praise be to God for folks with generous spirits!

Second Sunday in July 2007, Sidney, NE

We had two wonderful services this morning. It is great to still be meeting folks in our new church family. They are very patient with us as we try to learn all their names!

In between services, Pastor Charles gave his Columbus, Ohio, Comets Professional Women's Football T-shirt to Whitney Armbruster, a member of the congregation. She had expressed an interest in the fact that Pastor Charles' brother's wife Staci is on this team. When the T-shirt was unpacked, Pastor Charles knew Whitney just had to have it! From the look of Whitney's lovely smile, it looks like it was the right decision! Praise be to God for Whitney's enthusiastic approach to life and all-things sports, especially football! She is a lovely, poised young lady, and she exudes a positive, generous spirit!

At the second service, we had some very special music provided during the offeratory by the Reimers Family. Teenaged sons Justin and Jeremy sang a lovely song, while their mother Teresa signed the words. When lyrics to a song are signed, the message always has more impact on me. Thanks be to God for talented folks who are willing to share their talents with others! (We also really enjoyed the youngest brother's attendance at the worship and his active participation in the "children's time!" What a great family!)

It was such a pleasure for Pastor Charles and I to have the time today to visit with some more of the members of the congregation and our visitors. We feel so blessed to be getting to know all of these fine folks!

Loving life in Sidney.....

Belinda

A Beautiful Day for a Wedding!

What a week this has been for us! It began with our first Sunday in the parish, a funeral on Thursday and today a wedding.

The funeral of Geri Olsen was a service in tribute to a woman who lived life to the full. Her joy for her family, friends and community was a shining example for all of us; we should all try to live such a life of love and service to others!

Today at 10:00 a.m., we were treated to the sight of Mary McMarty being escorted by two of her adult sons to the place where her intended, Richard Yahn, and Charles waited. It was a very intimate setting in the backyard of their home, with just family members in attendance. Spud the dog even chose to join the wedding party for a few brief moments during the ceremony! Of course, the bride was beautiful and radiant, and the groom, handsome! They are a lovely couple. The setting was joy-filled and Spirit-filled. Indeed, it seems to be a match made in heaven. Praise God!

Following a few chores at home, it was off to Scottsbluff to look for a few items for the house. We had a nice drive, enjoying the scenery and getting to look at some ideas for the house. The heat that has gripped the west this week continued today. The car thermometer read 103 F this afternoon as we drove to Scottsbluff! That is just too hot!!

Tomorrow looks to be a very full day with church, a conference event in Ogallala, and a church youth movie night at the downtown Sidney theater. We hope to see the evening showing of the movie "Evan Almighty."

Signing off for tonight, I pray to all who read this blog: Grace and peace!

Love, Belinda

P.S. Oh, yes, and of course, Pastor Charles sends his love and best wishes too!

Mellerdrama in nearby village of Potter

A great evening was had by all tonight in the nearby village of Potter!

Could you hear us booing and hissing the villain and cheering for the hero... and all that hooping and hollering? Well, it was all of us who were gathered at the American Legion Hall! We even at "villain balls" to throw at him. (They were yellow soft-cushiony balls with a picture of a villain stamped on them in black ink.) What a fun time it was!

We enjoyed the bar-b-que dinner beforehand. Wow, was it ever yummy!

All in all, it was a great evening of good food, good entertainment. Praise be to God!

From beginning to end

The main focus of today was on the funeral service for one of the members of the Sidney First UMC, Geri Olsen. The service was well attended with many former students and teachers from her 33 years in the classroom. The ladies of the church provided a splendid luncheon following the service. A highlight of these meals has to be the chicken-rice casserole, which is legendary in these parts!

Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who give of themselves in so many special ways. Belinda joined the volunteers in the kitchen, spending quite a bit of time drying cutlery and enjoyed getting to know them. The conversation in the kitchen would be fitting in the play we saw in Nashville, "Church Basement Ladies!" (For more info about this great play, here is a website about it: http://www.niacc.cc.ia.us/calevents/2006-07/ladies.html)

After the service and luncheon, Belinda returned to the parsonage to take care of household matters including getting the cable/tv issues resolved. Charles in the meanwhile did a room-by-room survey of the church. He noted a number of opportunities for the church to really take-off in living out the six signs of discipleship that are central to the vision of the Nebraska Annual Conference. (For more info, see this webpage: http://www.umcneb.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/11/14/455a3841b4b34.)

After a bit of rest, we tackled the garage, completing the setting up of shelves which made organizing the space possible.

Tomorrow we are going to finish sorting the last bedroom (boxes, etc.), and then we will go shopping for some needed items for the house. Naturally, we are really looking forward to the Mellerdrama in Potter tomorrow night!

We thank God every day that he brought us "home" to this wonderful place called Sidney!

Happy Fourth of July from Sidney, Nebraska!

Greetings one and all! Happy Fourth of July 2007!!

What a great holiday it was today for us folks living here in the town of Sidney, Nebraska. It all started last night when the town set off an amazing celebration of fireworks. We sat in lawn chairs at the end of our long driveway, watching them go off. Some of our neighbors joined us. It was a really fun time!

This morning, at around 7:00 a.m., we heard the loud "boom" when some of the town folks blew up an anvil (an annual Fourth of July tradition here). This afternoon, we spent a few hours unpacking more boxes and organizing our things. Tonight we walked to the town park, where the Ladies Chamber Division of the Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce sponsored a free ice cream social. They had local entertainers performing in the gazebo. We actually saw a little girl "walking" her pet pig! We enjoyed sitting with Bea and Bill from our church! All of us enjoyed listening to the "oldies and goodies" music; they even had a barber shop quartet called the "Clippers!"

After we got home, we joined some neighbors on their front porch, recounting the day's activities. Long into this evening, we were able to see more fireworks out our living room windows. The neighbors were busy setting off their fireworks all around the town. Charles even set off a few of his own!

Yes, the sign when you enter Nebraska is correct: This IS the good life!

Praise be to God!!!

Our First Sunday in Sidney

Today was a remarkable day for us: our first Sunday in our new church!

Charles went to the church at 6am to get "in the space," a tradition he has followed since he began in the ministry. It was so quiet, the church at rest, before the energy that is unleased when the congregation arrives.

At 8am, the first service began, and so our time at Sidney, which we have seemingly been waiting for forever, had arrived. We were introduced to the congregation by Ken McMillan, chairman of the Pastor-Parish Relations Committe (PPRC), and we were presented a prayer shawl by Marilee Rowan, Julie Armbruster and Bea Dinkel.

There were 71 at the early service and 130 at the 10:00 service. It was so exciting; a lot was accomplished at these first services. The reaction to our use of the NUTS acronym (Never Underestimate the Spirit) was really good. We distributed festive bags that Belinda had filled yesterday with a variety of nuts to symbolize the types of people - salty, sweet, in shells, exotic nuts and so on, that make up the church community. It was fun hearing people talk after the services, wondering what sort of nut they are!

In between the two services and after the second service, there was cake and coffee to be shared. The cake was huge! The warmth of this congregation is so terrific. We are so grateful that God led us home to Sidney, Nebraska!

After the second service, the Brown family took our intention to be involved in the community life to heart. It was their son Kevin who invited us to his seventh birthday party in the park tonight. (He wore a special "birthday boy" button/badge. Pastor Charles was impressed with that!) We shared pizza and cupcakes with five other cub scouts, sister Samantha, and parents Scott and Carrie. It was so much fun watching the children enjoying the surroundings, and the water balloons "war" was enjoyed by all.

This first "official" week here in Sidney promises to be a busy one! Praise be to God!!!

Eve of the First Sunday at the Sidney UMC!

Well, here we are, on the eve of our first Sunday in Sidney, and we so excited! Today was full of twists and turns and certainly bears witness to the fact that we shall never be bored in Sidney!

Charles went to the office early this morning, trying to take in the silence that is a church on Saturday morning. Since he doesn't write out his sermons, he relies on study, prayer and the Spirit's guidance to know what to say on Sunday morning. Just as he was settling in to his routine, the phone rang, and he was off to offer comfort to a family whose matriach had just died. It certainly puts things in perspective at times like this just why we are here.

After being with them, Charles ran some errands around town (trying to clear his mind before returning to the church and sermon). Belinda in the meanwhile was hard at work in the house, getting a handle on the tasks at hand and working on a project for Sunday morning (it should be a surprise to all those who come!).

One of Charles' errands involved stopping at the Sidney Greenhouse where Wanda, Sherri and Tara did wonders with some empty planters, dirt and plants on sale! The greenhouse operates from 1 April to 3o June, and both Wanda and Sherri are members of our church. Tara is one of Rev. Alan Davis' daughters. The front of our home now sports some nifty greenery, which should offer a good impression to those passing by.

Charles met later in the afternoon with the funeral director about the arrangements for the funeral next week. This coming week won't be anything like we had thought it might. The funeral is set for Thursday morning. While it is never a pleasant task, funerals do provide for a wonderful time of worship and celebration of faith and life.

Pray for us, both tomorrow and in the days to come that we are able to provide the ministry that is needed here.

Friday night in Sidney

Here we are, one week after moving into the parsonage in Sidney and we're able to say that we've made major strides towards reducing that initial mountain of boxes! We

The morning was spent driving to Cheyene, WY where Charles had more appointments with the VA. It is sure nice to have access to that facility, the folks couldn't be more accomodating. Charles is now in the system and will be able to see someone locally for most VA issues and needs.

We came back to Sidney via Kimball and Potter, stopping to take care of errands to enjoy the hospitality of those communities. We met with Ken McMillan, chairman of the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee (PPRC) this afternoon. Ken wanted to introduce Charles to the congregation at both services this coming Sunday and wanted to be sure what to say about us! We had a lovely chat and then it was back to the boxes!

Charles is pleased with the way his church office is coming along. All but two boxes have been emptied and everything except the pictures on the walls have been accounted for. It looks really comfortable and we are hoping that the congregation will feel welcomed in their pastor's office. The same goes for the parsonage. We are slowly getting things where they need to be and hope to have things wrapped up in the not-to-distant future!!

An exciting Saturday awaits, lots of details to attend to in order to get ready for Sunday!!!!

Oh, What a Day

So many things came together today. It was a big step toward getting our new home ready!

Today began with a visit to the Cheyene/Sidney Chamber of Commerce office where both Charles and Belinda joined up. We learned many new things about our new community and are eager to begin. Joining the Chamber is a good way to meet people and to get involved in what is important to people in the area.

Then it was off to the lumber yard to pick up the long-awaited pegs for Charles' bookshelves! Whoray! Most of the afternoon and into the evening was spent by Charles putting his office in order. He is intent on having things ready for Sunday!!!

Also this afternoon the nice man from the re-sale shop in Kimball brought the items we had purchased on Tuesday to the house. We are so much closer to having the house in the right condition to begin receiving visitors. What a job this has been, it is such a lovely house that we want to do it justice in putting things where they belong!

We met more neighbors today including Mel and Doris, the couple who live behind us. They've been married 59 years and have some wonderful stories to go along with each of those years :)

We also got to hear a bit of the rehersal of the men's quartet (from our church). What a gift they offer to the church and the praise they give to God through song is truly special. We can't wait until Sunday to hear what they offer on our first Sunday in Sidney.

Tomorrow we are back to the VA in Cheyene, WY for another appointment. Then back to Sidney for more unpacking, yeah!

Mid-week in Sidney

The wonderful weather here in western Nebraska which began yesterday continued today. What a beautiful place this is when one isn't sweltering in the upper 90's F!!!

We continued the unpacking, we are making progress in several areas including the garage and downstairs. We took a break in late morning to visit the ladies in the Quilt Guild (they meet weekly in the church). What a terrific energy we felt when hearing about the quilts and the fellowship that these faithful folk have created and enjoyed over the years.

We had a couple of errands to run, but first it was a stop a Grandma Jo's restaurant for lunch. Wow, talk about some good vittles! The onion rings are superb and the buzz in the diner was a treat to witness.

We continued west on US 30 where we found ourselves in the small town of Potter, NE. A pleasant place to shop, we were able to get some ideas for the parsonage and a couple of buttons for Charles' collection. Then it was on to Kimball where we had located a resale shop and found some real bargins in the furniture section of one particular shop. Come Monday we'll have our home in good order to be sure.

Then it was back to Sidney where we wanted to complete a couple more errands and then to home where we were able to enjoy the lovely breeze. We met another neighbor tonight and of course got caught up on the latest news "over the fence."

Tomorrow we should be getting the "pegs" for Charles' shelves, yeah! Now he can get his office squared away before Sunday!

Monday/Tuesday in Sidney

On Monday and Tuesday, we continued the unpacking in both the parsonage and the church office that was begun last Friday!

Monday also included a trip to Cheyene, WY where Charles had an appointment at the VA. Sure is nice to have such a super facility so close to us. Afterwards we stopped in Kimball, NE and did a little looking around before returning to Sidney and the ever-present boxes.

Tuesday has been more of the same with time spent is pursuit of "pegs" for the bookcases in Charles' office. We have ordered some from a store here in town and hope to have the office in the church squared away by Saturday.

After such hot, hot weather since we got here, today's temps are in the 70s which is downright civilized!

Sunday Praise

This morning, we travelled about an hour east on the interstate, to the town of Ogallala. Charles had been invited to preach at the United Methodist Church there, at their 9:00 and 11:15 a.m. services. It was a wonderful morning of worship and fellowship!

Afterward, Jeff and Renee Meyer and their two sons treated us to lunch at a restaurant by Lake McConaughy. Junie-Mays restaurant is the place to go for a great lunch, to be sure. Go for their special, and you won't be disappointed! (www.505denver.homestead.com/files/BigMac1.htm.)
We certainly appreciated their warm hospitality!

We took our time driving back home to Sidney. We stopped by a few of the villages and towns along the way. When we got home, one of our neighbors stopped by and invited us to a cookout at their home. We took a quick nap, and off we went again. It was so wonderful to spend time with Bill and Linda and the other couples who joined us. We ate and laughed... and laughed: a great time was had by all!

Then on the way home, we stopped to chat with another couple who were enjoying the night air outside their home. They had just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary a few days ago. We all enjoyed the beautiful night breeze together.

We feel so blessed to be finally "home!" It is such a joy to begin meeting neighbors and making new friends! Praise be to God!!!

Saturday #1 in Sidney

After the push to get the movers' task completed yesterday, it was on to the task for us of unpacking. Saturday was spent mainly going through the boxes in the kitchen and in the office at the church. Of course those with much experience in moving know that each box or room yield as many surprises and questions as it does solutions.

We are making steady progress, though we know that there are a number of steps to take before we can even consider an open house! We met more of our neighbors today, Scott and Rachel live two houses down from us and are just wonderful people. All the neighbors we have met have been most welcoming, just the sort of reception that makes living in western Nebraska so terrific.

Another experience that we had today was joining many others from Sidney and the surrounding communities in a witness to the funeral procession of Specialist John Borm, a resident of Sidney, killed in Iraq on June 13th. It was very inspirational, and very sobering, to see the procession and the tribute to this hometown hero.

Tomorrow Charles preaches at the UMC in Ogalalla, and then we will resume the dance with the boxes!

Home again, home again, jiggity-gig

After five months, over 20,000 miles, 28 US states, numerous hotels, restaurants, and postcards we are happy to announce that we are sleeping in our own bed in our own house tonight!

The movers arrived around 930 am and left about 3pm. In between they carted in hundreds of boxes, numerous heavy pieces of furniture and more. All-in-all it was a good move. There are already a few missing pieces (pegs for the shelves, and parts for the button panels) but nothing that takes away from being HOME!

We have begun the unpacking part of the journey and anticipate it taking the better part of the coming week. The parsonage is wonderful and the neighbors we've already met couldn't be nicer people.

Pictures will be posted on tomorrow's blog, so come on back and see!

One More Day...

Well here we are, on the brink of moving into the house in Sidney and we think we made the most of the day!

We went to the church this morning and were truly surprised and thrilled to see that we had been welcomed on the church sign! What a treat it was!!! We met the wonderful people helping to get the office and parsonage ready for us. We first spent a bit of time walking about the house, trying to see in our mind's eye where everything would go on Friday. It was important to know this ahead of time since the movers will place everything in the place we determine just once! We are really looking forward to the morning when the movers arrive and we get to see just what our things look like!

We took some time for lunch at the local Runza (with Marilee and Dan Rowan) and then ran a few errands on the town's high street.

Then it was into the church to try and get some sense of where things will go in Charles' office. Thanks to the amazing help offered to us by young Cody, we were able to sort through the pile of keys that had been left for Charles to use. We also spent a good deal of time clearing space to use for putting the items that Charles will be using in his office and at the church.

As we were easting supper, a hard rain came and then we saw a beautiful rainbow! A nice omen for the coming events! And now we are in the hotel, for the last time, and looking forward to the alarm clock ringing in the morning!

One Hot Day!

Today was one hot day - our car's thermometor (which shows the outdoor temp) reached 104 F today!!! By the time we ended driving just after 9:00p.m. it seemed odd to think that 91 felt nice!

We drove from south of Cheyene, WY to the VA hospital in Cheyene for a dental appointment for Charles. It turned out that the appointment had to be rescheduled so we will be going back next week. The nurse was nice enough to take the preliminary x-rays and get the paperwork done ahead of time. We were also able to meet one of the VA chaplains and take care of some other items which will make getting taken care of there that much easier.

Following that, we drove back into Nebraska and did some shopping and dining in Scottsbluff. It was nice but, goodness was it hot! We drove back to Sidney where we will begin the task of getting ourselves and Charles' office ready for the movers.

We are so looking forward to getting started on these tasks!

Tuesday and the clock is ticking

Here it is - Tuesday and the the clock is ticking for the beginning of our new life in Sidney! We are laying low just now, the heat that is covering the west makes doing much of anything outdoors in the afternoons just downright unpleasant!

This morning we took advantage of this time to rest to arrange for the delivery of our household goods and to make a few other necessary calls. Belinda enjoyed the quiet of the hotel, working on Parsonage Connection items and re-charging her batteries.

Charles in the meanwhile couldn't resist the opportunity for one more excursion. He found an incredible park southwest of Cheyene that offered trail rides. Thinking that knowing how to ride a horse might be a useful skill to have in western Nebraska, he went for a two hour ride (on a beautiful mare named "Komodo"). Belinda was certainly glad that he had gone on the ride without her, riding for two hours on a horse isn't exactly her cup of tea!!!!

Tomorrow we handle some appointments in Cheyene before heading east one more time!

Starting the week in Ogallala

There are just a few days remaining before we move into our new home in Sidney! Wow, the past five months have flown by and now we can look forward to starting the next chapter together.

We started the day at the First UMC in Ogallala (about an hour east of Sidney). Charles is going to be preaching at their two services this coming Sunday, filling the temporary gap in the pulpit. We met the staff and had a good time hearing about that church's connection with the church in Sidney. We had worshipped there on the Sunday before Annual Conference and so it will be nice to conclude our "vacation" with worship with these wonderful people!

After that it was on the road, this time to Sidney, where we dropped off the last of our boxes that had been sent to Rob's in Monument (Belinda's brother). We caught Marilee and Bea painting Charles' new office! It was so nice chatting with Brenda and Emily (Brenda led the recent VBS effort at Sidney), Marilee Rowan (the Lay Care Giver), and Bill and Bea (who are involved in some incredible mission work). We enjoyed our time with them a bunch and ended up sharing a lunch at the Pizza Hut and meeting more folks from Sidney.

We ran a few errands in town before setting off for Wyoming and some appointments in Cheyene. We found a nice place to stay just south of the city and are looking forward to some rest before the action really heats up on Friday (when our household goods are delivered).

The Weekend in Ft. Morgan

Well, here we are, at the brink of our new life in Sidney, Nebraska! What a journey it has been, and while there are still some things to take care of this week before the move into the parsonage, we are so ready to get started!!!

Saturday morning in Monument, CO was spent getting everything re-packed and ready for the last week on the road. In the afternoon, we drove first to Englewood, CO (just south of Denver) to the Cokesbury store, where we picked up a few items and met a fellow clergy-person from Alliance, NE! Small world!
Then it was on to Ft. Morgan, where we had been invited to spend the evening with the Rev. Phil & Joanne Tarman. Phil is the pastor of First UMC of Ft. Morgan, the church where Charles was to preach the next day. Turns out that Phil knew Charles' Aunt Joyce as did several others we met at the church.

Today was a FULL day - worship services at 8:00, 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. and an indoor picnic with Phil, Joanne and Phil's charming mother (who enjoyed watching the US Open with Charles & Phil). We had a great time at each of the services, and the congregation there was wonderful.

After the service, Phil took us by the boyhood home of Glen Miller! It was a treat, and next time we pass that way, we'll be sure to look around this charming town more!

Tonight we are in Big Springs, NE, just east of Sidney. Tomorrow we will drop off the boxes (in Sidney) that we brought from Monument (we had some things in storage at the Hammitt house). Then it is on to Cheyene, Wyoming, where we have some VA matters to attend to.

Hope your Father's Day weekend was a good one and your week to come is a great one!

Slow down on Friday

After the climb to the top of Pike's Peak yesterday, we decided to keep it simple today and after running some errands and grabbing a bite to eat, we headed back to Monument to wait out the heat of the day.

Tomorrow we'll pack up again and head north, back to Ft. Morgan where Charles will be praching at the UMC there on Sunday (at all three services!). Then we're heading north again, this time for Cheyene, Wyoming where we have some tasks to attend to before going home to Sidney!

Pike's Peak, or Bust!

Today's weather is the sort of weather that people move to Colorado to experience. We took advantage of it by venturing out and taking the Cog Train to the top of Pike's Peak!

We arrived at the train station in Manitou Springs, located at the base of the mountain, and took our seats for the ride to the top of the 14,110 foot tall mountain! The Cog Train (http://www.cograilway.coom/) is really cool and takes nearly 1.5 hours to reach the top. Along the way the views are spectacular with Colorado Springs, the Garden of the Gods and Kansas all within sight.

Upon reaching the top, we took some pictures, and enjoyed the views and the snow that still covers the top of Pike's Peak. Although it was 29 F at the top, it didn't feel that cold.

Tomorrow looks to be rainy again, so who knows what we'll end up doing!

Oh, the Places We Go!

Yesterday was a rainy day here in Colorado, just the right weather for some shopping in Colorado Springs and getting some rest in the Hammitt abode in Monument.

Today, Charles struck out on his own, covering a good swath of central Colorado while Belinda took advantage of the quiet to take care of herself with a time to rest and relax.

Charles drove west early this morning, heading for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (http://www.nps.gov/blca. The route along US-50 takes in some of the most beautiful scenery you can imagine. Watching rafters on the Arkansas River and seeing a herd of Big Horn Sheep (on the way back) made the drive really special. The park itself isn't as well-known as some of the National Parks we've been to on this trip, but it was well-worth the effort to get there.

The last stop for Charles on the way back to Belinda in Monument was the Royal Gorge Park and Bridge (www.royalgorgebridge.com). This is the tallest suspension bridge in the world (over 1,000 feet) and also the longest aeriel tram. Charles went there partially because this is the sort of place that Belinda wouldn't find that much fun!

Tomorrow looks to be a beautiful day, so come back and see what we do with it!

Here we are in Monument, CO

Today was a slow day for us, a much needed time to recharge the batteries and start sorting through the items we picked up at Annual Conference.

One nice thing we were able to do was to take Belinda to the JCPenny salon to get her hair done. (A perm was on her "to do" list.)

We drove around Colorado Springs and marvelled at ALL the construction that he is going on around here. Wow! There are new housing subdivisions and shopping centers all underway.

We thank God for being able to stay in a home, put our feet up and relax. It is a very welcome time-out before we begin all the activity involved with setting up a new household, getting acquainted with a new church-home and learning about our new town-home of Sidney!

Sunday in Colorado

Today went nothing like we had anticipated it would, it was even better!

We spent the night in Fort Morgan, CO last night, enjoying the quiet rest after the rush that was Annual Conference. This morning, we emerged into a rather warm day and made our way to the First UMC of Ft. Morgan for their 11:00 a.m. service. We were really impressed with this church, very friendly people in a beautiful setting. This is a church that really gets the radical hospitality that is needed today.

It turns out that the pastor, Rev. Phil, knew Charles' Uncle Richard and Aunt Joyce and had even served the church Aunt Joyce attends in Loveland, CO! We ended up eating lunch with them after church with others from the church at a cute Chinese restaurant. Then we got invited to go back to their house and then went with them to see Shrek3. What wonderful people! To make things even better, Charles got invited to come back next week and preach at all three services at the church! What a terrific day!

Following that, we headed south and west to the Hammitt family home in Monument, CO (Belinda's brother Rob & family live here). We are house-sitting for them while they visit friends and family in Texas. It was a lovely drive with plenty of wildlife along the way to spice-up the drive. We even saw a coyote trot across the road as we approached the house. It was so cool!

Now we're tucked into the house, a real treat for us after so many nights on the road. No telling what the week will bring, so come on back and see for yourself!

The week that was in Lincoln

The whoosh that was Annual Conference has run it's course and now we can summarize the results!

Having arrived in Lincoln on Monday, we went to the Cornhusker Hotel on Tuesday and offered our help with the preparation of packets of materials for those attending. It was fun being part of the "behind the scenes" gang!

Wednesday - The Conference began with the Clergy session in the morning followed quickly by a flurry of lunches, meetings, and of course, browsing the stalls and Cokesbury offerings!!! The highlight of the first day of Conference is the Memorial service that evening at St. Paul UMC in Lincoln. A wonderful experience and the singing was very moving.

Thursday - The Conference continued with sessions in the morning and then we had break-out groups that met to discuss petitions and resolutions that were being presented to the Annual Conference and to next year's General Conference.

Friday - We continued with the plenary sessions in the morning and workshops in the afternoon. The highlight of Friday is always the Ordination Service in the evening. It sure brings back some powerful memories of Charles' own ordination in 1996!

Saturday - The Conference concluded with the completion of the voting for the delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conference and other pending business. The best part was the "fixing" of the clergy appointments and the meeting in our new district groups. Charles got selected for three committees and is really looking forward to being involved in these. Belinda was very busy in the morning with a gathering of "The Parsonage Connection," this is an association of clergy spouses that offers support to one another in their challenging role!

We left Lincoln, heading west for Colorado where we will stay for the coming week in Monument (housesitting for Belinda's brother, Rob). We are so looking forward to unpacking and getting to work in Sidney in less than two weeks!

Tuesday in Lincoln

Yesterday, we ran a few more errands in this wonderful capitol city of Nebraska.

We stopped by and visited with the staff of the Lincoln District Office of the Nebraska Conference of the United Methodist Church. It was wonderful to see them again! While there, we helped assemble some packets of info for a meeting which will take place in this week's church conference.

We had lunch in downtown Lincoln, and then we shopped around a bit in the Haymarket area of downtown. After checking into the Cornhusker Hotel, we enjoyed meeting up with old friends and acquaintances. We attended our first meeting of the week, learning about how to improve the financial base of a church, so more ministries can happen. We helped someone who was staying late to set up one of the meeting rooms, so she could be done for the day.

Today is the start of the conference! We are SO excited to finally be at the church's annual conference. It means that we are almost "home" to Sidney! (Just a few more stops along the way, and we will be "there!" Praise be to God!!!)

Every blessing to YOU... Love, Belinda (who is writing this blog entry)

Monday in Lincoln

We rested bit today, after the long drives of the past two days. We needed to! There were a few errands to run this morning and evening, which we were able to complete with all the amenities of the big city available to us.

In the middle of the afternoon, we went to the Cornhusker Hotel, site of the Annual Conference sessions, to help out with the assembly of packets of materials for the conference attendees. We had a great time, the fellowship of the volunteers was terrific, and the work was done in quick order.

Having a simple day was a treat in itself. The next few days will be full of meetings and conference activities, so it was nice to be able to take it slowly for a change.

Tomorrow, the fun begins!

Back in Lincoln!

Hard to believe, but we are back in Lincoln, NE, ready for the coming Nebraska Annual Conference session (of NE's UMC).

We went to church this morning in Ogallala, NE at the UMC there and enjoyed the fellowship very much. It really was a chance to get ourselves centered before the busy week that lay before us. Following that, we continued east on I-80, bound for Lincoln!

Along the way, as we approached North Platte, we noticed a sign for the Buffalo Bill Ranch (www.byways.org/explore/byways/16472/places/32281). Since we had visited several sites associated with this famous showman on our trip, we thought it fitting to take in one more before it was all said and done. The home is a delightful example of Buffalo Bill's taste and expansive travels and was a real treat to see in person.

Then it was back on the road for the final push into the capitol city of Nebraska - Lincoln. We arrived, got settled into a hotel for the next two nights (before moving into the conference's hotel location), and then enjoyed the peace that comes from a journey nearly completed.

Stay tuned this week for news from the Annual Conference sessions!

Yellowstone recap

We enjoyed our time at Yellowstone National Park (www.nps.gov/yell), Thursday afternoon though Saturday morning! Unfortunately, there was no internet access at the lodges we stayed in so this will have to serve as a recap of those days!

Thursday morning - We started our day with a terrific visit to the Buffal Bill Cody Historical Center (www.bbhc.org), a wonderful place with five museums! We explored three of them and really soaked up the impact this famous American had on this region and the world!

Thursday afternoon- We drove from Cody, WY, along the beautiful route to the park, arriving there in the late afternoon. There was a lot of road work being done on the road at the park's eastern entrance, so it took awhile to get to our lodge in Grant Village. Having gotten there, we rested a bit and then enjoyed the repaste at the restaurant down by Lake Yellowstone. We did see a number of bison on the way in, as well as white pelicans and a Pine Martin at the visitors' center.

Friday - We sampled the breakfast fare down by the lake and then launched into a full-scale drive around the park. There is a road that allows one to do a figure-eight route that takes in just about everything you could want to see. We made numerous stops and, of course, saw lots of geysers and breath-taking scenery. The highlight was an encounter on Wabash Mountain with a group of five bison ambling along the road. They blocked the traffic for quite awhile, and it took a bit of nerve to pass them as opportunity allowed!!!

Arriving at the lodge for the second night, at The Old Faithful Inn, we got settled in and rested a bit before exploring the geyser field that lays around the inn. We had an early supper in the inn's historic dinning room and then took in a ranger-led presentation that featured an erruption of the famous gesyer, Old Faithful. Even knowing what you are going to see, it still is exciting to see it in person!

Saturday - We took in an excellent tour of the inn, built in 1904, learning all sorts of fascinating tidbits and getting to know this famous site a bit better. Our tour guide was Ruth from Kansas, and she did a splendid job! After that, it was a meandering journey out of the park, crossing the Continental Divide and seeing more of this incredible place.

We next drove into the Grand Teton National Park (www.nps.gov/grte), a breathtaking place with so many things to take in. We didn't stay long though, a long drive back to Nebraska awaited us and so we continued on our way.

The drive across Wyoming was beautiful, if not a little tiring, and we eventually ended up in Ogallala, NE. On Sunday we finish the drive to Lincoln and get ourselves ready for Annual Conference!