the journey ends

Time with Minda

 I have a photo session Sunday in Springhill and wanted to check out the locale before the day.  What a GORGEOUS day it was!  I almost wished we could have done the shoot right then.  
Minda has become mm nearly-constant companion these days.  Running errands, photoshoots, even just quick grocery runs (because I'm out of floss and it's bugging me!) she throws on a jacket to ride along. 

 This day was no different.  We shot this for Josh.  That is Ross Peak behind Malinda and it was Josh's fave when he was here. Miss that fella.  The snow out here was knee deep, but untouched.  It was pristine!  I can't wait to shoot some lovers out here!  WooHoo!

Then came the drive home.  Neither of our other kids had to go someplace special to learn to drive.  We lived in the boonies (sorta) and just practiced going and coming on the backroads until they felt ready to conquer traffic.  Minda, however, has had her permit since August or Sept. and this was the first time she got to drive (Other than once from our driveway to a stop sign.  That experience made me say, "I think we need to go out of populated areas before you try that again."). 
Still a tad nerve wracking for Mama even on the 25 MPH roadway with no cars to be seen (she likes to hug the shoulder... or piggyback ride it... or she is intensely polarized by the center yellow line...) but, we made it.  She's ready for round 2.

Dred-ed take 2!

I decided to try a different approach to loading photos.

We seperated her hair into even sections.

With the lock powder and comb we set to work, back combing and teasing.

This was one of the first days. Reid thought they were awesome! Couldn't take his eyes off her!

Then we waxed them, and rubbed them. I need to take some new shots, because they are locking up really nicely. We are a little over a week into this journey and she is still in love with them. She just put her first "bead" in yesterday. Its a rock she found on a beach years ago the the tide had worn a hole through. It's pretty awesome!
I have two favorite stories so far.

Minda went to visit our local Bible college. She and Cassia toured one afternoon just after we had finished her dreds. Minda loves to dress 'colorfully'. She wears her Korean bird whistle always, and this day she added beaded earrings by reJeneration, a tie-dyed wrap skirt in earthtones and embroidery, and a head scarf that she didn't wrap her dreds in but just used as a long, flowing headband. Cassia is describing her siblings to the lady who is giving them the tour. "Tofer is musically gifted, and is also really good at sports. I enjoy music too. and Malinda is our artsy one. She creates things and draws and paints..."

The whole time that Cassia is saying this about Min, the lady has turned to Minda and is slowly going head to toe and back again with her eyes and nodding her head. Then she says, "Yah. Yah. I can see that about you, you sorta ooooze creativity." :oD

Moments later they were continuing their tour and met the administrator and president of the college. The administrator was 1st. Seeing Malinda he said, "Wow! I like your hair." (it looked a lot like it did in the photo with Reid) Minda thanked him and they continued to talk until the president came up and introduced himself. As he shook hands with Minda he simply told her his name and she told him hers and his eyes were glued to 'the hair'... the administrator pipes in with, "Yah, but he doesn't like your hair." and the president, sputtering, says, "Hey! Hey now, yes I do! Stop teasing me..." and then proceeds to tell Minda how he heard when Bob Marley died they found a new species of insect in his dreds... :oD

What is so funny to me is that in every other arena of Bozeman she doesn't stick out at a bit.

At The Co-op the day after we did them, when they were stilla mass of fluff and looking like a rats nest, one of the guys commented that they were going to be amazing and they looked great! HA HA!

I'll post more photos as they baby dreds mature. They already look more at home on her head. She has washed them twice and we rub and palm roll them whenever we feel like it. By Joel's wedding in October she is going to have great lookin' Locks!

Dred-ed!

Minda and I both have been wanting dreds for several years. She, however is young and can pull off anything outrageous and make it look cute. After graduation, she ordered a kit of organic wax & powder and a comb & we went to work!

(STILL WON"T LET ME LOAD PHOTOS!!!! GRRRRRRRRRR!)

A Time to Let Go

(Card made by my friend Danni ~ she is so awesome!)There is a time and a season for everything under Heaven. This is a season of change for the Pauls. Change in job, location, and of seeing at least 2 of our 3 young adults off to college.
Last week was full of college apps, transcripts, references, and essays in the Paul household. Finding out that the deadline for applications to the college they wanted to apply to was 3 days away sent us into a scurry. Each of them needed 3 references, + 4 500 word essays (that's 2000 words each!) on different subjects!! Besides the fact that we had to order SAT scores to be sent and move money from their college funds into my bank account so I could pay the fees. In the end it all came together. God allowed all the people we needed references from to be home and available, for us to be able to file the app online so the deadline postmark was achieved and each of them were able to quickly write out 2000 words on the required subjects. Amazing!

Reading their essays, after they had been sent, brought tears. I love my kids. As parents, we aren't always sure we are doing a very good job; constantly questioning God's decision to allow us to be part of raising these little souls. We have had many that have told us we how wonderful they think our kids are, but when I read it their own words, words uncoerced and without knowing I would even read them, of how they feel we did, I was humbled. An odd sense of wonder filled me. Wonder at all the struggles, discipline, the talks, frustrations, & hard decisions being worth the cost because of the joy. I have a little more experiential knowledge of how Jesus felt in enduring the cross for the joy set before Him.

I asked their permission to post them here. It's more for me. This is our family blog where I put memories and thoughts, struggles and triumphs. This, to me, was a triumph. I want it preserved - because something tells me there are more struggles ahead. (2 Peter 1:15, Heb. 10:32-38)
I am pasting them here as they wrote them - no corrections...

Tofer's Essays - in snippets:

I have grown up in a Christian home (both parents being Christians). My relationship with my parents is more than a lot of guys my age have. My dad & I are a team when we are together. Though our wills clash and we butt heads sometimes, I never doubt his love for me. My mom is an amazing woman of God, & I know I often take her for granted. She is there for me when I am down, always, and expects nothing in return for the constant outpouring into my life.
For the most part I am submissive to authority and function well under leadership. I believe God has placed authority in everyone’s life to keep order, structure, & discipline in community. Without it the community is in the highest danger of failure and doomed to chaos. A family is not complete without a father and mother. The Father should lead and love his household according to Christ’s standards. The mother should lead the family in unity with and in submission to the father. Lastly, the children should come under the authority that God has placed in their lives. The past 2 years have been a trial and a joy as my dad took the role of Worship Pastor here in Bozeman. I never expected what God had in store for me or my family when He brought us here. God showed me through my dad and other men of God that pride, jealousy, bitterness, and anger were in my life just beneath the surface. Those things were brought into the light and dealt with. I let a lot of things go, and am learning to not hold onto wrongs done to me and to lay down my pride & get comfortable with confessing sins and asking for forgiveness.
As a family we take a Sabbath. It is very important to us to let God recreate His life within us as we rest in Him, #1 because He commands it and #2 because it is a necessity.
I write a lot of music. My dad and my sister join me every once in awhile to write a verse or a chorus with me. Music has always been a part of my family.
I say this, not out of pride but, because it is the truth - as a family we pour our time and energy into the church.
I have 2 sisters, one older, one younger. They are a joy to me and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
God is my everything. I couldn’t live without Him. I have a passion to see those who don’t know Him come to the realization that they need a savior. They are blind to who He is and what He has done. I want to help them see. With that said, I want my life to be that of a missionary! My commitment to Him is full and always will be, by His grace.
Grace is what I am most thankful for. I am just beginning to grip the value and necessity of it.
As for my history with drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and pornography, I don’t really have one. I’ve never craved sin. I have craved adventure, adrenaline, and attention. However, the more I continue to know God, the easier it is to let go of earthly ‘feel goods’ & set my desires on Christ alone. I’m done testing out sin for myself, heeding the warnings of The Word and other in my life.
As with any ‘walk’ of forward, ongoing motion I pray that my spiritual walk with God will always be just that. On May 24th, 2000 I received Christ into my heart, though I had asked Him to save me from Hell when I was 3 years old, I had suddenly come to the realization of who Christ is and what He did for me (though, I still don’t fully understand it). I know, beyond a shadow of doubt that I am a Christian. A sinner who was saved by grace, through the cross of Jesus Christ, in pursuit of glorifying my Lord. (Which includes bringing others to a saving knowledge of Him, listening and following His calling on my life, &, in that, being a positive example for others to follow.) Because I professed with my mouth that Jesus is Lord of my life, & I believe in my heart that He is risen from the dead after taking the sins of the world upon Himself and conquering them through the obedience of death, I know that I am a Christian.
The Word of God is my light and my way, my guide for (I wish I could name them) all my decisions. It’s a comfort & a challenge, an inspiration & a joy, it’s the only Truth in which I place my trust, it’s firm & never fails to keep me on the right path!
My prayer life needs improvement, and always will, but I am learning to live my life as a constant prayer unto God. Thinking of Him more often, consulting Him for everyday wisdom, learning His will, and walking in accuracy and alignment with His plan for my life. I’m not ashamed of prayer. In a large group I can be bold and pray out and feel comfortable, but I enjoy seeking the Lord in my room with the door shut as well. I love talking to God, knowing He is right there with me.

Growing up, like most kids, I dreamed big. NBA, NFL, CIA or FBI were on my list! I began to let go of those dreams as I got older and realized that what I viewed as successful and important wasn’t God’s view of those things. When I first read the scripture, “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations”, I started to get excited and a dream started to form in my heart of a life of adventure in God’s plan.
As I got older, the kindling of the desire to be on the mission field grew in intensity through studying Christ’s life here on earth. I began to see that people were His mission in life. He would always stop to talk, heal, preach, & encourage; sharing the love of their Maker with them.


Cassia's Essays - in snippets:

Both of my parents gave their hearts to God long before I was born and, now 18 years later, they are more His than ever. They’ve had heated disagreements in the past but always sought reconciliation. Forgiving, forgetting and moving on afresh. Mom and Dad have always seen parenthood as season of fashioning arrows who, when their shot out, hit the mark. They made a decision even before they had kids to homeschool. And as of this May my Mom will have taken all three of us through our senior year in Highschool. My dad has worked long weeks for as long as I can remember so that my mom can be home, but takes his responsibility of Father and not just provider seriously. He’s constantly speaking truth and love into our lives.

Both of my parents have never been shy to discipline us when they’ve seen a need for it. We grew up being taught that honoring and respecting the authority figures in our lives was indispensable and didn’t enjoy the consequences when we chose to disregard this. I’ve always appreciated the people who have held positions of authority within my life , and have been blessed that the said men and women have really sought to love me and been individuals of integrity.

In our family we often do devotions of our own throughout the week but like to gather together for them as well. We also recognize a Sabbath every week. On these days we make a point to be alone with God and each other, taking a brake from work and allowing God to recreate us and breath on our relationships with eachother. It’s been a time to being still as well as a time to celebrate who He is and what He’s done/ is doing. We definitely haven’t always been the perfect family or example but God has continually been alive and at work in our home, and each year finds us closer to God and each other.

I became a PK just before turning 17 and have grown up within the church. I love the body Christ and am so thankful to have had that privilege. I wish there was a lot less confusing religion with the Gospel however. A lot fewer facades and a lot more vulnerability between each other. Something that God’s been teaching me is that the more acquainted and accepting we become with ourselves the better were able to know Him and be used by Him. We should know who we are without Christ and who we are as redeemed sons and daughters of God. Familiar and at peace with our strengths and weaknesses. Knowing and rejoicing in the promise God made when He told Paul : “My grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

I’m told by my parents that Jesus came to live in me when I was about 3, following a brief question and answer exchange around our dinner table :

[from my highchair] “How does Jesus come into our hearts?”

Momma: “By us asking Him to. And, (with a comforting smile) you will when your ready.”

Wherein, hardly missing a beat, I bowed my head and proceeded to tell Jesus I loved Him, asking him to “please, come into my heart”.

As the years progressed and I became better aware of what that petition entailed, I never regretted making it. I became more and more fascinated with Jesus. The things he taught and the life He lived. Horrified at the death we were guilty of helping Him suffer. Yet in spite of this I subconsciously entertained the belief that salvation was something to be earned. The result was a very religious, self righteous young lady. All this time however, I hadn’t been able to grasp the truth that God really desires to be in relationship with His children.

During my 13th summer I attended camp with my youth group and all the seeds that my parents had been sowing in my heart concerning the relationship factor of walking with Jesus sprang up. By the time I returned He wasn’t just my Lord, He was fastly becoming my best friend.

There’s definitely something to be said for not simply knowing God in your head but also in your heart. You can only love someone so much when your not in relationship with them and the love that was ignited in my heart towards God, through our new found friendship, was deep and transforming.

I wish I could say that from that time forward I ceased to sin or obsess about being the perfect Christian, but I can’t.The growth I’ve experienced since then, however, has been tremendous.Slowly but surely God began the process of uprooting all my convenient deceptions, convicting my heart about the things in my life that were pulling at our relationship, and directing my focus off of me onto Him. Truth has been setting me free.

As far as continuing to cultivate my heart goes,it’s been amazing actually experiencing and realizing that the Bible is alive and life giving…I need it. I suffer when I’m not feeding it to my heart and allowing it to renew my mind.
Just as imperative for me is prayer. When I’m not consistently seeking God through prayer my relationship with Him becomes handicapped and my heart grows less soft. Prayer also helps me put things in back in perspective and see the bigger picture.

I’m still a work in progress and always will be, but my heart is hopelessly lost to my King and I am thoroughly enjoying the adventure of being His daughter.

Final Goodbyes

Last Sunday at AF. There should have been a lot more camera flashes, but I get shy about saying, "Let me get a picture!" The girls, however, were alread standing close by and it seemed only natural to have them lean in. Hopefully, this week, as we gather with friends for final goodbyes, I'll get my courage up a bit. Why does it feel so intrusive to ask for that benefit /favor? Minda will cherish this photo in years to come and so will the rest of the girls. Yet, when it comes to being forward and requesting the honor of capturing the moment, I feel embarrased and graceless. I get butterflies just thinking about it! aaauuuggghhh!

Misadventures of Mr. Bumbo

Not sure what came over my sweet little girl. We've gone from petite fairies to a tiny Play Doh man who is always having some misfortune befall him. She calls him Mr. Bumbo. A snake has him wrapped in his coils - about to strike, He is sinking in quicksand, has been shot with an arrow, Is about to be smashed into an Adidas tread pattern, gets abducted by aliens, and nailed by a rogue hammer.

Who would have thought that buying clay for a science lab would lead to afternoons filled with Bumbo's pain?

slow beginnings

I've been struggling this week with what to post. Life is normal. Probably much the same as yours. We are waking up, making beds, getting breakfast, doing schoolwork, shoveling snow, going to work, making dinner, letting the dog in and out, and trying to stay in contact with friends and family from the warmth of our own home...
Kate and Kara came over to hang out with Tofer and Minda. But I'm falling down on my phototog-y-ness. I got no photos of them or of the muffins (I also added cinnamon and orange zest) I made for them while the played games. Nor did I phtotograph the process of making the Sundried Tomato/Garlic Hummus.
A new friend of Tofer's, Andrew, came over to jam while we were at small group - hence, no photos of them either.
I did manage to shoot a little snow removal, and Tofer helping out with worship at "The Gathering" last night. The Gathering is our churches vehicle to get new people together and plugged into small groups so they can build relationships. We worship, eat, and connect.
I love this shot. Tof just slipped on my grampa's old insulated long johns over his jeans! Nobody would have known they weren't snowpants, probably, if I hadn't said something, but it so reminded me of my childhood on the farm, I just had to say something!Minda bought snowboots! She hasn't owned a pair since we moved here 2 years ago. I had looked and looked for a pair for Christmas but couldn't find her size in my price range. She combined her other Christmas $ and what I gave her and bought these Kameks. :o)

Matt, Tofer, and Tanner led us in worship last night.

It's Saturday and we are going to try to get Christmas totally put away. I made Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast. The kids have their monthly game night at Luckey's tonight.

Life is rolling slowly along.

December Photo Project - D20

Sledding party! The kids had a few friends over today to sled, board, eat chili, play games, and drink cocoa!

Progress Report

(Cold mornings call for a little sustenance of the warmifying sort, wouldn't you agree?) It's been a long week! Getting back into the rhythm of math has been esp. difficult. Both Tof and Minda have struggled with remembering functions, processes and the manner of execution in Pre-Calc. We have worked as late as 8:30 a couple nights to get a problem set finished. You should see their faces, though, when they get a problem right without asking me for steps or help of any kind! Joy unspeakable, and full of glory!

(Aren't they blessed? What other teacher would make Cocoa for her students on a drizzly morning?)As for the other subjects... Physics is going fantastic! They are understanding and we have even done an experiment. Tof wrote at the end of his Lab Report ~ "This was fun. I didn't want to finish!" :o) Poetry has been a bit of a let down. I've decided I'm definitely NOT a J Weston Walsch fan. What a boring, incomprehensive book. Oh well. The kids are enjoying writing. Demolishing Strongholds has been FABU! As was the Logic in 100 minutes. I'll be researching today to see if I can find some ways to implement much of what Hans and Nathaniel taught. SAT will be Nov. 1. We are continuing to practice and review for that. Vocab bridges is wonderful as well as Wordly Wise. We have our first two tests on Tues. One in Calc. I think I can safely say that the kids would appreciate your prayers. :o)

Cassia's job is going well. She is being stretched, but loves her co-workers and meeting new people everyday. She brings home so many stories to relate at the end of each day. She is so thankful for Sabbath when it comes. The meaning of it has become very poignant ~ a chance to be re-created, to rest from labors.
They are all so ... so ... grown up ~ When did that happen?

In Keeping with Tradition

I finally got all the kids in one place long enough to get this years photos done! B&W is our tradition, but I'll post what they look like in all their Autumn glory too!
A friend recently complained to me that group shots were the pits to photograph - getting everyone looking, & looking good, & finding one that everybody likes... I can empathize. Now that our kids are adults, and have definite opinions, it is a major ordeal to come up with a winner! But here's

2008's Winner's Circle!

(I'm sure glad Cricket doesn't have an opinion too!)

Cassia

Tofer

Minda

The whole crew. (I chose a different shot for our wall, but Cricket was looking so stylin' in this one, I just had to share...)

In for a landing

Earlier this summer the Blanchards had planned a camping trip to the Yellowstone area. Kary'n was going to come stay with us while Jim and Paula traveled through the park, but plans were discombobulated, as they often are in summertime, and we got the call that they weren't coming after all. Kary'n called again though. This time to say that they had a free ticket if she could come stay with us for 11 days! We picked her up Monday at BAP! She was treated to a most amazing sunset that night, & although none of the kids saw it, the Sunrise was also spectacular!Our days, so far, have consisted of lazy mornings, touring the town and countryside in the afternoons, and dinners and games and movies in the evenings. (and of course there has been non-stop giggling and goofiness from these 2!)Waiting for Tof to finish work (sporting their Ross finds from the day before).Going Organic At the Flying C - yes, they are in long sleeves and sweaters, it's been chilly here!Of course we had to do Rockford - both girls got hot coffee because they were cold!We went to the Emmerson Cultural Center. The girls found a trunk full of buttons and plopped down for half an hour to sift through them! Little did they know that a reporter from our local arts paper, The Tributary, was sitting there and asked for photos of the girls doing their treasure hunting for the article coming out in Sept. on the Emmerson! I'll link it when it comes out.Here's the 2 bohemian beauties at a very tea party-ish setting. There were all these fun chairs and flowers and herbs set up outside the Center, so we stopped for a photo-op.Breakfasts have been about 10 AM, filled with laughter and stories, and a little eating...But mostly stories and laughter!

K is here for 4 more days. Today we have a picnic planned out in the Hilyte Canyon, tomorrow is J's and C's day off so who knows what we'll do, Tuesday begins Catapalooza at MSU and we are going out to hand out water bottles and flyers since our church is on campus!

Wed. eve. we have to take her to the airport so I'll spend the day washing her clothes and helping her pack.

It's been such a blessing having her with us. So thankful that I adore my children's friends!

The Seniors 09

Most of our school books arrived yesterday! We are starting earlier than planned because J is (hopefully) taking vacation and we need to be on track with scheduling. So, official start date is Aug 28th. This year we are studying:
Trig & Pre-Calc
Physics + Labs
Poetry
Rhetoric & Logic
Vocabulary
Speech
World View
+ there will be SAT Prep. stuff (practice tests, etc...)
and our reading list includes:
GK Chesterton's Father Brown Stories
Gilgamesh
CS Lewis' science fiction series - ThePerlandria Chronicles
Last of the Mohicans
& some others I can't think of right now :o)

SAT's are in Oct. - Pray for us!

All's Quiet on the Home Front

Jim Hawthorne called J. to ask if he could borrow Tofer for this weeks Jr High camp. They were short the # of male counselors needed for the amount of campers coming in.
Many of you will remember that Tof spent 6 weeks at YAA last summer and another week with Jim and Seth going up and over the Spanish Peaks.
Tof really thrives in this kind of enviorment. Constant busyness. Never a moment to be idle really. He loves the work with the grounds, the kids, the worship, the food - every aspect.
I can totally see him going into this full time when he graduates.

Minda had applied and deeply desired to do the Timothy program this year (what Tof did last summer), but J & I were feeling a strong pull to keep the kids close. We thought this might be Cassia's last summer home, and we were just feeling the need to be family. It's been good, and we are glad we made the decision.

However... when we gave the ok for Tof to counsel, we had to call Jim back and ask if Minda could join the staff as well. Jim graciously said for her to come on up and help in the kitchen. She is on KP for the week and is more excited than a kid in a candy shop! Needless to say, the house is quiet and very low key with only Cassia, Cricket and I here most of the day. Devotions, J comes and goes, we do our chores, snap a few photos and then??? I think I'll go grocery shopping ...
All photos by YAA in summer 2007