Nathan and I celebrated our 10th anniversary in November. Yes, I said 10! In no way do I feel old enough to have been married for 10 years already!

He asked me to marry him on November 3, 2000 on top of Mt. Hosmer overlooking the town of Lansing, Iowa and the Mississippi River Valley. So every year, we attempt to make it back to Lansing to celebrate.

This year, we added a visit to Sugar Creek Bible Camp in Ferryville, WI. A beautiful camp located in a beautiful valley.

I was a camp counselor there the summers of 1999 and 2000.

This is where I spent most of my nights for those two summers…back then they didn’t have electricity. Now, they do. Back then, they had mice. Now I hear they have flying squirrels. I wouldn’t trade it though. Oh, sure, it was always a gamble. You never quite knew what you’d come “home” to in those cabins…but they kind of taught you what you were made of.

To the left is Dick, the executive director of the camp, and on the right is Jake. We were counselors together, and he is now the program director there.

Jake gave us the best tour. Showing us all of the new things that the past 11 years have brought to the camp, all while playing a round of disc golf while walking down the valley and back.

I even got to visit with Gene in the kitchen for a bit, and talk about some Minnesota Viking football.

It had been way too long…and i’ve vowed to make it back there before another 11 years pass by…

I love these ladies…

Not only because they’re my sisters, but because they’re both pretty awesome women.

I only wish I got to see them more…

and that when I did, we didn’t do silly things like take pictures from this angle and make me look like I have a double chin.

So, with the failing of one hard drive, the conversion to the new computer…and all the time and effort it took to move pictures from one to the other…it has been a long time since I’ve posted any pictures or real updates.

So…this post begins a catch up…favorite pictures of fall.

Enjoy!

October was fabulous! It included a trip to Kansas City with Nathan’s sister and her husband and his cousin Matt and his wife. We went for the Chiefs/Vikings game. Although the Vikings were unsuccessful, at least 2/3 of the group left happy. And, it isn’t like I can complain – the Chiefs did beat the Packers this year too.

Wartburg homecoming…with orange foam swords. When you’re between 3 and 5, it rarely gets more exciting than this!

Picking out pumpkins is always a treat – our rule: if you can carry it, you can have it.

Ellie taking the “can you carry it” test.

They could not wait to break out the sled! Leaves were close enough to snow I guess.

We ended October as The Super Friesens for Halloween.

I was so close to blogging this morning…

So close…

Pictures picked out and everything.

And then…failure.

I was attempting to move some pictures to a jump drive so I could load them to the blog at work. Yes, I was going to do it at work – I will be here for 10 hours today…so I was thinking during a particularly slow time i could get a few pictures up and finish the text tonight and viola…we’d have a blog post.

Well, it was not to be. The computer wouldn’t recognize my jump drive and when I attempted to put them on a different one, the computer froze.

I was frustrated.

Frustrated with the computer. Frustrated that it was 9:07 and I had planned on leaving around 9:10, and frustrated that my 3 year old was not putting his boots on like I’d asked him to.

So…question of the day…

Does close count? Is it truly the thought that counts? Do I ever really have to follow through, or are good intentions good enough?

Last night, I was sitting in the recliner at approximately 7 pm when it struck me that I had forgotten to pull books for someone at the library. This patron was sending her husband in to pick them up for her and I told her they’d be waiting.

I dropped the ball…but I had good intentions.

It’s like asking for forgiveness constantly. I meant to, but…   I tried, but…

And then…in asking for grace, I think of my children, whom I should probably show more grace. They try. They mean to. Sometimes they just don’t get it done.

Interesting questions for the day I guess.

Thoughts?

So, the day after I post that I want to worry less and get rid of some anxiety, I pick this up at the library…

seriously, people?

I haven’t read it yet…

We’ll see what wise words of wisdom it gives me.