This past year has been filled with many things. Growth and love, joy and learning, struggles and baby snuggles!

Looking back on the year 2017 gives me such a mix of feelings, but the one that stands out to me most is the feeling of thankfulness.

Again and again, God has proven His faithfulness. Without fail, He has provided for our every need.

We look forward with anticipation to the things this New Year will bring. New adventures. New opportunities to learn and grow. New things to see, and new places to go.

(You never know what will happen next, especially with a little baby around. ;))

May you be blessed in this coming New Year.

-Nikki

We got to the camp site after dark. Our plan was to be there when there was still enough light to set up our camp, however things never go as planned, so there we were in the dark looking for fire wood and setting up the tent.

Trying to find good fire wood in the dark is like find one certain needle in a haystack full of needles! I’m holding the flashlight in my mouth while using my hatchet to make manageable size logs for me to carry to camp. Mad skills. Meanwhile Nikki is trying to set up our tent by herself by the light of the Jeep. All the while Willow is not having any fun.

Having a baby is really wonderful, we enjoy being parents more than anything else. It also makes us grow and learn more about ourselves and God. Willow has been an amazing little girl. We love her dearly. She also is very chill, which we also are very thankful for. For all her chill-ness (if that’s a word) she still has her moments and this was one of them. I understand completely though, I would probably be upset if all the sudden I was out in the dark, cold weather, while my parents were busy doing something else that I did not understand.

We ended up setting up everything successfully, making a fire, cooking hot dogs and having a very good evening. I think Willow enjoyed the trip, next time we will plan a little more though.

This was a very spur of the moment trip for us. We had been wanting to go camping for a month or so but the weather had been cold. I looked at the weather that afternoon and decided that this was our chance!

It was a very enjoyable trip. In the morning we had oatmeal and coffee then we went for a walk, drove to a fire tower, then headed home. Very glad we went.

-Evan