Day 71 in Wyoming...

This morning we left Colorado and headed north.  There was still considerable snow on the fields around the Fort Collins area (northeast Colorado).  Winds were picking up and we experienced gusts of 50+ mph.  Not too fun when you have a camper on top of the truck.  We were traveling through the High Plains of eastern Wyoming.  This is cowboy county, where the deer and the antelope play and where tumbleweeds tumble along the wide open spaces.  En route we saw a jackalope :) no kidding, here is proof.

We made it to a RV park in Casper,  Wyoming.  Glad to stop for a while and rest before we head further north again.

let it snow...

We arrived safely in Denver, the mile high city as it was just starting to rain.  The forecasts kept telling us about a winter storm that was supposed to come in later in the evening.  Sure enough, during the night we saw the grass covered in a thin layer of snow and by the time we got up this morning everything was covered with a 2 inch layer of snow.  It is still snowing as we are typing this message.  The good thing is that this is not a travel day.  We are staying with Howard's brother and his wife and enjoying a relaxing day.  Tomorrow we hope to head out again towards Colorado Springs.  The snow is supposed to end by late afternoon and by tomorrow it should be much better for traveling.  Enjoy the snow pictures.

on the road again...

It is day 67 already!  And we are on the road again and on the way to Colorado.  We just heard that there is a winter storm awaiting us tonight in Denver.  Hopefully we arrive this afternoon and will avoid the snow.  We left very early this morning, had breakfast in York, Nebraska and got on the road again.  But we both felt pretty tired so now we are pulled over at a rest stop just passed Kearney for a little nap in the camper.  What a great joy to have our little home with us.

Our time with our daughter Jen and her family was wonderful and restful.  It was so good to spend time with the grandkids.  We played games, taught carving, archery, knitting and sewing, to name a few of the activities.  We had good talks and we are so grateful to God for allowing us this time with our family.  Jen has four children and the youngest is just about 9 months old.  The last time I (Jannie) saw her she was a newborn.  Arriving is always such a joyous occasion, but the departures are never easy.  Someday when we all get to heaven we won't have to say those goodbyes and we will experience the true joy of loving relationships and fellowship with one another.

In Iowa...

It is day 58 of our furlough travels.  The last few weeks have been busy with meetings and we find ourselves getting a little weary now.  It was so good to visit with so many friends in Illinois the past couple of weeks.  We leave with mixed feelings, since we know that it will be some time again before we will meet them again.  The camper has been a wonderful little 'haven' in between meetings.  We are enjoying the cooler temperatures and the ever changing colors of the leaves.  Last week we made a little side trip to Starved Rock, Illinois.  When we lived in Illinois we would visit this State Park several times a year.  Remembering times when we would be bringing our picnic lunch and the kids would run ahead on the trails.  In spite of the rainy weather we had a nice time and we treated ourselves to a nice lunch at the lodge.

Today we decided to get a head start on our travels to northwestern Iowa.  We left mid-afternoon and only traveled a couple of hours.  We found a campground along the route near Davenport.  It is nice to be able to pull in, cook supper and relax in a nice warm camper.  The little heater is keeping us toasty warm on the cooler nights.  The truck has been holding up well so far.  Having internet is nice, so we can check our e-mail and write brief updates.

In a couple of days we hope to be with our daughter Jen and her family in Omaha and we can't wait to see them.  We look forward to our time with the grandchildren.  
Thanks for praying for us as we continue on our journey.

Still on the road...

We are at day 53 of our journey throughout the States.  The times of visiting with family and friends and church family has been busy but good.  We do find ourselves at times wondering where we are when we wake up in the morning.  We have parked in so many different driveways in Minnesota, Wisconsin and now Illinois.  This is a wonderful time of year to be traveling in the Midwest States.  The weather has been unusually warm.  No need for heat at night yet.  The fall colors are incredibly beautiful with the vivid reds, oranges and yellow dotting the landscapes.  We enjoy our drives between places and find it a treat to see the ever changing beauty in nature.
We are glad for a few days of rest in between the meetings.  Howard's back was acting up about a week ago, but he is doing better now.  He is out walking in the woods, finding wood for arrows and bows.  He is actually working on making a bow.  It is a wonderful treat to have a time to retreat and be refreshed.  God continues to be so good to us and ministers his love to us through the wonderful people we are meeting on this trip.  Thank you for praying for us, you are a blessing in our lives.