It's that time of year again, and it was a glorious morning in the duck-boat. Beautiful sunrise, ducks in the air, and time to enjoy stillness and silence. While this morning was not all that successful in terms of ducks in the bag, this beautiful wood duck makes it all worth it. Prompted a great conversation for Derek and I, as we consistently marvel at God's artistry.

On what was supposed to be a trip to Vermont, we recently spent an afternoon at Packer Training Camp (transmission flaw just miles from home). The team is looking solid, outside of the unknowns at running back and tight-end. Watched Favre throw darts into the end-zone for multiple touchdowns, so it should be fun to watch him crack record after record this season. Go Pack!

Happy Aniversary Ryan! It feels just like a day...underwater!
:) :)

What a great weekend! We traveled up to the cabin in Minoqua for relaxation and fun on the lake! We met up with Jerry, Eric, Lindsay, Teresea, Rich and the boys for some summer fun. We managed to get some skiing, tubing, swimming, and a few boat rides (Lucy's first!) in during the weekend. The boys played golf and we met them at a cute little restraunt on Lake Tomahawk for lunch. Then it was back to the cabin for more relaxing. On Saturday night, we set off fireworks and caught up with each other. We had such a great time! Below are just some of the many pictures we took of the weekend, but these are some of my favorites.




A perfect day on the lake!

Camping fun!

This weekend we had the chance to enjoy the beautiful weather by camping in Wild Rose. We were joined by Eric and Lindsay. We had quite an adventure! To start things off, we almost burnt down the campground...not really, but it sure looked that way. We weren't paying attention to the fire and all of a sudden the ground around the fire ring got too hot and a fire started spreading in 360 degrees. We all grabbed water and put out the fire quickly!
We also had a "mini-Olympics" between the Joneses and Eric/Lindsay. We battled it out in tennis, sand volleyball, and frisbee golf. All in all we had a great time with you guys and hope to do it again really soon!

Ahh, the first day of summer vacation! I offically ended school on Friday...but of course have to be there this week to clean up and file things away. I must say that as happy as I am to get a break, come early July I am ready to go back to work.

I thought that I would take some time to update you on our Memorial Day weekend. We met the Volbrecht's and Ryan's mom at LuWiSoMo for the weekend and had a lot of fun! Despite the cool weather and a small amount of rain, we still managed to get some tennis, biking at Hartman Creek, and major relaxing in. We had a great time and are so blessed to have such wonderful friends! We are looking forward to many more camping trips this summer!

Sarah kicking back on our first of many camping trips for summer 2007.

Yikes! Where does the time go???!!! We both feel so bad that we haven't updated our blog for a long time! The spring always comes and goes so fast...can you believe that the end of May is in sight? We are both doing very well. School lasts for about another 2 weeks...plus two field trips...the students are on countdown mode. I am looking for a summer job. Hopefully, I will be servering at a restraunt again. Ryan is still very busy with his job. He is gone this week at a conference in northern Wisconsin. It sounds like he is having a great time! He will be coming home tomorrow, just in time for me to leave for a double bridal shower this weekend.
We have been keeping ourselves busy by visiting family, being outdoors, and camping. Yep, we had our first camping trip last weekend. It was fabulous! We had great weather to bike and play tennis. Just one of many camping trips to come. I don't have any pictures to post...maybe next week. Ryan hasn't put them on the computer yet. :) Lucy is great too. She is still active and just turned three. She is definately a comedian...always making us laugh. I promise that I will post some pictures soon!

Gracie's Second Day Skiing...or making eyes with the camera.

A recent tour of the Miller Brewery. Check out the slide show @

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thejoneslens/

Happy New Year....to us.

Merry Christmas...

With 2006 coming to an end and 2007 just around the corner, what better time to reflect on our God of Grace. Sarah and I remain amazed with God's gracefulness, a gracefulness perhaps best exemplified in the birth of a child in a manger. God has been consistently good to us this year, despite our (or, my) inconsistency. We Christians find ourselves taunting our own faithfulness now and then. What a joke! It is Christ's faithfulness to us that is truly remarkable. In 2006 we were blessed with a new home, great friends, relaxing camping trips, joy-filled family gatherings, a milestone birthday, opportunities to serve, and a deepening commitment and love for each other. Oh, and the Badgers had a pretty darn good season too. What will 2007 bring? We do not know, and in many ways, we really don't care. God's hand will be on it all and in twelve months we will sit back again, take a deep breath, and marvel again at His never-ending, and completely unmerited, GRACE. We love you all (family and friends) and pray that you too see God's Grace in the birth of a child this Christmas Season. God Bless.

Had some free time this week, so I thought I'd rework our guest bathroom. Here's a before and after.

Christmas Tree Hunting 2006

A New Season Begins....

In just a few days, the hunting season comes to and end for the year. The snow is falling in Wisconsin, Christmas is just around the corner, and changes are taking place everywhere. What changes, you might ask?

The photos on our site will likely change from dead game to frollicking in the snow with family. More skiing, less hunting. And or course, another new job for Ryan. I know, I know, what's new?

Here's the deal. I have recently accepted a management position with Thrivent that will begin January of '07. While sparing most of the detail, I will be working directly with our Lutheran congregations, managing our relationship with the congregations and helping them navigate the many resources we can and wish to provide. There are many reasons why this is a great step forward for Sarah and I, but I'll share just a few. First, it is an awesome opportunity within a company I believe in and that is unlike any other in the industry. Second, it will allow me to better allign my career with my my passion, helping churches fulfill God's commission here on Earth. And finally (and the greatest benefit), this will allow more evening time for Sarah and I and a family down the road (note: down the road...no news on that front). We are both truly excited about what this means for our lives moving forward. This is truly an example of answered prayer. I would love to tell you more when we see you in person.

May God richly bless you and your families this Christmas Season.