Holly, Colton, Clayton, and Sawyer visit us for a week..... WHAT FUN!!

What a grand time we had with Holly and the boys.  We had a "bucket list" and accomplished all but one. 

We went fishing at Beads Dam --- not a fish in the lake - ???Where did they all go - must have gone out with the ice?!  But it was a beautiful day -- so we had fun anyway.  When we got there - there wasn't a ripple on the lake, so I got several beautiful "mirror" pictures.  This is the lake that my dad and mom took us to when we were kids.  The scenery has changed somewhat  because the Dam broke sometime in the 70's - so things look a little different.  I can't quite figure it out on this 1st picture ------there was a fire 2 summers ago and many of the pine trees are dead.....but look at the ones in the "water".....they are nice and green  :)

I love that picture of Clayton laying on the shore fishing.  What a leisurely day we had.  Even Toby had a good time - once we let him get into the water.  He swam and swam after those sticks we threw in for him.

The boys and grandpa worked hard on a "fort" just behind our trailer.  We got  a good clean up in the woods because of it. 

Clayton had the idea to make a sign for the fort.  He went to the barn and found an old board, and they named it "The Cousins Fort".  Anybody who wants to be the 1st to sleep in it......that chance is still open.

You can't come to Todd County and not go prairie dog hunting.  Clayton was SO EXCITED --  he got off a shot at 168 yards and the bullet found it's home.  Pretty big gun for such a young boy......Colton was rather upset that he missed his target - but the next day they went again and they were both successful.  They went home with their "lucky bullets".

Well, I'm not sure that this video will work.....says there "was an error".  So we shall see.  Anyway, Sawyer is just finishing Kindergarten and he LOVES to read.  He made us smile (and laugh) as he read "Green Eggs and Ham".  I thought I had caught him as he read the "I WILL NOT EAT THEM ANYWHERE!!!!!!!" - but I messed up (as usual) ....so I tried again.   He is a GREAT reader --- reads with E X P R E S S I O N!!!!!  I love it when a kid learns to read that way.  So many of the kids we are working with don't......

We also helped our neighbors, Rick and Kitty, move about 30 +- cow/calf pairs....from one pasture to the next.  That way, as he checks the cows that haven't had calves....he doesn't have to look at so many.   Holly and I sat on the road to make sure the traffic was aware of cows crossing the road.  It was the easy job!!!  Colton and Clayton were on one 4-wheeler and grandpa and Sawyer on the other one.  They would keep the cow and calf moving after they were sorted off by the cowboys/girls----Rick, Kitty, Sadie and Mikah. 

Clayton, Holly and Sawyer also made a belt for themselves.  We have made belts at Camp so we had all the supplies.  Colton had done that last time he was out  --- -and he was wearing it....so he ended up just watching. 

CJK - Clayton J Kroeze......he did a REALLY good job......Holly put a LOT of effort into her belt and it was NICE!!!! - I'm sure she will show it off if you want to see it.

The last night that they were going to be here.....Thursday, April 10, we drove out to see the 38 foot cross - in the Badlands area --- we wanted to arrive just before sunset.....

This shows you that it was made of all sorts of things....

It really IS a MUST SEE!!! in my opinion.  There is a bell on top ---- but we didn't yank on the cable - didn't want anything to fall on our heads........

Of course, there were days that the boys just rode around and around on the 4-wheelers.  But we stayed busy all the time and never had any "what can I do?!?!"   We are thankful for God's protection as they traveled back again on the train.  Sometimes it's OK  for the train to be a bit late - just so it's not TOO LATE.  They planned on a 2 hour wait in Chicago - but as it turned out   - they arrived JUST IN TIME  - and didn't have to wait at all. 

So - we thank God for family!!!!  
Gary and Barb

Laminated floor, mission project, zebras....................

Well --- for those of you who like to see people crawling around on the floor....here you are..   Gary and me putting the new flooring down.

After getting it all finished - we had to put quarter round down.  That has not been finished --- we have company now so it is on hold.   My house has been too "busy" to take a nice photo of the finished project -- too much clutter.  Sorry!!  But I know you can imagine (can't you??!!)]

Gary and I have been helping at the monthly Rosebud Worship Service --- held the last Saturday of each month.  We work with the young (little) kids .....giving them a Bible Lesson, singing songs, and a small craft.  As we talk with the Native People ---- two Native women organize the Worship Service.....  We come to find out that most families get money for food on the 9th of the month.  Of course, they haven't learned how to manage that in a proper manner......so by the end of the month they are out of food.

Gary and I talked about making some sloppy joes and hot dogs....some treats for the kids......  and what else?!?!?  Then going into one of the communities  - we picked  The Low Rent district---- and handing the hot food out.   We decided it would be fun to do it while Holly, Clayton, Sawyer, and Colton were here with us.  This past Sunday that is just what we did.  It turned out to be the first rain of spring.....but we went with it anyway.  Kids came out in the rain without coats on (and it was rather chilly!!).  We recognized most of these kids from the Worship Service ----- and so they knew us also.  Several of the little boys climbed right up on the truck box with Gary and Colton. We had our gas grill up on the truck box to grill the hotdogs. 

We handed out about 50 hot dogs and 50 sloppy joes......  ??? Does that mean that many people came out??  NO ---   We know that lots of the kids came back for more several times ---- but that was OK....   "Can I have one for my mom....can I have one for my dad, or grandpa.....or Uncle Dave."    We just wanted to make sure these little kids had a decent meal in their tummies.  We left feeling like we had done that successfully.

We also got to meet a lady that we had just prayed for in our church .....and.....we met her little grandson.. RedSky...... a little boy we had in Release Time.   Judy is going to have surgery this coming Thursday for breast cancer ....and having just prayed for her in church --- we had a very nice visit.

We also had a Native Artist come out and he drew us a few really nice "eagle pictures".  They will be going along with Holly and Colton.

We were blessed!!!!   as we hope we blessed others.

We had a few  "not so good" .....our gas grill had fire coming out of the bottom .....melted the on / off knobs.....so that is now in our pit.  We had to finish the hot dogs on our 2 burner camp stove (thank goodness we had it along).  There was also a major dog fight.  Eight on one!!!  The "one" made it out of the battle....... We were glad we were in pack up mode - before the dogs came looking for a hand out!!!
The swing set that was put in place last summer is missing the swings --- chains and all are gone.  One of the new picnic tables was broken.  It's a hard place for little kids to grow up.....trash is EVERYWHERE!! ....broken glass.....anything you can imagine.    But the kids are just plain sweet kids.........

Moving on to another day of something new........ the zebras..... THEY ARE CUTE!!!!

Meet Elvis and Flip..... I can't see which is which on the pictures....but Elvis is a little bit bigger.  They had just been put out in the corral with other horses and 2 cows.  They were NOT popular.   The "head" horse (anyway he thinks so) gave out several nasty kicks and bites -- couldn't believe how wide open those jaws can go!!!!  Then the old milk cow turned on them too.  "No one loves me".    I guess they have to be able to take it ......  Anyway for those of you who couldn't guess -- they belong to Marshall Tinant. 

This has been a LONG UP-DATE......I might not get another one posted for a while.  We have company for a good week.  Holly came with the 3 boys on the train.  They had a good trip but Clayton got an upset stomach and it's been bugging him ever since.   We think he is on the mend.

Thanks for your prayers and interest in our lives and what is happening on the Rosebud.
Gary and Barb and our crew.............

Trailer remodeling is done!!! (well almost).....

The new laminated flooring is a done deal.  Gary and I started on it Thursday  afternoon after Release Time.  We finished it on Saturday morning.....all the way from our Bedroom door....thru the kitchen and dining area and the living room and ends up down the hallway.  NICE!!!    The almost done part........ we still have to put 120 feet of quarter round all the way around it all.  Hoping to find pre-finished quarter round at Menards.

Someone was looking for some pictures of Gary and me crawling around as we put in the new floor.  Well I would  -----but Gary packed up his favorite clothes, gear, some food ....took the camera and left me.  Left me for a hunting trip into the Black Hills for the illusive Mountain Lion.  He and Don S. ......I told them to keep their EYES open --- Gary's hearing isn't so good anymore so I hope his eyesight IS!.   Together they have enough gear to last a year --- but they will be back on Wednesday.   So I would ask for some prayers for their safety.  Would you believe they are trying to call these animals in!!!???  Men and their toys!  :)  Oh well, they could be doing much worse stuff!!

So I will try to remember to put some photos of our new floor in after they get back....I DO have some of us crawling around on the floor....

Today, we visited with kids at the JDC.......one of the boys gave us our Bible back.  He's been hearing lots of stuff about "his culture" and also what happened with the boarding houses way back when the church and the government tried to "take the culture out of them".   We still had a very good talk with him and got lots of smiles out of him.  And -yes-we talked about the wrongs that were done to the Native People but we also talked about the fact that Jesus came for all of us and we didn't want him to just push the Gospel away but still consider it.  We can only do so much and then we have to  leave it with God.  Please pray for Hunter!

And on the same note......one of the girls talked about the "Ceremony" (the Lakota ceremony) that they had and the "things" she saw (an eagle, a man that looked like the contours of her dad.......), the things she heard.....and the scarey noises she heard in her cell afterwards.  We talked about "bad spirits" and yes she knew that there were good spirits and bad spirits.  We talked about being deceived into thinking that these were good spirits when in fact they might be bad.

Sometimes I feel that we get in way over our heads.....do we know what we are talking about?!  But we've heard just enough that we feel OK in speaking out on some of this stuff.....and  we have to trust that God will guide our thinking and our speaking.

We had our last time at the Rosebud Alcohol Treatment Center today.  We gave the beginning of the Easter message to these kids.  Easter is still a month away but Easter is what it's all about....why Christ came --- what he did for us, the punishment he suffered being forsaken by the heavenly Father.  Gary gave a very good lesson about Jesus being betrayed by Judas, and Peter's denial and Jesus' trial.  It was a long lesson --- but the kids were so attentive.  We left feeling like we had given the Salvation Message in the best way we could.

Well,  I have left over Pizza Hut pizza waiting for me,  I have to put the chickens away and feed Toby and put him in for the night.  I want to get the dog and the chickens done before dark.  So I will say Goodnight.
God Bless.
Gary and Barb

Tomato Soup

Today I decided that I had all the ingredients to Linda Hemmeke's Tomato Soup ......so after one purchase at the grocery store this morning I headed up to the big OLD freezer in the garage to get my frozen stewed tomatoes.  YIKES....things were thawing out....or WERE thawed out.  The good old freezer that was with my Aunt Melva for many, many years finally was all done. 

Have you ever been blessed in  a strange way......  I totally feel that making tomato soup today was directed by God.  Someone had to get me to look in that freezer!!  I might not have gone up there for another week if not for the plan to make soup.  We only had to toss some of our sweet corn (that WILL be missed) because it was floating in some nasty water, and a few bags of venison burger (no great loss!!!)    Our pork and beef was good - maybe starting to thaw - but I'm not afraid of it.  Some of the stewed tomatoes were soft --- but I figure that should be OK too.....and the fish -- YES - still good.

So we now have a brand new freezer. ........ That meant another trip to Valentine - but a very necessary trip.  Glad we found it this morning because stores in Valentine have a tendency to close at noon..... they like their time off too.

So we say "THANK YOU LORD"...... you direct us in marvelous ways!!!
Gary and Barb

Finished product......

Well, I told you that I would try to put a photo of the finished bathroom cabinet.....so here it is.....

On Friday the plumbing will get underway....hope there are no big problems!!!

We go to the Detention Center tonight.  I have the lesson.....it's when Moses HITS the rock instead of speaking to it like God had told him to.  Moses and Aaron didn't honor God, didn't obey Him, and didn't trust him.  Plus Moses let his anger get out of control.  These are good things to talk with the kids about..   The verse that goes with it is John 13:17 Now that you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.     Some of the kids have been with us for quite some time.....and so they HAVE heard and it seems that they do know "these things".....   we just pray that God will impress upon their hearts the need to obey and honor and trust. 

Very nice here today..... windy though.  I did get my walk in.  Us exercise gals are also onto a weight loss/control/maintenance project.   So I need to work on that too.  Walking and not eating as much usually works pretty decently for me.......not into losing tons....just a good 10 lbs would be nice.

WOW!!  I hear that one of our neighbors bought 2 young ZEBRAS....wants to teach them to pull a cart.  Can't wait to see them.  Gary saw them and said they were pretty cute!!  Bet you can't guess which family bought those?!?!?!?

God Bless!!!
Gary and Barb

Thanks for prayers

We had a good trip to North Platte yesterday.  It was a BEAUTIFUL day and we were on the road for most of it....but that's OK.

My ear diagnosis was Meniere's Disease.  I don't like the word disease - but it isn't a big bad one.  It just means that even though everyone has fluid in their inner ear....I have too much.  I have every one of the symptoms for Meniere's. .......... dizziness, some loss of hearing, a fullness feeling or pressure in that ear, and ringing or buzzing noise.   So I feel good about the diagnosis.....anyway I'm in agreement with it.    I have been put on a diuretic pill and potassium.  The one question I have for the doc. is ...do I have to take these drugs forever or can I quit after the symptoms have ended for some time.

It is raining here this morning and we aren't complaining......we need it.  They do predict that it could combine with snow later on.

Gary and I delivered the bathroom cabinet on Saturday.  Rick and Kitty seem very pleased.  It's not set in place yet --- that will be another day.  But it needed to get out of Gary's "dry" workshop.  We could see small indications that the wood was changing due to a lack of moisture in the shop.    I was going to put a photo of it in it's finished form.....but I just realized that Gary took the camera with him this morning.  So I will do that later.

Have a wonderful

So SORRY - computer troubles

Here it is March....came in like a lion --- so we are hoping it will go out like a lamb.

We have two computers.....our old one with a tower and one laptop.  BOTH of them were giving us grief....until finally they just flat out wouldn't do a thing.  So we took them in to trusty Ray at Lighthouse Computers.....YES - a wonderful Christian man.   He took one look at  them and said "oh my!!!!"  I suppose I should take some kind of a computer class........

We have the laptop back --- tower is still being worked on.

For the update........
 Release Time today --- went well -- but not super.  The kids were good -- they just weren't very attentive it seemed.  When we got to the review questions we could tell that they really hadn't been listening because the questions were not that hard.  But when we played a game with the memory verses they did MUCH better.   Everyone got one of our 4 verses (where it was found) put on their back on a piece of paper.  Then they had to find their team members and  sit down and write out the verse.  With only a little coaching everyone got their verse down and correct!  They even seemed amazed with themselves.

 This is our 6th - 8th grade bunch....good group of kids.   I guess the space was left for the 2 that were missing today.   Start at the pink shirt and go around clockwise......Faith, Taylor, Bryton, Caitlyn, Mykenzie, Ricque, Charlee, Sierra and Maurice....Clyde and Lars are missing.

The girls had to have some fun with the camera.........

The detention center continues to go well.  Last night Julie was in charge of the lesson and she focused on the Prodigal Son(s)....and their father.  It was a really good night of answers and thoughts as Julie led them with questions. 

We now go to the Rosebud Alcohol Treatment Center on Sunday afternoons for a Bible lesson.  Most of these kids we have had at the detention center so we know them and that seems to make the rest of them accept us sooner.  It is going well.....singing and questions and participation.  These kids have more freedom --- room for escape ----  so we hope that all nine of them will graduate.  I think their time there is about 30 - 45 days.

Gary has been working on a new bathroom cupboard for Rick and Kitty VanderWey.  Today we put on (we hope)  the final coat of varnish.  Looks pretty sharp.  The handles are needed yet and the doors need to be put on.   I guess it will be nice to have it out of the workshop so he can once again make a new mess.

The ranchers are either calving or getting ready to.  The first few calves came in some nasty cold weather....but if the predictions are right we are in for some warmer weather.   Fishing is going to be a done deal....I guess tomorrow morning we might go once more and then the ice will not be safe anymore....(hope it is tomorrow!!!!)

Yesterday Gary and I built a snowman......  The snow was perfect and so was the day...bright and sunny.

Toby wasn't too happy with the whole thing.....  First off Gary hid his "ice toy" (some ice that had been frozen in a bucket that Toby enjoyed lugging around)....and then we wanted to use HIS stick for the arms.....no deal!!!

Well,  that's it for now.  We are healthy and happy.....but do have a prayer request.  I have been having a hissing noise in my right ear.  The meds I took weren't accepted very well by my system - so had to quit...   I now have an appointment in North Platte on Monday.  If I push on that ear - it makes me dizzy...... So something is amiss......  Please pray for a solution.  THANKS!!

Gary and Barb