Life on the Ranch!

First up, thanks so much for all the great advice and ideas on the campgrounds from yesterday's post! I really appreciated your input!!!

It never ceases to amaze me how God puts people together in friendships. I've made so many great friendships through blogging, and every now and then, I get to meet one of those friends in real life. This year I had the privilege of making not just one new friend, but a whole family of new friends through the blog. They mentioned in passing if we were ever in the area, we were welcome to visit. 

It's a dangerous thing to say to the Shaffers.

Because sometimes it's just amazing what location just happens to be "in the area."

Yes! Our first time EVER to Colorado! (Together and individually!)

You guys, we had the best time ever visiting our friends Hazel, Holly, Heidi, and their dad at their ranch in Colorado. We were so excited to go, and we had no idea that their hospitality was going to be absolutely through the roof. They gave us so many one-of-a-kind experiences that made this trip extra amazing. 

They are such a kind family with a huge heart for the Lord and for others. They love serving and giving, and they are the most genuine people ever. I could probably write for a week and not be able to tell you all the wonderful things they allowed us to experience during our time with them, but I'll try to share the highlights!

We arrived on Memorial Day - in the afternoon - and the Colorado sky was bright blue and sunny. They gave us a parking place for Miss Abby, and after we got her all situated, they gave us a tour of the place. I was COMPLETELY enamored by this gorgeous little cabin! They use it for ministry and guests and sharing, and they actually had a guest staying in it while we were there. They had put so much love and thought into the place, and it became the hub of activity for us throughout our time there. 

We also got to see some of their animals, which was SO much fun. 

Ryan was particularly excited about this next part! You see, one of the things they do is train oxen! And that first day, we got to see some of the littlest ones in training and action!

(They liked to lick clothing. We were both well loved!!)

It was so fascinating to see them working as a team in tandem. And of course, our minds were spinning with the verses when Jesus said His yoke was easy and His burden was light. Seeing these things tangibly for the first time made for a powerful object lesson.

I went out to the pasture with Holly to bring home the cows...a first for me! And Ryan stayed back to help with a digging project, which truly ended up being his favorite moment of the day. He loves to help!

That evening, we ate dinner around the campfire, and Ryan and I experienced our first taste of true campfire coffee with genuine cream from a resident cow! (Well, the cream part was just me. Ryan drinks his coffee black.) There were so many sweet stories shared, and then at the end of the evening, as the sun set, they had a proper campfire sing. Hymns and campfire songs!

It was the sweetest evening, and even though our bodies were really confused about Mountain Time, we went to bed that night so very grateful for all the experiences we'd been part of that day. 

We still had one more full and complete day at the ranch, so I'll have some more stories tomorrow! (Thank you again, dear friends, for being such sweet hosts to us. And Hazel, thank you for getting so many great pictures and sharing them!)