Catch Up

Property covered in snow!

The Flatirons covered in snow!

Ok, so I apologize for my lack of posting on this blog for the last month. Now that I have a little time off, I'm going to try and make up for it.

Most of the Littles are at home for their 10 day Thanksgiving break. As they hit the half way point and things are probably very difficult for most of them, please keep them and their families in your prayers.

M's counselor, Dawn, is actually flying out to stay with her Friday to Monday, so please pray specifically for them during this time.

Its been really quiet around property the last week. There are only 3 girl Littles still here. K, K2, and J - these are the newer Littles that aren't allowed to go home yet. It's so weird to sitting in the front room of the house with maybe only one girl and no yelling! The Bigs each get 5 days of for Thanksgiving, so we're just rotating whose here and whose home for their break. We're trying to take the girls out to do something fun each day to make the time go by faster and get their minds off of being away from home. We've hung out in Denver and Boulder and Estes- watched an extreme ski movie, driven through Rocky Mountain National Park, toured the Celestial Seasonings factory, gone sledding and ice skating, and watched lots of movies and eaten out a lot. :o) However, K and K2's families came out here to visit them for yesterday and today, so they are spending time with them. Today we're having a big Thanksgiving lunch on property.

Above: K ice skating in Boulder

J is my new Little. She is 15, but seems younger because she has some learning disabilities and mild cerebral palsy. These things also make her really socially awkward, but she is precious! She was so excited when it snowed Tuesday night and Wednesday. She sledded and ice skated for the first time! Here's a picture of us with a tiny snowman we made:


Another girl little, D, was supposed to be here for break, but her parents decided to bring her home and in so doing, take her out of the program. She is now the 3rd girl Little to leave since we arrived. (AMS left a couple weeks ago after the court placed her with her Aunt and Uncle, which was a praise, and C is doing well in her new program) The constant coming and going of kids is just part of life at Shelterwood, but I am not quite used to it yet. Another little, SJ's parents will be taking her out of the program at Christmas break too. She is 18, has been here for over a year, and they just can't afford for her to stay any longer. Please be in prayer for her as she makes plans for where she will live and what she will do in 4 weeks. More than that pray that God would really cement some important truths in her heart before she has to leave.