Tag: young life

A Summer Mission Trip Opportunity at YoungLives Camp

Experience Graphic 600x600pxFor the second summer in a row, our family will be serving at YoungLives Camp this June and we would love for you to join us. I am the child care admin for our camp for teen moms in the Texas Hill Country, so Jed and the kids join me at Camp Buckner to help give pregnant and parenting teenage girls from all over Texas and surrounding states an incredible week of summer camp with their babies. YoungLives is part of Young Life, an international Christian youth outreach ministry that Jed and I have both been involved with for over 15 years. We actually met at a Young Life camp in North Carolina called Windy Gap.

We love getting to be a part of kids hearing the Gospel at camp, and would like to invite you to come and serve with us. In order to run camps for teen moms, we need LOTS of child care volunteers to help take care of the babies. Camp starts June 6, and we still need over 30 volunteers for each week at Camp Buckner. Would you consider giving a week of your time to rock a sweet baby or chase a toddler so their mama can learn that she has a Father in heaven who loves her and her baby?

Teen moms often face a lot of obstacles and have a lot of odds stacked against them. At camp we help give them the tools they need to be the mom they want to be AND share God’s love with them. Watch the video below, and consider joining us this summer. If Texas is too far, check out the other service opportunities at YoungLives camp weeks across the U.S. For more information and to apply to serve this summer, check out the YoungLives Experience here.

YoungLives Experience from lisa fiedler on Vimeo.

Family Travel: Baby’s First Rodeo

When you’re traveling with wee ones, entertainment that satisfies the whole family can be hard to come by.  While we were at Trail West this summer, the assigned team decided to take all the work crew and summer staff and assigned team families to the local Buena Vista rodeo.  Big fun.  It was awesome.  The Bear loved it, and so did the whole group, which consisted of all ages from 0-65.  We had tons of little kids, 30 high schoolers, 20 college students, and a bunch of adults with us, and everyone had a blast.  

 This is the Bear’s “I’m trying to figure out what the heck is going on face.”  He was enthralled by everything from the mutton bustin’ (little kids riding sheep) to the serious cowboys riding buckin’ broncos.

 The one downfall of the rodeo arena was that the fence was not exactly toddler proof.  Look how far apart the slats are – perfect for a 1 year old to climb through.

 He was loving it.  One great thing about a rodeo is that it moves fairly quickly because they are trying to cram in tons of events.  Jed and I couldn’t believe how much the dude on the left in the brown cowboy hat looked like Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall.

I tried to get a better picture of homeboy with out being too creepy.  Look at the pic below from Legends of the Fall and tell me they aren’t twinsies.  He’s just above Bear’s head to the left with the long hair.  
Anyway, I digress.  

 It was a constant flow of entertainment for all.  Calf roping, rodeo queens, barrel racing, and bronco riding kept us cheering for several hours.  Sadly, just before the bull riding, a HUGE storm rolled in and we had to abandon ship and head back to camp.  I’m pretty sure several of the work crew and summer staff (high school and college folks) still haven’t forgiven me for making them leave.

 Calves after calf roping
 Rodeo Queens on parade
Buckin’ Broncos
We all loved the rodeo, and I’m hoping to take the Bear to another one this year closer to home.  Mesquite, Ft. Worth, and Houston all have big ones, and the Texas State Fair is coming up soon.  
Have you ever taken your family to a local rodeo?
Do you check out local festivals when traveling?

A Toddler + Mini Horse = Cuteness Overload

 The Bear went on his first pony ride last week here at Trail West
It was a great success, and possibly the cutest thing ever.  
Toddler + Mini Horse = Cuteness Overload
 Mack, the mini horse, looks a little nervous.  
 If you look in the background of this pic, 
you can see the baby mini horse.  Cutest thing ever.  
 Destined to be a cowboy? 
I think yes.  
 Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys.
But do let them ride mini horses.  

Settling in to the Mountains

We are one week in to our adventure and it has been an amazing trip so far. The pics above were taken from our porch with my phone. Ridiculous. We are so blessed. The altitude has been a bit of an adjustment for all of us. We are trying to stay hydrated and breathe deep as we climb up and down the hills around camp. I’ll get some better pictures posted soon. Week 1 of a camp assignment is always crazy as we try to figure out our jobs and adjust to community living. Bear is loving all the big kids here and trying his best to keep up with them. We are praying for the wildfires around Colorado and New Mexico to extinguish, and for slow, gentle, soaking rain. The drought here is pretty epic right now and creates dangerous conditions. We are fine and camp isn’t threatened, but lots of other folks are in danger.

Our Crazy 8 Week Road Trip with a Toddler

This summer we are embarking on an eight week road trip across Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, and possibly Florida.  With a one year old.   To the casual observer this might seem totally crazy, but we are really excited about it.  The trip will be a combination of work, play, and family time.  I am referring to it as Gypsy Caravan Summer Tour 2012, in reference to a summer spent similarly in 2006.  We have gotten a lot of surprised/horrified reactions from friends because of the length of the trip and the age of our child.  There is this idea out there in the world that you can’t travel with a toddler.  I believe that we can and hope that I won’t be proved wrong over the next 2 months.  
I plan to sit here a lot.  

We are packing our bags and finishing up details for our trip right this minute.  I hope to chronicle it for you here on the blog.  We have our housesitter lined up, and Jackson the Wonder Dog is at Camp Grandma and Grandpa for the immediate future.  There was a small baby biting incident a few weeks back that I’ve yet to write about.  Let’s just say Jackson is lucky that my parents love him and have a big backyard.  We have a big checklist going of all the things we need to do and pack before we leave.  The excitement is building.
We’ve had a TON of questions from friends and family about our trip, so I decided to address a few here.

 Can’t. Wait.  

Where are we going?  Our first stops will be Amarillo, TX, and Salida, CO, on the way to Young Life’s Trail West Lodge in Buena Vista, CO.  I will be working at Trail West for a month as the women’s summer staff coordinator.  After our month at Trail West we will be staying a week in Vail, CO, possibly a stop to see friends in Pagosa Springs, CO, then almost a week in Red River, NM.  We will then head to Little Rock, AR for a wedding and to see family.  After that there may be a beach trip involved, but that is yet to be determined.

Wait, I thought you were becoming a stay at home mom.  What’s with working all summer?   Yes, my last day as a Young Life staffer is June 30th.  I will be working at Trail West as a volunteer.  We believe in the mission of Young Life wholeheartedly and are thankful for the opportunity to serve at Trail West.  After that I will be a full time mama.

How can y’all afford this?  Did you throw the Dave Ramsey budget out the window? Nope, we budgeted FOR the trip.  That’s the beauty of a budget, you can add stuff to it.  We have a vacation fund as well as some very generous friends who are loaning us places to stay.  Our month at Trail West is free because we are working, and our gas to and from camp is reimbursed.  We budgeted for food, gas to other places, hotel stays on the road, and incidentals.  We plan to do lots of free stuff and have lots of free quality time.  If you have free fun ideas for us in any of the places listed above, PLEASE pass them on by emailing me, tweeting me, or commenting below.  Our neighbors are also housesitting for us in exchange for lawn mowing services.  Thanks neighbors!

That’s great and all, but are you seriously hauling a one year old across the country?  Yes, yes, we know it is crazy and we think it will also be awesome.  Our little boy is such a joy and hopefully we be so on the road with lots of park stops on the way and hotel pools to swim in.  I will be tweeting all summer with the hashtag #toddlertravel so you can see how it goes.  If you have any travel with toddlers advice, I’d love to hear it.

What about your life in Dallas?  How can y’all just pick up and leave for 2 months?  We will obviously miss our friends here.  I have a gypsy soul and need to just GO sometimes.  Dallas is hot as hell in the summer time, and sooo humid.  We live in an old rent house that is very difficult to keep cool.  Jed is a teacher so he is off til mid August.  I love being able to just leave.  For years I kept my passport in my purse, just in case.  That habit faded with marriage, a child, and a job that needed me 24/7.  My longing to wander will be satisfied for a little while by this adventure.

Do you think we’re crazy, or do you wish you were packing right now, too?

What a Way to Make a Living

The Bear loves to help with the filing around the Young Life office (my dining room).  And by help I mean destroy every file folder within reach and repeatedly open and close the filing cabinet drawers. He really has been the best baby ever while I’ve worked from home this year, but it kills me every time he wants my attention and I can’t give it to him fully.  Which brings me to my next point…
Over the past 2 years we have prayed, discussed, debated, and finally decided that it is time for me to quit my job and stay home full time with the Bear.  I am so sad to leave Young Life, but at the same time so excited to start this next chapter.  I can’t wait to be able to focus my attention on my family.  I love my job, but as anyone in full time ministry knows, it has a way of owning you.  This ministry has given me so much over the last 12 years, and I am so thankful to have had the privilege to be a part of the lives of so many people through it.  If you had asked me 5 years ago if I would ever want to be a stay at home mama, I would have said you were crazy.  Now it is the desire of my heart.  Thankfully we have budgeted and saved and are debt free so that we can afford to live off one income.  I know things will be much tighter around here, and I look forward to sharing our even more frugal ways with you.  I have a little over a month left at my job, and am currently trying to finish well and set my yet-to-be-named replacement up for success.  
I would love to hear from any of you have made the transition from workaholic to stay at home mama.  How did you make it work?  How do you structure your days? How do you live on one income?  Share your ideas with me.  

My Harry Potter Adventure

Welcome to Hogsmeade.  
Harry Potter Nerd Alert
Warning…  Warning…  
I’ve read all the Harry Potter books three times.  
When I finished the last one I was distraught and didn’t know how to go on, so I gave it an hour and then read the last few chapters again for closure.  So good.  
Please respect the spell limits.
Enjoy the butterbeer.  
I had two frozen, and they were delicious.

On a recent trip to Orlando for Young Life’s All Staff Conference I had a few hours of free time and decided to embrace my nerdy obsessive side and venture over to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure to explore The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  It was all I had hoped for and more.  
Jed does not share my Harry Potter obsession.  It is an issue we are working through in our marriage.  During our full day of free time we went to Epcot and the Magic Kingdom so that he could have fun, too.  Thankfully my friend Jen shares my obsession and was willing to nerd out with me for a bit.  We were like giddy schoolgirls.  In wizard robes.  Just kidding, we didn’t have wizard robes.  But I wish we did. 
   

It was magical.  
All aboard the Hogwarts Express.  
The ride inside the castle rocked.  Seriously, the scenery from the line was amazing.  They really did a phenomenal job.  There are only three rides, and the lines were short so we rode all of them.  Hagrid’s house was in the line for the Flight of the Hippogriff ride.  Flight of the Hippogriff is more of a kiddie coaster, so I was thankful we only had to wait 10 minutes.  The Dragon Challenge is a super fun double coaster with tons of flips and twists.  It rocked.  So did the 5 minute line.    
The village of Hogsmeade is so cute and magical.  The shops stay true to the Harry Potter books, and I had to buy some candy in Honeydukes.  I wish we had time to eat at The Three Broomsticks or Hogshead Pub.  We did go in and explore, and they were both so well done.    
If you are a fellow Harry Potter nerd, The Wizarding World is a must do.  It isn’t cheap or in any way frugal, but it is a trip into the world of your imagination straight out of the books.  If you aren’t a Harry Potter nerd, you are missing out on so much and I can’t help you.  Read the books and join the fun.  The movies are great, too, but the books are pure magic.    

Thankful Thursday II

I am reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, and it is slowly changing my perspectives on what it means to be thankful every day.  I have started keeping a list of the gifts I’m thankful for both big and small, so that I can take time to really appreciate them.  I plan to share parts of that list with you here on the blog, and hope that you will share some of your gifts with me as well.  When I hear things that others are thankful for, it helps me to see even more gifts in my own life.  What are gifts?  Anything, no matter how small, that blesses your life.  I believe that every gift comes from God, and even if you don’t agree you can still appreciate the good things in your life with thanksgiving.  I usually make a list of things I’m thankful for during the Thanksgiving holiday with my Young Life, YoungLives, and WyldLife kids every year.  Reading this book has made me start to do this daily, instead of waiting for the holiday.  I have been so surprised by the joy it has brought me and the increase in contentment with my life.  
Here’s a few things on my list this week:
holding hands with my husband while driving, praying, on the couch, anytime
fundraising and friendraising at the Lakewood Young Life Banquet
pumpkin spice lattes
our house full of YL kids and leaders watching the World Series
What are you thankful for this week?  
Please share.  
  

Verse of the Week – Joshua 1:9

“Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9
The Lord gave Joshua these instructions as he took over the leadership of the Israelites after the death of Moses.  He gave me this verse this week as I prepare to go back to work tomorrow.  I have struggled with fear and anxiety over returning to work all summer long.  If you had asked me 5 years ago if I would ever want to be a stay at home mom, I would have looked at you like you were crazy and said “No possible way.”  The Lord has changed my heart almost entirely, but I am committed to my job for one more year.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my job most of the time.  The Lord called me to ministry with teenagers through Young Life 11 years ago and has molded me into a minister of the Gospel.  We are paying for Jed’s masters, so I need to work full time right now.  My job is such that normal day care hours aren’t a huge help because I often work weekends and evenings.  After discussing it with several other YL staff women who have children, we have decided to use a Mother’s Day Out program at a church near our house 2 days a week and I’ve moved my office to my home.  This is a HUGE change for me and I am so scared that I will be inadequate at both my job and mothering because I’ll be stretched too thin.  The Lord gave me this verse on Thursday and it has been an encouragement.  He has me in this place in life, in this job, in this city.  He has blessed me with this child and the opportunity to work while mothering.  He has provided for us miraculously time after time.  He will walk beside me and comfort my fears if I release them.  As I go back to work tomorrow, I will be strong and courageous, for He is with me.  

Verse of the Week – Nehemiah 1:11

“O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name.  Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”     Nehemiah 1:11 

I am reading through Nehemiah right now (random, I know), and this verse came along as I was preparing for our big fundraising golf tournament.  I prayed this verse over and over, asking the Lord for favor as we presented the ministry of Young Life to a lot of new faces.  Sometimes it is hard to ask for favor from the Lord, because we feel we don’t deserve it or that it is wrong to ask.  I think He wants to us to ask, and longs for us to seek out His blessing.  Have you asked the Lord for favor in any situations lately?