a months worth of words

we are still alive. team rendell has not fallen off the face of the earth, we have not lost our ability to type, and we are healthy and not bedridden. we are, however, CRAZY BUSY!!! no excuses though. we'll try to catch you up on our last month here in ND!

the latter part of october was consumed by retreats and camp life. there were scrapbooking retreats, a quilting retreat, a junior high retreat, a synod conference, and more. most significant, however, was the scrapping retreat, during which the retreat goer's blessed anna with a scrapbooking package! i must have received a thousand dollars of scrapping "gear" - paper, stickers, tools, diecuts, embellishments, organizers, glitter, scissors, punches, and tape. since then, i've had a blast creating! i've made a few cards, a calendar, and have big plans for my scrapping future :) this gifting from the retreaters is a tangible example of the appreciation they express for us when we host them here at camp. it's not always easy (we're still new, and sometimes the demands and expectations are high) but it's always fun!

november swept in with beautiful weather- we've maintained 50's through now! pretty amazing for the plains of ND. this month flew past with lots of bustle - another artistic retreat, a huge Scandinavian supper fundraiser at camp, a spot on the bismarck news about the supper, and hosting Dicken's Festival guests at camp. oh, plus jared's family came out to celebrate thanksgiving here with us! nysse the puppy got spayed (she's healing nicely, stiches come out at the end of the week), the house was decorated for fall, and the Christmas lights were put up outside (utilizing that lovely weather!) here are a few pics of fall at camp:

playing in the leaves,

thanksgiving day (nysse hearts turkey!),

just hanging out.

as november draws to a close, we've had fun. this past weekend the Garrison Dicken's Festival kicked off, and team rendell had the opportunity to host one evening. the festival is based around (obviously) the Dicken's classic A Christmas Carol. Garrison gets all decked out, and people travel from all over to walk main street, shop the English market, see the play at the restored theater, hear live entertainment, watch the parade, and have a wonderful time! so we dressed up in costume and walked around for hours, greeting folks and handing out Garrison dollars! and we got to be in the evening lighted parade (think small-scale hollidazzle)! it was one of the best days we've had here in Garrison.

greetings from the Dicken's Festival!

we have just started decorating our little house for Christmas! pics will be up soon. know that as we prepare our house and hearts for Christmas, we think and pray for and miss all of you very much. we're hoping to be in MN around the 21st, and will be there through Christmas, then we'll spend some time in the Fargo area (25/26-28ish). Christmas cards are in the works, so if you don't think we have your current address, please email it to us! likewise, if you don't have our new address, email us and we'll send it your way. sending much love to you all from ND,
anna
& jared and nysse

a note from nysse

dear everybody,
last week was so fun! me and anna and jarey (thats what i call him) went down to apple valley for anna's birthday. we spent the day at the apple orchard! it was sunny and cool and i got to eat apple cores and walk around the orchard - so fun!

i saw punkins...

i went on a tractor hayride...

i even made this little girl stop crying cause i'm so cute!

the week went so fast! i met lots of nice people at church - seems like a great place! i hung out with my aunt ilse (the first family golden retreiver) and tried to play with her, but i don't think she wanted to play. she kept running away from me!  on the way home we went through a drive-thru at  a magical place called starbucks. anna and jarey got treats, and i got one too!! i love starbucks (whipped cream)!

then, when we got back to camp, i played in something new. it was cold and wet and white - anna said it was snow! it was everywhere - all over the ground, the plants, and still falling from the sky! it fell all day today. anna and jarey couldn't believe it was snowing - wonder why? it's been a fun week. thanks for letting me fill you in! i gotta go chew on something now - i ate anna's bunny slipper today, oops!

facelicks and tailwags,

nysse

spring has sprung, fall is fell...

i LOVE fall! those who know me know why, but i'll let you all in. it's because september is a month of new beginnings - new school year, new clothes, new programs, new weather - and i am all about new beginnings. then october, which is even cooler weather, my birthday, turning leaves, and the first holiday since 4th of july - halloween! and i like halloween 'cause i LOVE candy! next is november, which brings vibrant fall colors, or it can bring snow (my fave!!), and a wonderful holiday all about giving thanks and food & family. doesn't get much better than that. and following november is my favorite month of the whole year - december!! i adore Christmas. so to me, fall is beautiful and wonderful and leads up to the most magical time of the year. and let me tell you, fall is here! temperatures have been between 38-60 this week, the shrubs outside our little house are turning yellow, and i've simmered mulled cider on the stovetop. *contented sigh*

so fall is here and time is a-flyin' by here at Team Rendell home base. last weekend, jared and ben (works at camp) installed beautiful new wood flooring in over the absolutely hideous circa 1970 orange-and-yellow plaid linoleum. here are a few shots of the new kitchen:

i even got Nysse to pose for this one :)

we also removed the upper cupboard doors. they cabinets are just plain white right now, and i'd rather look at our pretty dishes and yummy pantry items than plain white chipboard cupboard doors:

so there are projects in the works! right now, pretty much everything's unpacked except for the "pretties" - wall hangings and pretty little things. we started hanging things up last night, and with each item the house feels more like home. Nysse is another project - she's so much fun! we are just smitten with her. a few weeks ago she got her first bath. the dirt literally ran off her, ew!

checking out the tub before the water turns on

       getting soaped up

this one's my fave. "guys, i'm miserable!"

we've decided she'll be a little like me - cute but still campy :) we've got a big weekend coming up - confirmation camp, scrapbooking retreat, and packing for our big birthday trip home! my birthday's next week and we're trekking to the cities to spend time with family and friends. i can't wait!

take care all, we'll post again soon.

anna <><

(&jared & nysse)

A good day equals...

Today was a good day. Some people froze their butts off because it really felt like fall today but this family welcomed it with contentment. Anna was so excited, Nysse knew something was in the air, and I had this really nice calm feeling that God was their and would be for the next feeling, and the next.

Here is the rundown. Early morning to check in with retreaters at camp. Coffee. Breakfast on the couch with my wife plus some lattes of our individual flavor preference. Eventually a meeting with a couple members of the board of directors. A very, very windy drive with a view of whitecaps on the lake that were just ridiculously huge. Coming home to the coziest house ever. Fall decor. Mulling spices in apple cider on the stove. Really good chili right next to that. A crockpot with an apple cherry cake dessert waiting for me to go upstairs and eat it. A really funny dog. A beautiful wife. Insert sigh...now.

PS. The other day we were driving back from town and saw a HUGE moose just hanging out in a wheat field. Crazy.

May God bring you a good day.

jared (and anna)

Upside down

Greeting blogworld,

I just sort of opened up a post not sure what I was going to right about. Then, I looked over my shoulder and for the third time today, the dog is sleeping on her back, leg sprawled out in the air. Upside down. First thing that came to my mind. Apparently is struck a chord because it got me thinking about how there is a bunch of upside down going on right now. Things that were different than expected, or just a different as we expected.

We turned our life upside down to come out here to the middle of North Dakota. My experience of this is nothing compared to my wife's. I have been here before, I grew up going here. Anna, however, is in a total change of everything. I was just feeling appreciative of her tonight. She is with her family in Philly for a cousin's wedding right now. If your lucky, she will write about the craziness of her trip. Wow.

A bunch of our possessions are still upside down in a box in the basement or "craproom" as we dubbed it. It is actually mostly set now. I got to organize a bunch of it these last couple of days and that feels really good. We finally have a camera that works do we will put up pictures soon. We still have little thing and decorations to put up and some painting.

Any brilliant Spirit-led inspiration for painting and decor ideas?

I have officially started farming on Facebook. The prairie is getting to me. Anna started it. I am totally addicted. I will probably have to take a time out from this post to harvest my raspberries...

Time in. Not ready yet.

I guess the point is this. Game on for having some things be upside down. One of our favorite authors is Mike Yaconelli. He wrote this absolutely spectacular book called "Dangerous Wonder" and in it he gives a little shot to Christians who view life as a series of mountains and valleys, ups and downs. He says that his life, and hopefully our lives, look much more like a roller coaster. Twists, turns, inversions, circles, the occasional upset stomach, and so much fun. Our friend singer/songwriter/speaker Peder Eide has planned what his last words will be..."what a ride!"

Amen, and amen.

God's Peace...

jared (and anna)

Blog about the dog... etc.

Our puppy has this uncanny ablility of being very silly, very naughty, and very adorable all at the same time. She is such a joy to have. She is sleeping in the bed for most of the night now with us and I am impressed. I definately did not think she would be doing that yet.

Right now, she is beside me in the office. She started by chewing the face off of a gorilla stuffed animal. Most would stop with that kind of torture but no, not Nysse. She, from the hole in the face, proceeded to unstuff all the cottony bowels of this poor gorilla. I wish I could find the cords to the camera so that I could show a picture. Then, she lays down in her adorable, too much skin on her face, puppy fashion. She's great.

Wifey finally got the chance yesterday to get to the heart of her new job and she LOVED it. Hanging out with a bunch of crazy quilt ladies, meeting the needs, and wants, of people around her (one of her best gifts), being Light to them. How wonderful she did and I wasn't even here. I know that because of the things other people said. More of that the rest of the weekend.

I am sitting here in that spot where there is so much to do that I am almost bored, clueless where to start. Just pick one and go for it I guess.

PS Just had to scold the dog for chewing on the file cabinet. Oy.

jared (and anna)

It's about time...

Hey blogworld,

Clearly my wife is the faithful blogger for the family and I couldn't let the the new puppy be beat me. I am sure you will see a post from her sometime soon. She has huge paws so typing is an issue. All that to say, I am contributing for the first time and its kinda fun.

Right now, existential dilemna. I am sitting at the computer, listening to some calming internet radio, just finished a bottled carmel frap (not as good as the original), my dear wife is upstairs, and the puppy is sacked out beside me. The picture of relaxation. Then there's the half that says, ahhhhhhhh. Boxes still to unpack, the dog is chewing on the foam insulation in the mudroom, we are broke, and the work list is getting long already. This is existential.

Maybe a little overdramatic. God is good and He's got good plans for the day. There is a psalm somewhere that says something about how God promises to give us just enough strength for each day. Anna and I were talking just honestly last night, as all movement was frozen with a pinched nerve in her neck (pray for that), how this move has been kind of hard to far. There have been plenty of joys but plenty of stressors as well as sometimes they look bigger, almost boogeymanish.

When I coach volleyball I tell the team, when they are losing, to try to view the game as something that happens one point at a time. They can handle one point at a time. I suppose with God's help and guidance and challenge we can handle one moment, or hour, or day at a time. He gives the strength and He is good at it.

Ahh, this blog thing is fun.

God be with you all today!

jared (and anna)