The Tale of the Colorado Kid

Years ago, in a kitchen in Berlin, Germany, a family listened to John Denver sing about Rocky Mountain High and discussed where they should move to when dad retired. Colorado sounded like a paradise land, full of mountains and gold rush, science fiction space dangers (NORAD was where we would move), new possibilities and friends. We (Scott and his family) grew up in an Air Force family, moving every three years or sooner to a new place. Now, things would change. We would stay put. Scott was in sixth grade and excited about what was to come. 

They drove out to Colorado Springs and I remember the first sight of the mountains – after realizing that the other siting of the mountains were just clouds on the horizon. “No, really. Those are mountains!” We stopped the car, got out and had a small snowball fight (it was Fall). Our new house had a backyard where we could throw the football. We were quickly out of breath and somehow it just seemed cool that this came from the elevation (more than a mile high!). 

A lot of the most important influences in my life came here. I became a Bronco’s fan (we were, after all, now in Colorado), started singing in all different ways, learned about and experienced Bible camp and met my best friend who helped me to meet Jesus Christ. I was born in Colorado Springs (even though I first saw the world’s light in San Antonio, Texas). It is hard to believe that those beginnings were all so long ago – so sometimes I just don’t do the math. I just enjoy the memories. 

While we are here in Colorado, we are spending some time in Colorado Springs visiting with Scott’s two brothers and their families before going up to Denver to visit with his older brother and sister. We met up with the brothers in Fargo’s Pizza Parlor, which is a memory in itself for Scott. The next day we drove around visiting Scott’s old haunts: his elementary school junior high and high school. We also dropped by his old house and talked to the current owner and took a picture of Scott’s “climbing tree”. 

A night of bowling at the old bowling alley down the street, a dinner full of conversation about current travels, laughing about past hilarities and discussing jobs and kids and grandkids have filled the few days here. It has been good to see everyone again.There is a brother missing, but that will come in a different tale. 

For now, we have continued on the Colorado trail. On Saturday Scott offered a singing workshop at the congregation where his best friend preaches. It is amazing to see how God can help people who think they cannot write music write 4 new songs that will encourage fellow Christians. Sunday evening Scott met with others to talk about how Christian camps help develop the members of the church. It was good to share stories, meet old friends and make new friends. It has been good to see the Colorado kids. 

Do we ever know where we are going to arrive when we depart? We think we do. We were on our way to Colorado. But that was a journey that so far has led us to Belgium and the Netherlands. We still don’t know where all of this is taking us, but we know that the journey is a good one, because we are walking with Him wherever we go. Where are you going? Or… with whom are you going? 

Here are the pictures of this leg of the journey (I will still be adding to these in the coming days). Next we will be heading down to Texas – but that is another tale. 

(Re) Living memories

Sometimes it is a smell, or a sound – and suddenly a memory comes flooding back of times long ago. A snippet of a song, the waft of a special meal can all trigger fond feelings of almost forgotten times. But to be able to share those memories in person, and to be able to live new memories in the making is a true blessing.

We enjoyed our time in Colorado with Scott’s family and our church family in both Colorado Springs and Denver. In the Springs we stayed with Scott’s brother, John, and his wife, Yumiko. A walk around the neighborhood, a quick game of basketball, good talks while preparing meals – that’s what we enjoy so much. And of course being able to see Pike’s Peak at every turn. Some things you just can’t get enough of.

We enjoyed visiting and worshipping with the congregation at Pike’s Peak avenue, seeing old friends – brothers and sisters. John took Scott on a tour of the old neighborhoods: Palmer High School, Horace Mann, and the house on Illinois. On Tuesday we got together as family at Fargo’s Pizza – a memory in itself – and met some new people, ready for new memories.

Scott’s mom was able to come over from New York to spend time with the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. So we also got to spend a day up at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo – at least until the afternoon storms and fatigue settled in. But it was a great time together – remembering and experiencing new sounds and smells for future memories.

Halfway through our Colorado time we moved up to Denver to stay with Scott’s brother, Chris, and his wife, Lynette. From this point we were able to visit good friends and christian family in Denver, including Karsten en Sandi Rog (and Kirsten, Aaron and Chelsea). So glad for very good conversations and encouragement with and from this family.

We were also blessed to see Scott’s ‘other’ brother, Bret, and spend time with he and his wife, Sarah and of course meet their newest addition, Ippi. Ippi has a radar for cameras and knows immediately if one is pointing at here – the smile brightens on her face! And what a smile, what a cutie. Bret and Scott were able to strum a few tunes and join their voices with Julie Carter as well – as in days past when a Summer Breeze blew (couldn’t resist that line).

Preaching at the congregation in Wheat Ridge meant meeting new people as well as old. We had a great visit for lunch afterwards – lots of memories. Back at Chris and Lynette;s we enjoyed good conversations in the kitchen (which felt like being home). That evening Scott’s sister, Barb, dropped in to share some time and good laughs – introducing us to crazy faces on snapchat, among other things.

All along the way we were cared for immensely: John and Yumiko, Chris and Lynette made sure that our visit was comfortable and that we were definitely loved. It is good to have a place of peace and rest. And we were so thankful to be able to spend time with Scott’s Mom in each of these places.

As we move on to the next stop – in Texas – we are so thankful for how God makes family. Fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters – it is God’s design. Sometimes things get a bit different, there are struggles, but we belong to each other. And that is how it is in God’s family as well. We are so thankful for the memories we were able to follow and for the moments we were part of. You can see some of our memories here.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.                         Philippians 4:8-9

On Assignment - at home in Colorado

Visiting with Yumiko

Our next stop was Colorado where most of Scott’s family lives. We only had 5 days to cover Colorado Springs and Denver, so we tried to get in as much as possible within everyone’s schedule. We usually come in the summer when at least the kids are out of school. People cannot simply drop their jobs and spend time with us, but it was great to be able to plan an evening when Scott’s family was able to get together for pizza. A chance to meet the new husband of a niece, talk about plans and school and jobs, and see how everyone has grown. We want to be an encouragement wherever we are and hope the time we spend together is just that.

For the few days in Colorado Springs, we were able to visit with our sister-in-law, do a bit more shopping (shoes!), enjoy a good Bible study evening at the Pikes Peak Avenue congregation and drive around the city visiting old haunts before we headed up to Denver. In the meantime, Scott was also checking his email every morning to make sure that things were going okay back in Maastricht and with son Sean. Technology is great when it keeps us in touch with one another! We were even able to call Willemien (our sister in Christ in Maastricht) one morning. We usually see her every Tuesday afternoon. This time we were only able to give her a call while others are caring so well for her, but it was so good to hear her voice.

We headed back up to Denver to spend time with Scott’s older brother and sister and their spouses. Gathered around the table with good food and lively conversation, memories and stories flowed freely. We all change over time and it is good to see what that change looks like. Imagine if we only allowed everyone to remain as they were when they were our ‘little brother’ or ‘older sister’. We change and we want to allow others to change as well.

We also had a good visit with the Rog family, re-connecting and seeing how they have been blessed. The connection that is shared in Christ is special and exciting. Our visits in Denver hold many of these blessings. Scott’s best friend, Bret Carter, met us for lunch and a good heart-to-heart. The next night we finally got to see one of his musicals performed as well. That evening and the next day at the airport (you try to fill every possible minute) we made the most of the conversations with Ron and Jean Carter and Hans and Julie Oehlert as well (AND we got to see Rachel and Caleb!).

Colorado was a whirlwind family visit full of emotion, nostalgia, beauty and family of all kinds. This leg seemed to fly by and left us slightly gasping for air for various reasons. We were able to get an early birthday/Christmas present for Shirley (an iPad) with the financial help of Scott’s brother, Chris, and generous gifts from church family along the way. But the visit seemed too short. And this will not be the first time we experience this elation and evisceration.

Old memories and new

At Denver Airport
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

Things change. Kids grow up. Houses are sold. But memories remain and new memories are made. All of this is what Colorado was to us this past week.
We drove down to Colorado Springs to spend time with family there. In order to accomodate everyone we decided to meet at a restaurant - Fargo's pizza - a pizza place themed around the old west. Waiters walk around in period costume, piano's play while moose and deer heads gaze down on the pizza-eating patrons.
This place held all sorts of good memories from when we would come here for church youth activities. It's a good family place. And it was here that we got to meet our niece, Kimberly's husband, Derrick, and talk about their quickly changing life together (new baby on the way). We also had time with the other nieces and nephew, trying to get to know each other a little bit better.
While in 'the Springs' we drove around visiting old haunts. The Raab house on Illinois has been sold, but still looks the same. Elementary school, high school, where we rode the bikes down the hill, where the donkey used to be ... all sorts of memories. The streets have all changed. The city has grown tremendously. But it was fun to reminisce.
Up in Denver we met up with more family for a great evening of food and discussion. The next day we met up with old friends and church family (wonderful how that goes together!). We were also finally able to watch a play from Bret and Ron Carter! We have been wanting to hear and see one of these musicals for years and now finally had the chance.
As we headed out (meeting more friends at the airport) the view in this picture struck me. The kids playing still as time marches on and a hotel is built next to the airport. It's fun to mix old memories with new ones. We are so thankful for family and this opportunity to share this time.

Rocky mountain high (stage 4, part 1)

Colorado gave varying welcome messages to each of us. The first was that we should have tanked up in Nebraska! This went together with the other thought that Sean had: “Where are all the people?” After leaving Ogallala (yes, that’s a real name) and turning southwards to Colorado, there is literally nothing (okay, not literally, otherwise we couldn’t be driving, breathing, etc), just vast amounts of open country with not a house or mark of humanity in sight (other than the road we were on). So when we needed gas and a gas station finally showed up – well they could ask just about anything they wanted for gas, couldn’t they? But in the end we got to Denver, passed along the airport and drove down to Colorado Springs where Pikes Peak welcomed us.
Sean: “Now where is Pikes Peak?”
Scott: “The big one shrouded in cloud at the top over there.”
Sean: “I thought it was bigger.”
Scott: (a bit flustered, this is ‘his’ mountain) “Yeah, it’s only 14,000 feet.”
Sean: (a few minutes later) “WHICH one is it?”
Scott: “See those black mountains? Look past those to the clouds. The mountained crowned by the clouds is Pikes Peak.”
Sean: (with a sudden recognition) “Oh! Is that the peak! I thought it was one of those black mountains in front.”

Our ‘task’ in Colorado Springs was to relax and spend time with family. Scott was going to speak up at Kamp Koinonia, but other than that there were no obligations. We settled in to the well-ordered cave at John and Yumiko Raab’s house and just sat back. John and Yumiko have a house with a lovely basement, nice and cool on the warm days. They give us the basement to ourselves – the boys in one room, the adults in the other bedroom. What a luxury! But even more is just being able to sit with everyone in the livingroom and enjoy the conversation, the laughing, the time together. No matter what happens, we know we are family.

The day after our arrival Scott went with his brother John to get John’s kids who were up at camp. Kamp Koinonia is up in the Colorado mountains just southwest of Denver (Sedalia for those who know the area). In addition to seeing the kids, Scott got to see several people he had not seen for many years (one from about 30 years ago!) and got a tour of this facility with its 140 acres. The following week Scott would come up with the boys to spend a day here at camp – that would be a treat!

One of the things we love about traveling and that we have mentioned everywhere we go is that we get to see all of our brothers and sisters in Christ in so many different places. It is so good to know and experience that as Christians we have family everywhere! A Sunday morning is such a wonderful time – even if you don’t know the people and are just meeting them. But we were coming home to this congregation. It was great to see so many who are supporting us in so many ways. Thank you Father for such a wonderful way of helping us, linking us together, making us one.