Why Eating Organic Food Is Vital to Your Family

Student Ministry

This past Sunday at their regular evening meeting the Student Ministry had over 50 kids attend. That's more than we've ever had before and something to celebrate. Many of these kids are new. Their parents don't (yet) attend Lifepath. They've been brought by word of mouth and the enthusiasm of other kids.


Of course, numbers don't necessarily mean that God is present and at work but anytime kids are excited enough to bring their friends it means that something good is going on.


On Thursday I had lunch with our Director of Student Ministries, Nicholas Jones, and we talked about how it was going and I was really impressed with the direction he wants to take the ministry. They have a weekly Bible study on Tuesday nights that is successful enough that he's thinking of adding another one. He has plans for two and possibly three mission trips for next summer, including one for the Junior High kids. That's important to me, not only as pastor, but also because my older three will be rising 6th-graders and eligible to go.


I may even go with them.

End of the Vacation

At the end of the week we drove over Trail Ridge Road which is the highest paved road in the Continental U.S. It rises above the treeline into the alpine tundra. I'm sorry I didn't get any pictures of that because it's beautiful, but it's a narrow road with abrupt drop offs and I was driving a minivan full of kids. In the rain. Towing a camper. Allie only screamed once or twice.

My parents rented a cabin at the YMCA camp in Estes Park. It's a good thing the cabin has a big table.

Honestly we didn't do much while we were there but laze about the cabin. Allie and I did take one long hike. Here is a view from the trail.

I didn't shave for the entire vacation. I was starting to look like a cross between Grizzly Adams and Gandalf.

Finally we started back home. We camped for the last time in Clayton Lake State Park in northeast New Mexico. Bleak but beautiful.

Clayton Lake has a large number of dinosaur footprint so we took a hike to find them. The dinosaur prints didn't look like much to our untrained eyes but on the hike we saw these prints on the trail.

I'm no tracker but even I can see there are no claw prints, which makes these feline. And they were between an inch and a half and two inches in diameter which is waaaay too big for a domestic cat. I guess it's a bobcat print.

While driving on I45 north of Centerville, Texas I looked up and saw something I've wanted to see my entire life - a Swallow-tailed kite. No, I didn't take this picture. It's one I found on the internet.

It was a wonderful vacation and the person who made it possible was Allie. She is cook, nurse, quartermaster, planner, navigator, artist, adventurer, drier of tears and wiper of noses, can find any lost object by closing her eyes and concentrating, and yes, she tie-dyed this shirt. Without her Clan Scott falls apart very quickly. Plus she laughs at my jokes.

I love you, Allie!

Mountain Man Rendezvous

A day or two after we arrived at Snow Mountain we noticed tipis being erected just down the hill from our campsite. When we went down to see what was going on, it turned out to be a Mountain Man Rendezvous.

The famous mountain man Jim Bridger (played by Rich) and Captain Eduard Berthoud (played by Joe), who explored and surveyed the area in the 1860's, welcomed us with open arms. They acted out many scenes from the early West to the great delight of the children.

We were invited into Mr. Bridger's tipi where he told us Native American legends. Maryallie is not smoking a peace pipe. She's fanning the fire.

There were skins and pelts hanging about the tipi and Mr. Bridger let the girls of all ages try them on. Allie is one glamorous Indian.

He even let us wear his hat.....

We spent lots of time over the next couple of days in their camp. One of the things we liked most was throwing the "hawks."

Joe was a very patient man. Thanks, Joe!

Even the target looked authentic. Judith is throwing something called a "mouse hawk."

By far the best hawk thrower in the family was Allie. On one hand I feel safe. On the other, I'm kind of afraid to go to sleep at night.

Later in the week more people began to show up, including some who made jewelry and clothing.

The highlight of our time with the mountain men was a ceremony in which Joe received his Indian name.

Rich and Joe both made us feel a part of their family. The Mountain Man Rendezvous was definitely one of the best things about our vacation.

Snow Mountain Ranch, Colorado

Finally we reach our destination: The YMCA of Snow Mountain Ranch in Colorado. At less than $30 a day it's hard to beat the view.

And, because it's a YMCA camp, there are tons of activities for the family to do. One of the first we tried was archery. My elbow is too high.

Allie's elbow is also too high. But she looks better than I do while she does it.

The coolest thing was that the target was a big foam velociraptor. And what's more fun than shooting arrows into a dinosaur?

Sam's form is better than mine.

Maryallie takes her turn.

Judith is the most independent of all our children but she allowed Mom to help her pull the bow back.

Jake wasn't sure he wanted to give it a try so I helped out. Die, Dinosaur.

Head shot! Woot!

The boys finished him off with sticks.

Then it was off to do some canoeing.

These jerks kept ramming us.

To finish off the day we went to the zip line.

Which basically means climbing up a telephone pole......

......and jumping off. Or in my case, leaning off backwards.

Maryallie is an impressive person.

She looks so little up there clinging to the pole. The guy next to her is the person who hooks you to the zip line.

Unfortunately I'm not much of a photographer and the picture of Maryallie's jump is blurred. However, Hannah B went up next and off she jumped. She had her own particular style.

This picture is blurred as well but I submit it as evidence that Allie Baldwin Scott (who is mildly terrified of heights) climbed to the top, jumped, and screamed for 100 yards down the mountain.

It was one of the all time most funnest days ever.

Sugarite State Park

The next day we reached Sugarite Canyon State Park in New Mexico. It's on the border of Colorado and the elevation is high enough that it is about 20 degrees cooler than West Texas. Now we're talking.

Sugarite used to be a little mining town and there are lots of ruins and fun places to explore.

Hannah Beth looks a little unsure about hiking in her crocs.

Maryallie and Hannah Beth - BFF.

After hiking it was time to make supper. Allie is the greatest camp cook of all time.

Hannah Beth helps out. If you look closely right behind her, you can see the boys running amuck through the woods.

Meanwhile, Maryallie does one of the things she likes best.

After supper it's time for s'mores.

These two signs were posted on the park wash house. The next morning it was time to get back in the car and head for Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. But we found signs just like these on the wash house there too. I love camping out West!

Our Journey Begins

We spent the last two weeks camping in Colorado. Yes, you can fit five kids, plus supplies in a minivan. Sam is refusing to smile for (most) pictures these days. He calls this look "keeping it hardcore." Who really knows.

We didn't get started Sunday afternoon as planned due to trouble with the trailer hitch. Consequently we had to drive 11 hours on Monday to make up for lost time. After they settle in, the kids are good travelers.

We economize by making sandwiches out of the back of the minivan and eating at rest stops. Here we are, somewhere in East Texas. I think it's about 173 degrees.

Caprock Canyon was our first stop. It's just south of Palo Duro Canyon in West Texas. It's an interesting place with a buffalo herd somewhere about. We didn't see them but a coyote did run right in front of us and that's always fun.

The next morning after breakfast the older three and I took a hike along the canyon. Allie and the twins stayed in camp to do some chores. I think they were washed out from the long drive the previous day and the heat.

Everyone has different jobs in camp. One of Jake's favorites is cranking down the camper. We got out of Caprock early the next morning before it got too hot. Next stop - Raton, New Mexico.