Pastor Jen and Pastor Ben

On my very first day of summer school Greek at Luther Seminary I sat near this really energetic, super funny girl named Jen Newsome. We quickly became friends and have always shared really exciting conversations about how God is moving in the church and where we see glimpses of the kingdom.

We went to a week-long conference in Arizona one semester with other seminary students and were roomies on that trip. Through lots of soul searching and conversation, it was on that trip that I realized I wanted nothing more than to marry Rory Groves, and Jen began spending a bit more time with another friend on the trip, Ben. Which basically left us as two giddy school girls giggling about boys all night as we tried to go to sleep. (And somehow, we fit in getting the flu on this same trip and were puking when we weren't giggling. This is how memories are made...)

Jen and Ben have been married one year and are serving a really incredible church in Tacoma, WA. We spent two hours with them, getting a tour of their church campus- FOUR buildings, including a brand new food distribution center. I have always been excited to see what they would end up doing...there are days when any girl in any church might think the larger church just isn't getting it. But both Jen and Ben always seem to redeem my spirits and remind me that God is very much at work in his church. I am so proud to be their friend.

Bredberg Cousins!

On Saturday we met up with my cousins Richard and Karen, and watched their kiddos Ryan and Kristina run their hearts out on their indoor YMCA soccer team. We had a great visit, and told Karen the joys of being the caboose baby. This is their little Kevin, younger than his siblings by a gap of years. Rory and I are both the babies in our family, younger than our siblings by a gap of years and we both really loved being the caboose. I remember one time Mat telling me that I was an experiment baby from Mars, and if I told Mom and Dad that I knew I was from Mars, the experiment would be over and I'd have to go back to my mother planet. Sibling love like this tends to strengthen the caboose baby.

On Sunday we took the ferry to Poulsbo to my cousin Daron's church. He has started a mission church with his congregation meeting mostly as small house churches, gathering monthly for an all church worship service and service projects. It was really exciting to be there and see his faithful work in action. This picture is dark, but its of him praying with all of the kids before they left for children's church

We went to their house after church and heard more about the process they are in adopting two orphans from Ghana. Kristin has a great blog...you can keep tabs on them at www.thejagfam.blogspot.com This Friday is the court date in Ghana when Fia and Kwame will legally be their children! Can you imagine how exciting this would be?!! They have patiently waited and waited as they walked through this whole adoption process. My godmother, Ann (Nelson) Kedl just adopted a sweet girl from China and I am in awe of how very "pregnant" parents are during this long and often emotionally trying adoption process. But it is so beautiful and exciting! It is the most beautiful picture of God's kingdom people caring for his children, very literally. Pray for Daron and Kristin this week as they continue to wait with patience and sometimes with no patience. God is faithful!

Love in Seattle

We arrived at Mat and Stephanie's house Friday afternoon and got to meet Penny, our sweet niece born just eight weeks ago. Mat got home a few hours later from his day at work and came home to the love in the pictures below. It is so cool to watch your brother as a dad. His kids adore him.



We played hard together in Seattle...I love these kiddos so, so much! On Saturday night we sent Mat and Steph off on a date, pitched our tent in the livingroom and laughed and laughed. Claire and Simon have the best laughs...they are loud and infectious. I also had the great joy of watching their favorite movie, Eloise.





I really do wish my family all lived a bit closer. This was another wonderful family visit that left me bummed that we can't babysit for them on more Saturday nights. Claire is full of snuggles and Simon is full of nonstop insightful life narration. And Penny is full of contentment and peace. She seems like the perfect third child, sweet, easy going and pretty tolerant of loving siblings in her personal space.

From Banff to Vancouver..

A glorious drive with breathtaking colors...

We stopped for our fifth picnic of the trip. These have been my favorite moments so far. I love the simplicity of pulling over at a beautiful overlook and spreading peanut butter and jelly, squirting easy cheese and slicing up salami with a pocket knife.

By the time we got to Vancouver, the whole trip caught up to us and we spent most of the time at in our hotel regrouping. It was raining hard our two days there which lessened our motivation to go see the town. So we worked on our laptops most of the day in the lobby and ordered cups of soup.

My favorite vacation destination in the WORLD...

...is Banff, Canada. I maybe should qualify that by saying of all the places I, personally, have been Banff is my favorite. We were here last year (the picture used at the top of our blog was taken on that visit here) and loved every part of our visit. I think the pictures maybe say more than I can.

These pictures were from our drive from Radium Hot Springs into the park. On our drive we saw many big horn sheep, deer and a wolf! Right on the side of the road!

Banff is my happy place. Here we are having a picnic up the side of a mountain that overlooks the valley. A train sounded it's whistle when we up there and we watched it wind through the town like some little model train set or something. We spent the afternoon reading in the botanical gardens. Did I mention I love this town? It was designed as a tourist town way back in the day to try to get travelers to take the train to this beautiful place. I would say, drive, hitch hike or skateboard. Just get here someday.

And when you come, be sure to stop by Barpa Bills for the very best Gyro you have ever, ever had. We made friends with Bill last year, eating there two times. This year we got to know his son, who remembered my parents who stopped in July when driving from Seattle to Lakeside. We ate here two times again in two days.

This was a lake we passed in Montana on our way to Canada. I'm standing on a dock in the middle of a public camp site. It was absolutely breathtaking.

Now we're back on the road. Today we're driving to Vancouver, a ten hour drive, we've been told.

Back home to Montana..

We spent six months last fall and winter living in glorious western Montana at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp. We lived at the same camp with my sister Annika and her husband Jedd and miss the community we had there so much. So this was our next destination.


When we turned the corner on Lutheran Camp Road, Rory jokingly said, "Be sure not to hit Jan and Eugene," friends of ours who go for a 3:30 walk together every afternoon. And sure enough, beautifully consistent, as we rounded a few more bends we saw them standing in the road talking to another neighbor. And in the field playing were all the kiddos I got to hang out with all last winter, running at our jeep. It was a sweet welcome. The picture next to our welcome crew is the view from Annika and Jedd's house as the sun is rising early Saturday morning. Can I hear an Alleluja?!!



We packed a picnic for lunch on Saturday, and arrived at the state park just in time for Sonna to have fallen asleep in the car. Jedd was good to offer to take a nap too so she could sleep a bit longer.



The highlight of our weekend was our Sunday spent near Hot Springs, Montana to watch Jedd race in his second-ever dirt bike race (mx racing...motor cross? I think it's actually called...) This first picture above is Jedd in action. We spent most of the glorious day waiting and watching his races. It was an absolute blast and the whole time I felt so inspired and proud of him for following a life-long dream and just getting out there and trying what he's always wanted to try. It left me wondering what I want to try.



By the end of the weekend, I was once again convicted of my belief that sisters really should not live three states away from each other. I miss this family so much, all the time. Our time together was sweet and left me wanting more.