 New Year's Day Chaz and Gina drove about 15 miles northwest of Loveland to snowshoe on Pennock Pass, in Roosevelt National Forest. The pass is a total of 18.2 miles, with elevations of 6,352 ft to 9,136 ft. We went approximately 2 1/2 - 3 hours, and made it a bit beyond the top of the pass, which opened up with a beautiful vista of the Continental Divide. This was a great way start the New Year, and next to hiking, snowshoeing is something we both enjoy doing in the Rocky Mountains. We are forging ahead in 2015, looking at a couple more years of grad school. Both of us are currently finishing up on taking Certified Addictions Counselor Level III courses, and Chaz will be taking the NCACII exam for his CACII, and CACIII. Chaz continues to work at the Addiction Recovery Center detox in Boulder, CO, and I am currently waiting to find a new job until after this first 7 weeks of school is complete. I hope to find a job in the north range area, closer to home. School will take the biggest portion of our time, but we look forward to attending church, meeting with friends and family (squeeze it in!), and hopefully some more prison seminars with Shekinah Christian Ministries. Chaz and I look forward to working with our mentors, Doug and Leslie Love, as we go through the courses for licensing with Foursquare. We hope to start this process very soon. We wish our friends and family a happy, safe, and blessed New Year! - posted by Gina
 Our MAC cohort & families dinner at P.F. Changs 12/11/2014. Where did 2014 go? I'm amazed each year how fast the year flies by, and then the end approaches while I'm still trying to catch my breath! There was much more that I wanted to accomplish this year - as always! However, I am thankful for the things that were accomplished and the experiences I have had. Our journey this year has been seasoned with sweet time spent with friends and family, grandkids & friends from Oklahoma visiting, hiking, a little art, fun events, time invested in work, and starting a new season with grad school - forming new friendships with our MAC (masters in counseling) cohort. I was able to knock out two elective courses this summer, and Chaz and I started the MAC program fall semester in August. So far, we've both been able to maintain the same 4.0 GPA as undergrad, but we feel even if our average dips a little lower, we're not worried. The knowledge and experience we are gaining will eventually carry us into opportunities of new employment. Grad school is definitely different than undergrad! Nearly all our classes are in-seat, with the exception of three counseling electives. We are in a small cohort of nine people (including Chaz and I) and it makes for an intimate setting with each class to grow as a group in this program; plus, the new friendships we are forming is something we will cherish the rest of our lives. We look forward to getting together with our cohort a couple of times during this extended holiday break (Thanksgiving into the New Year). I just wish time would SLOW down during this break! I am mindful to be intentional to make the most of each day, and fully relish each moment before spring semester commences! - posted by Gina
 After more than 2 1/2 grueling years, and much to our joy! - Chaz and Gina graduated Summa Cum Laude with Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology from Colorado Christian University on May 10, 2014. We both had transferred college credits from earlier years (thankfully or no tellin' how long it would have taken us!), which shortened our bachelor's program at CCU. I remember when I first thought about going back to school as an adult ... it was in 2003. I thought I was too old, had grown in dumbness, and would never be able to keep up. I was terrified! Through tears, kind professors, and sleepless nights, I managed to pull it off for 3 semesters. I was able to accomplish this a second time January 2011 - December 2013, when Chaz and I returned to school at CCU. What made it easier this time 'round was going through the program together with Chaz. Plus, the professors and students at CCU made it a rich and rewarding experience for both of us. We are both still pinching ourselves ... this is real! It's a great feeling to have this accomplishment, and we are both thankful to the Lord for leading us in this direction and giving us the strength to achieve this goal. Our next endeavor is CCU's graduate school: Master of Arts in Counseling. I start elective courses this summer, and Chaz will join me fall semester as we start the MAC program cohort. This should take us 2 1/2 years to complete. Thankfully we've had some time off before starting the program, and we are ready to get busy once again! Please keep us in your prayers! - posted by Gina
It's been several years (at least 5) since Chaz and I updated our website. In the beginning, Chaz picked out the name and surprised me with our website when we were living in Alaska. At that time I struggled immensely with outdated software that was definitely NOT user (or dummy) friendly! It was so tedious to work with, that I finally ended up only using a blog page ... and eventually abandoned that.
Well ... the old site is gone, and this is the new! It is our hope that you find enjoyment and may be even a little inspiration in the pages on our new site. Be sure to let us know what you think ... we welcome all comments and suggestions! - posted by Gina |