I’m stuck. Does anyone have any ideas for a poem I can write? Any ideas? I don’t care how dumb they are. Anyone? Hmm?

Like Emma just said, we got back from CO two days ago. We stayed in a friend’s cabin in the woods, which was surrounded by the spectacular Rocky mountains, ranging from 12 to 14 thousand feet.  We did a lot of fun stuff…we climbed a 12,000′ mountain (although, we drove most of the way…but we climbed the last 600), we fed and petted wild chipmunks (they were used to tourists), we visited a ghost town (from the mid-1800s!), we visited the Focus on the Family headquarters (and Whit’s End), we went to a sweet shop in Boulder ( Anja’s personal favorite) that had basically any kind of candy you can imagine, even those chocolate frogs with collectible wizard cards from Harry Potter, and Jelly Belly’s flavored disgusting things like boogers and pepper (yuck)! My favorite part was (I’m crazy about wolves), this thing where they rescued and tamed wolves and wolf-dogs. I got to go into a cage with these two wolves, Ranger and Willow. Ranger was pretty shy, but Willow was very friendly. She let me rub her belly and she even licked my face (now I can say I’ve been kissed by a wolf, and that doesn’t happen every day).

We DID do a LOT of fun stuff in Colorado, but we also got to see God’s amazing work. How can people look at those mountains and say that there is no God? We had lots of devotions and quiet times while we were in the mountains, and just took the time to relax and talk to God. I found myself thanking him multiple times throughout the week, just for everything. At night when we stood on the deck and saw the stars, we could see all of the constellations, Mars, the Adromada galaxy, and even the Milky way. How often do you get to see that? Or when we were standing on the top of the Collegiate mountains, looking at the clouds below us and listening to the absolute silence. I see pictures like that on postcards and in magazines, but I just kind of take it for granted. I think it’s pretty, but I don’t take the time to think that it’s actually there. And the same God who made those mountains made me.

We had a great time in Colorado, and it looks like we are probably going to move there. But we’ll see. For now, we’re in 106 degree Texas, staying inside until it cools down. And for now, we’re happy. (come on, colorado, come on, colorado, come on, come on!)

We are going to visit Colorado on the 11th, because that is where we feel God is calling us to go after seminary. We’ve never been, and are VERY excited. It sounds like we might be planting a church in Boulder or some surrounding area. The only scary part is that we have to drive up and down the side of a mountain to get there and back. So, please pray that we will have a safe journey and that it will be very clear as to whether God wants us there or not.

You won’t believe this–I’m sending this from Cape Town! In Africa! Remember that time when I said we might be going to Israel? Well, there was a change of plans (it’s a long story), and we went to Africa instead! Dad’s professor payed for most of it and I saved about $300 and gave him that. Emma and Anja are at my grandmother’s house. They were very upset that they didn’t get to go.

Well, we’ve been here for about three days, and we’re going to Egypt in a week!! I can’t wait! Well, a lot has been going on around here. Dad actually got bit by some sort of viper! The doctor’s say he’ll be okay. I hope so. He’s in a hospital right now called Cape Raale. I’m not exactly sure what ‘Raale’ means. Things here are very different from America. It’s really sad. Being here just proves how lucky we are and how much we take for granted. We’re staying in Mr. Jayler’s home. He has a little two-year-old girl named–I’m not sure how to spell it… Radel? Well, anyway, she’s adorable! People here don’t know much english and I keep forgetting that. I’ll say something and their response will be a quizzical look. Thankfully, though, we have a translator, Carl, and Mr. Jayler knows a little. Well, I gotta go now. The computer is running very slow, and every word takes a long time to register. And, plus, well, I’m afraid that if I say to much, then you might discover that this is an April Fool’s trick.

….

oops.

I finally got a laptop! I’ve been wanting one for FOREVER!!! YAY!!! HURAY!!! I think I might just hyperventilate… YAY!!! I spelled hyperventilate right the first time… now I really will…. good…night…

Well, sorry about that. That was… well, embarassing. Um… right. This is how I got it:

I’ve been wanting one for a very, very, long time, and then someone posted a message on Swiss saying that they are selling a Dell for $75! I had more than that, because I had been saving for a loong time. So, I bought it. And THEN, Dad’s boss said that he got a lot of free laptops, and if he got one better than that, he’d give it to me! And he did! Now I have a really nice Intel, and we gave the other one to some friends that didn’t have a computer. So, it all turned out GREAT!! And I’ve got a wonderful story idea that I would like to start now. Well, good-bye all ye peeps!

My dad did a video project for one of his professors, so his professor said that next summer he was going on a missions trip to Israel, and he said dad could go for free, and mom for half-price! That has always been mom’s dream, and mine, too. I’ve always wanted to go somewhere other that America, but I can’t go. It costs around $3,000 to $4,000!!! There’s no way an 11 year old girl can save up $4,000 before next summer! I am praying, but am doubtful. Maybe……

Hi! this is Emma again. Sorry I have not been posting often, I just don’t know what to do. Got any ideas? 

                                         BY EMMA

I don’t know why I never thought of this, but why don’t I have a contest? I mean, I have a website, and the ability to talk to the world. Well, the tiny part of the world that somehow finds this blog. So, if you know me, then you know that I LOVE writing and reading poetry. So, if you are reading this, I urge you, please, join the contest. Here’s what to do if you would like to join:

1. Write a poem about spring.
2. Write your name, first and last, your age, your city and state, and the date.
3. Type it down in an e-mail and send it to kristina@armitagegirls.com

I will post the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners on my blog. You must send in your poem before May 5th. I will announce the winners on May 10th. I will try, remember, try to have a contest every month. Good luck!

Anja (left) Emma (right)

Okay, the title is misleading. This post is not about Easter. It’s about the Friday before. On Friday, the seminary mail was closed, so we went to pick up our packages at a UPS building. One of the packages, Mom said, was three Easter baskets. We were all very excited, because this was the first year we’ve ever gotten one, and hopefully not the last. Inside the Easter baskets were two Webkinz, color-by-numbers, coloring books, crayons, colored pencils, window markers, sketch book, wash off tattoos, chocolate easter bunny, and of course, lots of candy. Well, anyway, I wrote this post to thank Mrs. and Mr. Neff for a happy easter. So, thanks! I and my sisters–wait–my sisters and I LOVED it. It was like opening stockings.

Here are some for you:

Kalee

Kalee Feeds Herself

Kalee