Our Picnic at the Property
September 22, 2007
So I had this long list of things to accomplish on Friday. Hang this, unpack that, find this, put away that. But we also needed to run to Mountain View to sign paperwork so off we went. We packed a lunch and planned a picnic at the property.
When we arrived Sara was the first one out of the van and down to the water. This is how she spent the entire 4.5 hours we were there. She loves to swim.
This is where I set up the command post. I sat with my feet in the water (when I wasn’t taking pictures) the entire time. Jeff is building a dam.
Jeff walked up the Jack’s Fork River. There were schools of tiny fish. Which led us to ask the question “Where do they go to get big?”
This is where the Jack’s Fork and the Little Pine Creek meet. Right in front of our potential building site.
Kids walking up the Little Pine Creek. This creek forms the north western border of the property.
And heading back toward me. Jillian was cracking up because she lost her shoe and it was floating down stream. She was chasing it and finally caught it.
We ate a late lunch of tuna sandwiches and carrots.
Some people wanted to become contortionists while playing in the water.
About five minutes after we arrived a car pulled up and started unloading their camping stuff. The area where we plan to put our house has been a popular camping spot for the locals for 20 years. Yes this is private property and has been for over 20 years. Apparently since no one ever enforced it the campers continued to come. The campers asked us if we were planning to camp there and we explained that we were in the process of buying the place.
The dam became a favorite place to hang out.
The boys built crawdad holding pools. The crawdads are smart and climbed out.
But not before the boys got plenty of play time in with them.
Jacob and Jason either comparing crawdads or making them fight.
Ok even some girls got in on the act. Jeff complained that this picture doesn’t show the crawdads very well. Ya, I know. Crawdads are gross. Kids are cute.
Even bald kids played with the nasty things. Joshua. Jeff is very thorough with the clippers.
Josiah with the longer hair. Angela, it is actually easier to tell them apart now. :)
John contrived a fishing pole. He has part of a tuna sandwich in his pocket to feed the fish.
The girls cracked me up because they held their capris up the whole time. Even on dry land.
Josiah with his stick. A stick and a creek is all kids need to be happy. I’m convinced.
Walking back up the Little Pine Creek to the chairs.
A creek and a stick. Could Jonah be happier?
I took this next picture to show our potential building site. We will have to bring in fill dirt but there is quite a bit of room here back up to the road. We will own the property on the other side of the road as well. There is a great little portion of pasture land that we plan to put cabins on and start a “family camp” where all the cabins are flat rate regardless of family size. The area over there also borders the river as our property is triangle shaped and the property line follows the Little Pine Creek on one side and the Jack’s Fork on the other and the third side is pastureland.
You can see the vibrant camper there in his chair. He was snoring and drooling and had a bottle of prescription medication in his lap. He had been dropped off by his wife and was to be picked up the next day. Later some friends of his arrived and entered conversation with the kids and then Jeff. They were disappointed to hear that we were buying the property as they had been camping there for over 15 years. In fact, at one time they had lived there for 3 months when they were without residence. They stated that there would be many unhappy people when we make it private property (which it really is already but I guess that fact escaped them). They mentioned that there was a nice spot across the river but the owners had blocked it off because “people were trashing it”. Imagine that.
The good news is the new visitors brought their son and my children spent their time engaging him in play and evangelizing to him. I was shocked by how much of the gospel message my children understand. They can actively show someone their need for a savior and how to attain that salvation. Perhaps I’ll have the children dictate their conversations with the visiting boy later. I was impressed.
We have not been active in a church fellowship, they do not attend AWANA, we don’t do devotions with extreme regularity. The only thing we do with any consistency is play the dramatized Bible. It ran constantly upstairs in the big house in AZ and runs almost nightly here. It is true:
Isaiah 55
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
We are scheduled to close Friday the 28th of September. The first thing we will do is put a chain across the driveway with a no trespassing sign.
Then it was getting late. Dusk was descending upon us and the mosquitos were appearing for their evening snack. I did not want us to be dinner so we packed it up.
On the way home the road rose up to meet us and the wind was at our backs. We were treated to this delightful sunset.
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Comments
Sep. 22, 2007 - Awesome
Posted by momachasity
Awesome pictures Katie! I love the property you guys have… it is beautiful! I would love to have a creek on our property! I look forward to more pictures and more updates on your home!!!
Love,
Chas
Sep. 22, 2007 - I’m so happy for you guys!
Posted by leastofthese
After the year you all have had with the court (about the kids’ sister) and then with Jillian’s illness, I can’t think of a family I’d rather see in such a tranquil, peaceful setting than you guys!
I hope you all are loving it! I’m excited for you to get the house built and get settled, I’m sure you are too!
God Bless all of you!
~Lori
Sep. 22, 2007 - the water……..
Posted by Mrs. Mobunny
1. Can I come play in the water with you guys?
2. If there are unhappy campers because you are BUYING the land, too bad.
Sep. 22, 2007 - Beautiful!!
Posted by heartwomb
I am amazed that there is water that looks so pure in MO. Every single place I swam when I lived there looked like coffee. It’s gorgeous Katie! The kids look like they are having a BLAST!!! Praying for you guys as you close and keep moving forward. =)
~Sarah
Sep. 22, 2007 - Wow…
Posted by dawilli
Oh Katie, it’s just loverly!
I will try not to envy, but I’m sure I won’t succeed very well in that endeavor… I will call it a blessing for another chance for me to work on cultivating the character quality of contentment in my own heart and mind…
Your pictures are just precious, as are, I’m sure, the memories you are making together as a family. Thank you for sharing so much of your life with us- I know I’m always encouraged by your posts and I’m sure many more are as well.
I wish you the best with buying that property and getting that camp built- let us know when those cabins are ready, my family has been itching to travel southward for a couple years now, and almost pilgrimaged to Missouri (Branson) last year… but didn’t… I’m thinking camping would suit us much more than a flashy vacation would anyway!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend-
enjoy your children-
ali
Sep. 22, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SeekingJESUSnTeachingKIDS
I have not yet left you a comment, but have been reading your blog since February. I found you through Elizabeth Tsukayama. Our family has prayed for your family over the past months. That looks like a beautiful place to build a home. I remember playing in creeks as a child. Also I love MO I was born in Springfield as was my mom. We also vacationed very year in the Ozarks as a kid. I enjoy reading your blog and seeing your pictures.
:>Michelle
Sep. 22, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by wellsnation
Wow! It is so beautiful. When we first moved out here, Ed was working for Microsoft and we went with him to MO. I remember telling him, “You know, I could live here.” Maybe someday! In the meantime, I sure would like to go camping! lol
Sep. 22, 2007 - Oh, that’s lovely!
Posted by SusannahCox
Just lovely, Katie. I love your ideas for the property…the family camp, the “no trespassing” sign…. LOL! A stick and a creek–yep, that’s all they need. :)
I too am trying my best not to be envious as we try to find a homeplace. ;)
Sep. 22, 2007 - Wow!!!!!!!!
Posted by ChristsInstrument
That is a fabulous location and I’m so happy for you and your family! Congratulations. You have a very lovely family!!
God bless,
Sheila
Sep. 22, 2007 - <i>Untitled Comment</i>
Posted by leemomofthree
Ok, so where do we sign up to attend the Bettendorf Family Camp? The boys and I loved the pictures. They especially loved “Donut” wading deeply through the water while Jeff was only up to his ankles. That shot brought many giggles :-) As did the shot of Jillian chasing down her shoe. Too cute!
Looks beautiful!!! I can see why you chose it. What a great place to raise the children.
We are excited for you guys. Looks like everything is falling into place. Praise God.
leemomofthree and the boys (who are sitting right by my sides as I write this begging to go visit you all)
Edited by leemomofthree on Sep. 22, 2007 at 7:21 PM
Sep. 22, 2007 - By the way…
Posted by ChristsInstrument
I found Jillie the contortionist so hilarious that I made her my desktop background!!! :D
Sheila
Sep. 22, 2007 - Ohhh, you’re living my dream…….
Posted by TammiK
Well, almost, my dream includes snow. But, your place is beautiful. Can you adopt me, too, please???
But, what about the angry campers. That part of the post got me a bit scared. Will they be angry or ANGRY????
I hope all goes well and there is a smooth transition to your family as the new owners.
Sep. 22, 2007 - I think…
Posted by TeamBettendorf
the angry campers were angry in the go down to the bar and reminisce about happy times you’ve had squatting on other people’s property type way. People that can’t manage to get proper dental care are not usually the ones that come and torch your house. ;)
Besides they seem to resign to the idea and started telling Jeff how over the years they have taken truckloads of trash out of there and you know, really kept the place up. They also chopped down trees to make more room for camping…but only dead stuff, only dead stuff.
And who knows if they will even remember the conversation tomorrow. They had already made a dent in the mountain of beer they had brought to last them the night.
Sep. 23, 2007 - The property is…
Posted by Anonymous
…beautiful. It looks like some of the places we visited in TN over the summer. Our kiddos were quite happy playing in the creeks, and they didn’t even have sticks! We are from coastal Florida, so ‘creeks’ are a fascinating concept. I am so very excited for you guys.
Kelly at the Cats’ Acre Farm
Sep. 23, 2007 - Missouri waterways
Posted by Kaleesha
Great place, you guys! I hope this is the one!
A word about MO waterways. Last time I checked every waterway in MO that isn’t entirely surrounded by your property (ponds, lakes, etc) are public property, including a space on the bank but I don’t remember how they measure that. 15 feet up from the high water mark, or something like that. People come from all over to float MO rivers (I’m pretty sure Jacks Fork is floatable). Just a heads up that you could have unwanted company up and down your river and creek, as well as camping on the bank, that you may not be able to do anything about. Look into it, ’cause I’m not exactly sure about those bank measurements.
Sep. 23, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by mountainmama
It’s a beautiful place Katie! Is the building site out of the flood plain? The kids are going to have a ball there!
Sep. 24, 2007 - Looks like Roaring River
Posted by Renner
Wow, Katie, you move fast. The creek/river look just like where we used to camp along Roaring River. Is that close? It is in southern MO near TableRock Lake.
Have fun!!
Kendra aka KSMOMYS on WS
Sep. 25, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Angela C.
The river looks really fun. I do want to go see it. :D
And that sunset is gorgeous!
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