It’s (almost) the weekend! As you read this, Allen is out hiking and camping with some men and youth from FLBC and I am enjoying a day off work with my girls!I don’t have anything planned with the girls yet, but if the weather is nice, maybe we’ll go to the park. If the weather is crummy, maybe we’ll have a cocoa/scone date.

From last week’s Friday Favorites to this week’s, we’ve driven nearly 1,000 miles and have the adventures to show for it!

We spent last weekend in Fairbanks/North Pole, which included a fun stay in this cute AirBNB cabin in Healy and HIGHLY recommend it to anyone in the area! I won’t get into how our daughters refused to sleep, how Ruth rolled off the bed in the middle of the night, or how she took at least 15 rocks from the property… because the cabin was in such a peaceful setting and the loft was so cozy and there was an adorable little gnome outside the outhouse!

We shared with two churches in the Fairbanks/North Pole/Moose Creek area. We had a delightful ice cream fellowship with Community Baptist Church and really enjoyed sharing our story with them, talking about Togo, and answering their questions. Ruth loved playing with the other children who came! We went to dinner with the Pastor and his wife afterward and were so encouraged by them – they served on mission in Asia prior to moving to Alaska and hearing their hearts for missions just blessed us immensely.

Sunday, we visited Moose Creek Baptist Church where Allen preached and we shared together about Togo. Moose Creek Baptist is so special to us – it’s where Allen and his family attended when he was growing up in Alaska, where he was baptized, and where we led our first mission trip to together! And again, Ruth and Clara loved playing with the toys and other kids and we loved visiting with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Isn’t it amazing how, no matter where you go, the Spirit binds the Church together in unity?! We have loved witnessing that connection over the last month.

This girl loves to swing!

Ruth sliding!

To celebrate Father’s Day, we visited Pioneer Park. I wasn’t feeling great, but we loved seeing the girls play, riding the train, and walking around most of the shops.

Our drive home on Monday felt like it was taking forever… so we gladly made a little pit stop in Denali for…

Ice cream! Allen got a coffee, I got a chai, and Ruth piped up in her sweet voice, “Mama, I’m hungry!” So we got her a little birthday cake ice cream and she ate it all! Note: we did stop for lunch shortly after and she still ate her PBJ sandwich like a champ. It was rainy and chilly in Denali and I think all the tourists were surprised to see a 2-year-old walking around happily eating her ice cream!

Finally, we want to share some new photos from Kara, Togo with you! Our teammate, Joan, is still there (but traveling home soon) and sent these photos from the market:

We have lots more… so expect a post soon with more photos! I’ll be honest – when I see all that fabric, I get so excited! The colors and patterns are just beautiful.

On another note, Clara is having an out-patient surgery on Monday. As you think of our littlest girl, please pray for her! And for this mama’s heart… the surgery is fairly routine, but she’s still my baby!

Have a great weekend, friends!