That's Fall In Pagosa

Where to begin. Last week our little sheepdog found the wrong end of the skunk. The even sadder part was she was sprayed just under the window where Laura and Tom were sleeping. Yes, the stench permeated the whole house. We spent the rest of the night in another room with our heads under the covers. Soon after that we chased the skunk off the street using mothballs. Who knew skunks were offended by a bad smell. Another thing learned in Pagosa.

We woke up a few days later to 20 degrees so it was time for the first fire of the season. AHHH, the warmth of Pagosa.

THE COLORS
The colors are amazing! We are humbled to be able to see the vibrant yellows, greens, reds, orange, and golds. We tried to take pictures but they don't do them justice.



Cute Kids! Did I mention TJ is now saying many words. His favorite are MOO (due to all the cows we see) and cattle gaurd. That's growing up in Pagosa.

PUMPKIN TIME
It was off to the pumpkin patch. The kids didn't know what to think of it all, but they soon got into it.

















THE MINISTRY
TJ enjoys the worship and it is fun to see new faces come through the doors. God is bringing new folks to Pagosa Bible Church and we are now having seating issues. It is a good problem to have. We pray to be done with the new building on Thanksgiving. Laura is going to be leading a womens Bible study for young moms which she is looking forward to. Sydney is now a Cubby at Awana and TJ is using his gift of helps at church and at home.

Please continue to pray for our ministry in Pagosa Springs. It is very different than we had expected. Right now it's the beginning of hunting season and many are out trying to find meat to put on the table. It's odd to open your door and hear gun shots from across the lake. Well I guess that's fall in Pagosa. (Sydney took this shot, not bad for a 3 and a half year old.)

It's Been a Great Summer

Summer came in like a world wind and fall has too. We had snow on the top of Pagosa Peak this morning and I realized I needed to share with you our eventful summer before it was too late.

It was a blast have Grant Jewell visit. Grant is a past student of Tom’s who just got out of the Marine Corps after 3 tours in Iraq. Tom and Grant fished and shot guns like any good American should. We also were visited by the Jacksons (Laura’s Sister) from Texas. We had a great time sitting under the stars and doing Pagosa. Tim, Trace and Tom fished, with little if any bites. It wasn’t until Bob (Tom’s brother in-law) visited that the fish were conquered. Bob brought in two 17 inch trout.


We missed our annual summer trip to Hume Lake but we found our new Colorado destination, Williams Lake. WOW! God did a great work there. The kids had fun tossing rocks, eating them (TJ) and playing in the lake.

We of course found some great hiking and have had a blast spending time in God’s playground. Elk, deer fox, wild turkey, marmots, porcupine, and bear we all seen around Pagosa by the Olson’s. Even Suki found herself a skunk. She thought she was tough as she chased it into a pipe thankfully the skunk showed us all mercy and didn’t spray.

But we had to get our city fix too, so off to Denver and Heritage Square a kid size amusement park. I think it was more for Laura than the kids, but Tom had some fun too.

Sydney turned three this year and now she is officially a young lady. Big girl swings, cups, and hair, wow she is growing up. She also started preschool and is so excited. Sydeny is at the top of her class. We thought about skipping her but like any good Olson we will let her run the class. Isn’t she adorable!

TJ is a wild man. Laura couldn’t understand why he climbs on everything, eats everything, talks about everything without saying a human word, and jumps off everything, and doesn’t sit still. A woman from church responded, “Oh he’s a boy.” A chip off the old block says Tom.

We closed out the summer with the Pagosa Springs Balloon Festival. The kids loved it and so did we. How fun it was for all to see the sight of so many balloons taking off and flying overhead.

God has blessed us with so much. The church is growing and we are looking forward to moving into the new church building this November. We plan on having the dedication service on Thanksgiving Sunday and you are all invited.

We just called a new Worship Director to the church and he is fantastic. We received the lead from Tom’s cousin Shelly. He was the worship leader at her church in Huntington Beach for 20 years. What a huge gift from God. He was what was missing.

Our small group studies are going well and people are growing in the Lord. Our friends in one group are gifted at making real Mexican food, because that is what they are. So we now make our own tortillas. Tom likes to brag about his gifting in making them so please pray for humility.
We had a fun game night the other week. We played an Olson classic, Funny Bones. It makes you wish for those days when you couldn't post a picture that the world could see.
We love you all and we are thankful for you and covet your prayers. We would love to hear from you and how you are doing. Please drop us a note.

Keeping up with Life

Our ministry at Pagosa Bible Church is growing! People keep coming to the church and it is fun to see what God is doing. We know God’s doing it, as Tom said jokingly “I have no clue of what to do.” With that said people are coming to the Lord and to the church. The new church building is nearing completion. It is going so well they even put TJ to work on a loader. The church will seat 420 so be praying we reach more of those lost folks.


Johanna came to town for a few days. It was no surprise she left a day early after all the hiking and kids wanting stories and grandma time. Come back mom, we love you….

We were able to take our first vacation after moving back to Colorado. Moose were our objective so off to Grand Lake Colorado. The first day we encountered two bulls and man were they powerful looking animals. Laura tried to get Sydney to stand next to one, but the ranger thought it would not be a good idea.
After numerous moose, elk, deer, and mountain goats encounters we headed to Denver for an urban vacation. We hit the malls, shops, choice chain restaurants, and of course the Brown Palace. We were able to leave the kids with Laura’s parents (thanks mom and dad) and go on a few dates. The highlight was the Brown Palace where Tom asked Laura to humble herself and marry him 7 years ago. We ate and were treated like royalty…it only cost us …don’t ask.

On the way back home we stopped at Santa’s Workshop for some wild crazy birthday fun. Sydney turned 3 and she did it in style. The thing that goes around in a circle was her favorite ride…I think they all did that.

With ear plugs in, the peddle to the floor and with some sanity left we made it home in one piece; back to the full-time vacation of Pagosa Springs. When we crossed Wolf Creek Pass our first thought was why did we ever leave? I guess we’ll endure living here. God is working here and blessing us and we pray He is blessing you.

Spring Time In Pagosa

Away with the snow; away with the bone chilling temps, and welcome spring. The wild flowers are in full bloom; the bear are awake and getting into the trash; the deer are hitting the car…yes Tom bagged his first deer with the Honda, only $2500 worth of damage. Sydney’s first response was, “That deer messed up our car.” So smart! The deer was at fault and paid for it deerly. Hunting season never ends here!

We purchased a canoe and are having fun on the lake. Our first time out we watched an Osprey catch a bass. The next day we were blessed to see a double rainbow coming out of the lake. We grabbed the kids and went to look for that pot of gold we heard so much about. Funny, even the leprechauns are hurting in this economy; just a lame 3 leaf clover was all that was there.

We have taken to hiking on our off time. Sydney is becoming a great hiker and TJ loves to watch everything. It’s now a game to see what animals we come across. Laura has an eagle eye and can spot deer 200 yards off. Tom is fascinated with the Marmots (rat type animals you find by creeks). Our morning walks Sydney loves to feed the horse and we all love the mountain views. We now live in a place similar to where we vacationed. The hikes we are doing now are equal to those in Yosemite and Sequoia.
The saying is “If God doesn’t live in Colorado; I’ll bet that’s where He spends most of His time.” It is true, but they forgot to say which part of Colorado…Pagosa Springs. Blessings to you all drop in and visit when you’re in the neighborhood.

What's next for the Olson family?