its been a really long time....

... since we last updated you.

BRONCOS COUNTRY! THEY ARE 5-0!! WOOHOO!!! We are excited to live in Colorado because Wess is a huge Broncos fan and I am starting to become one (I never really was a football fan, but that is gradually changing). The games have been super exciting to watch.

Well, I (lauren) really do not know where to start. We have been in Steamboat for a little over 2 months! Can you believe that?! It has been a trying time especially for me. I was "homesick" for California, for family, for friends, and the list goes on. Life is different here and it makes it even more different when you don't have all your friends around you. I had to realize that God has given me life, not just to have friends (that is just a plus), but to serve Him. I was really getting distracted by selfish desires. Quite a bit has been going on with my family and friends in California. My sister-in-law is pregnant, my best friend moved to Santa Barbara, my parents have been improving their house, and so on... oh and I would really love to visit with my grandparents. It is just sad to think that I can't be a part of all the activity in person. It is has been really awesome though to keep in touch with everyone through skype (find us! laurenroot or funkmasterwess), phone calls, email, snail mail, and such. We love hearing from everyone and try to keep in touch as much as possible.

I am now really enjoying life in Steamboat with my husband. We have actually come to fall in love with Colorado and its beauty especially this time of year because of all the autumn colors just before the snow starts to fall. I have just been working full time in the laundry business which I am also learning to love while Wess is serving up coffee full time at Starbucks where he just got promoted to Shift Lead (a very exciting moment that we had to celebrate at Pizza Hut). We have been learning all that comes along with being married: budgeting. We are starting to save money so that we can eventually start having little Roots (a long time from now), hopefully afford to buy a house, and vacation with the fam.

The home church we are involved with is going well. There is always complications with ministry and it gets to be really draining physically sometimes. We have been learning that God has to be in complete control of not just this or that, but EVERYTHING. If God wants a children's ministry... then He is going to make it happen or if He wants a worship team... He is going to make it happen. It has been an awesome journey through ministry these past 8 or so months; God has really taught us how to give all requests and concerns to Him (phil. 4:6). Also, to just LIVE for Him in all that we do whether it be working full time at a secular job or serving in a ministry at a church. We have been so excited to watch God do what He wants to do in Steamboat Springs and realized that a 300 people congregation isn't just going to happen at a snap of the fingers if its going to happen at all. Wess has been praying about playing worship and taking on the worship leader role. About a month ago, Wess opened his guitar case to get his guitar out to practice and the stinkin' guitar was broken... it was such a huge bummer. We didn't want to take it as a sign that maybe God doesn't want him to do worship, but that is what it seemed like. We are still praying about that being a possible opportunity for Wess to be in a leadership type of role. We are thinking about investing in a guitar sooner or later for Wess. We have also been praying against the enemy that we won't be caught up in the lifestyle out here in Steamboat. It will always be a very money-driven, party town. It has been hard to meet good friends out here, but God has totally blessed us with what we feel will turn in to an awesome friendship. We met Danny at the "MyWireless" store when we set up our Verizon cell phone service. He was the sales guy. We just got to talking while we were there about why we are in Steamboat and we came to find out that He is a believer as well. He has been attending Wess' Thursday morning men's study and last night, Danny, his wife (Jessie) and daughter (Annaleah) came over for Monday night football. We actually didn't even watch football and just talked all night. It just goes to show that God orchestrates everything if you let Him and most the time it is what you least expect. We have just been so blessed by God's faithfulness as we have been here. You take a step of faith and God will not leave you hanging. He takes care of you.

Hope we won't leave you hanging for too long and update you sooner.

Thank you

Wess and Lauren Root

Love you all!!