Summer Diary: Fourth of July Weekend

My Uncle and Aunt invited us to join them at their lake house for the weekend.  

The fun started on Thursday evening!

Aunt Sandi made steak and potatoes...YUMMY!!

She spoils us and feeds us well!!

We roasted marshmallows after dinner and made S'mores. 

Roasting marshmallows over the campfire was a first for my girls. 

Simple things like this are the things I love most.

Aunt Sandi will say, "who is my little angel" and Sydney will say, "me." 

She has a special bond with her Aunt Sandi. :)

My Uncle Kevin.  He has the gift of making anyone and everyone feel loved.  

I love that about him.

We stayed up talking until midnight every night. 

Both of these men hold a special place in my heart. 

I made these chocolate biscuits for breakfast on Friday.  One of my favorite things to do while at the lake house is bake!

Aunt Sandi gave the girls a bag of goodies. :)

These glasses were a favorite. 

We headed out to do some tubing after breakfast!

This was a first for Sydney Faith and she did great!

And Amelia loves the water this summer!  It was so neat to watch her swim in the lake and even kayak on her own.

She's growing up.

Little time in the pool that afternoon. 

We grilled on the boat for dinner and got to hang with more family!

Sydney getting ready to paddle boat with Daddy.

Amelia with her sweet cousin, Kealee.  They spent a lot of time together over the weekend!

Despite my best efforts, Amelia experienced her first sunburn on her face. 

She didn't let it stop her though - she wore a hat and rash guard and got back out there!

FYI: Extra Strength Desitin is GREAT for a sunburn.

We woke up at our home on Sunday morning and headed to church!

PB was here and that made for two happy girls.

They were all smiles for Sunday pictures - thanks to Pryce!

Her hair is so long, you couldn't really see it, but I loved this little flower detail on Amelia's sundress. 

I've been patiently waiting for this Sunday.  I was so ready to hear all of the stories from our Cabecar mission team!

Our nephew Pryce (who just turned 16, yesterday) feels led to serve in Costa Rica. 

He always wanted to do something with the Game & Fish Department after graduating high school, but God changed his plans. This was his third mission trip to serve the Cabecar tribe and work with the missionaries in Costa Rica, and needless to say, part of his heart is there!

We are so excited for him and look forward to supporting him anyway we can. 

It's refreshing to see young people step out of their comfort zones and be open to whatever it is God has planned for their life. I PRAY my girls aren't so focused on themselves and their own plans, that they quench the plans of the ONE that really matters.  

They presented Alex with some gifts this morning for his work on the pass thru house in Costa Rica. 

He can't wait to go back and I can't wait to go with him!

It was a fun 4th of July weekend with family.  

And when I stop to think about what I'm most thankful for this Fourth of July weekend...it's the freedom to worship with my church family on this beautiful Sunday.

That's something I think about every single day and I pray for those who do not have that freedom. 

Thank you to all who serve in our military, past and present.  It's because of your sacrifice that I get to enjoy that freedom.  I pray God blesses you and your families in a very special way.

Love to all,

Summer Diary: Strawberry Sweetness

My girls love to eat strawberries and there are some sweet ones at the store right now. 

I was cruising Pinterest the other night and came across this little tip on hulling strawberries. 

It's one of those things that you think, "that's nifty!" 

And then you never try it. 

But for some reason it came to mind this week, as I was cleaning strawberries for the girls.

So here's what you do:

Take a straw and place it at the bottom of the strawberry.

Gently push the straw through the center of the strawberry, all the way to the top.

And voila! 

You have a hulled strawberry!

Amelia could even do it by herself!

Which I love because she's not allowed to use knives.

So the next time you volunteer to take a fruit tray...

Grab a straw, hand it to your four year old and say, "get to work!"

(P.S. these strawberry close-ups totally gross me out - strawberry seeds look like whiskers)

Love to all,

Summer Diary: Summertime Selfies

Snuggle selfies - the older they get, the less they stop to climb up into my lap just to be held. 

So when it happens, hang on.

Sleepy-eyed selfies - Sydney Faith loves to put off bedtime for as long as possible. They sent us this picture on our last date night.

The time my girls have with their Grandparents during this season is something they'll never forget.

Salon selfies - showing off our summertime hair.

Saturday night selfies - all piled in one chair on their iPads. 

We live a crazy life over here.

Sunday morning selfies - these just might be our favorite!

So excited to be going out with my man selfies - our niece is with us two days a week this summer.  She watches the girls and we get to take a date night and it has been SO FUN. 

I love dressing up and going out with my guy.

Sweetheart selfies - he puts up with my picture-taking self.

XO...

XOXO...

XOXOXO...

We may have date night withdrawals come Fall but for now - we're lovin' summertime!!

Love to all,

One Thousand Gifts: The Stories Of A Father

Father's Day was approaching.  I came across an article that was titled "What Your Dad Really Wants This Father's Day" or something along those lines. 

I clicked on the link, expecting to read a list of cool/different ideas on what to make or buy. 

But the list contained only one thing.  And the one thing was nothing money could buy. 

The writer simply encouraged kids to write from the heart this year. To write in a card and tell your Dad what it is you love most about him.

As I wrote in my Daddy's card this year, I took the writer's advice. 

I wrote from the heart. 

I told my Daddy that I was sorry for not taking more time to sit and talk...sit and listen...just the two of us.  My Daddy has lived an incredible life.  I'm always in awe when he shares about his childhood. It makes me wish for simpler days for my own children.  I told him that I love his stories.  I told him that I want to take the time to sit and hear all of the stories that he has yet to tell.

With two little ones, most of the minutes of my days are all about caring for them.

But I've been missing something. 

And my girls have been missing something. 

My girls need to hear those stories from their Papa. They would love his stories too. They will treasure those stories. They will treasure that time. 

I came across a new to me blog. 

Even though I had heard the name Ann Voskamp a million times, I had never read anything by her until a few months back.

Her book one thousand gifts is one of those books that I read each page, nodding my head, yes...yes.

This book/study is challenging me to recognize the most simple of things for what they truly are. 

Blessings.

Gifts.

A Godly father.

A loving/present father.

A father full of stories to share.

Blessings.

Gifts.

I took some time with my Daddy today. 

Over fresh BLT sandwiches and a cold root beer, I sat and listened to his stories. 

Some of his stories pull at my heart strings.  Stories of his first summer to get to play baseball instead of traveling from Arkansas to Michigan to work in the orchards. Something he had done since he was 8 years old.  No money to buy a baseball mitt, so he worked for his Dad to pay for that $3 glove.

Some of his stories make me laugh until I cry.  Stories of him wrecking his brother's new car (before his brother was able to drive it) as a young 15 year old boy. 

This life we have...it's just a bunch of breaths. 

And one day...there will be no more breaths.  

And all we'll have is that time that we spent together.

Those memories that we made.

All we'll have are pictures of their smile that will take us back to that day. 

That day of fresh BLT's and cold root beer. 

That day of stories that made us laugh and cry. 

That day that we just sat and listened, taking in every word.

What a gift. 

"Maybe we, as a younger generation, are so consumed with ourselves, we have forgotten the legacy from which we came." -Allison Hendrix

Love to all,