Memorial Day Weekend 2014

For weeks, we were counting down to our first Lake Bluff visit of the season. Abby kept telling Ella all about the exciting things to expect because she knew Ella had been too little to remember the year before. Plus, not only was it Oliver's first time at the Bluff, but also his first time meeting Uncle Greeley. We had lots of fun spending time with Grammy, G-Diddy, Uncle Brad, Aunt Alex, Nana and Uncle John. Abby loved the chance to be even more independent as she played and ran between cottages with Lauren. As always, it was the perfect way to kick off summer.

Almost time for that mini-van. Our backseat is officially maxed out with our third kiddo in the middle.

the breathtaking view from the top

We're here...

...and it's good to be back!

already making weekend plans with Lauren and excited to learn of their shared love for Frozen

my sweet little love and her favorite rainboots

her infamous "cheese" face

a little Lion King reenactment

Joe went with the girls  down to the back beach to throw rocks, but Ella decided it would be way more fun to jump right in...freezing water and all.

Ella loves swings as long as she is in control and no one is trying to push her.  This was the first time she got herself up onto the swing all by herself. It was a big girl moment for her!

 

Abby and I walked the white lines (pretending not to fall into hot lava) and took picture of our shadows. 

 

Sunset at the Bluff is a big deal. Everyone gathers together at the top of the Bluff to watch the sunset at the end of the day. Ella was wiped out and needed sleep, so while everyone went up to watch, I put her to bed . After her loud screaming and protests ("No eep, Mommy!"), I went upstairs to see if she had finally fallen asleep. Nope. She was wide awake and enjoying the sunset.

It was a puzzle weekend at the Bluff. Grammy and Abby were working on this 100 piece puzzle. Brad, Alex, G-Diddy and I were working on a 1000 piece puzzle.

Of course, there's always time for a good nap or two. There was something about this chair...

Oliver had a great weekend too. Once Greeley got used to having a little squirrel sized dog around, they settled down and became buddies. Ollie enjoyed hanging out by the fire.

The first day, Greeley was so excited and curious, he wanted to pounce on Oliver like a new toy. By the end of the weekend, they were snuggled up like this.

 

The girls love having Nana read them stories. I love listening to Nana read to them. She asks  questions in all the right places and makes the books come alive even more.

 

We had two beautiful boat rides. Abby loves speed and takes any chance she can to help G-Diddy drive and go faster. She is thrilled by it all. On the other hand, Ella gets motion sick pretty easily and spends the boat ride snuggled into me. She doesn't object to being on the boat, she just needs comfort while she's on there. I love every minute of the extra snuggles. On the second ride, the boat rocked her right to sleep.

Abby and Lauren

Abby went fishing for the first time with Lauren and caught her first fish! :) 

Ella and Nana

Seven Years

Seven years? As cliche as it sounds, it really is true what they say about time flying. I still remember how people would look at us when we had been married only a couple of years, like we hadn't experienced anything yet...the "what a cute young couple" look. Now, here we are seven years later. Our road has not always been easy. Marriage is one of the hardest and most wonderfully rewarding things I've have ever done. Yet, every bit of it, the joys and the challenges, have grown us and continue to bless us.  

I love this guy. I love our girls. I love our family. I'm thankful for the story God has given us. When our kids look back on this blog of memories, I want them to see our anniversary celebrations. In a world where marriage is becoming increasingly expendable, I want them to know that God's plan and purpose for marriage is worth fighting for. 

It reminds me of this quote I love.

The grass needs watering! A healthy Christ centered marriage builds the foundation for a healthy Christ centered family. I'm so thankful for my husband who creates space in our busy lives for intentional time together, whether it's date nights or meaningful conversations. This year, Joe surprised me with a night away together in Lake George for our 7th anniversary.  It was our first night away in a long time and though we missed our girls a ton, it was a much needed and really special time for us.

our view during dinner

checking out our room and the mystery window behind Joe's head that opened into the bathroom. Never really figured it out!

Sun in my eyes...yup!

One of the best parts of our trip was spending the morning right here. The sky was blue. The clouds were perfect. The sun was shining. We sat side by side in rocking chairs with this view in front of us as we read our Bibles and shared our hearts with each other. When I imagine Heaven, parts of it looks like this. I'm pretty sure we could have sat there together all day!

 

Thanks for taking care of our girls while we were away, Grammy!

Lemonade for the Least of These

Our neighborhood garage sale had been on the calender for weeks. I had been on a serious spring cleaning kick. I'm pretty sure I organized and purged every closet and drawer in our house. There is something so freeing about getting rid of stuff and simplifying life. Abby was even motivated to add her toys and books to the pile because any money she earned is hers for vacation. We were ready!

On the same day as our garage sale, Abby joined a movement of kids hosting lemonade stands across the country to raise money for an orphanage in Ethopia. The proceeds help to purchase food, toys and all the other things needed to care for the children at Hannah's Hope. The movement is called "Lemonade for the Least of These" based on Matthew 25:40 which says,

"The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

I shared the information with Abby and took the time to answer all of her questions because I wanted it to be Abby's lemonade stand, not mine. I gave her the choice to decide. There was no pressure either way. When I told her how the money would be used, she had a look of horror on her face that surprised me. After asking a few questions, she shared that she wasn't sure we should send money to the people who take care of the orphans because she thought they would be mean to the kids and keep all the money for themselves. Then, I realized her only category for orphan care came from an "Annie" type Christmas movie she saw last year. Yikes! I'm glad I got to clear that one up. Once she realized that the workers wanted to love the children and show them God's love, she was all in.

 Abby was excited to set up her first stand and was even more excited to tell people about the orphans in Ethopia. She got up early Saturday morning and made her sign. She set up her table complete with her cash register and had a pile of informational sheets so people could learn about the cause. We had to help Abby channel her enthusiasm because she just couldn't understand why anyone would say no to lemonade and didn't want to take no for an answer. Most people were thrilled to give to the cause!

The neighborhood was buzzing with people all day. Friends came by to visit. We cleared out a lot and Abby raised $15 to send to Hannah's Hope. I loved watching my girl have fun and spread love!

The neighborhood boys came to visit and helped out with the stand for a while!

Miss Annemarie gave Ella her very own price sticker, "Make an Offer". We say....priceless!

Abby and Isaiah

Elijah and Ella

After a long and successful day of sales, we celebrated with our first summer dinner with friends at the little local ice cream shop near our house. Corn dogs and ice cream, anyone? 

Just one more reason to love summer!