Friends

Right before we left for our adventures out west we managed to have some of our very good friends over for a hot dog cookout in our backyard.  I only got my camera out for a bit, but I did snap this picture of Laura and Jennifer- two of my best friends.  You have likely seen a few pictures of their kids on my blog (because they are some of Lily's best friends)- but I rarely make them the subject of my photos...because, like many adults, they don't really love having their picture taken...despite the fact that they are both BEAUTIFUL.  But I just had to share this picture today because I am very much missing these two wonderful friends.  Here on the summer project we have been sharing with each other about the last year and as you might imagine it has been an emotional process sharing with them all of the hard times of the last year.  And yet as I relived the last year I couldn't help but think of these two friends and how the Lord used them to comfort me and support me and to remind me of His goodness.  I do miss them.  They have fun, exciting things going on in their lives right now and I hate not being there to be a part of it and I just can't wait to get back home and have a good, long coffee date with them!

The Making of our Family Photo

It's not the best picture I have ever taken, but I kinda love it.

I love it most because I just love our family.

But I also love it because I know what went into creating it.  You see, this family that I love so much HATES having their picture taken.  They are all so supportive of me in my photography and they love the pictures I take of the little ones in our family, but the glares come out pretty quick anytime the lens is pointed anywhere in their direction!:)  So you can imagine my shock when my sister-in-law called me just as we were about to leave for the summer to ask me if I would be willing to take a family photo that afternoon at the little party we were having to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday.  She recognized that that afternoon might have been the last time we were ALL together for quite some time (since her oldest son is going cross country for college this year) and she wanted to get a good family photo before he left.

Like I said, it's not the greatest photo I have ever taken, but it's pretty amazing for a couple of reasons...

It's amazing because somebody other than me in our family initiated it!

It's amazing because everybody in the family agreed with very little complaining or grumbles (unless they were all doing it behind my back)!:)

It's amazing because we got this shot with only two clicks of the shutter.  Right as we were getting set up it really started to rain...so this shot was in the rain (and so was my camera) so literally all I got was two shots!

And it's AMAZING that with only two shots (and this many people and little ones) that EVERYBODY was looking (and generally smiling)!

And it's amazing because, even though I set up the shot and settings, this is actually a self timer photo!  Yes, I set it up, clicked the button, and RAN to my seat...and you can't even tell (I even stopped on my run back to the chair to take Eli's hood off of his head)!:)

I'm thankful for this picture and everybody in it...and maybe they'll let me take another one in 10 years!:)

Bubba

Bubba oh Bubba-

We think you're the best...

And you're birthday SHOULD have risen about the rest.

But alas, we've been busy and lost track of days

So with our heads hung low we're now here to say

Happy Belated Birthday Dear Bubba!

The Cousins Family!

 

Let me introduce you to the Cousins side of our family! 

This is a very rare family photo taken just a few weeks ago and we were only missing our second oldest nephew and our soon to be youngest niece (due any day now)!

This is our family and I love them.  I've often said that I have the best in-laws ever and it's true!  This family has truly accepted me as one of their own from the very beginning and has shown me such love and grace and encouragement.

I'm sure you can figure out who Joe's parents are.  And in case you are wondering about the rest...Joe's little brother is standing next to him with his wife sitting in front of him (they have the 3 little girls) and Joe's older sister is seated to the far right with her husband standing above her and 2 of her 3 kids around her. 

I just love them!

We Made It!!

We made it!  After four long days of driving and a week break in the middle with my family we finally arrived in Colorado last weekend!  We drove in through a strange wind/dust storm so we couldn't see much, but when I woke up the next morning the view from our condo took my breath away!  Really, these pictures don't even do it justice- it's incredible!  We have been busy getting settled in and jumping right into work.  Truth be told I haven't worked this much in a long time, but it's good.  This week has just been our staff team that is giving leadership to this summer project and tomorrow the staff that we are training arrive followed by the students a week later.  It's going to be a very full summer!

Lily is really enjoying being here (especially because she gets to see her friend Libby everyday).  Eli is having a bit of a harder time adjusting and throughout the day asks us to go home.  It's a little sad, but I have every confidence that he will adjust- hopefully!  You can pray for that.  If you would could you also pray for my health.  I've had a head cold since we arrived and my ingrown toenail has returned (and I may have to have it surgically removed again while I'm here)...fun times!  This is my first time directing one of our summer projects and these things (though minor) are really not what I need stealing my attention- so I would love some prayer for healing!

We have been meeting and planning and scouting all day and often well into the evening (we wrapped up our meeting last night at 10p.m.) so today our team gets to go have a little fun on a zip line tour through Mt. Crested Butte!  I'm so excited for the thrill of zipping down the mountain!  So, I'm off for now!  I do still have tons of pictures and stories to share from our time in Wisconsin (and even before that) but our internet connection here is spotty and my days are pretty packed, but I'll eventually get to all of them!  So many fun things to share!

On the Road and with Family!

Good gracious it's been a while since I posted!  Truth is I still have pictures and posts to share from our Spring Break way back a few months ago...and this picture is one of many family pictures that I never posted from last fall (but plan to one of these days...yes, I must do that)!

But for right now we are on the road and spending some wonderful time with family and getting ready to direct the summer project in Colorado very soon and, well, I'm feeling a bit too worn out (in a mostly good way) in the evenings to edit pictures.  And I have a feeling this might be how it goes for a while since we are entering into a very busy season of life with our summer project.  So bear with me and I'll update a bit here and there and then maybe in August I'll take a few days and just edit, edit, edit and blog, blog, blog and get us all caught up!:)

But, like I said, for right now we are on the road.  We left on Monday and spent the day with Joe's family celebrating his mom's birthday (and mine too).  Following that was two days worth of driving where once again it almost seemed as though our kids handled it better than us (they are pretty amazing travelers)...though a short attention span from one sweet little man did require a little bit more interaction from the passenger parent than in travels past!  All in all though they were really great!

We are now with my parents in Wisconsin and our time here is already flying by...quality time with Grammy and G-Pa, some fun and unique outdoor activities (because it's been hot here), a family birthday party for Lily today, yard sales, and yummy treats!  Oh, it's been good!  And that's what this family is up to these days!

Go West!

We are headed West (well, we will be in 5 days)!  I don't think I've mentioned it on this blog yet, but we are headed out to Colorado for the summer.  To be honest, Joe and I were hoping to be in Maine this summer.  It's been a long, hard year and we were hoping for the stability that home offers, but God clearly has other plans for us.  We were just days away from confirming our summer assignment in Maine when we got word that we were NEEDED in Colorado.  The couple that normally directs the Lifelines Summer Project our there (our friends Mark and Brenda) had some major change of plans themselves.  Mark was in a motorcycle accident last summer and nearly lost his leg.  He's been going through rehab ever since and thought it was going well, but not to long ago learned that he actually needed to get an unexpected total knee replacement.  This meant that he and Brenda needed to be at their home for the summer undergoing surgery and recovery.  The thus not only were we needed to be on the Summer Project in Colorado, but they actually asked me to be one of two directors of the project (a first for me).  Our Lifelines National Team is like family and there was never a moment of question for us that we would step in where needed to help our family and this project that we care so much about...even if it meant giving up our peaceful summer at home.  Who needs peaceful anyway?:)  Nope, instead we are headed West!  We leave on Monday with a stop at Joe's parent's house to celebrate his mom's birthday.  They we are on our way for two days of driving in the car before a week long stop to visit my family in Wisconsin!  Then two more days of driving and we will be in Crested Butte, Colorado for almost two months!  Apart from all of the driving Joe and I are very much looking forward to the summer and all that God has planned for us that we weren't expecting!  We sure would appreciate your prayers for safe (and maybe even happy) travels!   Okay, time to start packing!:)