“Y” because we like you!

Just a few pictures from the mecca of the mouse…tomorrow brings our last day at the parks.  Oh the sadness, the deep longing to remain in a dream world where the largest stressor is getting back to the room to take a good nap – to stay up late for the parade that night.  Alas, our fairy tale must come to an end here in the sunshine state….then back to the reality of cold and wet.  I may cry.

 

Hershey Half-Marathon

This is soooo cool!  My brother and I are running this race together, and they just posted the race course online in a fast-forward video of the 13.1.  I’m so glad we are doing this – it is going to be a beautiful run!

ps….YES, we’ll be able to smell the chocolate factory and the Reese’s factory as we trudge by.

soccer star

Hudson had a fun season of soccer last year – if you’re “framily” you know the challenge it was for the athletically and competitive spirits in our extended family to watch him at age 4.  Really, he is such a lover (a quality that I pray never leaves him) and that came across last year.  He was more interested in making sure everyone had a friend, or flowers, than where the ball was.

So when the time came around this year to pick a fall activity, we were a bit surprised when he said he’d like to play soccer again.  So be it!  It’s his choice.  It seems that a year of gross-motor development has done him well! ;o)  It hasn’t stopped him from fraternizing while playing, but he follows the ball and sometimes chooses to kick it.  It is fun to watch him with his teammates….so while we refused to pay 25.00 for a picture by the professional “photographer”, I couldn’t resist capturing one of my own.

Happy 3rd Birthday Beautiful Banana!

Today is our peanut’s actual birthday…we had a blast celebrating her life, her joy and her zest in everything she does.  The gift God gave to us all bundled in her little body warms my heart everyday.  Thank you God for this blessing.

Congrats!

Congrats to my beautiful friend Shawna on her recent engagement to a wonderfully kind and adventurous man, Andy! (They got engaged during ocean kayaking ;o)  Super excited for them!

Princess Party

Princess Anna is set to turn three next week, so we decided to have a little soiree to celebrate three (almost) delightful years of beautiful, bubbly Anna.  She was so excited all day looking forward to her “fwends” coming and when “Vey-ah” arrived, she could barely contain herself….and there were more girls to come!  She has a lot of boy friends.  It just happens that a lot of boys belong to the families we chill out with most.  She was cool with them.  She wanted them to party.  But, the fact that Katie, Emerson and Neveah would play dollhouse and dress up like princesses with her?  That made her ecstatic!

The “Duke and Duchess” invited all royal subjects to attend a feast in honor of her highness, Princess Anna (well, that was the evite at least.)  If you came, you were a most honored guest and treated as if belonging to the royal family.  All kingdom subjects were given the option to create their own crown for the event.  This is the princess hard at work on her jewel placement and glitter glue adornments.

 

The handsome Prince and his Posse desired to eat secluded, in a camping area in part of the castle grounds.  And yes, many of these paupers chose to treat themselves royally with crowns as well.  (they were drying for during dessert time)

The delicate flowers distanced themselves from the rambunctious boys and supped together on fluffy, luxurious picnic quilts.

After the main course, the honored guests were invited to join the princess in necklace or bracelet making.

The long-awaited “all hail the princess” Birthday Song.

Each of Princess Anna’s guests were treated to gifts from the Royal Treasury on top of their cupcakes.  Disney Princess rings!  The Princess herself had quite a collection, as you can see.

The princess was showing off her new Cinderella dress to her beloved Uncle B.

Special thanks from the Duchess, Princess, Prince and Duke for those royal subjects that took the time out of their days off to celebrate Anna’s birthday.  We had a blast!

sink or float?

You know, that old Letterman gameshow?  :o)  Not really, I just had to reference it because Chris and I used to love that segment on Letterman….then again, that was when we lived as West-Coasters and Letterman came on at 10:30 and we actually could watch it!

It’s been a warm week and my littles are water people.  Actually, that may be an understatement.  I think they would live in water if they could.  I attribute it to how much time I spent in the pools in Arizona while I was pregnant with both of them.  If I have an activity that involves water – they are both full attention and will play for quite a while. So we choose to do a float or sink science experiment.  I chose a variety of objects and we made a chart.  They helped me fill a bucket full of water and our experimenting began.  They were both great predict-ers!  Before each object, they would each make their prediction –and Anna had a mind of her own.  She wouldn’t always just say what Hudson said.  Hugs enjoyed marking the results on the chart.

And as always with every water project….it becomes play time afterwards! :o)

Hudson’s first day…more pics

Because I know all our “framily” wants the scoop….

Anna had to get in on all the photos!

Walking up to the bus stop.

 

Talking to his teacher about his new airplane backpack.

Making sure he and his buddy Caleb were with each other to walk into the school.

He was so sweet as we sat down to dinner.  He gave us a play by play of the day and he wanted to add a praise card and a prayer card to our box on the table.  His “praise” was a good first day of school, and his “prayer” was for his new friends at Kindergarten.   I am so glad he LOVED his first day!

hearing His voice….

When you have a decision to make and believe either choice is glorifying to God, it can be tough!A very wise friend and woman who has walked with my “teacher” in all seasons of life shared this verse with me recently……

You will hear your Teacher's voice behind you. You will hear it whether you turn to the right or the left. It will say, "Here is the path I want you to take. So walk on it." Isaiah 30:21 (NIRV)

I had to dive into this passage and understand it. Just that verse made me want to read more and find out what was going on in the chapter that these words were written.

The passage is about Israel's obstinance - their refusal to listen to God calling them back to him. He is constantly trying to get their attention, yet they refuse to walk from their sin into His arms. It is amazing. They are so stubborn that they even tell the seers and prophets to stop because they don't want to hear it anymore - they want to wallow in their sin. (disgusting)

There are times when I wallow like the Israelites. I know there are. You know. The times when you purposefully set aside what you know what is right to do what is wrong – like self-pity? Anger? Holding a grudge against someone? Relational discord? But eventually I come around. At least I hope I do….I pray I do.

And the verse? The verse put contextually made me appreciate it even more. Because simply put, I desire to listen and the Israelites didn’t….and still He spoke. We just have to choose to follow or wallow.

Lord help me to walk on the path and listen to your voice.

big kindergartener!

Summer’s last hurrah!

Today was Hugs’ last summer day before school begins….so Mommy, Banana and a friend took him to the DW waterpark.  We had gone on Monday am to beat the heat, and then today it was even hotter, so we thought what a great place to enjoy some fun together!  (cell phone pics, excuse the quality :)

 

Hudson still lives up to his name meaning (charismatic adventurer) and can’t get enough of the BIG waterslide that you use a tube.  That one is a blast because they let Mommy ride with Hudson and Anna all on one tube.  After we convinced Anna that she was really Dora the Explorer riding down a dark river to rescue the baby jaguar, she liked it too.