Dessert & The Brown Family

I made a chocolate cake (Lyd's recipe) and peanut butter pie (Connie's recipe) that were amazing, if I do say so myself. I do not reccomend consuming these if you are concerned at all over calories. :)
The Brown family was kind enough to stop in and share the dessert with us. They were in town for Amanda's graduation from Liberty University! The Brown's are on the top of our list of favorite people. (I may want to be just like Beth when I grow up..)

Several years ago I asked her about having five kids. She replied, it was very difficult, but all the most rewarding things in life are.

My sweet little Anna is expecting her first baby very soon now! I am so excited God blessed Anna and James with a little girl! I can't wait to meet their little one and talk with Anna about the adventures that motherhood brings. Anna will be an excellent mom. I am so thankful for her friendship. God orchestrated our friendship from the start, as He knew I would need the support and encouragement she has faithfully given.

True friends are one of God's best gifts.

What? We are always this happy just to sit together.

I wonder where she gets it from?

All I have to say is, they may have a little too much in common. ;)

A Blue Bonnet

Pennsylvania Trip

Lydia & I headed to PA for a visit with G&G. We left the kiddos with the in-laws and made our trip. It was a good visit. I was sad to see the difficulty they had doing simple tasks, related to their health conditions. I was touched at how dependent they are on each other.

I remember visiting several years ago to help Grandma while Grandpa was in the hospital. She asked me teach her how to pump gas, because she had never done it before. I thought "what, she doesn't know how to pump gas??" and later on "how sweet that she has never had to pump her own gas." Grandpa took care of things in his own specific ways and Grandma took/takes great care of Grandpa.
While it is hard to see Grandpa unable to proceed with life as before, I feel the noticeable deficit without his management is a testimony of their marriage that worked like clock work.

Of course they have their issues with each other as all couples do, but I pray that my grandchildren will look to Joseph & me and notice that...

I don't eat very well when my husband isn't with me, I look forward to my wife's visits all day, I do things the way my husband liked, even when he becomes blind and will never know if I go in a different order while arranging the medicine, I hold my wife's hand when we sit together, I make sure to buy my husband the snacks he likes, I buy my wife jewelry because I know she loves pretty things, I ask him questions to make him feel included in conversation when others may have forgotten he is there, I pull my granddaughter aside to tell her to take care of Grandma while I am in a hospital bed...

Grandma and Grandpa celebrate their 65th anniversary this week. I am thankful for their marriage and their love for each other.





Happy Birthday Uncle AL!

Mother's Day Pictures

I attempted to imitate the Edmonsons (who photographed our wedding)and take some sweet shots for Connie's Mother's Day present. My skills turned out to be non-existent, but my subjects looked good enough to make up for it. :)







These are my favorite, as I feel they really capture their relationship.

Ohio

We headed to Ohio to see cousin Becca do a smashing performance in Romeo & Juliet. Troops included the Graves family from TN, Mike & Mags from Boston (with the new little Jonah) and Uncle Al from PA! It was a weekend filled with happy memories and a kid always screaming. Aunt Lisa did an A+ job of feeding/hosting while remaining calm. We saw an enormous dead fish in a remarkably small pond, and we discovered that road trips get much harder as Isabella ages. We have since purchased a DVD player for the car. Nothing like a little mindless activity to make the time fly by!
Joseph and Eric play "catch."

I love this girl!!

A photographers worst nightmare.

Pretty Cousins.



The lovely Lady Capulet


The Hamilton cousins in character from one of their high school plays.

Elijah kept saying "we are on a date!"

Uncle Al and Elijah had some great bonding time over a food magazine.

My Lovely Little Girl

If you have ever seen Isabella, you know she likes to sport many expressions. My favorite are the happy ones below, although even the cranky ones can be cute at times. Sometimes it's hard not to laugh at them. I try to go in another room if I cannot hide the smile.