St. Pat's birthdays!

There were a couple a birthdays for boys we love last weekend. Our precious cousin Cade turned FIVE in New Zealand! Which means that he had his first week of kindergarten THIS week. Sounds like it went well- so proud of our grown-up Cade!

Our sweet Andy friend turned four on Saturday as well. He had a fun park birthday party, and we all had a big time! Somehow I managed to not get a pic of Andy and Abby Jane together, but if you follow our blog, you've seen this handsome face more than a few times...

 Nathaniel is Andy's two-year-old brother a.k.a. Joy in a boy body. The two are phenomenally similar.

Singing to the birthday boy...

 Always fun to have Daddy at the park with us!

 After the party festivities was some teeball. Blythe bellied right up...

 and she ran the bases after her monster hit (see the ball right next to the tee).

Janie got in some practice, too, but honestly Andy and his buddy Everett showed the girls how the men do it. We need to practice a little at home, I think.

 Miss Lindsey entertained the littles with bubbles.

 Then the Daddy helicopter started up.

 He had a few takers.

Blythe with her fabulous birthday bucket of delights! 

  We were so thrilled to celebrate one of our very favorite people! I am so, so thankful for friends for my girls with such sweet natures that are such blessings for my girls to be around. You know how there's some children that you wouldn't mind if your child never emulated in any way? Well, Andy is a kid I like my kids to be around. And his mom's pretty special herself. So it runs in the family.

Joy's first haircut

Joy got her first haircut last week, at a whopping two years, four months old. Miss Ericka brought her shears to the park on that morning's playdate.

 Ericka laughing because Joy was not quite as still as Blythe was for her first haircut, back in January.

Combining being not so much still and adding a peanut butter sandwich made it tricky business, but thankfully we're friends with a pro!

 Joy was really proud of getting special attention and hair brushing.

Though she wasn't quite proud enough to part with her sandwich for a quick shot with our favorite hair stylist.

 She gave her thanks by giving a few rides on the round-and-round.

When Abby Jane got her first cut, they said it was like pruning a bush, and her hair would just start growing so fast. It's true! I feel like Joy's hair has already started changing in just the last week. My big Joy girl!

Getting out

Jake was gone for a week last week, and I was so grateful that the weather made it easy for me to get my people OOOUUTT of the house and busy playing. Also while Jake was gone, I also got to hit up my favorite consignment sale and stock up on more than a few new items. Here is Abby Jane in her polka dot ensemble that she LOVES. There are even polka dots on those new little flip flops. When I picked her up from her class, she said, "I had so much fun wearing these new clothes, Mom!" So thankful that they can feel so special in items that cost no more than $2.50!

We had a picnic outside to celebrate the first day of Daylight Savings.

This was a neighbor's depiction of our family. My mom, the play therapist, would comment that because Abby Jane is the biggest one in the picture, she is the most important one in our family to this little neighbor. It is sometimes a source of frustration that our playtime outside is never private and always a 6-7 child affair, as all the neighbors come join us every time we step a foot outside. But there is a lot of opportunity to love on some kids, and they are very kind to our own little people along the way.

One of the most precious things is seeing your name in your daughter's fledgling handwriting!! When you ask our girls who loves them, usually the first name is their biggest hero, Daddy. I'm glad to get a shout out here and there. ;)

Grammy goes to the zoo...

While Jake was gone, we finally went to the zoo with my mom. We have had a hard time making that happen, and we were thrilled when it worked out!

We got to have some really unique experiences, though my camera battery died before a few of them happened. The male lion seen below let out his roar a few times, and a zoo volunteer told us that the surrounding residential area apparently can hear the lion roar from their homes!

The gorillas also gave us a special treat. This mama had been handling her mischievous child again and again while he was bothering other gorilla until finally she scooped him up onto her chest and snuggled him tight.

This gorilla was the one the baby had been bothering, and he hung out with Abby Jane for a long time.

That mama gorilla patted and loved on that baby for the longest time.

Before we left the exhibit, this little guy was fast asleep. The gorilla exhibit is my hands-down favorite- these kinds of moments are absolutely amazing to behold!

 

Another highlight of the trip- we have achieved the status of free train and merry-go-round rides until the end of this membership! So fun to get to share the day with my mom!

They start young...

I think she was multi-tasking before she fell asleep. There's a helicopter in that little left hand.

Thoughts on Dad, 14 years later

Yesterday was the day on which my daddy went to be with the Lord, 14 years ago. My sister Jodi wrote a really great post about him that I am re-posting excerpts of here, with a few inserted thoughts (I'm in bold). It's lengthy, so it falls in the "for our family record" category. There are so many, many stories and memories that a post like this about your father is daunting, to say the least. I could tell a million of my own anecdotes, but this year, I'm letting Jodi's post do (most of) the talking.

"It's been 14 years since he died and he was just 49.  That's getting younger every year I grow older.  He used to call me "babydoll-sweetheart-love of mine."  I was his most favorite daughter.  Later I found out he also called Emily and Mom by the same endearment, but I know he meant it most when he said it to me.  (I'm sure they would say they felt the same.)"

[I thought I was the only one Dad called that until I read this post. I think we were all his favorite. Though I'm the youngest, so you do the math. ;)]

"I read an article in Good Housekeeping (Nov. 2011).  The author said, "A study of successful women showed they all had one thing in common: fathers who listened to them."  I smiled when I read that.  I believe my dad raised confident women and made us feel treasured.  I'm so grateful for that.

I've been thinking about how Dad used to hold me by my ankles and wrists and swing me from the ground beneath his feet to up over his head.  He would swing me up and then launch me in the air and catch me.  That continued until I was close to Katie's age.  Then I remember we switched to a new trick... I would stand on his shoulders and dive off while he held my ankles.  He would stop me hanging upside down.  Or something like that.  I remember one time standing on his shoulders a long time trying to work up the nerve to dive.  This was in the living room, not the pool...  He was very strong.  He could do a one arm push up.  One time I was between 7 and 10 and I was so proud that I could do a push up too.  So he challenged me and strapped a broom to my back and told me to do it again.  I think I actually did it!  But it was really hard.  That was my Army dad."

[Doing tricks with Daddy was also a favorite- I thought I was doing the most brave, dangerous flips at what felt like fifteen feet up in the air. Dad never challenged me to a push up with a broom, but my brother made me try it with a yard stick down the back of my shirt.  Guess we know where he got the concept.]

"He was a good water skier.  He would ski with two adult skis (which seemed incredibly long to me as a kid) and ski wayyyyy outside the wake.  Then he would zoom back across the wake to the other side and pull as far out as he could go. Dad looked so strong skiing.  He had big biceps and strong legs.  Along those lines, Dad indulged me when I went crazy for water skiing in college.  I remember once he took me skiing in March.  I wore a wet suit and I think I skied a fairly short time, but he didn't complain.  I appreciated that he understood my passion for water skiing."

[Jodi learned to ski at three, and I was the slow kid who didn't want to try it until I was the ripe old age of five. But I still loved it, and I remember Dad took me skiing on school nights in October until after the sun went down, when the air was cooler than the water, and there was no one else out of the water. Magical nights.]

"Dad loved to teach kids new things.  I don't know how many kids he taught to ski.  He was determined they wouldn't quit until they got it.  And I know he taught at least a few to shoot skeet.

Dad used to dress up as a clown at our birthday parties and push kids in the wheelbarrow for rides.  I'm sure that took some humility and deep commitment to us kids to swallow his pride and be silly.  That sticks in my mind.

Dad was great with numbers.  He had a business mind.  I got that from him.  I enjoy the administrative details of business."  [P.S. I missed that numbers gene. Think it got split 50/50 between my other siblings.] "That was Dad's last position at Eagle Ranch, I believe.  I think he was the one to keep the business side of Eagle Ranch running smoothly so Eddie, the visionary, could do his ministry.  I've done that for a few employers too and worked for visionaries.  Someone certainly needs to keep them in line.

Backing up to earlier, though, he was a powerful businessman in the '80s.  I know he was influential at Johnson and Bryan and one of my favorite memories is walking into his office.  I could walk up to his huge desk and climb into his lap.  He would stop what he was doing to love on me.  And I felt special that as powerful as Dad was, I could walk right into his office without an appointment.  It's the best image I have of what I envision entering the throne room of God is like.  It's intimidating and you wonder if that big powerful God up there on that throne will have time for you, but then He invites you to crawl up in his lap and tell Him what's going on.

Dad was a successful businessman partly because of how he treated clients. The way Dad approached business was personal.  He remembered and asked about their family.  Several people commented on that after Dad died, what an impact that made.  I know Dad was a great employer and coworker.  Everyone from his office was stunned and saddened when he announced he was quitting to go work in ministry.  I think he left a big hole in their office.  Dad treated everyone with respect and courtesy. 

Dad became a Christian in his 30s.  I'm not sure exactly how old, maybe 38 or 39.  I am grateful that Al Whittinghill had the guts to challenge Dad's beliefs.  He was the first one to question whether Dad truly understood what it meant to have a relationship with Christ, to accept Him as your Savior, acknowledging there's nothing we can do to earn salvation.  It was through that conversation that Dad was reborn.  Before then, he seemed to be focused pretty intensely on his career, success, and money.  After that, we saw a dramatic change and Dad was after what was on God's heart.  He grew quickly in his walk with the Lord.  He led my brother and then me to the Lord.  I am eternally grateful to Dad for explaining the gospel clearly to me.  He helped me get started in my walk with God when I was 12 and I still learn new things about God.  I am so glad that I know for a fact that Dad is in heaven and we will be reunited one day.  That makes the time apart easier."

[I don't exactly remember this major family revival since I'm a decent bit younger. But in doing the math, when I came to know the Lord at the age of five, it was in this same season of life. Though my memory is that everyone was a believer and I wanted to understand what they were talking about. You can't discount how much those young ears are listening to older conversations!]

"I think there were 800 people at Dad's funeral.  Isn't that amazing?  It makes me proud to see the impact that he had, the legacy he left.  He influenced so many lives.  And he was my dad.

Miss you, Dad."

Away

Jake and I escaped sans children to The Cabin last weekend, thanks to the amazing graciousness of my aunt and uncle for allowing us! We hadn't been up there alone since Jake surprised me with a weekend up there when we were newlyweds. It is a totally different experience than when we're there with our ladies, quite obviously. We slept in, had quiet mornings, read, watched a movie, played games, talked LOTS, and took a few hikes. One of the highlights of the whole weekend was a 3 1/2 hour hike on Saturday.

One of the most fun parts of getting up to the ridge line is getting to see Lake Blue Ridge.

When we got to the top, we took a little break. Imagine that- actually eating trail mix... on a trail. I like it.

The love of my life and I, au naturel, in the classic hold-out-the-arm. Don't judge. Moment= recorded.

While on the ridge, we had a National Geographic experience. We saw a turkey take flight out of a tree, give a few MIGHTY flaps of his wings, and glide out over the valley at what seemed like 100 mph. He looked more like an eagle. Except he had a gobbler, or whatever you call those. It was absolutely wild. Bionic turkey. Wish I had reacted fast enough to record THAT moment!

On our hike back down, we passed a few homes and getaways, including one with this impressive St. Patrick's display that I am not fully justice to here. The little hut has a shamrock saying Happy St. Patricks. Wow.

Jake coaxed a horse over for some hay, but it must not have tasted good, because he wouldn't eat any more from me.

One of the best things about having the occasional time away from your beloved little people is the ability to finish conversations that often get halfway started before something comes up. We came home rested and refreshed and rejuvenated by being unplugged and smack dab in the middle of gorgeous creation and utter peace.

When we got home, the girls wanted to have a dance party with Grammy, who had been partying with them all weekend, including during the tornado warning on Friday night. Grammy earned her stripes, not that they needed any earning, and the girls had a fabulous weekend! So thankful for family close by that makes these kinds of weekends possible for us!