Remembering summer {Part 2}

We all participated in Houston Project with our church.

Price did lots of wall standing!

We experimented with rollers and new hair do's

We took a trip to Sun Valley.  Nathan won dad of the year and floated Price around in the freezing water.

Street and Piper enjoyed the sand at Red Fish Lake.

Ellery learned how to ride her bike without training wheels!

We ate lots of good food.  Our favorite was Stanley Baking Co.

Sweet babies

Price and Street loved feeding the horses.  We were afraid they might mistake Street's  little head for a carrot.

We went hiking.

Cousins

This boy loves all things outdoors.

Brothers throwing rocks

Street put on a performance with a nut and bolt he found.

We love Poppy.

Can I put him in one of these for time out?

Bonding

Ellery loves the ice skating show.  She took an ice skating lesson this year and did great!

Price started bear crawling on the trip.  Yay!

We might need to get a horse for this boy one day.  Ha!

Love my sister.

Remembering Summer Part 1

celebrating 6

Last day of school pic with her teacher.  She was such a blessing to our family.

a girls trip to Galveston

the moms might have had the most fun

just a cute picture of my boy

trips to the lake

boat rides

everyone, including Street, rode the wave runners this year

Lots of time just spent at home playing

and more playing

a trip to a friend's ranch

the boy loves horses

more boating

and pool cleaning

Summer interview with E

Ellery and and I made a list of about 18 things we wanted to do this summer.  We've marked off all but 4 and we've got less than 2 weeks to fit them in.  An interview is something I added to the list.  Here's my girl's answers.

Favorite color: aquamarine and turquoise  (aquamarine is on an episode of Blue's Clues that we have seen one too many times)

Favorite foods: besides desserts?  cupcakes and mango

Favorite person: God and Jesus

Favorite thing to do: go on vacation

Favorite person to spend time with: my mom and my dad

Favorite Friend: Ella and Madi Kate

Favorite thing to wear: long skirts

Favorite Toy: crafts and dollhouse and legos

Favorite thing about school last year:  being with all of my friends

Favorite thing to do with Mama: go to the library and just lay in bed and watch movies

Favorite thing to do with Dad: going to the movies and chuck e cheese

Favorite thing to do with Price:  love on him

Favorite thing to do with Street:  to think he's cute...squish his face

Favorite movie: Star Wars

Favorite place to visit: Idaho

Favorite Day of summer: my birthday - going to the dinosaur museum and titanic exhibit with mom

Favorite book: my Star Wars book

Favorite trip: when we go to Austin

Favorite day: my birthday

Worst day ever:  when I get in trouble

Something funny that happened to you: when me and Ella were in the car laughing

Something sad: when Empress (my mom's dog) and Papa died

Something happy: when I got my pet fish

What I’m most thankful for: to have a house

My favorite drink:  Sprite, and oh water

{dirt cupcakes were on our list too and we had fun making them today!}

Cool Summer

'

{Brooke Schwab}

We are enjoying our last weeks of summer.  It's been full of coolness (and I am definitely not talking about the temp) - trips, the lake, lazy days spent in our p.j.'s, new milestones, and therapy of course.  Lots of pictures to post and words to write.

6th Birthday!

Elle,

My baby girl is 6 today.  You have been anticipating this one, and we have three days of celebration planned.  Last night was a trip to Benihana's and today was a date with me to the Museum of Natural Science.  Tomorrow is a swim party with friends.

My girl, you are a true piece of work.  You love pink (and turquoise now), high heeled shoes, arts and crafts, and your dolls.  You equally loves Star Wars, dinosaur exhibits, farm trips, and boogie boarding.  You have a thing for musicals and the Little House on the Prairie series.  In fact, you told me the other day that you want to be Laura Ingalls (or Skippy Jon Jones -"it's a tough decision") for Halloween.  I can go into your bedroom most any day and find about 30 books spread out all over your bed.  You have started reading simple books this year and love to read about nature, other countries, and animals.

You had a great year of school and are headed to Kindergarten in the fall.  You love school and especially love being with your friends.  I admire the ease in which you make friends and your ability to jump right into most things.

You have become a pretty good little gymnast this past year and were invited to take twice a week over the summer.  I love watching you enjoy yourself and your confidence grow with each new skill.  If you had it your way and if it weren't for mom and dad trying to keep life simple (chuckle), you'd be involved in every activity under the sun.

Little girl, your mom and dad think you are pretty cool.  I often times tell others that I don't know what I would do without you, and it's the truth.  Not only are you fun to be with on days when all the boys want to do is whine, but you are a pretty good diaper fetcher and stroller pusher as well.  I love hearing your thoughts about Jesus, life with a "special" brother and a "raging" one, and the Muppet characters (a new favorite this summer).

I can't get enough of your mile-long eyelashes and big brown eyes.  Time is flying.  I blinked and you are doing your own ponytails and flips into the pool.  I want to slow down and soak up every minute with your big 6 year-old self.

If I had to go around the world and pick one little girl to be mine, I'd pick you every time - no question. Happy 6th birthday Ellery Paige!  I love you.

Love,
mom

sweet dreams

I had the most beautiful dream the other night.  Our three kids were running out of a bedroom while I stood in the kitchen watching.  It was not our home.  My jaw dropped to the floor and I couldn't speak. I just kept nudging Nathan and pointing.  I watched as they all three ran through the kitchen and into another room of the house.  Nathan and I by that time were flat on our face, praising our God who heals.

Ever since that dream when I am drifting off to sleep, I want so badly to go back to that place.  That house.  That moment.  It was beautiful.

goodlight photography

A love story

Yesterday we said our good-byes to my Papa.  It was a beautiful day and the service, I believe, was just what he would have wanted.  There was plenty of red, white, and blue and American flags were flying.  This man loved his country.  My cousin, Mark, gave the eulogy and couldn't have painted a better picture of the impact this man had on his family, especially us grand-kids.
I was thinking yesterday about the life of my grandmother (Nanny) and grandfather and I believe their love story is something worth sharing.
My Nanny was the strongest woman I have ever known.  She loved the Lord and genuinely loved others before herself.  She didn't have an easy life, but she never complained or questioned the Lord's goodness to my knowledge.  She was also a faithful prayer.  I believe one of the prayers she voiced most to the Lord was for my grandfather to know Him, to give His heart to the Lord.  She would go to church alone (or with her 3 children) and she would serve Him without the leading and support of her husband.  I can only imagine how many times she pleaded for God to make Himself known to Papa.  She was never one to force her beliefs onto others, instead she lived them out.
When my grandmother became ill with Alzheimer's, we lost the Nanny we knew.  It was painful to see her mind deteriorate like it did.  But, what we did witness was our Papa's love for his wife.  He served her and cared for her well.  He loved her deeply, even though many days she could not even recall my mom's name.
I believe through all of this my Papa grew to know the love of the Father.  He would constantly tell me he wasn't good enough, he had sinned too much.  That he didn't love Nanny the way she deserved to be loved her whole life.  I would smile and assure him that this is what the Lord requires of us, admitting that in fact, we are not good enough.  Not one of us.  My Papa began reading God's word.  He was probably one of the most faithful readers of my blog.  He would tell me he was praying, especially for one of his favorite great-grandchildren, Price.  The day he passed, he was calling out for my grandmother.  At one point, he said, "Let me go."  I love to think he saw her face as he was going to be with the Lord.
The prayers that my Nanny lifted up to the Lord were answered.  Did she get to see her prayers come to fruition?  Not until heaven.  Could she have imagined that in her sickness, the Lord would be glorified?  This love story is more than a story of a husband and wife.  It's a story of God's faithfulness to His children.  It's a reminder of the power of prayer.  It's a testimony to the fact that our prayers may seemingly go unanswered in this lifetime.  Often I get discouraged, tired of waiting.  I think the Lord is just going to say no, so what's the point?   But, yesterday as I was getting ready for the funeral, I was once again reminded of His greatness.  I was encouraged that He does hear and He does answer.  I just have to be willing to submit to His timing, knowing that He knows far better than I do the end of the love story.