wedding

Did July go by as quickly for anyone else as it did for me?  We've been busy... mostly with wedding and family and the last minute fun that goes hand-in-hand with summer. 

The highlight of July was my sister's wedding, of course.  I believe it was everything she had hoped for.  In brief summary, here is...

THE REHEARSAL DINNER:
The capacity of our barn was tested... and passed!  There were almost 100 people present at the rehearsal dinner hoedown, and plenty of room to spare.  Of course there was great food and squaredancing for all ages!

Everyone dressed in appropriate attire.  Jillian sewed her own bridal hoedown dress.  Yee Haw!

THE WEDDING:

Jillian was the most beautiful bride I have ever seen... yes, I am pleased to say she topped me!

Wade was the dashing groom.  We couldn't be more excited to welcome him into our family!

I was the {very} pregnant Matron of Honor.  Jillian picked this dress over another one because she thought it would be cuter on me at 8 months pregnant.  I believe her, but I am glad I never got to see the other dress.

Annike was the exhausted flower girl.  She was a champ during the rehearsal, and loved wearing her "purple princess dress"... but when it came time to actually walk the wedding aisle, she just couldn't pull it together.

Christian was caretaker to the flower girl, and reluctant picture-taker.

(but don't let him fool you, he still had fun!)


THE RECEPTION:
En route to the reception, Annike decided she was ready for the party to be over...

but for the rest of us, the party was just beginning!  Marriott in Monterey was a fantastic setting...

We lift up many prayers for you two as you begin your new life together.  As I said in my toast, I know that the future holds many unknowns for you.  But I am also convinced that God has fully equipped you to be great travel buddies as you embark on this next great adventure... the one called marriage.  We love you. 

Congratulations!

(Two little lovebirds atop the cake)

mane

Everyone should have a daughter.

When I woke up this morning, my long hair was a mess, my eyes were puffy, and my loving husband says
"Oooh!  Mama has wild hair.  Look at that mane!  Does she look like a lion, Annike?"

Annike looked at me with a gentle grin on her face. 
"No," she whispered with awe. "She looks like a Mama Mermaid!"

I think I will keep her around for a while. 

the fourth at the farm

I haven't been doing that great in the blogging department as of late.  So after this post I am officially signing off until August, partially to give myself a break in the guilt department.  After all, in the next month we have a wedding to get through (my sister's), a visit from extended family to host, a third trimester to tackle, and we are trying to fit a vacation in somewhere in the middle.  It exhausts me just thinking about all of that fun.

We also have this party to recover from, though it was well worth the hangover of throbbing ankles and knees I am experiencing today.  I temporarily forgot that I am 30 weeks pregnant and did not sit down for the majority of the day.  Today I feel like I might be turning 75 next week.  Alas, our bodies are only temporary.

Barn parties were part of the original vision when we bought this beat up property.  No better time than July 4th to celebrate family farm fun.  The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and the friendship topped it all.  If you weren't invited, it was an oversight.  We would have welcomed you with open arms!  That is, as long as you brought something yummy to eat. 

The activities included horseshoes, face-painting,

Thank you, Gretchen, for using your artistic genius to bless Annike with a penguin on her cheek!!  Sofia has an American heart-shaped flag.

This little gal got a ladybug on her hand.

... and tractor rides... which were definitely Christian's, I mean, the children's favorite event!

He even got a little mowing done in the process.

Those are definitely gleeful faces.  Christian kept mentioning that he could remember their giggles and squeals throughout the night.

Next year we will add in the 3-legged race. 

But the truth is that none of these "activities" were necessary because being together with friends, that are more like family, is the best way to celebrate freedom.  We have the freedom in this country to fellowship with anyone we choose.  The freedom to walk where we want, when we want, how we want.  Most of all, we have the freedom to worship Who we want.  And that is something worth celebrating.

Until August... have a Joyful July!
Ashley

helper

My favorite little helper isn't always that helpful. 

The mess?  Those irritating styrofoam peanuts that arrive with breakable objects in the mail.  Whoever invented the stuff is on my hit list, and certainly has no children.  After the entertainment value of making it "snow" in the living room had passed, Annike says "Mama, should we clean?" and ran to grab the broom.

How can a mother say no to such willingness? 

I knew, of course, that the outcome of her interaction with the broom would be styrofoam beads spread into every little crevice in the living room.  I knew there would be no compact pile to sweep into the trash can.  But my response was one of patience and gentleness... Of course you can attempt to clean up your mess!

This little one loves to "help".  While much of me dreads the larger mess that will be created in the process, there is a knowing voice that whispers not to squelch her willing heart... to allow her the freedom to do something she really is not that good at yet... to be patient with her though the helpfulness might not be so helpful.

Yesterday, Annike got hungry a little earlier than usual.  Instead of the usual whining and sudden downturn in disposition, she pulled her little stool up to the kitchen counter top and said, "Mama, shall we make dinner?" 

Half of everything I cut up ended in her mouth.  She spilled vegetables on the floor and counter top - extra mess that I probably would not have made.  And it took me twice as long to make dinner because I had to keep pulling her fingers out of the food.  But in the middle of it all, she was involved in a way that made my heart happy. 

I am glad for her helpful spirit, despite the setbacks it may cause me.  There is something about her desire to help that gives me a glimpse into the little person God made her to be.  See, she isn't helpful because I have taught her well.  She is helpful because of the little personality that God gave her.  But don't go thinking I don't have an important role to play in it - I do!  I have the oh-so-important responsibility of shaping the personality that God has already given her.  I have the power to teach her helpfulness into the corner by squelching it, by opting to do tasks on my own because I am in a hurry (which I am, most of the time), by telling her no because she might make a bigger mess for me to clean.  Or I have the power to teach her that her helpfulness is a gift and she will shine when she uses it.

Don't get me wrong, it is not like Annike is dying to pick up her toys every time I ask her.  She has her tantrums and her rebellious moments.  No one ever had to teach a child to be selfish.  But the task of raising a child in a way that highlights the good, God-given, traits while minimizing the selfish, ugly glimpses of human nature is no small task.  It is our calling as prayerful mothers to discover those gifts in our children and encourage them to shine in this individual way... and in the meantime, God still has some work to do in me too through the discovery of it... like building a little patience in me.



Just so I don't feel too guilty posting this picture, I need to say that it was take right before I got pregnant, which is quite a few months ago now.  This means, unfortunately for me, that we both look a little different right now... but the look of pride in Annike's face when she helps is the same as always. 



life is like a birthday cake

Sweet. 
Surprising. 
Messy. 
Layered.
Adding a little pink never hurts.
Takes more effort if you want it to look good. 
Might taste better than it looks.
A moment of bliss may lead to a season of guilt.
An awful lot of work to make, but takes no effort to destroy.
Goes well with ice cream.

Life... and cake... worth taking a big bite of.

Happy Birthday to my husband!  He makes the messy things in life make sense... taste good... worth the work.
 
And he loves cake, probably more than this little gal, who is quite proud to have "helped".
 

In case you were wondering... 3-layer chocolate cake with vanilla pudding, banana, and berry jelly filling, and whipped cream frosting with chocolate shavings on top.  Yum.

vacation

Rest.  It is a good recipe for repairing family relationships, promoting sanity, and for becoming equipped to practice godly traits like having grace for people or being servant-hearted. 

God created human beings with the need to have regular rest in their lives - it is why He commanded a Sabbath so long ago.  It is probably why He designed us to need 8 or more hours of sleep a night.  He knew that we humans would get caught up in the hustle and forget to slow down.  He knew that we might spend our whole lives working if He didn't remind us to slow down to enjoy all that He created for us.  He knows us so well, that even if we don't understand why, when He tells us to get some rest, we should obey!!

It is simply amazing what a decent amount of sleep can do for a pregnant woman's personality.  After a restful, relaxing, restorative vacation in Kauai with the family, I feel more like myself than I have in 24 weeks.  Having no convenient Internet access was also a part of the hiatus - it meant that I got behind on blogging, but it also meant that the family had restful time to enjoy each other fully absent of everyday distractions. 

Though we have taken other trips with family and friends before, this was our first vacation with just the 3 of us.  Probably the last.

We spent a lot of time in the pool...

and collecting special objects at the beach...


Holding 2 large leaves that doubled as pretend fish

Holding a sea cucumber

... where we had trouble keeping Annike's bathing suit on.  No big surprise.

It was actually quite stormy while we were there.  We ran for cover on more than one occasion to hide out under a tree in a downpour.  But a little (or a lot) of rain never stopped us from having fun!

Mother's Day was celebrated with brunch and cards and a break from motherly duties like cooking and dishes.  Just the way I hope to always celebrate.

I had to throw this picture in because Annike finally looks like me in a photo!  She definitely has a lot of Daddy's features, but when she is squinting in the sun with a half smile, she looks a lot like me!

Overall, it was a wonderful time of togetherness.  A needed break from the tediums of life.  Rest and naps and sleep and more rest that we just don't seem to take time for back at home.  The kind of rest that I truly believe God would like us to incorporate more into our everyday routine, if not at least our weekly schedule.  What a tremendous gift!