While Daddy's Away.......

Yep. It's that time of year again. You see, we are the spoiled kind of girls around here. Our man doesn't have to go here, there and everywhere. Mostly he stays home, which is right where we like him. But every summer he packs up for a week of cabin leading at the fabulous camp my parents run. Needless to say, this is far from my favorite week of the year. Now every year previous to this, my sister Anna has come to stay with me which makes for a "Sad that my husband is gone yet having a blast with one of my best friends" type of weeks. This year however, disaster struck. Anna entered high school and went to camp as well.

Determined to still have a great time with my girls, we kissed Daddy good-bye last Saturday (Yes, I cried. I always cry!) and geared up for a week on my own with my precious little munchkins!

Now there are a few perks (very, VERY few mind you!) to being without a husband for a short period of time. At the moment I can think of one. Artichokes.

Ahhhhh the bliss! I truly, madly, deeply have a great affection for artichokes. David would rather not be bothered by them. I enjoyed it immensely.

Along with fulfilling my artichoke obsession, we had fun doing a few other things as well!

We've been harvesting our beans this week (my own beans! From my own garden! Can you believe it?!) Lydia has turned into an expert bean snapper! We've gone grocery shopping, and Goodwill shopping, and paint shopping. Slowly. Very slowly. We've also painted toes and eaten popcorn for dinner and watched The Sound of Music. Twice.

The best part of the week though, was the day we actually got to go visit camp! The camp is about two hours away so on Tuesday we packed up and drove with Uncle Andrew to go see Daddy! (And Boppa, Grandma, Boppa King, Grammie, Auntie Rachel, Auntie Anna, Uncle Benjamin, Uncle Isaac, Uncle Timothy, Uncle Peter, Uncle Matthew, Aunt Susanna and lots of friends!)

It was soooooooo good to see Daddy!

Lydia taking a shot at Goliath

Grandma gets some loves during dinner

Bethany helping Daddy and Uncle Andrew during quiz time.

It was a marvelous day. I didn't want it to end. And I really didn't want to come home without a husband! We've managed to survive though. We've even had loads of fun together. And of course we've been a little crazy. Take a look!

What in the world would posses me to attempt to paint the bathroom without my amazingly skilled and detailed husband by my side? Believe me, I'm really bad at this!

Tomorrow he comes home!!!!!!! I'm thrilled to my socks right now! I'm so thankful for my amazing man. I love being with him more than anyone else in the world! And I'm so thankful for my sweet girls and for the fabulous week we had together!

6 Months!!!

It's true. My baby girl is 6 months old. Considering how late I am in posting this I suppose it would be more accurate to say that she is 6 months and 9 days old. I still can't believe it.

Remember this baby?

This is still who I expect to pick up every morning. But oh no! In her place is this little bundle of joy that makes my fist clench to my heart almost every time I see her. Do you do that mommys? It feels like instinct. My heart literally throbs, as if I can grasp for a moment the treasure of this precious moment. A moment that will be gone as soon as I realize it's there. But in it's place is a new moment, as beautiful as an unfolding rosebud. Somehow while writing about my children tears almost always spring to my eyes and I can hardly escape the urge to run upstairs and kiss them in their sleep. What a truly blessed gift we have been given!

Ella is now right on the brink of sitting up, creeping and her first tooth. The combination hasn't made for the most joy-filled days in the history of Ella Joy, but she still fills our days with radiant sunshine.

To God be all the glory! How blessed it is to sit in His all knowing and all powerful hand!

What we've been doing (in 100 words or less!)

Just a brief overview! Lately we have been......

Eating up as much time together as possible. This summer has brought a hurricane of work for David (which is a huge blessing, even if it might not feel like it all the time!). Our times together truly are precious and few! On top of that we've been.....

Smooching.

And berry picking!

And exploring new talents and relationships.

In my remaining 31 words I will say, life has been life. Ups. Downs. Learning every day to embrace thankfulness and to lean wholeheartedly on the grace of God! What a way to live!

Next up....

~ What we have been up to during this last period of silence
~ One of my confessions ( I admit, I am learning to love....)
~ Figuring out a way to explain in a non-complicated way, the complicated way that we have uncomplicated our life!
~ My baby girl is 6 months old! I'm dying to put up pictures (whether your dying for them or not!)
~ How a house full of girls spends a week on their own!

It's all headed your way in the immediate hopefully not too far future!

Hang in there!!

Well, we are having serious internet issues around our house! I'm at my mom's now writing this quick note. Hopefully we will be up and running in a few days! Please remember to come check in again soon. Blessings to you!

So close!!!

I don't know why I encourage these things! I somehow can't seem to help myself!!!

I yika dat!

I am notorious for saying how much I love every stage that my children go through. I fall in love with them the moment I see them and it's never gone away. However, there seems to be something incredibly special about watching your toddling baby transform into a little girl right before your eyes! Havilah is right at that stage!

Take a look at this.......

This little chub was my Havi babe less than a year ago. She couldn't walk. She couldn't talk. She couldn't be left alone for 1.3 seconds. Now we've got someone new hanging around our house.

It feels like she has transformed overnight into this adorable, spunky, tenderhearted little girl. She says the funniest little things that keep us busting up all day long and the sweetest little things that make my heart throb. Her favorite thing to tell us these days is, "I yika dat!". Translation~ "I like that!". Everywhere we go. " I yika dat meat!", "I yika dat dress", "I yika dat pink dog". (No, the dog was not pink, but that is her favorite color to say right now!).

I have to say, just her cheerful exclamations of all the things she "yikas" has got me thinking! Here I am again, getting all bogged down in the day to day, forgetting to take in all the blessings I am surrounded by and forgetting to pour my thanks on the One who is not only sustaining me, but is working in the heart of my little two year old and revealing to her a world that is bright and beautiful and designed by Him.

So here I am to say, I yika my home. I yika my new book. I yika this quiet evening with four beauties sleeping peacefully. I yika that sweet little girl who is teaching me so much every day. And I am overwhelmingly thankful for the One who reveals more of Himself to me every day!