Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
6.30.2014
We Shall Call This The Summer of Weddings
We have 5 weddings this summer. And if you add the one we went to last December and the one next April, that is 7 for the year and a half. It feels like the days shortly after college again. What is crazy, three of those weddings are from Justin's childhood neighbor and close family friend. Three of their four children are getting married within a year of each other. Three more are Justin's cousins and the one for me is a basketball player I coached. It is fun to go to weddings and see the joy of the bride and groom. It is fun to dance and see old friends and family. And, the one we went to this weekend had Orange Leaf for dessert! Of course, Aria likes to dress up and dance. And it is fun when your meal is croutons, cheese, ranch, and potatoes. And this year, with our 10th anniversary in just over a month, all these weddings make me think back to my own and how lucky I am to be married to my awesome husband!
6.29.2014
Race for the Cure
Every year the Quad Cities hosts a Komen Race for the Cure, a fundraiser to fight against breast cancer. This year their race was quite significant to our family because my mom was the Honorary Survivor Chairperson. Almost exactly 18 years ago, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has a pretty cool story, actually. She went to a Circle meeting at her church and there was a lady there talking about how to do breast self exams. She had a dummy there where the women could actually feel what a lump was like. My mom discovered the lump on her own body because of that experience at her church. She initially had the lump removed and then a mastectomy. She also endured six months of chemotherapy. It wasn't fun for any of us. But here we are 18 years later and she is cancer free and quite healthy.
This Honorary Survivor Chairperson role allowed my mom to share her story and encourage others to take the necessary precautions to catch breast cancer early. She got to speak on the radio and tv. There were articles in the newspaper and other speaking opportunities. My mom is such an outgoing, energetic, and happy person that she was perfect for the position. The organization she works for got behind her and formed a team for the race and raised the most money as a group for the cause.
The day of the race was an early morning for us, but it was well worth it to hear my mom share her story and to see all the people who have been touched by breast cancer. I was blown away by the survivors who participated in the race, as well as the people who wore shirts with pictures and "In Memory" messages. It made me wonder why I was so lucky that my mom lived and those people's relative or friend did not. But I have seen countless times how my mom has been able to use her experience with cancer to inspire or encourage others. And I've seen how her outlook on life is totally different now.
Sometimes it is really hard to understand why God allows horrible things to happen, but my mom is living proof that good can come of them. When times are tough, God wants us to rely completely on Him and then use what we learn to bring Him glory. And my mom has done just that.
This Honorary Survivor Chairperson role allowed my mom to share her story and encourage others to take the necessary precautions to catch breast cancer early. She got to speak on the radio and tv. There were articles in the newspaper and other speaking opportunities. My mom is such an outgoing, energetic, and happy person that she was perfect for the position. The organization she works for got behind her and formed a team for the race and raised the most money as a group for the cause.
The day of the race was an early morning for us, but it was well worth it to hear my mom share her story and to see all the people who have been touched by breast cancer. I was blown away by the survivors who participated in the race, as well as the people who wore shirts with pictures and "In Memory" messages. It made me wonder why I was so lucky that my mom lived and those people's relative or friend did not. But I have seen countless times how my mom has been able to use her experience with cancer to inspire or encourage others. And I've seen how her outlook on life is totally different now.
Sometimes it is really hard to understand why God allows horrible things to happen, but my mom is living proof that good can come of them. When times are tough, God wants us to rely completely on Him and then use what we learn to bring Him glory. And my mom has done just that.
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| My mom got to go up in the lift with the starter of the race |
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| Aria liked all the dogs |
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| Aria needed a lift for part of the way |
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| Water stations along the route |
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| Grandma and Papa don't know how to say no |
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| People along the route decorated their homes or yards and came out to support the runners/walkers |
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| Dogs need water, too |
6.08.2014
Whatever She Dreams Up
Grandma and Papa are willing to participate in whatever Aria dreams up and in most cases her imagination is quite extravagant. Last Sunday, I came downstairs to discover this:
They were playing Frozen, of course. The blue blanket is the ice and they are all dressed up in their winter gear. Note the date was June 1. I'm not exactly sure why Aria is wearing a pillowcase on her legs or why there is a border of luggage and toys around the ice rink or why Papa has to wear a girl hat and Grandma's hat is too small, but they were having fun. Even though I give them grief and it occasionally causes me to roll my eyes or grit my teeth, I do think it is wonderful that Aria has two people in her life who are always willing to say yes. Whatever she wants to play, whatever she wants to eat, wherever she wants to go, it is awful hard for Grandma and Papa to say no. But Aria knows she is loved and that is what matters most.
They were playing Frozen, of course. The blue blanket is the ice and they are all dressed up in their winter gear. Note the date was June 1. I'm not exactly sure why Aria is wearing a pillowcase on her legs or why there is a border of luggage and toys around the ice rink or why Papa has to wear a girl hat and Grandma's hat is too small, but they were having fun. Even though I give them grief and it occasionally causes me to roll my eyes or grit my teeth, I do think it is wonderful that Aria has two people in her life who are always willing to say yes. Whatever she wants to play, whatever she wants to eat, wherever she wants to go, it is awful hard for Grandma and Papa to say no. But Aria knows she is loved and that is what matters most.
5.27.2014
My Dad Turned 60
And my Mom planned the best surprise ever! Over the past year, my parents, my dad especially, have developed a love for the music duo of Danika Holmes and Jeb Hart. Jeb plays an awesome guitar, which is what my dad loves, and Danika sings. They currently live in Nashville, but are from this area and come back to perform quite a bit. At one of their local performances, my mom learned they do house concerts. She thought it was the perfect idea for my dad for his 60th birthday.
The celebration happened about a week before his actual birthday on Mother's Day weekend. It was easy to tell him we were coming to visit to celebrate Mother's Day. We decided not to have a huge crowd jump out and surprise him, but to just have Jeb and Danika show up at the house and start setting up for the concert. It was so awesome to see the look on my Dad's face when they walked up onto the deck. He was totally blown away!
This picture is a still frame captured from my video camera, but you can still see the surprise and joy on my Dad's face. We didn't want the big concert crowd to show up right away because we knew Jeb and Danika would need to set up and we knew my Dad would want to chat with them one on one. What we didn't know was that Jeb would give my Dad a mini guitar lesson during that time! Bonus surprise!
While they played, the rest of us worked hard to set everything up for the 40ish guests coming to view the concert. It was crazy how my Mom made food and prepared the house as much as possible without my Dad knowing. She even stored stuff in the neighbor's refrigerator. It was totally worth it! Pretty soon, guests started arriving and my Dad was in shocked and surprised mode again. Many people came and he was so honored they were there. He had family, friends, and co-workers from long ago, as well as current friends and co-workers. My Dad was so blown away by everyone who kept showing up. It was fun!
Then they sang. And they were really good! This was the first time we got to hear them and it was great! They are working hard to make it in the music industry, and I would say they are well on their way. One of their original tracks was recently in a movie! One big perk is their playing of the song, "Forever Young." That song has always been a special song for my Dad and I. I remember playing it on cassette tape over and over again. It was the song we danced to for the father/daughter dance at my wedding. Of course we were both crying as they sang it.
It was really fun how my parents' basement was transformed into a social concert lounge. People sat around, ate, drank, and enjoyed the music. It was such a good day! I had my friend Whitney make some special cakes for the occasion. She is quite talented!
The quoted phrases are my Dad's two favorite songs to play on the guitar. And the guitar cake was a perfect replica of my Dad's Martin guitar. What a special day it was! I think Jeb and Danika really enjoyed it, as well. All of the audience had a great time and my Dad certainly felt quite loved. We finished our birthday gift off with a book from Aria and I called, "60 Uses for Papa" with 60 pictures of Papa and Aria doing their favorite things.
A great husband/dad/papa only turns 60 once, so I'm glad it could be such a joyous event!
The celebration happened about a week before his actual birthday on Mother's Day weekend. It was easy to tell him we were coming to visit to celebrate Mother's Day. We decided not to have a huge crowd jump out and surprise him, but to just have Jeb and Danika show up at the house and start setting up for the concert. It was so awesome to see the look on my Dad's face when they walked up onto the deck. He was totally blown away!
This picture is a still frame captured from my video camera, but you can still see the surprise and joy on my Dad's face. We didn't want the big concert crowd to show up right away because we knew Jeb and Danika would need to set up and we knew my Dad would want to chat with them one on one. What we didn't know was that Jeb would give my Dad a mini guitar lesson during that time! Bonus surprise!
While they played, the rest of us worked hard to set everything up for the 40ish guests coming to view the concert. It was crazy how my Mom made food and prepared the house as much as possible without my Dad knowing. She even stored stuff in the neighbor's refrigerator. It was totally worth it! Pretty soon, guests started arriving and my Dad was in shocked and surprised mode again. Many people came and he was so honored they were there. He had family, friends, and co-workers from long ago, as well as current friends and co-workers. My Dad was so blown away by everyone who kept showing up. It was fun!
Then they sang. And they were really good! This was the first time we got to hear them and it was great! They are working hard to make it in the music industry, and I would say they are well on their way. One of their original tracks was recently in a movie! One big perk is their playing of the song, "Forever Young." That song has always been a special song for my Dad and I. I remember playing it on cassette tape over and over again. It was the song we danced to for the father/daughter dance at my wedding. Of course we were both crying as they sang it.
It was really fun how my parents' basement was transformed into a social concert lounge. People sat around, ate, drank, and enjoyed the music. It was such a good day! I had my friend Whitney make some special cakes for the occasion. She is quite talented!
The quoted phrases are my Dad's two favorite songs to play on the guitar. And the guitar cake was a perfect replica of my Dad's Martin guitar. What a special day it was! I think Jeb and Danika really enjoyed it, as well. All of the audience had a great time and my Dad certainly felt quite loved. We finished our birthday gift off with a book from Aria and I called, "60 Uses for Papa" with 60 pictures of Papa and Aria doing their favorite things.
A great husband/dad/papa only turns 60 once, so I'm glad it could be such a joyous event!
5.26.2014
Exploring with Grandma
About a month ago Aria was headed to spend the weekend with Grandma and Papa, but before she went we decided to do a little adventure with Grandma. We headed out to the Raptor Center near Lake MacBride. What a cool place! Basically the Raptor Center is a home for raptors that have been injured and can no longer survive in the wild. We had a great time visiting eagles, owls, hawks, falcons, vultures, and more. It was a beautiful day so we had a picnic and threw rocks in the lake, too. Aria really enjoys birds, so she loved talking to and seeing the birds. At first when walking on the path to the lake, Aria didn't want to get to close, for fear of falling in. However, with a little coaxing from Mom and Grandma, she was soon throwing rocks in and climbing all over. Here are some pictures from our day.
4.21.2014
Easter Pictures
A glimpse of our marathon Easter Sunday...
Phew. I should have taken a picture of her passed out in the car on the way home. It was a long, but fun day.
Jesus is alive!
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| Easter morning surprises: the empty tomb and Jesus took our sins and replaced them with special blessings. |
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| Making and eating Resurrection Rolls (a 3 year tradition) |
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| Off to church where the white rose symbolizing Aria's decision to trust Jesus was on display |
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| An egg hunt at home put on by Grandma |
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| Family pictures because we are all dressed up |
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| Our second annual grandparent Easter tower picture |
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| I'm not sure there is a thing on earth more beautiful than this |
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| Off to the Rickey family for food and fun with cousins |
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| Then to the Blow family for more cousins and more (not needed) food |
Phew. I should have taken a picture of her passed out in the car on the way home. It was a long, but fun day.
Jesus is alive!
1.27.2014
1.26.2014
Omaha
No this post has nothing to do with Peyton Manning...
On the Saturday after Christmas we got to go to Omaha for the wedding of a family friend and childhood neighbor of Justin's. We left relatively early in the morning and made the surprisingly easy drive out there. We arrived a little after noon and it was 60 degrees...weird!
It was a super fancy wedding, so we got all dressed up!
Seriously, it was probably the fanciest wedding I've been to. It was in a humongous cathedral in downtown Omaha and the reception was at a fancy art gallery. Aria got her own kid's plate of food that included mac and cheese plus a cool kid package of fun things to do. It was assigned seating with fancy name tags and beautiful decorations. It was quite the occasion and was fun to be around a lot of Justin's childhood friends!
We decided to stay an extra day because how can a family go to Omaha and not go to the zoo? Even if Sunday, the day after the 60 degree weather, was a lovely -5. We ran from building to building and took our time inside enjoying the animals. There was still a lot to see. Our favorites of the day were the 5 lion cubs who turned one year old that day
the awesome giraffes
a silly orangutan
and of course, the penguins! Especially this one that just hung out by us in this bubble.
We also stayed an extra day because our hotel had a mini waterpark in it, but it was soooooooo cold! Of course the play structure had one of those ridiculous buckets that Aria won't go near, so we spent our time in the frigid pool.
But the main reason we stayed an extra day was to see these people.
I wish I would have taken a better picture, but I was too busy catching up with my very dear friend, Gina. She brought her family over to swim with us and we let the dads swim while we chatted and stayed where it was warmer with her one month old baby. Then we got to go out for lunch with them, too. It was so fun to connect with them! It never matters how much time passes or what is going on in our life, we are always able to pick up right where we left off in college. It does still seem a bit weird that we are all grown up with kids and stuff. :)
So glad we got to have a fun little trip during Christmas vacation!
On the Saturday after Christmas we got to go to Omaha for the wedding of a family friend and childhood neighbor of Justin's. We left relatively early in the morning and made the surprisingly easy drive out there. We arrived a little after noon and it was 60 degrees...weird!
It was a super fancy wedding, so we got all dressed up!
Seriously, it was probably the fanciest wedding I've been to. It was in a humongous cathedral in downtown Omaha and the reception was at a fancy art gallery. Aria got her own kid's plate of food that included mac and cheese plus a cool kid package of fun things to do. It was assigned seating with fancy name tags and beautiful decorations. It was quite the occasion and was fun to be around a lot of Justin's childhood friends!
We decided to stay an extra day because how can a family go to Omaha and not go to the zoo? Even if Sunday, the day after the 60 degree weather, was a lovely -5. We ran from building to building and took our time inside enjoying the animals. There was still a lot to see. Our favorites of the day were the 5 lion cubs who turned one year old that day
the awesome giraffes
a silly orangutan
and of course, the penguins! Especially this one that just hung out by us in this bubble.
We also stayed an extra day because our hotel had a mini waterpark in it, but it was soooooooo cold! Of course the play structure had one of those ridiculous buckets that Aria won't go near, so we spent our time in the frigid pool.
But the main reason we stayed an extra day was to see these people.
I wish I would have taken a better picture, but I was too busy catching up with my very dear friend, Gina. She brought her family over to swim with us and we let the dads swim while we chatted and stayed where it was warmer with her one month old baby. Then we got to go out for lunch with them, too. It was so fun to connect with them! It never matters how much time passes or what is going on in our life, we are always able to pick up right where we left off in college. It does still seem a bit weird that we are all grown up with kids and stuff. :)
So glad we got to have a fun little trip during Christmas vacation!
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