Yep, it’s my best friends birthday! I’m so incredibly grateful she is with me in Ethiopia right now, instead of back in the States reading this. Words cannot express how precious she is to me. Here are a few photos that document the fun times we have had over the past year:
Love ya, Sarah Decks! So glad you’re with me! Hugs!!!!!
Mom, I'm sitting in the airport and don't have time to write the volumes necessary to express how precious you are to me. Thanks for letting me have this experience. I love you more than words can describe! Miss you already... Lean on Jesus every day! Hugs and Kisses!!!
(I know I use this song a lot, it just seemed to fit...)
Sabbath was glorious. After a fantastic Sabbath School discussion and a wonderful church service, we headed home to set out the fixins for haystacks. What made Sabbath so very special, however, was having Tennessee relatives join us! My cousins Matt and Jesse brought their families down to spend the afternoon with us, and it was such a treat!
David got a little bored waiting for everyone to get here…
I know I’m biased, but I LOVE this smile!!!
My handsome father
Okay, I guess I got a little bored, too. Not a good picture of either of us, but had to share our fun…
Don’t ask…
We were all so excited to see cousins again (and eat) that Mom stationed herself by the front door
As soon as they arrived, the fun began!
Cousin Hannah
Cousin Lily
Cousin Levi
Another thing that made today special was that Hannah turned 10! To celebrate, we all enjoyed some strawberry cake and vanilla ice cream. Yum!
I have the world’s greatest mother. She knew that there were 6 energetic kiddos (not counting Dave, Tim, and I) headed her way, and wanted something fun for them. So all week, she’s been planning a spiritual scavenger hunt for them to do. At each stop, they were asked a Bible question, told to sing a song, or told a little Bible story before receiving their prize. It was a blast and the kids loved it! Great work, Mom!
The hunt begins…
Lily was so excited to have a bag like everyone else, but at age 2, she had a tough time keeping up…
Lily was still having a tough time keeping up, so I snatched her up and took off running with her
Aunt Karen reads the question to the adventurers
Before receiving their prize, they were asked to sing “Jesus Love is a Bubblin’ Over”
The prize? BUBBLES!
These three were “looking for something blue”
“Jesus is always there for us, even if we’ve pushed Him away before. Who wants to raise their hand and decide to never push Jesus away?”
Lily had no clue what was going on. When everyone’s hands were raised, hers was not. “Lily! Raise your hand!” Hannah whispered emphatically.
Lovin’ her some prizes!
Yo-yo’s to remind us that we are always connected to Jesus. Even if we stray, we can come right back if we ask Jesus to help us…
Next, Mom sent the kids to the rock, a reminder that Jesus is our Rock. Here, they found water guns. The spiritual application? Basically, by this time everyone was so blistering hot that we needed to cool off. So fun to watch everyone in action!
As soon as we got to the rock, Lily opened her bag for me to put a prize in it. She had the routine down!
Cousin Matt gets pelted by one of his boys
Andrew was quite the super-soaker
Lily couldn’t decide whether to shoot her watergun or protect herself from the assaults of her cousins
Lucky for Lily, Aunt Larisa came to the rescue!
Cousin Tim gets in on the fun
Hot and tired, Lily and Judah wait for the next clue
Listening intently to Aunt Karen’s instructions
A water balloon toss was our next stop. Another great way to cool off…
Lily was a little confused as to the object of the game. She squeezed the balloons as hard as she could and finally threw them to the ground, trying to get them to burst. As soon as one would pop, she applauded herself and run back to the bucket for more. Guess she thought popping them was the goal. Regardless, it was hilarious to watch!
Johnny was quite the pitcher! He was serious about the challenge and did a great job.
Andrew’s big grin followed an extra-high water ballon toss
After finding fishy crackers and glow sticks, we headed inside for a craft. These stickers were the coolest! Such bright colors and minimal mess.
Judah’s masterpiece
Levi sporting his beautiful smile
The Birthday Girl and her Daddy
Aunt Karen got Hannah this beautiful dress for her birthday. It looked so fun on her! We snapped these photos to document her fantastic 10th birthday…
Happy Birthday, Hannah! Thanks to Matt, Larisa, Jesse, and Carrie for driving down here to see us. It was a blast! Love you and your families. And thanks, Mom, for the super fun day!
Emily spent her time in front of my camera several months ago. She graduated from nursing school at the beginning of May, and had me take these to send out for her announcements. At the time, I was extremely stressed out by college and did not take the time to post my favorites. Although there are several more I could post, these are a few of the best:
Thanks for being patient, Em! I love you! Thank you for inspiring me to be a better person and a more devoted Christian. You are truly an inspiration. Congratulations on your graduation! You’ll make a fantastic nurse!
Aubrey and I became friends during ASI Youth for Jesus. Although we’d known each other for years, we hadn’t spent any time together until YFJ. In celebration of the completion of high school, Aubrey asked me to take some pictures of her. Her father is also a photographer, so I was very honored that she wanted me to take some, too. Aubrey is a videographer herself and, like me, prefers to be behind the camera. I was a little nervous about whether or not she’d loosen up. Why do I ever worry? She was fantastic! We laughed hysterically throughout the shoot and had a blast. And, although she hates it when I say this, “Aubrey, you are gorgeous.” Thanks for letting me capture your beauty!
Aubrey found some blackberry bushes and gave me a sampling. The first one she gave me was red and uber tart. The one she is holding in the picture was delicious, though! I didn’t think I liked blackberries, but if they all taste like that one did, bring ‘em on!
Love the smiles in these! Probably two of my favorites…
Aubrey, thanks for stepping out of your comfort zone and getting in front of the camera. I hope you love these pictures as much as I do! Love you!!
