Play date in California and what we came home to!!

On our last day we had a relaxing day with some of my best friends that I grew up with... and our babies... wow this crowd is growing!!!

Andre enjoyed his cupcake

water fun

dear Grady's head is turned & I missed getting a picture of you, Mel

but is was a special treat to spend the morning with you!! love you!

loving on sweet baby emma before we have to say goodbye

my dear besties

me.heather.kelley.bev

we were back in one spot!!

It was so fun to just BE together! Seeing all the places our Lord has brought us to in each of our lives. I pray for each one of you as you continue to grow in Christ. Girls, Continue be in His word daily. Bless and reverence your dear hubbies and teach & love on those sweet children.

especially if auntie barb is not around everyday to give lots of kisses & hugs

And this is what we came home to ... Framing!! I can actually visualize rather than imagine and now zoom to current day. The dry wall is getting put up as I type this!! yay!....except for that means I need to finalize on paint colors... let me say that I always thought I would know exactly what I wanted in a house...umm I don't.... I know what I don't want but can't decide which style I do want. It's obviously an old farmhouse so we don't want to make it look completely out of place but yet be what we like at the same time.

It is just different decisions than with our first house

{ our honeymoon cottage as my dad called it, I will put up a post soon to say "goodbye" to our little town house}

It seems more finale with this house. Intimidating to think that is what we could be looking at for the next 20 or so years ....

and then when I calm down

and really think.....

i realize

no one else is really going to notice.....

{ or at least be as big of a deal as what I'm making in my mind}

which tile/carpet/paint color we went with...

or

that we weren't able to use the old wide plank floors due to termite damage

or

that we used new replacement doors instead of the charming old doors for cost & efficiency reasons

{ i really had to let this last one go, I cried...lots of tears... poor Thane}

instead may our home come through as a haven of rest for our family and friends,

a place where we teach our children about Christ and his desire for our lives

a place that shows how grateful we are for the HUGE blessing of this house that

God is providing for us.

* Sorry for all the rambling. I am not a writer. I am a rambler...

**sigh... it sometimes feels good just to let the scambled thoughts come out even if nobody reading can really understand!!

{Arabella posing in her new pocket skirt from Grandma- post coming soon}

Her Kindergarten Class

School had just started the week we were in California. So we got to go see A. Leah's class room.(the cutest kindergarten class room I have ever seen) This is her third year teaching and my personal opinion is that those children has one great teacher who has all the little fun details down!(a little bias I know)The children were at music so we missed visiting them but Arabella got to see a glimpse of what you do in kindergarten.

.....Orrin just ran around....

(Sorry -blurry pictures)

{A lovely morning with precious friends}

Instead of meeting at a cozy Coffee house or a restaurant, *(benefit-no children crawling over all the walls...) I invited a few dear long time friends over to my Mom's patio for brunch. Her flowers & the surrounding areas are always beautiful. (unfortunately I didn't receive her green thumb)

The table was set with lovely items

--all out of my Mom's supplies

the coffee was brewed

We made the lavender sachets before hand out of old little quilt squares

I added a verse to remind us to go to our Lord to be renewed

We even made a special plate for Kate

My mom still has a few small sachets available here

I added a sash to a bunch of dried hydrangeas hanging on the swing

We fluffed up the outside pillows

....Arabella helped de-fluff for us....

picked a single hydrangea to put in this delightful metal flower frog of my mom's

Whipped up the spinach souffle'

and some Peach & Mango Parfaits

Peaches fresh from my parents trees-mmm

Menu

Spinach Souffle'

Moist Banana Bread

Peach & Mango Parfaits

Coffee & Berry Juice

Yay our guests arrived!!!

Ruth & Tara with Kate

We missed you Connie!

These sweet ladies actually started out as employers....(dear oh dear they better not dig to deep to remember my growing up stage!)

my sister & I started helping Ruthie when I was 13 or 14. I remember many hours of ironing french monogrammed coverlets, rearranging the back room and helping with her boys then eventually working in her shop, Fleur De Lis off and on until I moved to Ohio 5 years ago. Then with Tara's family I started helping them when I was around 15 and babysat many, many delightful times. The same with Connie's family. God made these families into people that I worked for to wonderful Lifetime friends! We may not be in each others everyday lives now but I know that they are always there and I am always here for them.

Enjoying our time together-

my mom was with us also, just no pics! sorry mama

Kate helping with my babies.

was so sweet especially being as I used to help with Kate all the time

Wagon Rides

A lovely morning with precious friends

*and a simple inexpensive one as I only purchased a few groceries for the food and for everything else we used what my mom had around her house.

** Just added this to Beautiful Life Fridays! head on over here to see more