Happy 4th!

Had a great looong weekend celebrating the 4th and just hangin out together. Pete was able to be off work the weekend thru wed so it made for a nice little mini stay-cation. With the crazy windstorm starting off the weekend on Friday, we had some unexpected but enjoyable experiences.

Saturday we took a little day-trip to Cleveland to visit our dear friends and their adorable little guy. Spent the day eatin yummy food and checkin out their new beautiful home. As we headed home really late that night, we got a call that our other dear friends were out of power and their little guy couldnt sleep! Although, bummed for them, I was really excited to have unexpected houseguests! I love that. They stayed through the afternoon on Sunday and then Sunday night, Pete's sister and her family came to cook dinner and do a little laundry at our place as they were out of power too! We enjoyed an evening with them and spent Monday and Tuesday working hard on the patio.... almost done (pics to come later). For the 4th we were invited to share the afternoon with a cookout at the neighbors and finished the day's celebration at the Westerville fireworks with Nana & Papa. It was a stuffed-full weekend but tons of fun. Thanking the Lord for a cool house and the ability to use it to help friends and family...such a blessing. Also thankful for some time to just enjoy Pete bein home with us...always love that - still soak up every second I can with him and our little family.



my little sparkler and my little firecracker:

remae seemed to LOVE the fireworks... with some hilarious commentary through the whole thing: "wow, that one was really big" and "sooooo preeettty" after EVERY one plus things like:

 "i wanna take that one home with me"

"oooh that looked like a strawberry"

"that was pretty loud"

"im really scared...crying like a baby" (not crying at all)

"i dont like this.... ohhhh that was pretty!"

"that one is probably really hot"

"ahhh i think they are falling on me!!!"

"they are all circles... i want a triangle one!"

"mommy...thats not thunder..it sounds like it, but its not"

happy daddy's day!

Celebrating Pete's 5th Fathers Day! I love fathers day... truly, I love it. I am blessed enough to have what I believe is the most amazing, perfectly-suited-for-me, totally awesome, best dad ever... AND I've got that same kinda dad for our girls. What a day to count my blessings and totally love up on them both. Here's a little recap, pic-style:

girls workin on their homemade puzzles and cards for daddy

how cute are these?! our little crafting session turned out great!

of course, must do somethin yummy! carrot cake is one of my dad's and pete's favs so carrot cake cupcakes it is:

daddy with his breakfast in bed, opening cards from his girls :)

putting together his puzzles...

Father's Day lunch at my parents:

 papa putting his puzzle together too:

 and his new hat :)

 what an awesome daddy - completely loved by his girls

 always able to make them laugh

still daddy's little girl:

We also got to spend a little of the evening with gram & poppi and share some of the father's day cupcake love :)

Verses I feel truly embody Peter as a father and ways in which I know the Lord will continue refining him over the years. One thing I know for sure: He was picked and planned as the best dad, perfectly fit to be Ellia's and Remae's daddy and I couldn't be more thankful for such a wonderful partner in our parenting assignment.

Proverbs 22:6 - "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it."

Ephesians 6:4 - "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

Psalm 103:13 - "As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him"

Genesis 18:19 - "For I have chosen him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice; in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him."

HE is Risen, HE is Risen Indeed!

What a day for celebration and reflection on all we have to rejoice over in the Lord! His Sacrifice on Friday and His power to rise again on Sunday that made Salvation possible. Overwhelmed with thankfulness over that reality today.
Whew... such a full day. Fun and tiring! We started with a great church service, challenging and emotional. Came straight home to get last minute things in order for the whole Edmonds clan (19) to join us for Easter. We had an amazing lunch (including tons of delicious desserts of course) and spent hours trying to entertain 9 kiddos with all the Easter fun we could pack in.... Egg hunting, egg dying, cupcakes, easter baskets, candy, crafts, etc. etc. The guys enjoyed chilling out watching the Masters (I tried to sit down every now and then for 2 secs to catch up on it... but well, you know how that goes).
After everyone left, it looked like a bomb went off... but another day because I certainly don't have the energy to clean it up yet! We gave the girls their Easter bags from and nana & papa and their "basket" from us, but at this point they were sugared-up-and-no-napped-out! We enjoyed reading them "What is Easter" and talking once again before bed about the true celebration of this day. (If you've never seen these books by Michelle Medlock, I highly recommend them. They have them for several different holidays. They are cute rhyming books that the girls love. The words stick with them and they talk about all the fun stuff we enjoy and then the true meaning of the said holiday.)
Peter and I finally got more than 2 minutes together to just veg and relax after a long day.
Anyway, it was a fantastic day. One of the better Easters I have had in a while! Here are a few pics from the day.... (now, off to tend to that bomb!)

my easter beauties!

not bad for only being allowed "one shot!" but coulda been better!

carrot cupcakes - turned out pretty cute! also made vanilla with chocolate buttercream and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting - YUM

Easter baskets from Aunt Tiff & Uncle Pete complete with kites for the boys and princess stuff for the girls, of course candy, and we also made "Easter S'mores kits" with peeps for each of them

 

Egg-hunting-cuties!

all the cousins checking out their loot!

egg-dying

girl-craftin'

the girls opening their easter "basket" wheelbarrow from us
with garden fun, books, stickers, etc.

  

  

completely adorable in their easter dresses if I do say so myself :)