little explorers

it's been just over a month

since i last shared pictures from our camping trip earlier this year,

photo-processing time has been very limited lately,

but i've finally managed to pump out another "batch"

these were taken one afternoon after a super rainy morning

the sun broke through the clouds almost as quickly as the storm blew in

(which was surprisingly quick!)

so we "unleashed" the girls out in a field to explore the great outdoors

they loved the wide open spaces

and being able to pick up little "souvenirs" like sticks and rocks

and i loved seeing them making so many new discoveries 

...they looked so small up against the mountains and towering trees!

see if you can spot the couple frames

where one of the girls takes a break from being surrounded by this amazing landscape,

just to make a quick "phone call" on a rock she found 

sigh...they are suburbanites, after all! 

weekend tidbits

i woke up this morning and thought to myself, 

"how on earth is it monday?"

i mean, most weekends fly by, 

but this one was crammed with so much, 

it left me wondering which way was up

we hit up a friend's garage sale

and welcomed a new vintage camera to our collection

plus we scored a giant bag of super cute "big girl" clothes for the girlies

we visited with family who just came back from holidays, 

and hosted a huge family dinner that night, 

complete with baseball steak, bacon wrapped scallops and shrimp

(go big or go home, right?)

we watched star wars, episode 2 

(this is my first time watching the series, 

we've been going through them, one by one, over the past couple of weeks after the girls go to bed

i had no choice in the matter - apparently it's an important step in my pop culture education!)

i edited a whackload of pictures, 

while listening to this fun song

...over and over and over again

then we topped it all off by going to a long-time friend's wedding yesterday

and as i sat there, enjoying the beautiful details that she thoughtfully put together for her special day

i realized that it was exactly six years ago, to the day,

that the bride and i were sitting in a starbucks, sipping on our coffees,

killing time between a mutual friend's wedding ceremony and reception

we talked about our own future weddings,

and wondered who we'd end up marrying, 

when we'd be engaged,

and what our special day would look like someday

and now, here we are - all "grown up" and married

i just couldn't help but think of the Lord's goodness and faithfulness

and how He's got such great things planned for us

how He demonstrates His love and provision

with each day that unfolds in our lives, 

in the little things as well as the big things

there's evidence of grace everywhere!

i was just so encouraged by that thought,

that i just had to share with you guys.

i hope it leaves you feeling blessed and grateful

as we kick off the week

p.s. congrats, #dallasandmeray!

gimme five!

high fives for five years of marriage!

that's right, today is Daniel and my five year wedding anniversary

we kicked off the celebration a little bit early
by welcoming Daniel to the cult of mac yesterday
and getting matching iPhones (!!!)
i was so excited, i almost did a happy dance right then and there in the store

those of you who know us personally
know that as long as we have been together
(almost 10 years)
he has proudly toted a flip phone around
and it has served us well
(until earlier this week, when it kicked the bucket, hence getting a new phone)

 anyway, we headed home, put the girlies to bed
and got his phone all set up
while watching one of our tv favorite shows together

i know it sounds lame,
but it was a nice night to kick off our pre-anniversary

today probably won't be too fancy of a celebration, either
because it's a weeknight
and we have kids
so we'll probably head out to dairy queen
since it's miracle treat day
and have a mini celebration over blizzards

then maybe tomorrow or saturday
we'll leave the kids with family
and go out for an official anniversary date

anyway, that was a lot of rambling

when all i really want to say
is how incredibly thankful i am
that the Lord orchestrated our lives
and brought together our two unlikely paths
that He has used us to encourage and build each other up
that He has changed us into who we are today
and that He continues to change us into who He wants us to be tomorrow

guys, it's not always rainbows and sunshine
but i get to do life holding my best friend's hand and being his helper
we get to hang out, serve each other and learn from each other along the way

come what may, i know two things:
1) it's in the Lord's hands
2) the love of my life is by my side, making life that much sweeter

now that's worth a happy dance - thank you, Jesus!


*wedding photos by James Moes*