Miller Boy!

Miller is getting so big (and CUTE!) - I had to capture him before he grew up too quickly! Here are some pictures from last weekend.

Last Whidbey Weekend of the Summer

I can't believe we are into September now - and that we have unofficially ended summer. It has been a GREAT summer with amazing weather and lots of fun weekends at Whidbey. Here are a few pictures from the weekend. Kyle mentioned that I had not captured his crab hunting on the blog - so I am posting some pictures : ) Over the past 2 weekends we have caught over 40 crab...nothing beats fresh Dungeness crab!

Shucking the crabShowing off : )Playing with the crabCallie being so brave and helping KyleRobbie doing his thing - what a nice night!

Washing Cars

As Betsy posted - we have fond memories of washing our cars with our dad. It was so fun to see Maggie and Masin following suit.

Busy at work - I just love Maggie's buns!

Taking a break for a picture

Masin playing in the suds -the best part!

Picture time!

The Rest of the Weekend...

The rest of the weekend was filled with friends, hanging out, and taking pictures! Julie and Katie came up for the day - so great to see them. Some Bapa and Miller TimeAnd some more pictures of Anderson...

5 years ago...

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breadth,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and if God choose,
I shall love thee better after death.
-Elizabeth Barret Browning

Five years ago today, Kyle and I walked down the aisle. It's amazing how time flies. Kyle and I met when I was 19 years old and we just celebrated his 30th birthday. There is a lot of change, growing, learning, and excitement that happens in your 20's - and I feel so blessed that I was able to go through all of those experiences with Kyle. If I had a magic wand - I wouldn't have necessarily met my husband to be when I was 19...but who's to argue with fate? During our years of dating - Kyle was able to get to know all of the Gamma Phi's whom I lived with - and whose husbands/boyfriends are some of his best friends now. We experienced the "long distance" - while I was in Italy for 4 months and Kyle was in Georgia for 6 months. We back-packed around Europe - and survived and had a blast! We experienced our first "real jobs" together (wait...we both still work for the same Company!). AND - we survived a house purchase and total remodel. Talk about a strong foundation - no pun intended!

Our wedding day - 5 years ago – seems like so long ago. It was such a fun and emotional day - what an amazing gift my parents gave to us! I loved our ceremony and how we wrote our vows.

Annie/Kyle, I love you with all of my heart and soul. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. You are my best friend and soul mate and lifelong partner. You make me a better person by the way you love me, by the way you make me smile, and by the way you make life more enjoyable just being with you. I promise to support you through our journey through life together. I am so excited that you are the one who I am going to share all of my adventures with. I promise to by loyal and honest with you. I promise to challenge you in your faith. I promise to support all of your dreams. I give you my heart to keep forever.

Vows are so powerful and meaningful – and we have been through our ups and downs these past 5 years! I still remember my first couple of months as a “wife”. I thought I had to cook the perfect dinner every night. I think we ate at 10 pm a couple of times because I chose the most complicated recipe that took forever to cook after a full day of work. I remember thinking – hmmm, Kyle’s “piles” – I am going to live with those “Forever”?!? I think back to my busy season days and only seeing Kyle when I kissed him goodbye in the morning and when I crawled into bed at night. I remember getting Henry - and the joy we experienced having a puppy! And we thought those were sleepless nights! Ha! I think back to when we lost our baby to a partial-molar pregnancy. The most emotionally painful experience I have had. We will forever have our little angel looking down on us. Fortunately, we had an amazing trip to Provence that couldn’t have happened at a better time. That trip was pretty darn perfect. And now, we have Anderson - the biggest blessing of them all and the little being who puts everything in perspective.

Five years ago today we said our vows – and entered into the unexpected. I couldn’t be blessed with a better partner, supporter, and love of my life. Kyle’s positive outlook on life, his many talents and skills, his belief in me as a wife, mom, and professional, his resourcefulness, his passion for so many things, and his role as a dad, uncle, husband…all make me love him more today than the day we read those vows. My love for Kyle makes those vows even more meaningful today and I look forward to many, many years to come. I love you Kyle!

Philippians 4: 4 – 7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 3: 16 – 19
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Andy in the Park

We took a walk this morning - and it was so nice out - we stopped to take some pictures...

Vacation and a little red wagon

I took this week off from work - and have been enjoying time with Andy and time in the sun! We went to the park in his Radio Flyer wagon and have been playing with his toys from his birthday. Here are some pictures from earlier this week.

Slumber Party

Callie & Maggie came over last night for a slumber party. I picked up the girls, their over-night bags, and matching sleeping bags. We stopped at the toy store on the way home, and each picked out 2 toys and stickers. Maggie, of course, picked out 2 dinosaurs. Callie picked out a kazoo and a "toot" machine. We had craft time when we got home and then played outside (and took pictures, of course!). Kyle picked out Varlamos and we had pizza. After dinner we baked cookies from scratch and ate them warm out of the oven. Then...we watched Tinkerbell, the movie, and ate popcorn. We were in bed by 9:30 (we all slept in the basement) and up at 6:30 this morning. On our way back home this morning, we stopped off and had hot chocolate and doughnuts. I had a blast! I feel so lucky to be an auntie to Callie & Mags - what a treat for us!

My nieces - so beautiful, and so goofy!

Taking a milk break

Andy checking out his cousins

Bubbles and cousin time

Dinner!

Maggie patiently waiting for the cookies to bake

Movie time

Hot Cocoa!