Savage Summer: Part 5

Three weeks after Florida, we were blessed by a visit from Aunt Wendy, Yasemin and Yeliz! We went to COSI, German Village, Blacklick Park and church together. It was great to introduce them to Reynoldsburg, lovingly called "The Burg". We had a great time singing to the Go Fish! Guys in their minivan, seeing the girls play together, looking at Wendy's beautiful pictures of German Village, and just spending time together. Thank you for making the trip! We love you!

Savage Summer Part 4: Happy 5th Anniversary!!

I have so enjoyed seeing the anniversary posts from friends, that I'd like to copy that idea. We couldn't have planned that we would have been able to celebrate our 5th anniversary in beautiful Sanibel, Florida. Thanks to the baby-sitting squad back at the condo, we were able to get away for a day on the island.

We rented a tandem bike and rode the length of Sanibel Island (twice...about 20 miles of biking). Thankfully, Greg was up front and did most of the work. We agreed that riding the tandem was like marriage...it works much better when the man leads, when both husband and wife work together, and it is of no help when the wife is dead weight. :) Yes, I came up with that one when I thought it would be better to just sit on the back and not peddle while Greg started from a dead stop. Not a good idea. Other parallels to marriage...it's so fun learning together, it's good to laugh at yourself, and take time to slow down and enjoy the scenery, but keep your eyes on the road while pedaling. :)

It brings me joy to think back on how, in God's sovereignty, He brought a left-handed boy from Tennessee and a left-handed girl back from Germany to meet at Purdue one Sunday morning. As we discussed our hopes and dreams, our convictions and desires, and as we laughed and cried together, we discovered that our meeting was no mistake, but the second greatest gift God would ever give us. Life with Jesus is an even greater gift...and that is saying much, since our marriage is the sweetest human relationship I could have ever imagined. I love you, Greg.

8 Months Old!

Here is Joanna at eight months. She is adding new foods to her diet, scooting across the floor on her bottom, wiggling her head back and forth to music, and rocking back and forth, gearing up for crawling. She also likes to click with her tongue, grunt and "sing", especially on car rides. She loves to grab Phoebe's hair in handfuls, but Phoebe just pulls her hands away calmly. We are thankful that she is a very sweet baby.

Some of her other new skills include:

Sucking on cheerios...

Drinking from a sippy cup...

Eating graham crackers...

And just being adorable!

Savage Summer: Part 3

Shortly after Father's Day, we all flew to Ft. Myers Florida, for the family event of the summer. My cousin Tara married Skeet on a beautiful little beach, having the destination wedding she always wanted. To make it even more special for our little family, Phoebe was the flower girl and Greg officiated the ceremony. To make it even more more special, my Mom made Phoebe and Joanna's dresses with fabric picked out by the bride to perfectly match the wedding. Okay...one more...to make it more more more special, my good friend from college Carrie Wildes was the photographer for the wedding, and did a marvelous job!

Enjoy some of these pictures taken by family...

Pre-ceremony: Phoebe was "practicing" by dumping her petals on the sidewalk...thanks to Josh who helped with the clean-up!

The ceremony had begun, and Phoebe walked down the aisle. She carefully navigated the sand, and when she reached the front, she dumped her entire basket of petals. It was a precious moment!

Greg officiating his first wedding. He did a wonderful job, and how wonderful that it was for family.

Post ceremony with cousins Erin and Alex: Joanna's color was a good indicator of how hot it was.

During the reception: Tara and Skeet trying to get a posed picture with the girls.

Congratulations, Tara and Skeet!

 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Ephesians 5:31-33

Savage Summer: Part 2

The weekend after Phoebe's birthday was Father's Day and Parent Child Dedication at our church, so it was very appropriate that Papa, Nonnie, Mimi and Deeda were all here. We also celebrated Phoebe's birthday again! She didn't seem to mind.

Phoebe received two wonderful presents from her grandparents: an easel, and a picnic table. They have already gotten a lot of use. Greg also got a grill for Father's Day, and is blessing us all with his yummy grilling. He also mowed a croquet court on our backyard, and play ensued.

At the Parent Child Dedication, our pastor encouraged us to raise our children according to God's ways. Joanna was not baptized or sprinkled or christened, as we believe the Bible teaches that she needs to consciously, by faith, enter into a relationship with God through Jesus before she gets baptized. The dedication is to encourage the parents to raise our child according to God's ways and teach her about salvation through Jesus. What an awesome, humbling, worthwhile responsibility!
We are very thankful for our fathers! They challenge us and love us daily.

The Grillmeister...

Nonnie and Papa with Phoebe at her new picnic table...

Phoebe working algebra problems on her new easel...

Little sister enjoying her fist...

The croquet court...

Parent Child Dedication...

(Thank you to Emily O'Neal for these pictures!)

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Savage Summer: Part 1

Nonnie and Papa came to visit the week after Phoebe's birthday! We got to go to the zoo together. It was a gorgeous day! We also went to our favorite Reynoldsburg park, where the girls love to swing.

By the elephants...

Watching the "mingos"...

Watching the monkies...(wait...where's Val?)

Swinging!

7 Months Old!

Joanna was 7 months old yesterday! Random facts about our little girl: she is almost 17 pounds and 26 inches long. She is sitting up on her own, rocking back and forth, and screeching like a bird...maybe even a hawk? when she's happy or sees her sister. It's too cute, and I often wonder how she's creating such a sound. She's eating solid food now (seems to especially like squash), and plays happily with her toys. She loves her sister! She also has started saying dadadadada. No signs of crawling yet.

Click here for Phoebe at 7 months, sitting in the same chair. After reading that post, I was reminded that Phoebe liked squash, too!