Sunday, August 26, 2012

Celebrating 90 years!

My dear Grandpa Bob turned 90 this month. Ninety. That's a lot of LIFE! To celebrate, we all gathered up at my grandparents place at Warm Beach. Here are some pictures from the party:

Memory Boards 
Uncle Dan manning the BBQ

The boys playing in the nook under the house. That place is FILLED
with bugs, but apparently when you're 7 that just doesn't matter...

Baby Avery just enjoying her stuffed bear!

Girl cousins with the birthday boy!

Whole group photo: Watsons, Bishops, Rileys,
Hansens, Olivers and Walters

Gramps giving his bride a smooth

90 Birthday Cupcakes

Very happy grandpa :)

Right after Tor said "hurry up - those candles aren't going
to blow themselves out!"

View of the beach cabin from the mudflats.  
Getting ready for some fun on the flats!

Kyle's first time on the mudflats. He quickly
 ditched the sandals...

View of the flats

Little Avery just having a blast!

Little mud tushy

Never too young to enjoy the mudflats :)

Kyle searching for baby crabs...no luck

The imfamous King Titan 

Pic with King Titan

Boys playing in the mud

Boys sinking in the mud! 
Dad on the flats!

Bro pic on the flats

View of the beach cabin (on the beach, right),
big cabin  (up on top the hill, white), and
house (orange behind the white)

One last view of the flats and all our foot prints

Kyle loved the flats!

Gramps on his 90th birthday with his best friend :)

Giving it grace: When looking at the big group picture, I cannot help but think of Genesis 1:28: "And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." That command was originally for Adam and Eve, but has remained true as God's command for all Christians ever since. I look at that picture of all the families that have come onto this earth as a result of my Grandma Bob and Grandma Pat, and more so - all the lives they have touched and I'm just in awe of the legacy they have built.
Our current culture constantly warns us against aging, as evidenced by the thousands of products available to slow and reverse the effects of aging. I was curious what the Bible said about aging (because I was pretty sure that God designed aging, and thus probably wasn't against it), and here is the best verse I found to sum up God's stance on aging: "Gray hair is a crown of glory, it is gained in a righteous life" (Proverbs 16:31). My grandpa has aged well in God's eyes, to say the least. At 90 years old, he worked many years giving service to our country; has a house and a plot of land to show for it; a legacy of children, grand-children, and great-grand-children; and his bride of 65 years, still by his side. What a wonderful witness of God's grace upon His people! 

Love you grandpa!

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Parades, picnics and more!

The last month has been very busy, just like the month before it, and the month before that...and the one before that...here's a little bit of what we've been up to through the eyes of my iPhone camera!

Tour de Terrace in Mountlake Terrace
Waiting for the parade to start

Every great parade has a great big firetruck! 
We thought it was funny that this group that was against big business...

Was followed by Ronald McDonald on a sagway.

My friends at Cascade Elite!

Our stash. We had to work hard for this, as apparently only
kids get candy at the Tour De Terrace Parade!

Seafair Pirates

The ferris wheel I wanted to go on. There was hardly any line
 for the actual ride, the line to buy tickets seemed to
 have no end. Maybe next year...

Funnel cakeeeeeee - yum!

Kyle displaying his athletic dart-throwing ability...

Won me this little guy! His name is Ken Sherman.

Leaving the fair - happy times!

Edmonds Farmers Market with Brooke
So many good deals on produce, flowers, and other items.
We ended up getting peaches  to enjoy at home.

The food was a little overpriced...but good!

Brookie and I

Hubs and I
 Beach Baptisms with our church at Golden Gardens
Kyle playing with Copie on the swings

KC playing ball with Cope

Getting a lift from Uncle Kyle. Cope calls Kyle "Ky-ol" :) 
Beach Baptisms - Mars Hill Ballard team

Gals from Kids Ministry - Me, Karen, Monica and Alayna
 Best Friend Chelsea's Wedding! This was my first time being a maid-of-honor, and it was SO much fun!
Wedding Rehearsal 

Night before the wedding sleepover snacks...perfect!

The bride getting some last minute planning done

Sister Lizzy returning from a much needed coffee run!

Sister Jodi getting our hair prepped in the morning

Groomsmen setting up at the venue

Hanging dozens and dozens of tissue poms

My best friend is married!!

Harry the Husky made a special guest appearance
 Up Time company picnic at The Nile Golf Course
Relaxing with baby Addie at the company picnic.
Love that little girl!
 Taste of Edmonds
Chowing down at the Taste of Edmonds

Enjoying a Heart cover band in the grandstands

The older generation really enjoying the music

Cheers to ice cream!

We ended the night by people watching on Main
Street - very lovely way to end a really long weekend!

Giving it grace: You'd think I would have picked up on the theme of busyness this summer, and at some point just submitted to what was obvious: we have a lot going on! Instead, I keep longing for quiet morning reading a book, or early evenings in watching romantic comedies. When that doesn't happen, I get increasingly frustrated and tired. God is teaching me a lot about perspective this summer. I'm sure parents of multiple kids look at the pace of Kyle and I's summer and would give anything to trade us for even a day. Or, I'm guessing a young couple who just moved here with no friends and family would be happy to attend multiple birthday parties in one weekend if it meant getting spend time with loved ones. In short, I'm a total whiner. A big selfish baby. And I'm thankful God is showing me that. That in the face of me being a brat about "my time", God is being gracious and teaching me all we have to be thankful for. God is showing me that all of the "stuff" taking up my time is the blessings of family and friends in our life: birthdays, weddings, baby showers, golf tournaments, picnics, parades - all little glimpses we get into all that He has in store for us in heaven. And what's even more astounding, is that those blessings are not just for Christians. The Christian and the non-Christian can both sit and enjoy the same beautiful day at the local Farmer's market, because God doesn't reserve His blessings just for those who know him as Lord - He gives many, many, many blessings to all those that walk the earth...and every ounce of blessing is backed up with a mile of His grace. I'm grateful that even in the midst of being seemingly ungrateful, God is patient with me and loyal to teach me more about the nature of His blessings and how they don't change just because I'm not being grateful in recognizing them.

All that being said, here's to hoping the rest of this summer slows down a bit :)