How Beautiful!

2 Wedding Weekends in a row!!!! God is so good! And we are OVERWHELMED with His goodness...weddings are such a picture of His goodness to us....This weekend it was Emily's turn...Both girls both weekends had me crying when they were coming down the aisle...

I think the song sung at Emily's wedding sums both weddings up for me...Her soloist sang it beautifully...and broke down during this stanza as did the rest of the church...We are so excited for these 2 friends and the guys they married!

How Beautiful the radiant bride
Who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes
How Beautiful when humble hearts give
The fruit of pure love so that others may live
How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

(Click here to listen to the song)

My heart is so full of happiness for these friends and I am thankful for the memories our kids made with their MiMi and PaPa while we were celebrating...Highlights for the kids include- dinner by candlelight last weekend when MiMi and PaPa's power went out for a few hours and making gingerbread cookies this weekend! :)

10 Years Out

We got to spend the night in the valley after the wedding last weekend (Thanks MiMi and PaPa for keeping the kids!) Then 3/5 of my Senior Yr Roomies headed to JMU!!! We missed you Carol and Amy!

It was fun to walk around campus and reminisce...Mike and Pat (non-JMUers...married into the hyperness) were good to go along...here is Mike "pondering the meaning of life" on one of the new swings around campus...

So much has changed since we last went back...Carrie and I were sad to see that our 2nd home...Roop Hall wasn't the educ. building anymore...and we didn't find it's new location...

The place was a "ghost town" Sunday morning and only DHall was open for lunch...We forgot how no one is up and about on campus til 12....It was fun to eat there although it is soooo different....but some things were the same....We were the only people not in sweats or pjs! It was so fun to take a "trip down memory lane" with friends! (All these pics were from Ginny!) :) Can't believe I've have been out 10 yrs! I feel so old!

The Browns!!!

We left Sat. morning to drive to the valley for Allison and Tim's wedding! What a beautiful Autumn drive! And so fun to have a "date" with Mike driving up! We are so excited for this couple and it was such a special ceremony....I love weddings and hearing what the pastor has to say to the bride and groom! Afterwards the reception was at a stable! We got to feed carrots to horses...FUN! They had a patio outside of the reception hall complete with a fire pit! I loved the atmosphere of being in the valley in the fall! The random conversations we had out there near the fire...it was like college! They even had a truck come to make apple cider donuts, coffee, and cider...so festive!

Congrats Allison and Tim! We are so excited for this next chapter in your lives! (The last 2 pics were taken by Ginny...check out more awesome shots here...)

Legwarmers

We have been super busy as of late and I am so behind on the blogging...on Fri. I had a Girl's Night Out with my sister Susan....We went and saw the 80s cover band LEGWARMERS and it was pretty stinkin' hilarious! A lot of people dressed up...check out their website...it was such a fun time! :)

aPpLe PiCkiNg!!!!

We had a great time picking apples with one of our playgroups this Sunday! So beautiful to be out in God's creation in the fall!

‎"Sunshine spills through autumn-colored leaves, lighting up their brilliance like stained-glass windows in a great cathedral, expressing the wonder of God's love, declaring His glory."

~Unknown

We headed down one of the first rows we saw...

M and C both picked one...they were high up....Mike did most of the picking...one of the moms actually climbed a tree...our kids once they had one were content to munch and walk behind "Daddy's apple picking wake"...


It was the apple harvest so lots of the low ones were picked that the kids could reach in the first area...if we had walked further I'm sure they would have been more in kid's reach...

Yummmmmm! Jonagold...very tasty!

Helped little man pick one...what a neat experience to have with them! Reminds me of a quote from Bug's Life (one of our current favs)...Flick is talking with Dot about not feeling bad about being young and small and Flick picks up a rock and pretends it's a seed..."See that huge strong tree up there? Everything that tree needs to be great is contained in this small seed...just give yourself time..." Being out in nature and seeing the wonder of it all really makes you in awe of God and His beautiful creation...

Carter was so excited he was about to bust a gut...

It was warm and bright and little Miss needed to borrow my shades after working in the orchard!

Carter took many a tumble down the mountain and got quite dirty...and as a result...so did I!

After a picnic lunch and listening to a little band play we took apple pics before calling it a day!

What fun memories we made....with so many people...the place was crrrrrrrrrrrriiiizzzzz-owded!

Everyday Moments

Today was pic day at school...M was ready to go!

Mr. Man and I ran an errand after dropping M off and now we are playing around the house...(these pics are mixed...some last week and some today...)

After rest time each day the kids enjoy peeking through the railing to see what the middle schooler is doing downstairs...

We have been enjoying our B&As....just been a transition this yr as they get older and as our kids get older...

Carter wants to be a big kid now and walk with everyone to and from the bus stop...Stroller days are over for him I think! Sept. was hard as he learned how to walk with us...but he is doing better now! Here he is playing with his "guys" when a kickball game is going on after school...I love our everyday moments...

Here is M and her "class"...during rest time she often sets up class and teaches (must be genetic!)...Sometimes she will even say, "I'm not finished yet" when I go up to get her up...This was one of those times...I gave her an extra 10 mins to play before going back up again...(I get the troops up 2o mins before we leave for the bus to allow for things like this...)

And then this is a video of Carter playing with some guys this morning...We had a day of REST on Sat...nothing to do, but sit around the house and play....a welcome change for us as we have been busy busy busy....and Mike took it upon himself to rearrange the playroom and rotate toys...Everything is like brand new this morning to the kids! I am grateful for my husband who is "sick in his own disease" (as he says...) Who cleans and organizes on their day of REST?!?!?!?! I love him! :)


(have to try to upload again later...not working)

Out in the Patch

I think I am finally done with our pumpkin patch pics...It has been a busy week around here...(and after the pumpkin patch I headed north to another bridal shower for a college friend...lots of celebrating going on and lots of reminiscing of the college days! Can't wait for the wedding next weekend!)

I love that going to get a pumpkin is a day full of fun...

Here they are both trying to fig out which pumpkin to pick...lots to choose from!