Cambridge with Friends

Last week we were blessed by two visits from dear friends.  Gus and Erin were the first to arrive.  They took a break from their UK/Europe tour to hang out with us for a few days.  We were grateful for the time to catch up!  Gus was our fearless community group leader in Seattle and his wife, Erin, is one of the most kind and patient people I've ever known.  It was wonderful to spend time with both of them.  Thank you, Stevens, for sharing your vacation with us!

Rooke sporting Gus' hat

Stopping to enjoy some street performers in Cambridge

Lunch at The Eagle.  Cheers!

Kings College - we arrived just before a choral service was about to start, so we were able to get in free and catch a peek in the courtyard before heading into the chapel for the service (which we ducked out of early with the kiddos!)

Our crew (minus that couple on the left) heading towards the chapel

At the end of a fun day in Cambridge with friends

June's Phone Dump

Playing dress up in Kaye K's closet

I love hearing him read.

The end of an era.  

Even if we do have more babies, the seat needed to go.

He was supposed to take a picture reading in an unusual place for a contest during "reading week" at school.  This is what we came up with thirty minutes before bed the night before the photo was due.  He was only one vote shy of winning the contest!

She left the hat on way longer than I expected she would.

Gretchen is great an enjoying the outdoors.

She pulled up the chair, chose the book, climbed up to sit and started "reading".
I told her to stop growing up so fast.

Thank you, Mom, for the clippers.  Thank you, former neighbors, for pruning your rose bushes so I could enjoy the blooms after you moved.

Our little doll in a precious dress I snagged for .50 at a thrift store.

Bridgette wasn't a fan of the Father's Day photo

They like each other.

Ryan is an incredible father.  It was fun to celebrate him on Father's Day this month.

Gretchen has been wanting to have our outfits match lately.  Unfortunately, there isn't much crossover between her wardrobe and mine right now.  I have far less pink and purple than she thinks is appropriate.  So I am trying to redirect her desire to match towards her sister and surprised them with these summer dresses that were a hit!

Gretchen came home from a playmate with braids!

Some friends came to visit last fall and introduced Rooke to geocaching.  One of the "treasures" (as Rooke likes to call them) we found was in a box similar to the one pictured below.  To this day, any time we see something like this, Rooke wants to stop and see if there is a "treasure" hidden.  Thank you, Nathan, for passing on the geocaching app that we can now use to actually look for more "treasures"!

"Can I have three bundles since I'm three?!"

Bridgette tries so hard to keep up with her siblings!

A little dance break

After-Dinner Battle

We ate dinner outside and shortly after everyone was done, a battle ensued.  Sticks, baseball bats, light sabers, and foam swords went through the defense rotation.  Bridgette went to bed early, but the rest of us battled hard and eventually Ryan was defeated when we all ganged up on him.  Isn't the goal always to beat Daddy?

Father's Day 2013

The kids and I had fun getting ready for Father's Day.  Ryan is a daddy worth celebrating!  He makes sure to keep us all laughing and does a wonderful job of engaging the kids, especially after coming home from a long day of work.  It's a treat for me to have a close-up view of why Rooke, Gretchen, and Bridgette love their daddy.

Sunday morning started with a special breakfast and some gifts!  

The Daddy Bag - we used to give my dad his gifts in this bag.

"Enough with the photos - can we eat already?!"

Each year, the kids give Ryan a book for Father's Day.  In the past I've picked it out for them, but this year I checked out a ton of library books and after reading them all, Rooke and Gretchen agreed on which one they liked best for Ryan.  They made a great choice.

After church, we took Ryan out for a yummy lunch (and were reminded why we don't go out to eat with our monkeys three young kids that often!) then made our way back home for a relaxed afternoon.  

He's so good at having fun with the kids!

The biggest surprise the kids worked on was memorizing a passage from Psalm 103 to share with their daddy.  Ryan is a wonderful father, but we worship God as our Heavenly Father and are grateful that He loves our children more than we ever could.  This passage speaks of how God demonstrates His gracious love and was a blessing for our family to think on together as we celebrated Father's Day.

Psalm 103:6-13

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.

He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the people of Israel.

The Lord is merciful and gracious; 

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever.

He does not deal with us according to our sins, 

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, 

so great is His steadfast love towards those who fear Him.

As far as the East is from the West, 

so far does He remove our transgressions from us.

As a father shows compassion to his children,

so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him.

Celebrating Three

Gretchen and I had some rough days last month.  Rough weeks, if I'm being honest.  In praying about how to better understand and love her, I realized that I wasn't letting her be three.  I was lumping her in with Rooke as a "big kid" and expecting her to behave more like a five-year-old.  I was impatient with her longing to be held and tired of having to remind her multiple times what I needed her to do.  I was not doing a good job at letting her be three and loving the enjoyable aspects of her unique stage in life.  After some time of reacquainting myself with what I should expect from my little three-year-old and thinking on how to engage her better at her level, I have seen a drastic improvement in our relationship.  While Rooke is in school and Bridgette is taking her morning nap, we have found ourselves giggling, cuddling, coloring, reading, dancing, baking, creating . . . I am so grateful for this re-direction and connection with my fun-loving, opinionated, clever, and spunky three-year-old.   

A dress she found at a charity shop on our mommy date that she couldn't live without.  Pretty in pink and polka-dots.  I had to pry the dress off of her so we could let others use the changing room!

  

While trying to get Bridgette to cooperate with her:

"For unto me all authority has been given!"

She'd been asking to make cherry cupcakes.  We ended up baking a delicious cake together.

Working on a Princess Aurora painting with "Princess Leia bundles" in her hair.