This time last year

I love this picture.

Rhu-Berry Cat and Mouse Pies!

We bought a flat of strawberries from a guy on the corner, and since I had been wanting to make strawberry-rhubarb pie on the 4th (but didn't get to since Sweet Pea got sick) I decided it was the perfect time. So on Thursday while Nell napped we set to work. Wyatt helped, and he got his own little tart! As we were stirring the strawberries and rhubarb Wyatt came up with "Rhu-berry" when he got a little tongue-tied. Which, besides being super cute coming from him, is a perfect name for a darn-near perfect pie!

Beach Day!

There's nothing better than fun, food, family and a perfect day at the beach!

Don't Say It...

Penelope has a thing for poles.

Whether it's her stroller crossbar, a chair leg, or the spindles on our bar she loves to grab it and hang on for dear life. Jed and I have decided she is destined for a future as a
Fire Fighter

Pole Vaulter

Gymnast

Arborist

or even a Utilities Worker

(hey, she could follow in Daddy's footsteps).
(Just as long as nobody mentions that *other* profession, we're fine!)

Fun with Jack

My nephew Jack is the sweetest little boy. He absolutely adores Wyatt! With Jack, Wyatt gets to be the "cool" older cousin, which is neat for him I think.Jack came over to spend the night yesterday. We had a picnic dinner under the trees, and the boys played trucks and ran races. Then we soaked in the hot tub with some bath toys. Jack cracked up every time he squirted one of us!
Today I took the kiddos to the Richmond Beach Saltwater Park with my dad. There was a free summer show at noon. It was a Japanese drumming group called One World Taiko, and it was so fun! The energy of the performers was incredible! You could tell that it filled them with joy, and it was contagious! Even Pepper was dancing in my lap, and I caught the boys groovin' too!
At the end I got up on stage for a little drumming lesson, which was fun. I tried to get one of the boys to go up, but the shy bug got them. (See though, how I'm trying things? It's so fun to be adventurous! Yeah, I messed up a couple times, but that's not the point right? I hope my son sees that...) BTW - That drumming really works your core!

Penelope's Baptism

Take months of rescheduling, one clearly flustered Father Sylverstad, and one overtired baby girl and you have a baptism off to a rough start. At times I thought maybe God was trying to deter me. Maybe this is not the right thing to do, I thought. But why would God not want to welcome one of his children into his arms?

No, there was something else at work here.

In the end there was a message for me, though not the one I feared as I encountered resistance along the way: It takes perseverance to overcome adversity. When we truly want something, and keep at it though, our efforts are rewarded a hundred-fold.

One hundred times the doubt is the JOY I was rewarded with.

We couldn't have asked for a more intimate and wonderful ceremony. Ours was the first baptism Father Raphael Mary performed and we feel honored to have had this special privilege. It was a little bit of a trial by fire for the novice priest because our dear Penelope voiced her discontent through much of it. However, after her immersion when she was presented in her baptismal garment, it was as if God had reached out a hand to calm her. For this reason I especially like the picture in which it seems that the Light of God is swirling around us (realistically the effect is due to user error, but suspend your disbelief for just a moment to appreciate the beauty).

Our dear neighbor Diana agreed to be Pepper's Godmother, and we are so blessed to welcome this wonderful woman into our family. Our little girl is also lucky to have two Godfathers - Jed's brother Eli, and our close friend Ben.

My heart nearly burst with all the love and blessings bestowed on us. It was a gloriously happy day!

Funny Faces

I can always count on them to brighten my mood! I especially love the one of Nell in the top right corner. It still gives me the giggles!