Swim Meet and 95-Years Young

Some weekends we are lucky enough to have nothing on our schedules...and some weekends we get up early and don't slow down until it's time for bed!

Saturday was a fun-filled day starting with Alex and Emily's first swim meet at the local YMCA in the morning.
It was really fun to watch them swim...but the swim caps were a little challenging to put on!  ha!

They are both on different teams...and they both did a great job!  They will get team ribbons at the third and final meets! 
Each person competed in the flutter kick, front crawl and the backstroke.

{Alex kept a close eye on his competition for the flutter kick...and he did come in first for the blue team!  Way to go!}

Emily was so cute!  She is usually the competitive one...but she was so careful with her kicks and strokes...and she was thrilled when she finished each race, with a huge smile on her face!  Her favorite one is the backstroke and she was so happy to have come in second!

Great job to all the kids...we look forward to the next meet!

After the swim meet...we signed Emily up for softball!  She and Alex have both played baseball the last few years...but since Alex decided not to play this year {he is going to try golf again!} Emily is going to try softball...it makes me excited for Spring to officially arrive!  I can't wait!

We ended the day by celebrating Dan's Grandma's 95th birthday!  She only gets better and better with age!  She has 11 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren between her own four kids!  We all strive to be like her!  She is loving, honest {nothing like having someone tell you like it is!} and full of spunk!  She never misses a party and is there for all the kids, grandkids and great-grandkids events and birthdays! 

{the whole family...we are missing cousins from Alaska...  But how fortunate that we all live so close to each other!}

It is so awesome to see all the great-grandkids gather around her and help her with her gifts!

And let the waterworks fall...because when everyone sings Happy Birthday to her...it is so emotional and amazing to see her surrounded by all her family and celebrating so many wonderful years!

Such an amazing legacy of love and respect she has given us!  We love Great-Grandma Martha! 

{Emily and Emma}

{Elizabeth and Aunt Betty}

{Elizabeth, Bethanie, Shelbie and Kendall}

{miss Ellie and Annie}

Always a fun celebration with family!  We feel so blessed!

Next week we will be cheering on Alex and Emily at their next swim meet...and celebrating someone's 8th birthday...

...impossible!

{...sigh...}

"I Am" thankful

(Kyle, Grandma Martha, and all the kids with their topi hats on!)

Today was a day to be so thankful for! We attended a wonderful service today welcoming Kyle back from a Nepal mission trip. There is so much he has to share of his amazing journey with us that an hour was just not enough! What a blessing for him to be able to introduce the Bible and scripture to those he could connect with a world away who had not even heard of the Bible or Jesus Christ! I'm sure most of us cannot even begin to comprehend such an experience, but how thankful we are for all the pictures, stories and items that he brought back with him to share with us! During the service a girl sang a song called "I Am" which I love, and have added it to my playlist! I had the privilege to hear Nichole Nordeman sing this song in person during a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) convention a couple of years ago. I had actually forgotten about it until I heard it again today! It is such a beautiful song and the meaning behind it is even more beautiful. No matter how much we change and grow in our relationship with God, He is unchanging! The song strikes a cord with me, being a mother, because I can relate to being a healer, listener and watching my kids grow. But I will also remember that God is our Father and heals all, always listens and helps us grow in so many ways!
After the service, the family headed to MCL for lunch to celebrate Great-Grandma Martha's 92nd birthday! She is an amazing woman and I pray that I can even be half as wonderful as she is at her age! Happy birthday, we love you!

The kids all loved the topi (pronounced toe-pee, Indian hats) that Kyle brought back for each of them and the money! It is so cute to see the kids together! I love watching them play and have fun, as well as the entire family! We are so fortunate that we are able to get together so easily and so often! Welcome home, Kyle! It's been a wonderful day!










(Cameron sharing the love!)

(Alex will fit right in, in Nepal!)