July 2014

Knock, Knock
Who is there?
2,500
2,500 who?
The number of miles we put on our van in the month of July!

Ok, so I am no good at knock, knock jokes but you get the picture. Where June was a month of flying, July was a month of driving. Visiting our families involves putting on the miles but it is SO worth it! Here is a quick recap of the month's activities.

We started off July celebrating Thad's fourth birthday. It is hard to believe that our "little man" is already four! Jeff planned an awesome water birthday complete with pirate cake, walking the plank, and other fun wet games. Thad's friends came over for the celebration and God provided the heat!

Next, we helped celebrate a long anticipated event. Ms. Laura Scheible married Mr. Benjamin Bandimere. It was such a blessed celebration and so much fun. Mommy got to stand up in the wedding and the boys helped pass out bubbles for the couple's getaway after the reception. It was a storybook wedding and we couldn't be more happy for them...especially since their marriage meant her moving to Fort Smith!

Next, we jumped in the car to really put on the miles. We left Arkansas and headed to Michigan to visit with Nana and Papa Tucker. We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather or a more precious time. We enjoyed playing games, going to the circus, swimming in Lake Superior, playing at play grounds, going to their church, and spending time laughing and talking. The boys are already planning for next year's trip!

We left Michigan and headed to Wisconsin to visit Grandma and Grandpa Rice and Uncle Doug, Aunt Kris, Rachel, Hannah, Jake, Ellie, and Ben. Again, the weather was beautiful and the times sweet with many great memories. There is never a dull moment when our families get together and this visit was no exception. By the end of the week Uncle Kevin, Aunt Lynda, Seth, Micah, Caleb, Rebekah, Esther, Joseph, Grace, and Ruth joined the fun. We swam in the pool, had a barn dance, played family games, enjoyed a reunion with extended family, and caught up with friends.

The Lord blessed us with the opportunity for Ava to travel north with us but we really missed our sweet Marie who had to stay back with friends so she could have her scheduled visits. We were more then ready to see her sweet face by the time we headed home. While we were gone, she learned how to hold her bottle and rock back and forth on all fours. We can't believe how much she has changed in such a short time!

This has been an incredibly busy summer and we have been so blessed to have been able to travel to visit with our family. They are all so precious to us and we love them dearly. As we head into August, we look forward to returning to a routine, starting school, and seeing what God has in store for us. We hope your summer has been filled with unexpected blessings and the opportunity to connect with those you love. Enjoy the pictures! Warning: the slide show is another long one but it contains so many amazing pictures that I had trouble deleting very many.

A digital slideshow by Smilebox