Dad and Mom's Visit

Last week, my parents visited for a few days.  They brought their trailer with them, so they stayed in an RV Park nearby.  The night they arrived, Ethan and I met them at the RV Park.  They made dinner for us.  The next day, they hung out at our place.  Julia really enjoyed having them around.  :)

Mandy's Wedding

My good friend, Mandy, got married this past weekend up in Northern California.  I had the honor of being a bridesmaid.  It was so special to be able to be a part of her special day. 

Me and Mandy on Thursday night.  Hal's parents hosted a BBQ for family and friends who were there early for the wedding.

Hal's parents own a vineyard in Potter Valley.  This was a view of their "backyard."  Gorgeous!

Mandy treated all her bridesmaids to a yummy breakfast Friday morning.

After breakfast, she treated us to manicures and pedicures!

Drying our nails

The wedding site the night before

Friday night, we practiced outside in the rain.  :)

The wedding was scheduled to be outside. Sadly, a big storm was coming through that weekend... (not quite what you would expect in June...) So, they were holding out until the last minute to decide if it would be indoors or outdoors. They set up the chairs outside in hopes that the rain would go away for the wedding... Plan B would be to have the ceremony inside the tent where the tables were for the meal afterward. God was so gracious and allowed them to have the wedding outside. There was a mist much of the morning but not a heavy rain. About half-way through the ceremony, it started to rain! Guests started popping open their umbrellas and the best man popped open his umbrella for Hal and Mandy. It was comical! The bridesmaids backed up so that we could stand under a tree for a little bit of protection. Thankfully, it didn't rain too hard. It was quite a memory. :)

The beautiful bridesmaid bouquets!  I loved the purple.

The bridal party was taken by SUVs to the wedding site.  The wedding site was in a clearing surrounded by hills & a creek.  We (the bridal party) had to get there by a different road since we didn't want to be seen by the guests.  Our road was a dirt road.  Since it had been raining, it was muddy so the ride was a little scary as we were slipping and sliding down the hill.  Thankfully our drivers (2 of the groomsmen)were very cautious and got us there safely!

Cindy and me

Angelina and Kim

Our drivers (2 of the groomsmen) had to get out to move a fallen tree from the path!  :)

Mandy & Hal, just minutes after being pronounced husband and wife!  Yay!  :)

Taking pictures after the wedding (what you can't see is our goosebumps from the cold & the raindrops falling on us)

My sweet girl, she was such a trooper!  She loved being help by everyone.

Julia wanted to eat my flowers (everything goes in mouth!)

Hal & Mandy, cutting the cake

What a sweet couple.  Her husband, Hal, is such a great guy! I'm so happy for them and excited to see how God will use them as a couple. They both have such a heart for people and missions...

Me and Ethan at the reception

Melissa and Kristina (travelled with us to the wedding)

Julia 6 1/2 months

Julia is 6 1/2 months now.  It is so fun to see her personality develop even more.  She is still pretty easy going but is getting much more active.  It's fun to see her coordination develop and her ability to do more and more.  We are absolutely loving all her "firsts."  Here are some things she has started for the first time over the last couple of weeks.

First time to eat solids
First time to start "eating" her feet
First time to wear "size 2" diapers!  (Yes, she is a little peanut.)
First time to start rocking on her hands and knees (she wants to crawl so badly!)
First time to squeal with excitements when daddy got home from work
First time to ride in a shopping cart like a "big girl"
First time to swing on a swing at the park

At her 6 month check-up, the doctor said she is doing fine.  She is, of course, on the smaller size (weight wise) but the doctor said she is healthy.  That's one thing I worry about (her weight), thinking that perhaps it is my fault that she is small (since I nurse her).  But I am learning to just trust the Lord and be thankful that she is healthy and thriving.  I can't believe she is almost 7 months and still wearing 0-3 month clothes!  Atleast I get a lot of use out of her cute baby clothes.  :)

Here are her 6 month stats:
Height: 26 inches (59th %)
Weight: 12 lbs. 13 oz. (4th %)
Head: 16 1/2 inches (33rd %)

I love when babies suck on their toes so I was super excited when Julia started doing this for the first time.  The funny thing is that she usually only does this with her left foot.

So flexible!  :)

Now that she can roll over, I often find her sleeping on her tummy with her thumb in mouth.  So cute!

She has tried a few solids like cereal, bananas, carrots, sweet potato, and butternut squash.  So far she really likes cereal and banana.  Carrots are okay.  She isn't crazy about the sweet potato and butternut squash but I'll try again soon.

Carrots... all over!  I have learned to just strip her down to her diaper now.  Much much easier to clean her and less laundry for mommy (especially since we don't have a washer/dryer at our place).

Big girl sitting in the shopping cart at Target.  :)  She can't sit up by herself yet so she sometimes falls over a little.  But, she seems to enjoy it.

In a swing for the first time at the park

Here is Julia, letting me know that "nap time was over."

Ethan and I often say that Julia looks like her cousin, Joshua (Mike's son). Joshua is a few years older than Julia, but this picture of him was taken when he was about the same age as Julia is now. So cute! They could almost be twins...

Joshua

Julia

Yesterday I went to the park with Angie, her mom, and the kids.  We had a nice time.  It was so cute to see Joshua and Julia next to each other.  Julia is about 5 months older.  Julia was really curious about him and would reach out and touch him.  :)  So cute!

Julia and Joshua, checking each other out.  :)  Notice, Julia's smiling at him.

Joshua, smiling in return

Julia gently touching Joshua.  So cute!

Grandma with her first grandson

A visit from a good Friend

Last weekend my good friend, Mandy, visited (she lives up north) and stayed at our place.  She is getting married in 3 weeks, so while she was here we ran some errands to get some things she still needs for the big day.  It was so fun to have that time with her.  Saturday night we also talked and talked until it was quite late at night.  Fun times!  She is a dear friend and I'm so excited to be there for her special day.

Sunday morning - Julia was wearing the dress that Mandy gave her.  So cute!

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Last Sunday was Mother's Day.  My first Mother's Day!  :)  What a joy it is to be a mother.  Julia has made it such a joy to be a mother. 

Ethan made it special for me by treating me to breakfast at my favorite breakfast place, "Eggs N Things" Saturday morning.  He also had a present for me.  On Sunday, we went to his Mom's house after church and celebrated Mother's Day with her and his brother's family. 

Mother's Day also is special to me for another reason.  Let me explain:

Let's go back in time... 5 years ago.  My brother, Phil, was graduating from seminary.  My parents and siblings had all flown out for the special occasion.  The Friday before graduation, my family attended Phil's Bible Study (he was the teacher at the time).  After the Bible Study was over, we stayed for awhile and talked with Phil's Bible Study friends.  I remember standing in a circle with a bunch of people and there was this cute guy standing next to Phil who had such a great smile! 

2 days later (Mother's Day, 2006) was seminary graduation.  After the ceremony, there was a graduation celebration with Phil and 3 other men from his fellowship group at church.  I remember seeing that "cute guy" again.  My sister saw him talking to my other brother, Mike, and asked me, "Who's that guy?  I wonder if he's one of Mike's friends from Word of Life."

My sister and I had been sitting at a table that was quite crowded so we were sharing a chair.  Well, everyone got up and left after some time but Laura and I forgot that we were still sharing a chair.  We must have looked funny at that empty table, sharing a chair.  :)  Well, that cute guy came over and said, "You know, there are plenty of chairs" (meaning we didn't have to share a chair anymore) but I thought he was asking to sit so I said, "sure, go ahead and have a seat."  Then I realized what he meant and laughed in embarassment.  Nevertheless, he sat down next to me and introduced himself as Ethan.  Laura, Ethan, and I talked for awhile.  I remember thinking that he was a nice guy.

Little did I know that that Mother's Day, 2006, was the first time I would talk to my future husband.  :)  So, not only is Mother's Day special to me now because I'm a mother, but it's also a reminder to me of meeting my husband for the first time.  Sweet memories...

Ethan and my brother, Phil

Early dating days

Engaged at the top of the Empire State Building!

Married, June 23, 2007

5 years after we met, with a daughter

Rice Cereal

So, Julia had her first taste of food. Rice Cereal. Here is a picture of her getting ready to try food for the first time.

Her response was hilarious!  I have to post this video because it was just too funny to see her response to the "strange stuff" we were putting in her mouth.  We have tried it 2 times since then and she has gotten a little more open to the idea.  :)  (It's funny to see how much food we made for her...  This is all so new to us and I have learned since then to just make a tiny bit.) 

The other day I got to spend time at the mall with a friend, Elizabeth.  We met when we were both pregnant and took the "Bradley Method" birthing classes together.  What's crazy is that she was due several weeks before me, but we actually had our daughters 2 days apart and at the same hospital!  When I was at the hospital, she came by my room to tell me she was in labor.  :)  Ironically, we both had to have c-sections even though we had both prepared for and wanted to have natural births...  Anyway, I hadn't seen her since the hospital.  It was so fun to catch up and to see our sweet girls together.  Her daughter, Sophia, is such a cutie!

Julia and Sophia - almost 6 months old

I thought it would be fun to go to the park again tonight since the weather was so nice.  So I packed some dinner and headed off to the park when Ethan got home from work.  It was so nice to be outside and relax as a family.

 

Peek-a-Boo!

Julia loves when we play "Peek-a-boo" with her.  Here's a cute video of Ethan playing with Julia...