beach day fun

After a busy week, here are finally the photos from our camping weekend. My apologies for taking so long. There was this wonderful virus taking over my computer and I decided rather than try to fix it, I'd leave it off for a week. This also prevented me from smashing it to a bajilllllion peices. Yesterday I got the photos off my camera so there will be more to come of this last weekend as well.



Luke playing in the sand (above) and Austyn (below) being consoled after a minor sand facewash.

Football will always be played! And the beast absolutely loved the water :)

case in point

Texting conversation between my wonderful husband and my sister... ;)

Casey: Happppy Anniversary!!!!! :)
Dave: Yup, 9 years with the best most beautiful wife a guy could ask for! Life is good!

She texted both of us this morning. I'm slightly embarrassed that my response to that same text from her was "Thank you!" No wonder he's #1 Son-In-Law around here. ;)

But immediately after receiving his text message, she emails me and asks "Did you steal his phone?"

She's jealous. ;)

The Butcher's Wife

One of the greatest joys and honors in my life is being this man's wife. The thought that he chose me 9 years ago, and every day since, to spend the rest of his life with melts my heart. I could not be more blessed. He has given me an amazing 9 years so far and I can only expect the best of the years to come...possibly less new babies... :) Every day seems to get better and better. My only hope is that all couples get to experience someone who loves them unconditionally, someone who will do anything just to make them happy, someone to be a wonderful dad and father to their children, someone who never tires of kissing and hugging them, someone who is their best friend... thank you Dave for being my one and only best friend and for choosing me every day for the rest of our lives. I couldn't be a happier butcher's wife! ;)

Dave beat me to it this morning and woke me shortly after midnight to wish me "Happy Anniversary, Wife. I love you!"

Celebration of Life

I think my Mom and sister, Casey, summed up our day last Wednesday better than I can. (Mom here, and Casey here.) Maybe it's the pregnancy or I'm not really sure what, but I made it through that day better than most. My unspoken reputation for "tough cookie" may still stand. Dave made me refer to the day not in sadness or mourning but as a "Celebration of Life." We should not be mourning, which may be easier said than done for some, but we should reflect on all the memories we had together. At the end of the day, we "celebrated" with a very family-like lunch and then a few photos per request of Casey. The following day I attempted to begin my perfection of Grandma's well-known tapioca pudding. Conclusion... separating whites and yolks may not be my cup of tea. But Mallory and I still finished the double batch ourselves. She lives on. :)