Tuesday

Today Ivory and I went to visit some dear friends. The Mom, Patty, (my dear friend/other-mom; not pictured per her request) was with me through Ivory's entire labor & delivery. Mrs. Patty is Super-Mom--really. She has 8 of her own children and mothers and ministers to many others. She also manages to find time to rise early, exercise daily, be active in her church, serve widows, teach character in local schools with her teenage chidlren, go on overseas missions trips with her family, cook, scrapbook, teach aerobics, care for horses, cat, dog, whatever-animal-happens-to-be-in-the-house, teach Bible Studies, homeschool her children, serve her husband, etc.--and is an amazingly relaxing, fun, humble, real person to be around. And she's in better shape than me--with 8 kids. She inspires me. And she supplies me with adorable hand-me-downs her 2-year-old outgrows. I appreciate her vulnerability with me and how she teaches me with her life--good & bad. I thank God for bringing so many amazing women into my life. She's the mom I call when I have those "new Mom moments" the, "Ahh! I don't know what to do" times. Actually, I usually call my mom first, then she tells me to call her, since her youngest is a little bit younger then my mom's.

Two of her girls were the flower girls in my wedding and her youngest son the self-proclaimed "ring-barrier" or "flower boy."

I was actually at their house when I happened upon a sight that revealed to me I was falling for Jason. I looked outside one afternoon and saw Jason & Dillon laying on their bellies reading a book together and my heart just melted. It was about an hour later when I was driving back to college in my incredibly sweet mini-van when it hit me that I was quite taken with this man. I'll never forget that night.

So, many thanks to this family for nuturing me and my relationship with my now husband of 3 years & 4 months.

Ivory *loved* all the attention she received.

...as well as all the new toys & places to explore.

Gabby was only a little older then Ivory when I first met her. She's ten now! And a beautiful, sweet girl--with LOTS of spunk! Guess that's what happens when you have 5 older brothers!

Danielle used to come and stay with me in my dorm room and we'd have movie nights, popcorn, sweets, truck rides, and any other crazy thing my college girls & I could cook up for her! She was such a little girl then, and now she's a lady. She is a fine horse(wo)man and has 6 students she teaches to ride. She has a love for animals and missions. I'm excited to see where she ends up one day because God's already doing amazing things through her.

Dillon was a sweaty little toddler who used to run & give me hugs when I'd arrive. He also would catch frogs & put their albino rat down people's shirts. He once held a bag in front of their Gator (passionate Gator fans here) birdhouse and bumped the poor, unsuspecting bird into it and brought it fluttering into the house for all to see he'd "caught a bird." Poor thing probably later died of heart failure. He's growing up too, now too mature to run up and give me hugs...or even speak to me too much in front of his "manly friends." But, I've gotta say, he's still a little cutie to me (but don't tell him I said so).

The rest of the kids have moved away, were in college classes, taking a nap, serving in ministry, or otherwise engaged during our photo session.

So, here's the rest of the kids -Brent (2nd born) & Holly (Bryce's wife) + 2 cousins + Junior (currently living with and unofficialy adopted into the family while he works on his nursing degree and then returns to Haiti to serve his native land) = extremely busy, diverse family