A Special Dinner with Friends

Joe co-leads a small group Bible Study on Friday mornings with a man we like to call "Mr. Jim." We got to hang out with him and his friend Ms. Kit during Christmas and we all really hit it off. Erin just adores both of them and they cater to her every desire! Mr. Jim invited us over to his condo on Sunday night to go swimming and have a cookout. We were in for quite a treat. We had a delicious dinner with cheeseburgers, corn on the cob, baked beans, watermelon and chips on the deck. The biggest treat was ice cream sundaes for dessert. We all had such a great time and felt like we had been on a mini vacation from so much pampering. We look forward to many more special times with them!

Mr. Jim, Erin and Ms. Kit

Anna liked Mr. Jim's fun toys.

Now that's a yummy looking sundae!

Erin got every last drop of her sundae.

They gave the girls both little jewelry boxes with special necklaces. Erin got a froggy necklace.

Anna in her ladybug necklace. Ms. Kit let Anna drink out of a special cup!

Baby Eva is Here!

Eva Christine Brown

Enjoying oven baked smores - pictured below!
Caleb enjoyed dressing Anna up!A rare moment - had to catch it!

On June 24th we welcomed Erin and Anna's newest cousin into the world. I had the other cousins for 1 night since mommy and daddy were in the hospital. The kids had a blast playing together and we made smores in the oven. I'm so thankful our list of cousins keeps growing and my kids will be surrounded by family as they grow up!

Hot Dog Night!

We love 25 cent hotdog, coke and popcorn night at the Tides Game. Last year we missed it because of heat so we were so excited to get to go this year, and actually went without the kids(their choice!) Yummy hotdogs, a cool breeze, and great friends made for a fun filled night. I did make Joe do his first "pregnant wife" task. By the 7th inning I was so thirsty and since drinks were only a quarter, I asked Joe to go ask someone at the front of the line to buy his pregnant wife an orange soda(with our quarter). As embarrassed as he was, he did it, and the person just laughed at him. Hey, in the end, he had a happy pregnant wife, isn't that what really matters!

Father's Day 2009

We spent Father's Day at the park with my family. It was a perfect evening and all the daddy's got great quality time with their kids. We saw Papa Joe the night before, but forgot to take a picture. Happy Father's Day to all my favorite dads!

$75 down the drain

Literally - last night after the amazing hot dog feast at the Tides Game, I was doing my nightly routine although I added a twist. I managed to pop my contact out and watch it bounce into the drain. Surprisingly, I remained extremely calm saying to myself, "there is no way that just bounced down into the drain?" After thoroughly inspecting all surfaces and pulling the drain out, there is no sign of that little, blue, expensive piece of plastic. I'm not blessed with normal eyes that can wear disposable, inexpensive contacts. Mine cost $75 an eye. At least I was due up in another 6 months anyways, it's just the principle. Joe and I often joke that we would rather flush cash down the toilet than lose something with just as much value - pretty weird philosophy huh? Guess it's a control thing!

Special Friends

This week we got to see some of our very special friends that were in our small group at church in the past. Josiah and Lindsay and baby McKenna were passing through town and were able to stop by and visit for a little while. It was such a great surprise and so fun to meet McKenna and catch up with them.

The Judds visit to town was planned and was on a bittersweet note. They sold their home here in Virginia and came back to pack and load all their belongings. As happy as we are that they will have a new home in Georgia and be able to start putting roots down there, we are very sad that there really is no chance of them moving back here anytime soon! A girl can hope though. We were blessed to have the chance to catch up over dinner one night. This is what life is, meeting, growing, loving, and sending. It's week's like this with special friends that make you cherish the times you had together and the people God has placed in your life for this season.

X = STRIKE

Erin made her first strike yesterday in bowling. Somehow the ball made it all the way down the lane with enough power to knock down all the pins. We were all quite proud of her! Sign her up for a league!