What We Did the Month of June:)

Ahhhh...the month of June:) After Miss E's recital, this group headed out for the rest of the month to our friends Disney townhouse. Our daddy still had to work, so he commuted, as did Julie....and the rest of us parked ourselves there. Sad to say, the first weekend we came back for my friend Robbie's funeral. Some of you may remember me mentioning her...she was 36 years old and had battled Hodgkin's lymphoma the last 1 1/2 years...finally losing the earthly battle...but winning the heavenly one! Julie sang 2 songs at the funeral..."God Reigns in the Storm" by friends Steve and Vikki Cook, and "Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer"..as sung by Kristyn Getty. I know how hard it was for Julie to do what she did....but how it honored our savior as HIS name was proclaimed to the congregation! We returned to Disney with Mom Jo in tow...and spent the week touring Disney property...gotta love those hotels and the Marketplace...seeing movies and relaxing. I was able to spend some time with my current favorite authors, Elyse Fitzpatrick, the unabridged writings of Amy Carmichael, J.I. Packer, Linda Dillow and John Piper. I also snuck in a little Jane Austen :) My reading time is limited as our family has expanded...but it's still my favorite way to spend any quiet moment. The second weekend, we welcomed our friends the Crokers (from Maryland) and the Seltzers (from Tampa) for our China Girls reunion celebrating their 3rd birthdays. We love these families and so appreciate the effort everyone makes to continue these girls relationships as they grow. Julie actually gets to stay with the Crokers next month when she attends Sovereign Grace's worship conference.....We had visits from Mel, Jason and Cade and Julie for Father's Day....this was a special Father's Day for us this year...as our daddy is recovering from a pretty severe accident.:) We're very grateful for him and all he does for us!! Later in the week, Medana and her kiddos came for a couple of days (always a fun, fun time!!) This year new baby Sadie was initiated into the craziness! The Eastham family moved in for the final week--it was a blast! Baby Hope had her first adventures in the pool and our kids ran themselves ragged. We had trips to Animal Kingdom Lodge, Ft. Wilderness, Marketplace, in addition to our park, pool and a trip to one of those Florida Souvenir shops! We definitely made some memories!! A great day as well was visits from Kathy P., Medana, Mel, and Megan with kids in tow. We had 13 kids there that day!! Now you know why my happy place was was so important to me. Everyone needs time to pull-away from the everyday stress of life and enjoy each other and the relationships God gives. We definitely did that....and need to find another 'Happy-Place' fast!! Let the fun continue!!