Party of 6

Coordinating outfits were not in the game plan this summer. 

It was a miracle we showed up with clean clothes in our suitcases.

If only you could see all the outtakes!

 

I only just got used to counting for 5, now we are 6. And oh so blessed!

So grateful to be by his side. So many comments at the beach about how cute he is with Avery. He was worried about having a daughter. He is a natural and once Avery figures out how much he adores her, we are in trouble ;)

Never a Dull Moment

It's VERY loud and busy with 21 kids in a house. In 8 short years, we grew from 3 to 21!! Yes, the house was still in one piece and nothing got damaged or broken! Sandier, yes indeed! There is no question that this trip does not fulfill the "true" definition of vacation. It is a break from our normal routine and full of amazing fellowship with dear friends, but it is not about relaxing ;)

The Cassada's planned and facilitated several sessions of "olympic" games.

 Avery "watched" from the sidelines

The Cassada's also gave each night a theme. It was super cute with decorations, music and activities. On Hawaiian night the kids did the limbo. Owen has an interesting technique ;)

 

Thank's to EJ's mom, we had the proper attire. If only Mason's had made it into his suitcase. Argh! I guess 5 out of 6 isn't bad. Avery looked adorable in her dress!

I am sure Courtney will post more about the theme nights on her blog soon.

2nd Birthday

Avery turned 2 on Aug 20th. She was greeted with lots of birthday cheers all day long and we had a special dessert after dinner. She enjoyed the attention! She is quite the ham when she wants to be.

This was my expression during the singing of happy birthday. 

Joy, relief, excitement?!? Not sure! What a face!

We still aren't giving her wheat, so vanilla ice cream was her treat. 

Thankfully she doesn't have a clue what cake tastes like ;)

So glad she is home for her birthday. That was our prayer.

God even gave us an extra month with her beforehand!

I should probably have some deep reflections for this day, but I haven't had any yet. I am sure they will come :) For now, I will just enjoy her.

Beach Fun

My absence has been for FUN reasons! Two weeks after arriving home from China, we packed up and joined 4 other families for our annual beach trip. We went to Ocean Isle this year. Yes, we are a tad crazy (but you already knew that) and fairly certain we broke all attachment/bonding strategies. BUT we couldn't miss it, our family NEEDED to be there. Last fall we had not seen her little face or set a date to travel, so we signed up for another year. It was SO amazing to have her with us this year. Looking back at how little we knew last summer and now she is with us. Avery did fantastic despite not enjoying the sand. She handled the 8 other parents and 20 children (!) with ease and grace. She is amazing!

1st time on the beach

 After day 1, she didn't really let the sand touch her feet. I am surprised looking back at these pics.

Wave jumping! The water was a perfect temperature all week and not too rough for the kids.

 Not a fan of the ocean water either.

 She relaxed after a while.

 

We were hurting for beach space during high tide. Thankfully it didn't hold them back too much.

 Our house is the middle one. Ocean front has become essential with so many kids.

 I don't wallow for just anybody ;)

 Best buddies, Levi and Ryan. Check out last year's shot.

More to come ;)

Feeling the Love

When I uncovered a meal dropped off by a sweet friend, I couldn't help but smile. 

The "A" used to belong to me, but I gladly share it with my sweet girl ;)

The love expressed for Avery is such a blessing and encouragement to us. It is also an excellent example for our boys. They see the love pouring in, other people desiring to serve us. We've had lots of yummy meals. We are thankFULL.