20 years of ministry

A weekend in the beautiful country for a very special occasion. We all have our areas of ministry - but it has been an honor and a joy to see the servant leadership my father in law holds within his community. 20 years of service to his church - not something to be looked over. His congregation speaks of him with such beautiful words, such respect and such gratitude. I am blessed to be a part of a church family (although indirectly) that seeks the Lord so highly and has such love for their pastor. Dave, you are loved. And rightly so. Thank you for your leadership.

It was so great to have the whole family together for a weekend. I couldn't be more thankful for my inlaws. A father in law who is the most respectable and loving dad and husband, a mother in law who is the most hardworking and wonderful partner and support, I go over the top every single time I talk about my family, I know... :) but they are just wonderful! So enjoy... a compilation of phone and camera pics... of our blessed weekend.

We enjoyed time together, running & resting, on the lake & on the golf course, at pizza ranch & around the dinner table, driving through country sunsets & cornfields...

While the guys golfed with their parents, Lori, Carter & I joined some family friends at their cabin who were nice enough to let us enjoy the lake! 

Both first time paddleboarders! We were hooked. 

*lookin' lovely at pizza ranch post lake day... quite cold actually. :)

Some more of my beautiful family... so thankful for these guys.

Our precious nephew.

And these two... love them.

And this little guy... gosh I love him too. Got to see him enjoy his carrots this weekend. :)

Ooh, to end with cuteness. So thankful for a joy-filled weekend to celebrate the commitment of Dave & Chris. We are richly blessed!!

carter's dedication

How blessed this little guy is to be born into such a loving, God-fearing family, with such rich heritage...

Jared and I hope to be a part of that for him. We love you, Carter and as you grow, alongside with your mom & dad, grandmas & grandpas, pray for your heart to be bound to the Lord's! We were so blessed to be a apart of this dedication service for you, reminding us that it is a gift & a challenge to be a part of your life, modeling Christ's love for you.  

I see you there, baby. Always keep looking at auntie Skyler's camera.

What a blessing you are. And only will continue to be in our family. May the Lord bless you, and keep you tight in His hands, Carter! We love you!

carter david | first photos

poor kid. he's going to have to deal with auntie skyler's camera for quite some time.... sorry little guy, mom + dad wanted some pictures of you at your freshest! you'll be thankful when you have the cutest graduation open house billboard, though. you're pretty darn cute. 

just thought i'd share a few pictures from his one-week photoshoot. jared and i are continuing to enjoy our nephew, and watch him change in the few short weeks he's been around. :) having a baby around is so much fun! enjoy the cuteness!

{can you believe all his adorable hair?!}

babies at the beach.

On top of a great night of fellowship with their parents... Jared and I got to enjoy Aubrey + Emma at the beach this weekend.

A short walk from their house to Lake Phalen in St. Paul provided us with a beach mostly to ourselves, some sunshine, and good old fashioned beach fun.

The girls loved having their own "moat" to splash around in, and fill with the rocks we sifted for in the lake. The water was still a bit cold, so I think having their own pool on the beach helped.

It took a bit of coaxing, especially from miss Emma, but we eventually made it.

A few more pictures from our day...

Their faces steal my heart.

Evenings with this great family, are always long overdue. We love your company Ryan and Mindy, you're always such a joy to be around, and great, great friends!

It's so fun watching friends turn into dads... and not to mention watching Jared join right in and seeing how much he loves it. They play like they're a kid all over again. Makes my heart smile.

We left the beach ready for some dinner, definitely hungry, sunned, and tired.

Got some great time in on the walk home with Mindy while we sent the stroller with the guys, catching up on life, and enjoying the beautiful evening. Summer evening walks rank right up there with the actual time at the beach for me. Thanks for a wonderful day, you guys! We love you four dearly!