carter | turning one

Hard to believe that just one year ago, I was writing [this post...] and now here we are celebrating the one year of life this sweet little guy has been present in our lives.

Family gathered yesterday, Carter's actual birthday, to celebrate his special day. And what a special day it was. He is such a people person, and with the exception of his post-sugar-party-crash (but who can blame him?!)... he was the life of the party. :) 

Carter got his first dump truck, had his first birthday cake and his first tastes of what sugar is....and held it down very well... wore his first party hat, and had happy birthday sung to him for the first time. Of all the firsts that happen before you are one, there is something extra special about this birthday. :)

hi baby, you are so loved...

We are filled with joy over your life, Carter! We are so happy to be your aunt and uncle. We pray the Lord's blessings over you and your second year of life! Happy 1st Birthday!

the TC 10 mile

All the hard work over the last 10 weeks, the long runs, the short runs, the {horrible} treadmill runs, the beautiful sunrise runs... it all paid off last weekend. In 10 miles.

On a beautiful Sunday morning, running along the River Parkway while the sun was coming up and there was fog on the bluffs, and dusty over the river - seriously you guys, it was that good. I'm so thankful for the joy the Lord brought me during what I honestly thought was going to be the most mental and physical challenge I've experienced since freshman year pre-season volleyball. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness! 

I'm not a "runner." This 10 mile was my marathon. Even at the prime of my volleyball career, running was always hard. Always. But this run was my act of worship. To be thankful for the body the Lord has blessed me with. How many people would kill for the opportunity to take 10 steps let alone be able to run 10 miles? That was my mantra: thank you, gracious God, for this opportunity. For my able body. Every step. And that picture of me, above? Honestly how I felt the whole run. Like the Lord's presence was shining down on me. Reminding me that if I felt weak or weary, that He was right there.

And that guy? He's a rockstar. I'm so proud of how hard he trained to run a very, VERY speedy 10 mile. 

This race will always be a joyful spot in my memories. Not only was it a personal accomplishment, but the success of my family members and running with them was an added bonus. Something we will always remember.

And to our supporters - Mom, Dad, Lori, Carter-roo, Grace, Pam, Chris, Lauren, Matt, Amanda... your presence on that early morning and being there for all of us meant so much! Thank you!!

October 6th. You were a great day. Followed by a lazy afternoon at home, with hot chocolate and lots of stretching. :) Not to mention made even better by a full stomach of pancakes, eggs and bacon post race. 

So a big hug to my family, a BIG thank you to all those people praying for us, and an even BIGGER acknowledgement of the Lord's faithfulness to each one of us runners... it was a blessed day!

"Have you never heard?

    Have you never understood?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

    the Creator of all the earth.

He never grows weak or weary.

    No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

29 

He gives power to the weak

    and to them that have no might He increases strength.

30 

Even youths will become weak and tired,

    and young men will fall in exhaustion.

31 

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

    They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

    They will walk and not faint."

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!

my best friends wedding

Jena's wedding was such a special day. All the preparation, anticipation, and details came together seamlessly into a truly unique and beautiful memory.

Her wedding morning was relaxing - all the girls were gathered for makeup, hair, coffee, food, more coffee... and the best part:

Ok, so it wasn't the best part of the morning, but I think we plowed through most of the season as background noise, randomly busting out laughing, or quoting our favorite lines. You pretty much weren't allowed in the room unless you loved FRIENDS. Not true, but it's a good thing all the girls are as addicted as Jena and I!

The morning started out cold and foggy - quite beautiful for pictures if you ask me!

How beautiful is she...

And every bride should wear their hair like this...

I was pretty emotional leading up to the ceremony - and during - and the night after - but she means so much to me, and she just looked so beautiful. Not to mention that her "something borrowed" was the veil I wore at my wedding. A special memory we can both share.

The details of the morning were blessed. We enjoyed our time together, we got to witness the making of Stephanie's GORGEOUS flowers (she was the handiwork behind Jared and my wedding as well!) and we had the priveledge of loving and supporting a truly genuine woman.

Love you chippy - you're a beautiful and genuine friend. I'm so happy for you and Jeff, and pryaing for the Lord to grow you together in Him as you start off your first month of marriage. I love you!

special day.

So, it's our year and a half anniversary today. :) It's shocking to me that we're already closing in on the two year mark. God has brought us so far in these past 18 months, and I know that His plans only continue.

I love you Jared! You are biggest blessing in my life, and my best friend! Happy 90 month anniversary (as he so cutely rolled over and told me this morning. Thats clock time sweetheart, not calander. Clock) :)

It's a special day! Love you!

Every year

It happens every year, and it always seems to get more fun. This year we had record numbers (in friends AND heat), and our time was nothing short of priceless.

Whenever we roadtrip to Nebraska, reunite with wonderful friends, it's like no time has passed at all since we were last togther. The guys do guy things, and Toni and I lay around watching them. But we boat together, talk together, and despite it being 7 guys and 2 girls, it's our group.

We were so blessed this year by the weather we had. It made us constantly want to be wet, or be in the boat.

This is my favorite place to wakeboard. The lake is small enough that on a good day, it's as smooth as glass, and we all get such good instruction.... the Stines boys sure know how to put on a show.

Because this year we had 4 days down there, I really felt like my time with Toni was more relaxing. We didn't feel rushed or like we had to cram a few months worth of not seeing each other into 2.5 days. We both chilled out, and somehow made those 4 days seem even longer.

The boys were boys... and aside from spending time with my best friend, it was the best part of the weekend. Watching them all re-connect and just have fun.

And if you haven't read the blog about this picture yet.... you need to. Such clowns.

Mark made a buddy.... Adam's dog Kovin.

We enjoy our friends like it's nobody's business. And we will miss them like crazy. But maybe we will just have to roadrip a little bit farther these next two years. There is a pretty strong motivation factor to see these guys. Especially when they make you laugh like this...... and yes, that is my DRY hubby sporting the Hijab....

Yes, that happened, and yes, it was even better in person. Hilarious.
This is the long weekend I always look forward to the most in the summer. Being out in the 100+ degree weather for 7 hours a day, for a weekend, smelling like sunscreen and freezing once your'e inside for the evening. It's worth a long drive. We love our Nebraska trip!