Our school is expanding! And as you know – expansion costs a pretty penny!
We are trying some new and fun ways to raise money for the school – including a DRIVE IN MOVIE!!
In July we watched HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!
Enoch didn’t hang for the whole movie but Fitzy made it to the end!
My friend Johna LOVES camping! Their campground holds a cardboard boat regatta and they invited us to come along!
Fitzy LOVES Macy – they get along so well! They decided to race together in a boat!
Which means that Matt made the boat!
Fitzy LOVED hanging out with Macy and her friends and going around the campground – like a big giant kid!
They decided to name their boat The Macy Fitzgerald – which sounds like a VERY fancy boat name!
Fitzy had said that naming a boat the Titanic would NOT be the best idea!
We called it a night – but you’ll see the BOAT RACE in a few days!
They want to start a restaurant when they are older – called BARDEN BROTHERS!!
SEVEN! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!
Have I mentioned I love these CRAZY BOYS!
Also – I LOVE my new lens!
Five years ago today the world fell out beneath my feet. Beneath OUR feet.
My husband was not himself. He was cocky. Arrogant. Spontaneous. Those are just some of the nicer words I can use to describe what was happening.
Turns out – he was going through a manic breakdown. Through that breakdown – as most of you know – some secrets came to light. Issues in his life and our life together – came to a head.
I was pregnant with Enoch and God had told us that AMAZING things would happen during this pregnancy.
This was NOT amazing – but does amazing mean good and warm and fuzzy or can it also mean terrible BUT great. Things can be terrible & great. Amazing & terrifying.
And I was “alone” with a two-year old boy that missed his daddy and a baby kicking inside my womb.
I say “alone” because our family was beautiful and supportive and our friends were beautiful and supportive. But I was alone in this marriage.
I was crying. Wondering. Praying. Trusting God. Some more crying. Not really hoping – trusting.
AND HERE WE ARE – FIVE YEARS LATER!
TOGETHER. Because we were all together on that fateful day.
We usually celebrate in style. But my FIL is still on the mend from his stem-cell transplant AND yesterday the rain rain rain came down down down. We found some sunshine in the afternoon and took a chilly dip in our favorite pool. The rest of the day was spent playing games – watching cheesy Christmas Hallmark movies & a little bit of Planet Earth II – spending a much better day together than this day five years ago!
Jared – I love you. I love what our marriage has become and look forward to it getting even better as the years continue. I love that you are so transparent with what happened to you and our lives. I love that you love Jesus and your parents and my parents and our families and our friends. I love how you love our boys and I love how you love me. You love me so well.
I’m sure you’ve read about my friend Trudy. We met when I went to college in Philadelphia. She was my RA and took me under her wing. I was so very homesick and she was so very supportive.
I transferred after one semester but we stayed close – thank GOODNESS for email and IM – in those days!
Trudy lives in Virginia about 7 hours away. When I got married – she was there. When she got married – I was there. But that time – I was IN the wedding AND photographing it. So – my friend and fellow photog Megan Hampton came along with me. Fitzy was 6 months old and Megan was pregnant with her first!
Jared and I met Trudy and her husband in Lancaster three years ago – but – she has TWO sweet boys now and I haven’t met them.
Megan and Trudy have stayed in touch over FACEBOOK and we messaged one day that we should meet halfway – in Gettysburg – at a place called Land of Little Horses!
Monday morning we piled our 5 kiddos in Megan’s van and started our 3 hour tour!
This guy – he has always reminded me of Fitzy – and seeing him in person – made it all the more true!
He is such a sweet pumpkin!
I mean – LOOK AT HIM!!
And this little pumpkin – she is SUCH A DOLL!
It was an UNBELIEVABLY hot and humid day. But when you make plans in advance THREE HOURS AWAY – you keep them!
THOSE BOYS TOGETHER!! OH MY HEART!!
That guy lounging on the bleachers – he is cut from the same cloth as my Enoch guy.
It’s absolutely wonderful having a friend like Megan who I love and respect who happens to have a son just like mine.
I can text her – tell her my frustrations about the stubbornness and the dedication of that sweet boy and she very much understands.
BROTHERS!! 13 months apart!
Typically the horse rides are outside – but thankfully they decided to hold them IN the arena!
We saw a horse that could ADD and stomp out the answer with his hoof!
This guy – he wanted to take this little horse home in our car! ALL THE LITTLE HORSES actually!
THOSE CHEEKS!!
Trudy and her boys left mid-afternoon – because as you mommas know – wrangling a one-year old and a two-year old in nearly 100 degree weather is EXHAUSTING and the kiddos get EXHAUSTED.
We hung out for a little bit to pet some horses!
He is very seriously trying to figure out how to smuggle those 2 horses home.
This guy loves his animals too!
This guy does NOT do well in the heat – but we made sure to stay hydrated and take lots of shade breaks!
ONE LAST PICTURE before we make the drive home!
And one stop at RED ROBIN to fill our bellies! YUM!
Megan – thank you for being adventurous and awesome! I LOVE YOU!
Trudy – thank YOU for making that trip with two kiddos – LITTLE KIDDOS! YOU ARE AWESOME!! I LOVE YOU!
WHAT DOES YOUR FRIENDSHIP LOOK LIKE!?
Jared’s aunt and uncle were up for the 4th of July – so we got some quick family photos!
That’s my HANDSOME hubs!
Those CRAZY boys!
I hope you spent America’s birthday with the ones you LOVE!
I got a new lens! I didn’t have any sessions immediately after I got it – SO – I took a few of my Enoch guy!
He’s such a sweet and spirited boy. Right now – his new favorite thing to say to me is – can I help you my queen? Can I help you my beauty?
But he also loves to say – don’t even talk to me right now mom – you are being naughty. So – it evens out!
Since I started a job in March – I needed somewhere for Enoch to go while I worked – and NCA is SUPER AMAZING for so many reasons!
They were totally on board with Enoch coming only one day a week until the end of the school year!
While Enoch wasn’t graduating preschool this year – they still wanted him to be part of the program!
Fitzy was able to come down with his class to watch his brother in his special program!
He was SO VERY PROUD of himself!
LOOK AT THAT SMILE!!
Those brothers – they sure do love each other!
Thank you Mrs. Wilson and Brenda for POURING your love and energy into these kiddos! THEY LOVE YOU!!!
As you may or may not know – I took a very part-time job in March!
I LOVE being a secretary and I LOVE being a photographer and I LOVE being able to stay home with my boys while they grow up!
Matt Neal is our contractor and the husband of one of my best friends – and he needed a secretary for his contracting business!
They are building a house right up the road from us and I’ve been taking weekly progress pictures (added bonus to my new job) and the boys LOVE coming with me!
BECAUSE OF THE DIRT!! SO MUCH DIRT!!
AND THAT VIEW! SUCH A GORGEOUS VIEW!!
We visited my grandparents last time we were home and Vanessa brought up that sweet baby of hers!
That sweet little thing!
Speaking of sweet little things – when we walked in the house – I assumed my uncle was there chatting with grandpa in the kitchen.
NOPE! Just Zach being all grown-up and deep-voiced! It’s so strange when you aren’t there to watch them grow up.
We spent so much time with Vanessa & Zach when they were little tots – and then college came and marriage and not living in the same town.
In my head – they are the little guys that were in my wedding. When I hear Zach talk or really think about the fact that Vanessa now has a baby of her own – it’s SO WEIRD!
THAT HAIR!!
OH BLACK & WHITE – HOW I LOVE YOU!
She LOVES my dad!
Some of my first photographs were taken RIGHT HERE ON THIS LAWN! When Vanessa & Zach were Kinley’s age! ALL THE FEELINGS!!
Now that little chubby baby girl has her own little chubby baby girl and I have a successful photography business! SO CRAZY!
Vanessa – I love watching you with your daughter! It was so great to see you!
