joost's 7th birthday party

This year's birthday party was an especially exciting party for Joost because, not only did family come (per usual), but he was also able to invite friends for the first time, as well. In our family it's a big deal because friend parties do not happen annually. When you have 11 cousins (and more on the way), that's usually enough energy to contain at one birthday shindig.

Fortunately, this summer was also the first time we are members at a local swimming pool--the perfect place for a party! Joost invited all the boys in his class and a buddy from church. Summer's hard because so many travel, but enough were able to come and he had a great day.

Unfortunately, I turned my camera over to an unnamed family member (always a dicey move) to capture the fun and emotions of the day and only few pictures are worth posting. (I'll take that up with that anonymous person later. ;)

Pictures or no pictures, it was a happy day for Joost. We love him for so many reasons. We are blessed to have him as our son and that is worth celebrating!

Duck 2010

Our annual beach vacations alternate between our families. This summer is a vB summer, but we were able to have an unexpected week with my family, as well, in Duck, North Carolina.

We (especially I) HATE the trip to the Outer Banks. A trip that should only (and I use that word while I roll my eyes) take 7 hours to drive will usually take 12 if you leave at any sensible time, like 6 or 7 am. So, this summer, in an attempt to out fox the traffic, we left at 2 in the morning. Yes, it was dark and we'd only slept about 3 hours--but we did beat the traffic and made the trip in 6.5 hours. Hot dog!


It was great to vacation with Andrew and Rachel since it had been many years since we were able to do so. Liam enjoyed his first trip to the beach.

Kate was a real champ this summer, too. Last summer, if you recall, she despised the beach with every bit of her being. But this summer, she enjoyed the sand and the water.

We had an unexpected treat when, on the first day, we ran into old friends from our Philadelphia days. Brad and Elizabeth Smith, along with their kiddos, were vacationing just a few blocks south of us.

Joost was glad to (re)meet Bradley. Their friendship on the beach was invaluable to all adults. There is an amazing amount of energy in a 6, almost 7, year old boy's body. The two of them had fun keeping up with each other, while the parents and grandparents were able to sit and relax a bit under umbrellas.

On Wednesday, it was a bit cooler and grayer, so we took a trip to Kitty Hawk and visited the Wright Brother museum and monuments.

While at Kitty Hawk, the kids had a fun time flying kites close to the place where the first plane flew.

On Friday, Joost celebrated his birthday. Thankfully, I remembered to pack his gifts (minus the basketball stand that we thought might be a bit bulky to fit in the van.) He enjoyed his day with an early morning bike ride with my mom and dad, time on the beach with Bradley and chili, corn on the cob and Texas toast for his birthday dinner.

It was really great to have an extra week of vacation this summer--having Jeff all to ourselves for a full week. And it was great to be with my whole family. What a blessing to have so many wonderful people in my life.

The return of Mr. Finch

Since the arrival of his children, we've seen much more of Mr. Finch around the nest. I think Mrs. Finch is glad. He seems to be taking up the role of keeping the last egg warm (because 100 degree weather isn't quite warm enough) while she goes out grocery shopping for the babies. Occasionally they switch jobs--mostly when the babies can't stand being apart from mama any longer.

Our baby turned toddler

I'm a day late on this post, but Kate reached her 18 month mark yesterday. She has grown up so much in the past 6 months. The fact that she's walking is a milestone in and of itself. Beyond that, it is wonderful to hear her words and songs, watch her carry out detailed instructions, walk around with a purse on her arm, laugh with her brother, enjoy sharing a bedroom with her sister, call for her daddy, and hug and kiss me goodnight. She is a sweet daughter and a delight in our home.

Hatchlings

We are preparing to travel soon and I was so sure that I would miss the hatching of the finch eggs. But to my delight, I peaked in today and found that some of the eggs were gone and some hatchlings were in their place. Do you think the pink ribbon in the nest means "it's a girl"? It looks like the visible egg might have a tiny hole in it. A new member of the Finch family may soon arrive. Three cheers for God's creation--what an amazing thing it is!