Andrew is off!

My "little" brother left for college this week....I guess I really truly am a full-grown grown-up, and he isn't so little anymore! :D Anyway, he's attending The Master's College in southern California, and the thought of him out there beginning WOW week brings back some great memories for me. Go, Andrew!

Here are Andrew and Eleanor (and boss) at the Mocha Moose in Lake City, where Andy has worked for a couple of years.

Sixty-Five Blessed Years

So Todd and I celebrated our 5th anniversary on Friday - and my grandparents celebrated their 65th on Saturday!! Can you believe it, 65 years? They got married in Vegas when my grandmother was only 16, right before my grandfather left for war. I know they had very difficult times in their marriage, but God has been so faithful to them, as they testify! Today they have four children and lots of grandkids and great-grandkids, love their Savior, and are spunky and active in serving the Lord and their church family. To God be the glory!

Their anniversary celebration was like a big family reunion. It was so fun to see aunts and uncles, catch up with my cousins and their kids, watch my grandpa with his 2 living brothers, and even meet a few people I had never met before. And of course time with my own parents and sister and brother is always good.

Five Blessed Years

On August 3rd Todd and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary! We went to McDonald's with Eleanor. Really, we did! We laughed at how our anniversarys have gone from being commemmoratd Disneyland or Paris style to Big Mac and Chicken Nugget glory! :D Well, we were on the road and are planning to do something a little more special in September.

On a more serious note, I am overwhelmingly thankful for the husband God has given me in Todd and for all that He has brought our way over the past five years. There is no other person I would rather spend my life with! Todd is a wise leader, never failing to show his love and affection for me, and lives with me in an understanding way (even when he doesn't "get" why I "need" 8 different purses...) He is an example to me in his love for Christ and his love for the church. He is fun and funny, and an awesome Daddy and partner in parenting. In the variety of circumstances God has sovereignly brought to us over the past five years, He has given us each other to share the incredible joys and the sorrows too, and I give all the praise to Him! I love my husband!

This picture was taken on our recent trip in OR...St. Bernard's Bed and Breakfast, where we spent part of our honeymoon.

Together

Doogers

This is one of Rod's favorite restaurants! There were four along the coast where we traveled, and I know we ate at least three...and I think we all could have handled more! I don't have a lot of faith in finding good seafood in land-locked Colorado, so I was loving the fish & chips, salmon salad, and crab legs at good old Dooger's! Eleanor transformed her takeout box into an impromptu hat (before we put the leftovers inside!)

Family on the Coast

We enjoyed seeing the sights and soaked up the perfect weather! This first picture is Ruthie at Cape Disappointment, where Louis and Clark ended their travels. Hard to imagine feeling disappointed at this view, huh?! We had such a good time together in Seaside and Canon Beach, OR, where the rest of these pictures were taken. Todd and I honeymooned in these towns, so it was extra special to be there, right before our 5th anniversary!

Girl in the Grass

Daddy, Mama and Eleanor

First time at the Ocean

Eleanor loved the beach! The first day we went out was a little chilly, so here she looks like part beachcomber and part arctic explorer! Eleanor got this monkey backpack right before the trip and really liked wearing it. She's a cute one!

Fun with Uncles and Aunt!

Eleanor hit it off with her aunt and her two uncles! She liked playing copy-cat games with her Uncle Mike and had so much fun learning a sign for "donut" from her Uncle Scott that she began referring to HIM as "donut"! When she was looking for him she would do her donut sign and ask "where?" And her Aunt Julann (or Aunt Ju-Ju)she just plain enjoyed being with! What fun they all had!

Eleanor with Grandpa and Grandma R & R

Eleanor is so loved by her grandparents! (She thinks they're pretty swell, too.) We are so thankful for the family has given us.

Vacation in WA and OR

We just arrived home yesterday from summer vacation number 2 (number 3 starts Friday morning). Our time along the Washington and Oregon coast with Todd's family was really special - we made some great memories! We spent a couple days at Rod and Ruthie's house (Todd's folks), several nights at a condo right on the the beach in southern WA as part of a family reunion, and a few days and nights in Seaside and Cannon Beach, OR. We capped it off with a trip to Mount St. Helens (no pictures of the mountain this time around becuase it was in a cloud!) I'll split up these pictures into several "themed" posts. For those of you who haven't noticed yet, I really don't know much about blogging...I just try to cram a lot of pictures on for you all to see!

Lake City Wildlife

The bear arrived on my parents' patio about 5 minutes after we pulled up! What a welcome!