a wedding, a birthday and a vacation !!

I didn't post the last couple of days because we've been a little bit BUSY!!

The little "crick" we crossed to get to the field where the wedding was held! 

Saturday we attended an AMAZING wedding for an even more AMAZING couple . . . LOVE YOU both so much, Cubby & Vi!  ♥  It's an odd feeling, attending events that, in the past, I've always attended as a couple.  It's a part of this new life that I really do not like (as is true with ALL other parts of this new life actually!) . . . Yet, again, God's grace was evident and the day was wonderful!  Following the wedding, we started out on our grand adventure of the summer . . . I'll try to post more details as we go, but suffice it to say DAY 1 (and into DAY 2) were quite the adventure . . . it DID end with us arriving at Jeff & Norma's house (later than expected) safe and sound!

Patrick & Kaitlyn (back row)
Taya (15), Tessa (ALMOST 18) and the BIRTHDAY GIRL, Kajsa Jo (13)

Sunday (yesterday) we celebrated our "Angel Baby's" Birthday!  That was the name the girls gave Kajsa when she was born because she was SO MELLOW . . . she just "went with the flow", which she still does - though she is a little more WILD & CrAzY now days!  It seems impossible that 13 years have passed since Kajzi joined our family and made it complete!  She has brought so much joy to each of our lives and I know that I speak for all of us (her Daddy included) when I say that we LOVE that girl to pieces! ♥

I can HONESTLY say that the only thing that would make our trip better is having Rick here with us.  I am so aware every single moment that it is just "the four of us" rather than five.  When I was driving, late Saturday night (early Sunday morning) and all the girls were in the backseat watching a movie, I felt like I could reach over to that empty front seat and touch Rick.  It was a good reminder, though, that he really will ALWAYS be with us - he is in our hearts and in our memories - and that will never leave!  I also know that he'd be SO EXCITED for us on this adventure - and he'd be proud of us for taking it on!  

Today (Monday) found us visiting Cedarville University for Tessa (how is THAT possible?), and then hitting the road (9+ hours in the car!) on our way to FLORIDA!!  We got as far as Montgomery, Alabama which is further than I was hoping so tomorrow morning will be a quick drive to our destination.

Cedarville University 

We received a "travel care package" that contained this sign . . . we only got two "honks" today - we'll have to try harder tomorrow!

Today was a day filled with fun and LAUGHTER . . . LOTS of laughter!  It started when the girl at the college introduced herself to us, and then asked who we each were.  She started with me, and said she assumed i was Mom, which I told her was correct and told her my name . . . Taya was sitting next to me . . . she politely shook the girls hand and told her that her name was TESSA . . . without batting an eyelash . . . the girl then turned to Tessa who didn't know WHAT to say!  I think she finally said, "she's NOT Tessa, I am", at which point Taya realized her mistake and someone shared her REAL name!!  . . . I'm laughing as I type it - but as is usually true with stories like this - you really had to "be there"!   

We continued on with the tour of the college - it was just us and another mom and daughter - and isn't God just "cool" in orchestrating events . . . the mom was a widow and the girl had lost her Daddy 5 years ago . . . out of ALL the students looking at Cedarville, we were paired with one who really "knew" what our lives are like . . . another reminder of "God in the details"!

Everyone else is settled in and sound asleep as I type, and I must join them! I'll work at posting some each day - as time and energy allows!