Jon and Maggie as we finally arrived after caravaning with my parents from Florida.

There were many games played,

lots of delicious food,

including a special Big Pop breakfast, made with his assistants, Eric and Erik.

lots of laughing,

lots of playing in the lake,

(Noa, hitching a ride with Daddy and Martha)

Daniel the third and Daniel the fifth:

Funny Faces!

There were lots of good long talks…

and even this family devotions special chemical/water Gospel-presentation created by Uncle Billy and demonstated by Uncle Joel.

Oh Joel…how these kiddos love their Uncle Joel. He’s going to be a Daddy any day now…

With all the little girls present (11 to be exact, Daniel Josiah is still the lone boy in his generation), Aunt Hannah was a gem to host regular pedi/mani parties.

And here we all are:

We loved Iverfest 2010 and can’t wait til the next one!

“Your sins are dead.”

Let’s see, what have we been up to…

We did a grand tour of the East Coast stopping and staying in Brevard, NC; Blowing Rock, NC; Waynesboro, VA; Mt. Crawford, VA; Ephrata, PA; Stone Harbour, NJ; back to Waynesboro, VA; Hendersonville, TN; Brentwood, TN; Atlanta, GA.  It was an awesome trip, taking almost 5 weeks, and giving us wonderful times with so many people we love.

But wow! It was good to come home, even if only for 2 weeks before we headed back out of the state for a quick weekend to see a dear friend get married.  That was such a special weekend, for so many reasons.  One was that my mom was the matron of honor at the wedding, and the most beautiful matron of honor I have ever seen, at that.

A day after we returned from that jaunt, my nephew and niece arrived to stay.  Then last Friday, their parents, Danny and Kimberly and sister Katy-Grace, arrived and are living with us until they can move into their rental home in September.  With six little ones running around this place, there are not many dull moments – though we welcome dull moments because it means said little ones are getting much-needed rest.    I am so thankful for this time together and even more excited that they have decided to rent a house 9 doors down from us.  What a treat for us and our children!

In other news, Eric is heading to South Asia for a vision trip with 7 others on Sunday. I am so excited for him and everyone else who is going, though I wish I was joining them.  I also know that the little ladies and I will miss him terribly while he’s away.

BUT, one perk is that he is leaving his computer behind, which means that it will not be in use for studying hebrew and other seminary things, or for work, which means that I may just get to post lots of pictures from our recent travels… we’ll see.

So, if you’re still checking this little bloggy, we’re back and running and hopefully [Martha] there will be things for you to read and (more importantly, I know) pictures to see. 

Daniel Josiah: Ok, I’m gonna tell you guys a story

Noa: Yea.  Who am I gonna be?

DJ: You can be Batman

Trinity: No, I’m Batman

DJ: Ok, Noa you can be Superman.

Noa: No… I think I want to be… Superrrrrrrrr (dramatic pause) CINDERELLA!!!!

(Welcome to our girly home, DJ.  You have a lot of work to do.)

We’re all packed and ready to jump in the car early this morning to drive to the wedding  of a dear friend.

It seems appropriate that we should get to celebrate marriage with friends and family and friends who feel like family (this is a “japan people” wedding -  it will be wonderful to see so many people from my childhood and our time there).  It is especially so, since today we celebrate our five year anniversary.

I didn’t know much about who I was marrying or even who I was when we took our vows five years ago.  But, I remember we began our wedding invitation with the words, “Believing that God called us first to Himself and then to each other…”  And as much as thought I believed that then, I really believe it now.

And I am just sitting here basking in thankfulness for the One who called us – into marriage, into love, into companionship, into parenting, into ministry, into trials, into hurt and healing, into laughing, into moving, into playing, into becoming one more and more as time passes.  I love this calling, being your wife.  It kinda takes my breath away to just think about what grace it is to be yours.

So, five years ago…

It wasn’t the happiest day of my life.Oh, I was happy.  So very happy.

But there have been so many moments, hours, days, weeks, months, and seasons since that wonderful day that have filled my “happy” cup to overflowing.  I didn’t know what I was in for, but it’s better than I could have imagined.  How I pray and hope and trust that these five years are only a small fraction of the years I get to spend being married to you.  I’ve loved growing up with you and can’t wait to grow old with you.

I love you so very very much.

Happy Anniversary!

Don’t these girls remind you of their big sisters, Martha and Annie, a year and half ago?

…melts my heart as much today as she did the first time I saw her face.

She's loving swimming these days

She was so excited about her "no-more-pull-ups-at-night" celebration tea party

Being so so elegant

She loves driving with the windows down and the wind blowing her hair.

She loves her Aunt Hannah and "doing hair"

I adore her more each day, but simultaneously wish time would stand still and she could stay my baby forever.

I love me some Noa Noll.

We are LOVIN’ us some pool time these days.

And, just for everyone’s edification, I thought I would share this accidental photo so we can all enjoy the deliciousness of the rolls on this girl: