saint louis, we love you

we're six.

Today, Josh and I turned six years old. I know that it will make him squirm that I posted a picture of us kissing, but it makes me laugh because it takes me right back to that altar, six years ago. In brief, I told Josh the week before we got married that we needed to practice our wedding kiss. We proceeded to perfect it throughout the week. When it came time for the actual "you may kiss the bride moment," I kind of got nervous and embarrassed and thought that everyone would know that we had practiced the kiss and I started laughing as Josh leaned in. (Fun fact about me: I laugh when I get embarrassed.) So Josh waited a moment and then tried to kiss me again and I think it worked the second time. I really have no recollection of the kiss from our wedding other than my laughing. So, the joke in our marriage is that Josh likes to sidle up to me when I'm laughing, kiss me on the teeth and say, "Just like our wedding day." And when I try to fake him out and shut my mouth really tight, he tickles me and makes me laugh and then kisses me and he still gets to say, "Just like our wedding day." It's so unfair.



I know six isn't a lot of years to be married, but this year, it seems like a lot to us. We've gone through so much heartache this year as we have watched several young marriages around us fail and end in divorce. Two of those people are very, very close to our hearts and let me tell you, we have shed many tears for them as well as for all the others. I do not pretend to be an expert on marriage, but this year, I have very much become an advocate of seeing marriages succeed. Marriage is hard work. Much harder than we can ever be prepared for. And walking away from it isn't an option.  Communication is key and it doesn't come naturally. It takes a lot of costly work. A lot of sacrificial work. But the reward is worth it.  Vulnerability in a community of people who love you is key, as well.  And I don't ever want to think that Josh and I have it all together and that we can make it because we've perfected the art of communication and argument.  We haven't....trust me.  We're messy and we fight, but we've learned how to reconcile a lot better and forgive one another more readily and to back down a little bit sooner and then we continue walking forward hand in hand. Sorry for the soapbox, but my heart has been burdened with this for some time.

Josh, I love you, and let's look forward to 60 more years. We have a great family.

drinking wine for a good cause

Our friends the Reeves are house parents at a home for homeless boys in our community. It's called Joe's Place, and you can learn a lot about what their life looks like during the school year by reading her blog from time to time. They so amazingly and so selflessly love these boys and I can really think of no one better to be in this role than them.

Well, on Saturday night we attended an auction to benefit Joe's Place at Saint Louis Cellars in Maplewood. My sister-in-law Hannah is the Director of Joe's Place and Josh serves on the Board of Directors, and our church, Crossroads, has a great investment in it because of the Reeves, and we were happy to support it by being a part of the auction. I was just so bummed that the Reeves weren't there, but I took these pictures for you guys, Alyssa. I think I was the only person there with a camera...everyone thought I was some official photog for the evening. I was just having a good time. Saint Louis Cellars is a very photogenic place. And, let's be honest, people love to have their picture taken when the wine is flowing. It was flowing, indeed. I'm pretty sure the goal was to continue getting the bids to increase. I think over $20,000 was raised. Yea for Joe's Place.

The chichi Woitas

Thought this was appropriate.

a Cheers to Joe's Place

our pastor, Andrew, was the MC for the evening

that little canister next to the flower held the earnings of one little girl's lemonade stand which she donated to Joe's Place.  So cute!  

the Cellars

This was the auction item Josh had his eye on all evening.  I think he won it.  I'm always too distracted at auctions to be interested in the bidding.  I just love the socializing and the flowing wine.  

here's the man protecting his bid.  

Good work, Hannah.  You did a great job and we're proud of you.  And thanks to everyone who attended.  It was a super fun night!  

blueberry tricks

Huntleigh has really gotten into the fact that I take a lot of pictures. She'll say, "Are you going to take a picture, Mommy?" and then, "Can I see it?" These were some of those moments that she was hamming it up for me. I love that silly smile.

summer swim

We went swimming with our friend Lori on Friday. Josh's aunt has this amazing salt water pool which is nice and quiet, and it's perfect for a quick swim. We were actually a bit cold in the water, so we all did a lot of sitting on the edge of the pool while Lucy slept on her beach towel.

cute. suit.

pedicures for tomboys

One of my favorite summer treats is getting pedicures. The truth is that I like it best when someone else gives them to me. I took Huntleigh one time recently and she saw how the whole process works....so when I went back the next time, she got treated to a pedicure herself. She sat still for the whole thing. Good job, Hunts. The girl even painted a little flower on each of her big toes. Too cute. I love the contrast between her freshly painted pink toes and her bruised and scraped legs.





Swinging at Boogaloo for dinner afterwards.

readjusting to central standard time

Josh had to take an emergency trip to China, which is always a bummer, but it kind of hit us hard this time. It's always hard when he goes, but it's just getting harder as the kiddos get older and they are both quite demanding...not in a bad way, but just in a way that means they both require much attention and nurturing. I must say that I have immense respect for all the single moms out there. I applaud you. And I pray for you. I just feel so wiped out when Josh finally gets back from his trip that it is almost as though I feel I am experiencing jet lag, too.

sliding the cars


jet-lagging Josh


snuggling

little lucy

just lounging


chewing



fist fascination

caught up

If you were wondering, I finally finished my blog entries from Dubai. I know. I've been a real slacker. Life is just too demanding right now. Thanks for being faithful to my blog, though. Scroll down to May 18th if you want to catch up, too.

for my mom...

...who is stuck lounging in the Hawaiian sun for three weeks, but who misses her babes so much.

tears

This little one has been quite sensitive to loud noises as of late. If you look on her sweet left cheek you'll see the tears that were provoked by Lucy's screaming. When Lucy discovers her voice she sometimes uses it VERY loudly and Huntleigh ends up crying because she doesn't like it. Oh my.

food face

5 months old

Don't be fooled. She's not sitting on her own just yet. This is just one of those poses where I can prop her up for a couple seconds to take a picture. She always ends up doing some sort of belly flop as she falls over.

10 things that make him a Dream Dad

[All stolen from my Cookie magazine.]

1. Can identify both Kit and Kirsten in an American Girl-doll lineup. (These days are coming, Josh, just you wait.)

2. Is not afraid to wipe a poopy bottom.

3. Knows how to install a carseat.

4. Never asks you, as you're getting dressed, if you've "lost all the baby weight yet."

5. Never adds, "for a mom" after "you look great."

6. Does not take it (too) personally when his kids, for a time, like their mother more than him.

7. Does not gloat (too) overtly when his kids, for a time, like him more than their mother.

8. Knows there are few greater pleasures in life--after you've been home with the kids all day, unable to shower--than the evening cocktail.

9. Continues talking to you like a fully functioning, highly intelligent, independent human being, even when he comes home from work to find you weeping quietly into a bowl of strained peas, still dressed in your pajamas, caressing your breast pump, and asking to be reminded why you decided to have kids again.

10. Recognizes that, while parenting is never for one second easy and often makes both of you tired and edgy and wistful of your prekid days, it's the most rewarding, most life-affirming thing you will ever do in your lives.





Happy Father's Day, Josh. We love you. You're the best dad I know our girls could have.

good and tired

I think my babe looks here how we all felt at the end of our trip: dirty, tired, and smelling like campfire. It was such a good time to be with our friends, in the fresh air and away from all that is familiar and comfortable, but we are such creatures of habit....all of us. Even little Lucy. I remember camping for a week at a time when I was younger....Mom, I have a lot of respect for you. It's a ton of work to do with little kiddos.

marsh-meh-yos

Isn't the s'more the whole reason to go camping anyway?!

1772 feet

When Mike first introduced himself to Josh, he told Josh his last name was Going, "as in going, going, gone!" and that is exactly how I remember their first discussion. It was the perfect way for Mike to help Josh recall his name, seeing as it is not necessarily one of my husband's gifts. Here we are on our intense hike with the Going-going-gones!

Admiring the lookout. Boy, what a claim-to-fame for Missour-ah. Doesn't it just make you want to visit our great state?!


The hike was successful for only part of the time. We did finally make it into the forest, but it was only good for about a 1/2 mile. Huntleigh didn't really want to ride in the backpack and she kept tripping and falling over all the rocks. We had several meltdowns before we realized it was probably a better idea to turn around, then to try to complete the 3-mile loop.

peeking through the tent

Huntleigh seemed to really enjoy the tent and she went to sleep all by herself in the dark like a champ. We bought her a fun sleeping bag with flowers on the inside and I kept telling her it was like her big girl bed at home. She seemed really proud to sleep in her bag. She was super cute.