Anna turns 6!!

Anna turned 6 on July 24th and we are so thankful to God for her. We had a tea party on the saturday before her birthday, which was a fun time for all the ladies. Sadly most of her kiddie friends were out of town, but bff mercy was there as well as some of the younger friends who have had a great impact on her life. So we drank tea, ate cupcakes, played a few games, made some hats and read a book.

Of course we also had a special chocolate chip pancake breakfast on her actual birthday, followed with a fun date with dear friend Kristin and topped off the evening going to get snoballs(the best snocones) with Grandma Donna.

These were the butlers, who served all the ladies their tea and ice cream, they did a great job! Sammy is the only one who had a hard time understanding that the butlers had to wait until all the ladies were done to get his cake and icecream.

Anna at 6: She is a very talkative little girl when she is in her comfort zone, when she is not she does tend to act shy. She has an amazing imagination and loves to use it when she plays with her baby dolls and stuffed animals. She loves to read and learn and loves playing and swinging in the backyard as well. She still can be emotional at the drop of a hat...(not sure who she gets that from:) She loves going to school and loves her friends there!

July 4th-Sorrowful yet rejoicing

July 4th is a day we celebrate our independence as a country and this year, I couldn't help feeling a little like Paul in 2 Corinthians 6 when he was talking about the coming of the Lord and all that would be endured, he said all these opposites, dying yet living, and sorrowful yet rejoicing..and that sums up this 4th. I rejoice at the party of our country and the freedoms we have that we often take for granted, yet this day still brings great pain to my heart. A year ago my precious grandmother went on to be with Jesus, again dying, yet living, that is what she did, and here sorrow, yet rejoicing that she is no longer in pain....yet her absence hurts very deeply. As my kids say I still cry sometimes just at the mention of her name, you never know what brings it on, but it just comes. A person on this earth that was filled with an undying, enduring never wavering love is now not here... So as its been a year since she has left, it seems unreal in some ways, I look at video of her and it seems she is still here. Oh how I do wish I could call her up and talk to her. This is the pain of death that hurts, that doesn't go away. Grandma was a classic in the truest since of the word, so fitting that she left this earth on the day of our country's independence. My grandma was one of the strongest women I know, she left a legacy that I hope to impart to my children and thankful she did while she was here. Grandma a year later you are still deeply missed!

She earned the order of the arrow an award given by the Boy Scouts of America

She loved her great grandkids, called them all doodlebugs.

She was a women who was faithful to her family.

Possibly more pictures to come and maybe video..working on getting that to the rest of the family and so thankful to have found it!!!