Father's Day morning...kids eager to present daddy with their gift. 
It was a pretty exciting day for our family....today, on Father's Day, we would share the BIG secret we had been keeping to ourselves for fourteen weeks...we would finally share the news of our miracle pregnancy with our families. We couldn't wait...and here was how we were planning to do it.
First stop...a campground where my sister and her family had been camping for the weekend. My parents came along with us. We were planning to have a brunch. As soon as we got out of our van to greet them, Kaiya got a dog bite. Poor girl...we had to take her to the ER for stitches. Three and a half hours later....we were back at the campground and almost ready to burst with our news...and finally being able to share the joy was so much fun and such a relief.
I had to throw a few hints to my mom as she was holding Luca...looking at her shirt...reading it several times and still not quite getting it. :) Poor baby Luca didn't know what in the world was going on...we scared her half to death with all the screeches of excitement and commotion. She went into full blown crying mode.
My niece, Maci, was the first to catch on. She had been suspecting it for a few weeks because of my growing waistline...she is so observant.
Next stop...Kevin's parents house for a Father's Day picnic...arriving a few hours late because of our little hospital emergency. 
And a few hints had to be thrown out with Kevin's family as well...overall unanimous response was that most were speechless. So fun to see the looks of unbelief and surprise on the faces of our family. Lots of hugs followed. 
And our little brave girl still had a very fun day despite her injuries.
What a day to remember. :)
We had our hands full with twenty-two five-year-olds in the class we were helping with. Miss Nicole did an amazing job keeping us all organized and headed to where we needed to go.
Kaiya isn't old enough for VBS until next year. I wanted us all to be together as a family that week, so she joined the five year old class too. She loved it.
class clown 
Getting everyone dressed and there on time every night was a challenge in itself. We also took Immanuel (our little brother) and his siblings and cousins home a couple nights which got us home after ten. I was pretty exhausted the whole week...our mornings consisted of the kids coming to my bed to wake me up instead of me getting up before them like normal...and the rest of the day was spent getting the bare necessities accomplished...laundry, dishes & nap time (a must for me too). Thank goodness for the meals for volunteers each night that were served before bible school started...one less thing for me to worry about.
To see the excitement on the kids faces and to see their little hearts learning more about Jesus...sure makes it all worth it. So glad I had a front row seat and could witness and participate in the fun and excitement.
ice cream afterwards - kaiya & kylie 
It was a beautiful sunny day so we strolled around the Jefferson Pointe outdoor mall.
Has is really been thirteen years? Thirteen of the very best years of my life...spending it with a man that has made me a better person in so many ways. I love this man...my husband, my best friend. A hilariously loving father (funny choice of words, but describes him so well) that lights up the faces of our children when he walks in the room. A godly man that loves the Lord and desires to lead and teach our family in the ways of the Lord...a hard worker and wonderful provider. That's my man! 
We had just enough time to sit outside a coffee house and drink some delicious frozen coffee drinks before heading back to get the kids and start the first night of VBS. A fun day...just not long enough.
The reason I love this park so much around this time of year is because all the roses are in bloom...it's gorgeous.
A great park for pictures.
Since I already bragged about my hubby on the anniversary post, I'll focus on my dad for the Father's Day post. I was thrilled to get to spend the day with him this year on Father's Day.
When I think of my dad, I think of his love of spending time with his family. His genuine willingness to drop everything to help others. If I needed anything, I know I could count on him to bend over backwards to try to make it happen. He's a hard worker... growing up, he fixed everything around the house. We never had to call a repair man. I thought all men were like that and am grateful my husband has the same skills in that area. I also thought all men enjoyed shopping because my dad would take my sister and I to the mall on a regular basis...sitting outside the stores patiently until we were finished. 
Most of all, I'm grateful for the relationship that my dad has with my mom and his love for her. I love you, Dad! Happy Father's Day! 
Since it was such an extremely HOT afternoon, we couldn't resist stopping for my favorite dessert. Fathers got free cones at TCBY that day. YUM!!
Our plans for that weekend were originally to leave the kids with Kevin's parents and celebrate our anniversary (just the two of us) with a nice quiet dinner and an overnight at a nice hotel in South Bend. With dad just getting home from the hospital, it was just too much to expect them to take the kids. So we cancelled those reservations and made new reservations at the inn at Pokagon State Park for the whole family. I always love going there...a beautiful place! We loaded up our bikes and left Saturday afternoon. It poured and stormed the whole way there, so after settling our things in our rooms, we headed to the indoor pool and hot tub. 
After an hour or so it cleared up very nicely for the rest of the evening and we biked all over the park. It was soooo nice! We rode through all the campgrounds and the smell of the campfires really gave me the fever to go camping. 
On Sunday morning (our anniversary) we took a hike to Hell's Point. 
Kaiya wasn't feeling so well...she had a cough and constant run to her nose, so it was a little rough for her. 
A long climb, but worth the view at the top. 
Poor Kaiya, just not feeling like herself. 
After our hike, it was time to hit the beach.
It really ended up being a wonderful family weekend after I got past my disappointment of our changed plans. After tucking the kids in bed that night we lit some candles, had some sparkling juice and a wonderful time talking on the couch and relaxing together. We have so much to be thankful for...twelve years of memories together. Spending that day making memories with our whole family is what it's all about. I loved it and I love you honey! Happy Anniversary!