Wanda & Randy's 50th Anniversary

Meet our dear friends, Wanda and Randy. 

Aren't they the cutest?

They also sold us their house. Which is now our Dream Home.  

At the beginning of July, we had the joy and honor of attending their 50th Anniversary Party.

Isn't this precious?? 

They got married when they were just 18 and this is what they wore. 

We've only got 30 more years to make it to 50, babe. 😉

Lord, let it be! 🙏

This is Will, W & R's oldest son. 

He was visiting from India where he and his family serve as missionaries. 

And this is Will's wife, Emily and their beautiful daughters.

 

The girls made some of the sweetest friends. 

They can't wait until they come back next Spring!

Wanda and Grace. 

Randy & Morgan. 

Toni & Steve (dear friends of Wanda & Randy's) hosted a great party for them in their backyard.  

 

The couple even shared a dance that brought me to tears. 😭💕

Cheers to you, sweet friends!

What an incredible night! Wanda & Randy are very near and dear to our heart. 

We felt so honored to be a part of their 50th Anniversary Celebration. 

I think 50th anniversary parties are better than weddings, y'all. 

What an amazing accomplishment to stay together through ALL THOSE YEARS. I know not all of them were easy but with the Lord at the center of their marriage, it is not only possible but fruitful and blessed.  

Talk about #goals. 

These two are GOLDEN.

June Recap

Half the year has gone and we spent the last 6 months trusting in the Lord, even when we couldn't see what He was planning. We've made some hard decisions along the way. Decisions we never imagined ourselves making, even a year ago. But when God nudged us to pick up our lives and move, we couldn't shake it, even if we wanted to. We've been largely quiet through this time. Mostly, to rest in His presence, to discern His voice, and to wait for Him to direct our next steps. 

Little did we know what He had planned. How sweet and how intimate the Lord would be in the midst of our trusting and waiting. On June 11th, we moved into our DREAM HOME. We didn't see this coming. But God knew all along. Even years ago, when this dream was just forming, He remembered the details. This move has been a crazy story of God's sovereignty and faithfulness in our lives. And to think we could have missed it all if we had not risked our own comfort and security?

I'll be sharing more of the details here some day but for now, I'm stepping back to June for a little recap.  

For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” -Romans 10:11

Happy Father's Day to the guy who we all adore. He's the best of the best, y'all! 

And we're so blessed to call him ours! 

After church, we picked up two of our favorites for a quick and easy lunch. Sushi and Chips & Guac. 😋

 

I guess you can call him "Farmer Morgan" now. 

We have 3 miniature donkeys that came with the property. 

Here are Princess Emily, Donkey Kong, and Bob.  

The girls had some friends over and they had fun giving the donkeys some treats. 

Meeting sweet new friends has been such a great blessing for the girls! I'm so happy for them. 

Fresh basil from the garden? Yes, please! Caprese is the quintessential summer salad, right? Yum! 

Faith wasted no time planting new veggies and tending to her garden. 

It's been really cool watching her take on a new hobby and learning the joy of her labor. 

We often have guests who like to swim in our pool with us. 🐸

The kids love seeing all the animals around here.

Nearby, on Sagebrush Drive (known as the Peacock Street), various peacocks meander the yards. 

Everyday, it's like waking up to a new surprise. We've never seen so many animals (dead or alive- lots of road kill here in the spring) since we moved to Texas. We've also seen a bobcat, deer, and a family of turkey- just yesterday in our yard. Not to mention all the squirrels, bunnies, horses, cows, armadillos, and beautiful colorful birds! 

We spent all of June moving and getting settled. Thankfully, our new home is even closer to our church than our rental was. We are loving Flower Mound, our church, and the beauty and peacefulness of our new home and property. Feeling incredibly blessed is an understatement! God is so so good, y'all! 

Zachary turns 7!

Our cutie boy turned 7 earlier this month!

Look how big he's getting.

His birthday is on the 6th but we celebrated on the 4th since it was a festive holiday anyway. 

In the morning, before we left for church, we let him open one gift. 

Faith got him a fish tank. 

He's been talking about one for a while now. 

After church, we stopped by the pet store to let him pick out some fish and accessories for his new tank. 

After lunch, he opened the rest of his presents from family members. 

Thank you, Uncle Rich & Auntie Emily! 

Thanking his sister, Grace for his new trash truck. 

Thanks, Halmoni! 

And Aunt Jen & Uncle Bryan! 

Morgan and I got him an R/C Speedboat he's been talking about. 

Then it was time for cake. 

Happy Birthday, sweet boy!! 

God knew what we wanted but He also knew what we needed when He gave us you, buddy. 

We love you, son!

The Butler's came over for cake and some fun pool time later that afternoon. 

Later that evening, we walked to the lake to watch the fireworks show.

We stayed up past our bedtime but it was worth it! 

A special ending to a great day of celebrating Zach and America!

Dear Zachary,

You are loving, sweet, smart, full of fervor and energy.

Each day, we are learning more about you and the unique way God designed you. 

I know He will use you in a mighty way, son and we are so honored to be your parents. 

You love trains, planes, cars, and trucks. Basically, anything that moves. You are learning how to build with Legos and it's been fun watching you construct, deconstruct, and rebuild things again.

You are a wonderful artist and particularly talented in drawing and writing.

We know God has great plans in store for your future. You are more than a conqueror already, buddy!  

We pray we can help you become all that God intended you to be, for your good and for His glory.

All our love,

Mom & Dad 

Independence Day Parade

Well, hello there! I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July celebration! 

It's been over a month since I've posted anything on here. On June 11th, we moved into our AMAZING new home and we've been busy doing all things you do when you're trying to get settled in. It feels so good to be out of our rental and into a more permanent situation. THE STORY OF OUR DREAM HOME is quite the God-story in and of itself. I'll have to write it all down and share it on here one day. 

God is so so good y'all. I could just cry. 😭

Despite how crazy the world seems today, in our family, we raise our kids to love America and respect those who serve and paid the ultimate price defending our freedom.

It was a perfectly cloudy and cooler morning for a parade. 

 

The boys are lined up at the start.

While us girls, chose a spot down the parade route to cheer them on. 

There's my sweet boy.

 

He was so excited to be riding his bike in the parade. 

So sweet to see the families come out to celebrate.

You gotta love a hometown parade. 

Of course, Zach was following the fire truck. 

He wanted a closer look. 

They actually had a watermelon eating contest!

Loved seeing all the patriotism. 

They had bounce houses, food, music, and games afterwards. 

A fun and festive way to kick off 4th of July weekend!