1st Annual Recitation Fellowship

Our friends, Hailey and Derek hosted a recitation at Oak Glen Park where a bunch of families gathered after church to recite poetry, bible verses, passages from books, etc. The topic was friendship. 

The kids loved being outdoors and climbing on trees.

Here we are, at the pavilion, getting ready to start.

Faith recited a poem by Isaac Watts called, Love Between Brothers and Sisters.

Grace recited 1 Corinthians 4-7 for Friends.

And later, the girls recited a piece as Wilbur & Charlotte from E.B. White's Charlotte's Web.

We had a variety of poems from Robert Frost to Longfellow, bible verses to passages from favorite books.

A few of the adults participated, too.

Hailey, our hostess and Derek, the MC.

All the kids.

And all the teenagers and adults.

A scrumptious potluck was next and then the kids had a blast playing in the park and running around. It was 15-20 degrees cooler than the desert! What a treat!

It was a lovely afternoon celebrating friendship and perfect weather!

The kids all did wonderfully and it was so fun to see the variety of pieces and the expressive way they presented them. However, I have to say, my favorite part was a surprise performance that came at the end. 

I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!

I'm still sort of in shock about the whole thing because Morgan can tell you himself, public speaking is NOT something he particularly enjoys. I was tending to Zach so I didn't get a chance to record the whole thing but I heard all the words of his emotional speech and let me tell you, there wasn't a dry eye!!

Of course, the words don't convey the emotion in the live performance, but with permission to post,

here's what he said.

Friends by Morgan Gough                              

I have always thought that I don't have but a few friends. And when someone heard me say this they would say “People are lucky to have 2 or 3 good friends in a life time.” And I would always agree with that statement. 

This week, as I was lying in bed at 3 in the morning, thinking about my life and a “friends” speech I was encouraged to give today, I realized that my list of friends is a little bit longer than I ever imagined. Let me share with you some of that list.

My first friend was my mom. And then my dad, he was a close second. As soon as I could play, then my older brother, Ben. Then came Jennifer, my sister. And a few years later, Roy, my youngest brother. There were aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews and later in life, in-laws. In school, there were some very close friends. And other friends I called teachers or counselors, classmates or teammates, principal or librarian, nurse or the lunch lady. Some were coaches and others competitors. And after high school came college, and in college, my brother, Ben helped guide me to the most important friend I didn't even know I needed, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

I could stop right here, but I would be leaving out my best and most amazing friend here on earth, my wife, Catherine. God knew I needed her in my life in more ways than I can even go into. But I will say, through Catherine, God used her to help lead me back to Him. Through Catherine, God blessed us with our amazing twin daughters, Faith and Grace. And without me knowing at the time, that we weren’t done, that I wasn’t “too old”, and today I realize, that I was actually ready for a son. And God again, through Catherine, blessed us with our son, Zachary.

Now, how do I define a friend?  With the love of my sweet daughters, Faith and Grace, they helped me see the abundance of friends in my life. I learned this from watching them, because everyone they meet, even if they met them that day, came away with the title of "friend."  So now I have realized that all these friends that I've met throughout my life, no matter if they were put there for a brief time, for a difficult time, or for many years, God has put all these friends in my life to help me become the person that I am today. Thank you God for all the people that you have put in my life that I can now and forever, call my friends.

I always knew he was a keeper but COME ON?!

Bravo to the bravest and most expressive speech of the day!

He's just the BEST.

Life Lately

Zach loves these "fill-in the dot" worksheets. And of course, he's a huge fan of his dot markers, too.

 When it's too hot to go outside... just pretend that you're riding over rocks on the couch! 😀

 Wearing every one's glasses but his OWN. 😏

Finally tried Pokehana and it did NOT disappoint! What a treat! I love that it was incredibly healthy and SO filling, too! I was stuffed! 

 The White's came over for a play date during the week and although we could have played outside, the kids were having too much fun inside. Zach was so cute. He grabbed Sylvie's hand right before I snapped this picture. Where did he learn that from? #precious

Isn't this the truth? Change starts in the home. It's the whole reason we invest in our children and make our homes our mission field. Lord willing, we are raising up a generation of young people who are set apart for the Lord in every way!

 Ok, so my first attempt at making bread in my new bread maker was disastrous (It helps if I read the instructions!). This was my second attempt and I must say, Joanna's 3 Minute Sweet Bread was perfection!

 Now THIS is what I'm talking about! The family gobbled this up warm and enjoyed every bite! 🍞 

 Gotta love a good energy ball snack! It's been a while since I've made these and I wonder why? They're so easy and good for you. This one has rolled oats, chopped pecans, mini chocolate chips, almond butter, peanut butter, honey, coconut, and chia seeds.

 Look who's back at My Gym for the summer?

 I pray this is not a glimpse of his future. 😜

He had a blast! I took him in an effort to tire him out but the only one who needed a nap that day was ME!! I'm pretty sure I was the oldest parent there!  

 Hello, my gorgeous boy.

 Learning how to operate a soaker gun without shooting yourself in the face.

 Oh, the JOY!

 Afternoon swims, playing barefoot in the backyard, and later than usual suppers.

IT MUST BE SUMMER!! 🌞

 It was great to have Hailey join me and Melissa on our monthly hike. Despite the fact that we left at 5:30 in the morning, it was still incredibly HOT! Nonetheless, we had some sweet girl time.

And that's a little life around here lately.

I have to say, we thoroughly enjoyed our first official week of summer!