Project 365, Week 38

September always surprises me. When I think of the month in my head, I think of school nights and crazy sports schedules and summer fading away. But when I actually live September, I have forgotten how perfectly wonderful the weather is, how exciting it is to be entering a new season, how comforting routine is after a loosey-goosey summer. This September has been all these things...a crazy kind of wonderful. 

Two years ago today I got "the" call, the call when the doctor told me I had cancer. Today, I'm so grateful to be on this side, so thankful to be alive. To life, to life! :)

September 12

I'm the annoying auntie who always has a camera in your face. :)

September 13
Dinner on the water with some amazing ladies.

September 14
Shaun is back coaching Amanda's soccer team this fall. He does such a great job!

September 15
I almost always (99%) get my workouts done before anyone in the house is awake, but its been a little hectic around here and I'm still adjusting to my schedule changing, so Aiden read to me while I ran. Amazes me what boys are interested in reading....right now he's on a war/military kick.

Representing at our town's street festival.

September 16
Weekend #3 of Mystery brought us to Danbury, CT on a university campus.

September 17
We got home after midnight from the show and were out the door about 8AM for the first of two soccer games for the day (except H, who had a cross country meet) before heading back for the second show and tear down. One nice thing is we are doing it all together as a family.

My niece Madison is a main character in a small cast so she has lots of costume changes to do. My girls are so happy and honored that they get to assist Maddy backstage for her quick changes. I'm thankful for the role model she is to them!

Post show...packing up to head to our last city of the year, West Hartford, CT. If you haven't seen it, please come! People have been raving about the quality of the show in every location we've been...you won't be sorry. Plus, you'll get to see my three cute kids on stage. :)

Ask me about tickets, or go HERE.

September 18
We hosted the end-of-year softball team picnic at our house. I smiled big when I happened upon this crew snuggled up on the couch together. So sweet!

Still The One Celebration

I have a large family. Pretty sure I have 20 first cousins, but I'm not sure I could name them all and I would recognize just a handful of them if we passed on the street. My parents were both born in the west. My dad grew up in Idaho but my mom left Montana when she was young and grew up in the east. After meeting at bible college and spending a few years in ministry "out there", they settled in Connecticut, where I've lived most of my life. Nearly all of the family stayed out west, so our closest relatives became my mom's sister and her husband, my beloved Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Lee, who have always lived in either western or upstate New York.

The two families always did Christmas together, alternating hosting years and then we'd often go camping together at some point during the summer. Though we only got together a couple times a year, our families were very close. There are beautiful, warm memories surrounding our time with them. They've always been involved, supportive, invested.

This year, along with my cousin Melody, we schemed how we would celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. We came up with a plan that we thought would be "their speed" and we started formulating ideas to make the event perfect for them.

Shaun volunteered to get the dining room remodel done in time for the evening so much of our efforts were put in to that room. My sister Amy is talented in so many ways, one of which is growing and arranging flowers. She bought them wholesale so she could get exactly what she had in mind and then worked her magic putting them in beautiful arrangements. Forty years is the "ruby" anniversary, so we went with that theme. We were going to go with their original wedding colors, but that was a pastel rainbow. ;)

My mom and Amy came the night before to help set up and get everything just right.

Kids table. :)

Shaun was way too happy about the fact that we ran out of matches....he lit tea lights with a blow torch!

My brother Tim and Avery, giving everyone a practice round of saying SURPRISE!

And they were. Very! :) Melody had a stressful day of texting and coordinating and getting the arrival time just right, all while not letting on that anything was out of the ordinary and she pulled it off.

Still the one, after all these years. :)

Well into the evening, we added the final surprise. My cousin, their son flew in from California and they had NO idea he'd be there. It was perfect!

It was a beautiful evening of laughter and stories and blessings and music and pictures and memories and surprises and family. So incredible and what an honor to bless two people who have had a profound impact on my life and so many others.

And YAY for any time a beautiful marriage can be recognized and celebrated!

Love you guys!