Comfort and Joy

I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will
give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
Jeremiah 31:13

Monday, June 30, 2014

Mexico

I am still trying to catch up from this summer....
At the end of June David and I headed to Mexico for 5 days with friends.  2 of our very favorite couples from Boston were heading on a trip with 2 other couples and we decided to tag along.  We weren't sure what to expect since we only knew 5 of the 8 people going (I had met one of the wives on a girls trip almost 2 years before and loved her but had not met her husband or the other couple).  It truly could not have gone any better...so good that we hope to continue to travel with these 4 couples. We had so much in common with these couples while being so different.  3 of the 5 are from the Northeast /Midwest while the other 2 are from the South.  We all have been married for 7 years or longer with 1-4 kids between us.  We all love the Lord and love our children but enjoy some time away from the day to day tasks of being parents .  We love to have a good time and be together with our friends while also taking time to just be the 2 of us.  It was truly such a great time.  Looking at these pictures makes me miss all of them so much!

We stayed at an All Inclusive Resort called Live Aqua in Cancun.  We never left the resort because everything we needed was there.  The food and drinks were delicious and the amenities were great.

Right when we arrived they gave us a hand massage and then handed us these drinks at the hotel bar/restaurant.
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We then all changed into our suits and jumped in the pool.
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We spent lots of time at the swing up bar.
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My view from my pool chair. Untitled
My view from my room.  Untitled
The 3rd night our air wasn't working well so we switched rooms so this is the view from our 2nd room.   Because of our issues with the air they comped us a couples 90 minute massage.  It was heavenly!
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Sallie was 7 months pregnant and having fun posing one night for us.  She was such a trooper...it was so hot and she never complained.  Untitled
The drinks were not strong so it was kind of fun to try things you would never try at home.
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I truly love each one of these girls after the 5 days...sweet friends for life!
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Love this one...the Lord truly blessed me when I moved to Boston and reconnected with Audra.Untitled
Chris and I had a great time laughing and poking fun at each other.
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Audra posing at the entrance to one of the many restaurants at the resort.
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The group in the elevator heading to a dance party.
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Sallie and I in our matching hats.
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I spent a lot of time reading and enjoying the view.  Untitled
The token foot shot while on the beach.
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A beach view of the resort when the sun was setting.
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Audra and I before our "nice dinner". Untitled
They sat David and I at the longest table.  We were laughing how far apart we seemed.
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We told them we were there for our 11 year anniversary so one night when we came home they had all this set up.
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It was a wonderful 5 days and I feel so blessed to have been a part of this precious group.  Looking forward to our next trip together!

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Angel Dear Blankies - Miller's birthday

Post 3 of Miller's birthday.  Click to read Post 1 and Post 2.

Instead of receiving gifts from his friends he asked them to give an Angel Dear blankie to the Forrest Spence Fund.  He LOVES his Angel Dear monkey and knows that the FSF gives Angel Dear blankies to other children at hospitals so he thought that would be something he could donate.  He received a great amount and was thrilled to see so many monkeys.
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I took the 3 kids to Le Bonheur to donate some of them to the NICU.
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After we donated the blankies we took an updated family picture in the Forrest Sibling Playroom.  It had been a few years since we had taken one so we knew it was time for an updated one. family pic
So proud of my little guy and his generous heart.  He is always asking about the children at Le Bonheur and how we can help them.  I hope he always has a heart for others and continues to serve and love well.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Miller's Family Party

Click to read Post 1 and Post 3 on Miller's 4th birthday

On Miller's actual birthday we had David's parents over for dinner (my mom was out of town).  Miller chose his favorite meal (Cheeseburgers) and his birthday cake (a funnel cake).  It was a great night celebrating our precious son.
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Maggie enjoyed her dinner as usual.
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He received lots of Planes stuff and loved all of it.
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These 2 can fight with the best of them but they also have a precious relationship.  Praying that it will continue to cultivate into the best kind of relationship.
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This little one makes us laugh so hard.
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He still loves Legos...not quite as much as Austin but a lot!DSC02495 DSC02499 DSC02504 DSC02507 DSC02516
We love you to the moon and back Miller David.  You bring so much joy and laughter into our lives every day.  You truly are the best!