Prosperous Posterity

Will you look at this family?? If ever there was a pictoral epitomy of the purpose of life this is it. Being together as a family is one of the most powerful influences of joy in my life. Each person in this photograph represents a lifetime of learning, pain, and joy for me. It is a huge blessing to be loved by such amazing folks. Besides, when you laugh and play and have so much fun together it seems that there is not a better place to be. This pic is at Juli's house. For an impromptu get together of 17 people I think the VanDyken's handled our presence well. Chris and Mandi drove 4 hours with their sweety crying to get out of the car just to see us. I don't know when I have ever been so excited. I think we are all getting busy in our lives and we have so much going on that our extended family isn't always in the forerunning in the brain. However when we see each other there is so much love that it has just lifted my spirit so much. We are truly blessed with good parents and a prolific offspring :)

Katherine's birthday was a whopping good time! Every one was running wild and sliding down the slides (that was my favorite). This place, Beyond Bounce, is like a children's museum with bounce houses. I was really impressed with the layout and the activities. They had quiet activities, a basketball goal, a playhouse with dress up clothes, a train table, dinosaur table, riding toys for toddlers. Its very well layed out and the kids had such a blast. The adults had so much fun that Dave came home with a jammed toe and Erin still shouldn't be walking on her sprained foot. As the record shows though she did beat Chad on their obstacle race. Katherine was so cute with Ayla. I'm so glad that they are such good friends. They seem to be a good balance for each other and remind me a lot of Erin and I when we were younger. In fact, I had a lot of fun memories and impressions this weekend. Last night, Juli was sitting on the couch and she asked Chris to trade pizza slices with her. He said "Sure" The exchange was so brother/sister like! Its funny that now that we are older we are wives and husbands and parents and leaders and students. Its so fun to see each other as we are growing up.