memorial day weekend

this past weekend was the most GORGEOUS weekend i can EVER remember it being for memorial day.. i have too many memories of my dad and uncle paul and grandpa standing over the firepit.. cooking hotdogs and hamburgers.. while holding an umbrella over their heads and the fire..

but there was no need for umbrellas this weekend.. it was PERFECT.. so perfect in fact that i had not even packed a pair of shorts.. i'll never make that mistake again..

saturday was spent fixing the dock.. getting it in the water.. then putting the boats in..

fishing: stephen style.. :)

emma fishing.. love that yummy golden light !!

amy fishing..

then on sunday after church.. it was so warm out that all of the kids went swimming ! (and this dude was out foolin' around on his jet ski.. lol)

uncle paul's boat.. filled up with little kids..

eli.. who kept threatening to throw that pacifier (affectionately known as 'wilson') into the lake..

yeah.. see? even meme got the memo that it was going to be hot out.. why didn't i pack something like this to wear?

grandpa.. relaxin' on uncle paul's boat.. soakin' in some sun..

stephen.. who isn't too fond of the water.. while his cousins were jumping off the dock and splashing around.. he was content to just wade along the shore..

ruby-do.. lookin' a bit sleepy..

and what is memorial day without sparklers?

one of my new favorite pictures.. if you click on it to make it bigger you'll see why.. i love how the sparkler illuminates daddy's hand.. and daddy's hand only.. :) not sure exactly HOW i did that? lol but that's unimportant right?

bachlorettes

last monday night.. i had the honor of taking my best friend naomi, her sister autumn, and our good friend grace.. down to deep creek lake.. for a sort of bachorlette party.. we drove down monday night.. spent the night.. and came home tuesday night.. needless to say.. we had a BLAST.. we laughed soo hard.. and just had an all over awesome time..

photo courtesy of amy eichelberger o.O

naomi's so pretty.. it isn't fair :)

grace laughing with my mom about something..

they were probably laughing about this.. we all were really.. i mean.. com'on.. 4 girls.. overnight.. we gotta take a lot of stuff :)

<3 <3 <3

grace.. notice: the blankets.. it was really.. really.. REALLY cold when we were there.. which was a bummer..

we finally figured out how to turn on the gas heater.. then we kinda just sat in front of it all day long :)

playin' sorry..

haha somebody won.. not sure who tho' :)

best friends forever.. i love her..

baptisms

playing catch up:

last Sunday at church we had a baptism service..

the smurfs awaiting their turn in the pool :)

pastor smurf.. err-- i mean.. pastor miller.. :) baptizing his daughter rachel..

pastor miller and nathaniel..

love this moment.. between pastor parker and his son zach.. such a sweet father-son moment..

pastor parker and his other son david..

mrs. hill and mr. hill.. just for the record: i love this family :) they are so funny and awesome.. mrs. hill is soo sweet and mr. hill is such a tease.. they are so adorable together and you'd never guess that they have a million little kids running around :) they're too young and in love for that sort of nonsense *wink*

also.. i think its totally cool that mr. hill got to baptize his wife :)

pastor miller and annie..

daddy and amy.. i've only ever heard my daddy cry one time before.. but after he and amy had climbed into the baptismal.. and he began talking about praying for amy.. he got all choked up and couldn't go on.. idk how many people in the congregation were crying.. but i know my mom and i were blubbering all over the place :)

and then.. daddy got to baptize emma too..

so anyway.. i'm playing catch up over the next few days since i didn't blog for a week.. i feel bad about having to shut my blog down to private invitations only.. but after discussing it with my parents and considering the events that are churning about me.. it seems the best thing for right now..

so.. this week is catch-up week.. because i'll have TONS of pictures to blog when this weekend rolls around.. from the event of the year = the wedding of paul abbey and naomi westerman !!

Going Private

In approximately 24 hours, this blog will be going private.

That means that only people I allow can access the blog. I know I have several people who like to view this blog on a regular basis -- for that thank you so much ! If you would like to keep reading, please send me an email at coveredbytheblood89@gmail.com , and I will send you an invitation that will allow you into the blog. I am going to send invitations the few people I know read this blog regularly, but if you have not received one, please let me know !

Thanks!

Harrisburg Vacation

last week was our annual trip out to harrisburg for the 2008 CHAP Convention .. and as usual.. we went out a few days early to spend a little vacation time away :)

we arrived in the harrisburg area tuesday night and spent that night and the following morning with my mom's good friend missy and her family..

they have this awesome stream that runs thru their backyard..

i can remember when i was little.. coming here and looking for crayfish in this stream.. and i had no idea what a crayfish was.. and kate was so used to finding them that she would turn a rock over and catch one real quick-like.. and suddenly realizing that crayfish WERE NOT the cute little goldfish type things i assumed them to be.. i quickly became terrified and refused to even lift a stone to find one :)

of course.. the great entertainment of staying here was the trampoline in the backyard..

while we were packing the van to leave.. and the kids were taking one last jump.. emma who was up on the porch.. quite calmly yells "hey look! there's a skunk over there!" sure enough.. there was !! o.O he's hard to see on my picture tho'..

haha doesn't he look like he's just suspended there?

missy and mom..

so then on wednesday when we left missy's.. we drove over to the herr's factory.. we quickly came to the conclusion that we were NOT meant to get to the tour on time.. in fact we didn't think we were meant to get to the tour at all.. as we got stuck and detoured behind one accident.. and then when we finally got back on the right road.. came upon a road block.. just a road block with no explanation or anything.. so the person in front of us just got out of his truck.. moved the blockade and we kept going.. sure enough there was a reason.. and we soon came to a complete standstill again.. because a track-trailor had overturned.. so we had to turn around and daddy turned on his "daddy-radar" and SOMEHOW.. without any maps.. directions.. and completely devoid of knowing where we were.. he got us to the herr's factory.. and we only missed 5 minutes of the video :)

i was bummed though.. because they don't allow you to take pictures inside the factory :(

so after our little adventure at GETTING to herr's.. we made a stop at the BEST place to eat.. if you are EVER out in the harrisburg/lancaster area.. you HAVE to stop at Shady Maple Smorgasbord .. even if it is totally out of your way.. it is WORTH IT..

wednesday night we stayed at a farm.. mom always tries to find somewhere different for us to stay when we're out there.. and this was really nice.. we got there early in the evening.. allowing us ample time to explore the farm.. see all the babies.. watch them milk the cows.. and just spend the evening relaxing..

love the shadow !

as you can see.. amy kinda fell in love with the cats.. if you started to pay attention to one.. suddenly a whole bunch of them would appear !

nice smile amy..

stephen up in a tree..

and yes.. there was a kitty that followed me around too :)

the miniature horses were beautiful..

hehe amy and her animals :)

stephen.. looking all handsome :)

this is the house we stayed in.. we had an upstairs apartment..

a farm across the road.. i love the area out there.. its all so peaceful and quiet.. very laid back and slow paced..

ruby !

i think emma sat in this same spot all evening long.. until it got dark out.. just playing with the cats !

'His eye is on the sparrow..'

mmm.. buttercups..

and.. i was actually inside.. we were all chillin'.. watching a movie.. when daddy called me outside.. he said i couldn't miss the sunset..

so then.. on thursday.. we took our time getting up.. and our day consisted of a little bit of shopping.. driving around the countryside.. and i was quick enough to catch this sight out the window as we were driving past..

thursday night we stayed in a marriot suite with the balegas.. it was lots of fun.. including ms. barb's usual practical joking self.. when on friday night.. when we turned out all the lights.. she dumped water (from up in the loft) onto amy's head :) like i said.. lots of fun !

they had this awesome indoor pool that was very newly built..

stephen normally isn't a huge water fan.. but by the end of the night he had realized that he could walk around in the 3ft end and thought himself the coolest kid ever because he could do so..

max.. showing off his amazing "belly-flop" skills..

so then.. all day friday and all day saturday we were at CHAP.. we bought a lot of books as usual.. and i now have sufficient reading material to get me through the summer..

CHAP is a very tiring day though.. and ruby just couldn't take it any more.. what's really funny is this picture was taken at the end of early bird shopping.. before they allow the general public to come in.. (we're special and get in for early bird shopping because we volunteer our time to help)

all in all.. we had a wonderful time away as a family.. it left us all looking forward to our first BIG family vacation in a few years: the first 2 weeks of august when we're going to the beach !!