22 days

22 things that have happened in the past 22 days...

1. We experienced our first Disney cruise.

2. Saw Captain Jack Sparrow in person...well, kinda. It was a dude that was eerily good at impersonating him.

3. Watched fireworks from the 10th deck of the Disney Wonder.

4. Felt snow fall in the middle of July.

5. Relaxed on a hammock with a tropical drink in hand while watching the tide come in.

6. Felt myself tearing up when Mickey and Minnie Mouse came out on stage during the finale.

7. Disembarked with a bittersweet heart.

8. 6-hour road trip with two kids.

9. Saw (and spoke to) Laurie from Trading Spaces at a Publix.

10. Read Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges.

11. Asked for forgiveness for and repented of the respectable sins I have tolerated in my life. Whew. Fun times.

12. Built a sandcastle.

13. Drove an electric car.

14. Played hand and foot.

15. Got in a bathing suit every day for almost two weeks straight.

16. Got a tan.

17. Rode a prissy pink bicycle with a basket. (I felt so girly...it was great!)

18. Did 150 push-ups. Not one of them was a girl push-up...can you believe it?? I'm still in shock.

19. Held a sweet, newborn girl named Eden.

20. Audrey lost her first tooth!!

21. And then her second one, today, while eating a popsicle!

22. My husband started a blog! Finally.

Desert Song

I had the pleasure of meeting Jill a few years ago at a friend's house. Listen to her story and listen to the song. Truly a sacrifice of praise.

Update

We have had quite a summer. As the pictures in the previous post have illustrated, we've been to the lake, we've been to Colorado and, just recently, we were in New Braunfels visiting my brother and sister-in-law. Unfortunately, we forgot our camera on the last trip so I'm attempting to paint a few word pictures for you. Consider them captions.

Photo #1: Audrey sitting on the examination table at a clinic a mere hour after our arrival in New Braunfels. Diagnosis: middle ear infection.

Photo #2: My brother and sister-in-law's fabulously quaint cottage minutes from Gruene.

Photo #3: Dinner at Gruene River Grill. Doesn't the Trifecta look great? (Trifecta: salsa, guacamole and queso with whole-grain chips)

Photo #4: Yes, that's me going backwards down Wolf Pack. Audrey and Matt had the better seats..they got to face forward.

Photo #5: Reid loves riding with his Papi down Hanz' Hideout slides.

Photo #6: The ridiculously long line to PICK UP YOUR TUBE for Dragon's Revenge. Thankfully, it ended up being worth it.

Photo #7: Warning sign at Dragon's Revenge: Warning. This ride uses visual effects that may cause disorientation. (No slide is worth the wait unless you feel disoriented when you exit.)

Photo #8: Wipe-out. Everyone napping after a long day at Schlitterbahn.

Photo #9: Clear Springs. Can someone say Amen to Texas-sized onion rings??

Photo #10: A lazy Fourth of July. Brisket, pork tenderloin, roasted corn. Viewing fireworks from the bed of a truck, tuned into the local station. Listening to favorites such as "Proud to be an American", Ray Charles' "America the Beautiful" (a Sandlot moment), and Celine Dion's "God Bless America."

Photo #11: Hand and foot. A highly addictive card game usually played by one's grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles. I have officially been inducted into the madness. Call me old.

Photo #12: Loading up. Heading home.