Parties, Playdates and Parks: Life After Hibernation

It's been a busy, busy past two months.  I'm sure you've noticed that the blog has taken a back burner and posts have dwindled a bit.  The good news is, it's taken a back burner to a wonderful, beautiful thing: living life.  Since Clara turned one and we've been "emancipated" and freed from our cold/flu season hibernation we have really been living it up.  It's been a truly stunning spring and we've been fortunate to spend lots of it outside and at parks, taking walks and being with friends in the sunshine.  We feel so blessed to have a wonderful community of friends who were patient enough with us through the winter and with whom we now can celebrate being together again!

Hank is about six weeks younger than Clara and ever since we found out he was gonna be a boy, we've laughed about prom dates and arranged marriages.  But we still expect proper courtship, Hank.  Starting with some good playground etiquette....

Watch that hand, buddy. ;-)

Our dear sweet friend Stacy had us all over to her house for a fabulous dinner party a few weeks back.  It was one of those moments when I thought to myself, "This really feels like we've somehow come out the other side of disaster.  There was a time when I thought that this would simply never happen."  It really is the simple pleasures....

How sweet was she to get these two kid sized chairs just for Clara and  Chloe Robert?

Somebody call Martha Stewart...

Rich getting a few snuggles with both girls at once....

And here we are with the hostess with the mostest.

Daddies and babies playing a little frisbee....

 And somebody got herself some strawberry shortcake....

Mmmm, mmmm good.

Thank you Stacy, for such a perfect evening of fun and fellowship!!

Lest Hank think that he has no competition, beware.  There are other suitors out there.  Clara enjoyed an afternoon at Tanglewood with her friend David....

And we've had some fun family time at the park, too.

 Nothing beats holding Daddy's hand...

Clara even got to see her friend Rebekah, from Charlotte. (See how these girls have changed in the past 9 months or so, by taking a look back here.)

It's good to have a friend who is older, and wiser, and willing to share a hairbow.....

Rebekah and her awesome mama....

 And our best attempt at a shot of all four of us.... these girls are busy.

Here's one last playdate from this past week.... Clara's sweet friend Annabelle!

So, you see.... we've been having a big 'ole time.  And those are just the times when I brought a camera or remembered to snap a cell phone picture.  In short, life is good.  Very, very good.


And Jesus said, "I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." (John 10:10, The Message)


Thanks Be To God.