Helllloooo Vegas!

So this one time, Zach and Kirsten asked us if we wanted to go to Vegas to celebrate Kirsten's biggo promotion. And we said...uhhhh...we have a baby?

So we brought a nanny! YES! Trump welcomed us with open arms (because we are legals) and we lived it up for 3 days and 2 nights. We felt spoiled and it was fabulous.

Nolan lived.it.up. 

Room with a view? One on one attention from Grandma? 

Breast milk delivered to his hotel room? Pants off dance off? 

He experienced "A Lifetime of Luxury" fer sher. 

Trump for President. Nahhhh.

We were sure to send a lot of pictures to the big boys back at home.

When traveling it is best to hire a travel guide to find you the deals at all the hot places. Orrrrr have one for a sister! 

Nine course sushi meal at Katsuya. 

With nobody spilling their drink, running from the table, or wiping their face on the couch. PRICELESS. 

And my date was super hot. 

Not pictured: Kitten Caboodle penny machine! We danced, clapped, won, and watched the fireworks! 

At Kitten Caboodle. To be clear. 

Daytime Vegas looked like this: sleeeeeep innnnn. Then the boys golf and the girls pamper. 

Not pictured: The boys picking up a hitch hiker. The girls dying in the steam room and definitely leaving their robes on in the relaxation room. Rule followers. And Kirsten spit out her tea. Don't tell Zach.

40s with a view. Keep it classy, Underwoods.

Dinner with giant popovers, mac and cheese, crab cakes, steak, and bone marrow. Did I mention the popovers? 

The "Puppies!" slot machine was a joy kill, but Kyle won at Black Jack so we headed back for a Zach and Kirsten facial. What happens in Vegas...

We've been wanting to go on a vacation without kids for a while now... Stay in a hotel, eat out, sleep in, relax. Vegas did not disappoint. 

Thank you Zach and Kirsten! Thank you Grandma Peggy! Thank you Grandma Carolyn and Grandpa Scott! 

And thank you Trump!

But we sure were excited to come back to this scene. 

Cutie booty patooties.

Hello Hume

At the end of July we caravanned to Hume with the Bells! Scott and Carolyn joined us later that evening. As I sit and remember our incredible week, my heart is hurting. My eyes look right past the faces in the pictures and find the trees. The "Rough Fire" is on the doorstep of Hume Lake Christian Camps as I type. I'm finding and being sent links, pictures, articles, charts, videos, Instagrams, etc for any news or updates. My emotions are kind of all over the place.

I know God is bigger then the destruction. I know He's in control of the wind and directed the lightening that started it all. So there's a sense of peace knowing that the Lord will do what He needs to do to bring Glory. 

But I can't stop tears from flowing when I watch the updates and hear the call to prayer for the Lord to save Hume. It's just...my childhood. My teen days. My college days. My dating days. My married days. And now my little FAMILY days. 

I think those are the ones that just hurt my heart. The future days... The walks, the cove, the boats, the grass area, the quad rides, the pancake breakfast, the look-out rock! The traditions go on and on and on...And they just will look SO different. And it's fine, really. There are harder things in the world. And God is bigger. But those trees are hundreds of years old...So I'm excited for Graham's grandkids? I don't know. It's just overwhelming. 

So, all that to say, these pictures, this trip, they are something special. And these August days in 2015 will just need to be added to that large, brown, antique book that looms in the cabin corners. Because we know the truth that "God's Hand is Over Hume".

Day 1, heading up the hill. We had to stop and feed babies and feed the big people Taco Bell. 
The dads are pretty hilarious and put these babies on the windshield. Baby bugs. The babies felt a sense of security with a Bennett barrier. 

3 month boy! That means Nolan got to finally meet his Little Tiger! This is a big day, Nolan. And you two did not disappoint. Expectations were met. It was love at first snuggle...And they're still going strong.

Fun Island! Kyle renamed it "pain in the butt" Island. Ha! But there were some sweet father son moments that hopefully out weighed the sweat and tears. Speaking of tears, Bennett really didn't like Fun Island. Chicken Little. 

This year we decided to put the boys in Huckleberry House! AKA Day Camp!!! They LOVED it. For some reason I teared up dropping them off. I'm not sure if it was because they are growing, growing, growing. Or if I was just so stinking proud of them and their bravery. Anyway, they flexed their muscles before going in and came out pirates. Gosh, I love these boys.

Storm day. One moment the boys are taking turns kayaking with Gwam-ma, the next I'm out on the kayak alone and there are huge rain drops plopping all around me. The rain turns to down-pour the down-pour turns to hail!! We took cover under sun umbrellas and just kept giggling and "ooooo-ing''' and "awwww-ing". There was a break in the clouds so we piled into cars and made a break for it.

Lucky duckies. Rain means the TV can go on in the DAYTIME. We missed Daddy. 

Oh hey 3 year old (almost 4!) obsessed with all things sports/golf/goal oriented. Graham played all 18 holes of frisbee golf. Walked the whole course and loved every second. Oh hey Gae-wy. Thanks for playing with our boys and putting up with their crazy antics. They really, really like you.

STOP. Hammock time.

Babies, babies, babies. They really are the best. Sorry about "starfish baby" while your cousins are dressed to impress, N. 

Thank you for this legacy. Seriously. It is the most beautiful gift.

We started our week with makeshift Sunday School. I made it up as I went and who could know the song I taught the boys would be words to cling to a month later...

"Our God is so big. So strong and so mighty. There's nothing my God cannot do."

Hume, you are more then buildings, more then trees, and more then a lake. You are time alone, with family, and with the Lord. You are stillness, beauty, peace, refreshment. You are memories past and future. We'll be back. Praise God.