Godfrey Farm

Our good friend, Alfred, grew up on a farm on the eastern shore of Maryland. And recently his father had an accident that left him with two repair surgeries. So in an effort to help him maintain his farm, we brought the Grossman crew out on a Saturday to help. It was such a fun way to help out friends that are constantly helping us, and letting us borrow heavy machinery, taking us out on their boat, watching our kids, etc.!

And here's the happy couple. Aren't they cute? And before I go on any further, Bailey is expecting! Her due is January 25. And we couldn't be more ecstatic to have them join us on the journey of being parents! 

Jenna and I somehow ended up doing the most back-breaking work of weeding the holly trees. And I'm pretty sure our husbands cruised around on ride mowers the whole day. Sipping sweet tea and eating bon bons. Not really. But they probably could have and we never would have known. We worked alongside Bailey as she pruned the trees. 

And don't hate that Jenna and I requested headbands because sweat was dripping in our eyes because of the fierce sun and the fierce manual labor going on. 

And here are some of the dearest women in my life! 

Bailey is from Jackson, WY (and proud of it) and we prayed for her long before we even knew her as we prayed for God to bring Alfred his perfect wife. She has graciously adjusted to Maryland after leaving her beautiful west coast paradise. And Jenna, my sis-in-law (married to Ryan's brother), was immediately a friend I could talk with into the wee hours of the night, over coffee of course. And the three of us have been meeting for the past year weekly, going through Beth Moore's study on the fruit of the Spirit. A special gift of our friendships, is that our husbands are intimately part of one another's lives as well. Ryan and I are so blessed!

Back to the farm. The girls even got in on the action. They harvested raspberries with Grandma. And got their share of freshly picked berries. 

And the rest of the crew. Logan, Ryan's youngest brother:

Little break from the heat:

And a good friend of Ty's, Caleb, went to the same high school as the rest of the Grossman kids (and Jenna too!) in the Philippines. 

And by the afternoon, the girls were ready to go home.

And ready for nap.

It was fun to get out and do some work, be together with friends and family, and then come home for a family nap.

Hosting a Theobald Mini-Reunion

We hosted our first large gathering at our house. I've been waiting for events like this one to create memories in our new home, to help it feel like home to me.

So starting on Friday afternoon, four (out of twelve, yes, twelve) of my mom-in-law's siblings and their families (totaling to approximately 30 people) all came and crashed at our house. It might sound intimidating or daunting, but the thing to know about these Theobalds is that you will always do less when they're in your home. I'm talking, when they left, my house was much cleaner than when they came. Meals were planned and prepared and a clean-up crew helped after meals. It was so much fun to see so much life going on in our home. Unfortunately, some type of bug got the best of me over the weekend, so I was at a loss of energy for much of the weekend.

The activities that kept most entertained (besides the great conversation and mealtimes), were backyard pick-up soccer games (that left a few injuries), wrestling, and lots and lots of games. I am still sore from the brief time I played soccer on Saturday.

Ryan and I have concluded that Alexia is officially a night owl. She's always been one of those people that feels like she is missing out on something if she goes to bed while people are still here at our house. Doesn't really matter to Naiya so much. Probably one of the few ways Naiya and I are alike: sleep is so much more important. We've fought the good fight with Alexia on many occassions prior to this weekend, and we let our guard down so she could have fun. And what time did she end up staying up until, you ask? Midnight. I'm talking, blissfully happy and playing until midnight. Even when it was just her and Grandma preparing breakfast for the next morning. And what time did our three-yr-old-turned-teenager wake up? Ten in the morning. Thankfully, she is back on a reasonable schedule today.

It was so fun to break in our home in that way. I loved seeing the long line of tables for each meal, full of family members catching up, and getting to know some ones we just met for the first time!

Here are some pics from the weekend:

There was a root beer float stand, which the girls loved:

And Uncle Darryl diligently organized a game show for us on the last night. Contestants were made to wear blindfolds and guess food items using different senses. 

And here are the contestants. I won't name anyone that was taking the game a bit seriously. Here's the clap to get himself ready:

A little stretch before game time:

And the onlookers:

Kari and Kevon are godsons of Uncle Paul and Aunt Colleen, who we get the pleasure of spending time with every summer as they come stay with their godparents in D.C.

Some cousins:

And the fun begins. Smell.

Taste.

And the final round each contestant had to eat what was in this cup and guess the nine ingredients. As well as guess one ingredient that does not belong in the salad.

Again, someone took this final round very seriously. I am not lying when I tell you that he chewed the food for a good five minutes. He was even switching the food to different parts of his mouth. Oh how I love my competitive man. He did crack a few smiles when he felt me taking numerous pictures of him. 

Thank you Theobalds for the memories!