the people, the place, part 2...

You have no idea what this picture means to me.

It may look like an assorted cast of characters to you.

But this is my (Amy) family.

And it's the first picture we've taken with all 14 of us.

You wouldn't imagine the obstacles it took to get us all to this place, into this picture.

The thousands of miles traveled.  By plane, by car.

The whines and screams of young children being carted across the country.

And I haven't spoken about it publicly on this blog, but my father has a terminal lung disease now.  He must expend all of his energy carting an oxygen tank behind him.

It was a major victory for us to get him onto the beach and take this picture.

And for that, I am grateful.

I'd be a liar if I acted as though everything went smoothly without a hitch.
Our family is as dysfunctional as the next.
My heart breaks about all of the sin and brokenness,
including my own.

Nevertheless, we're family.

And we didn't let a little drama stop us from enjoying this place, and these people, together.

My parents

First picture with all six grandchildren!

Cousin Erik's first view of the ocean EVER.  

Alex seemed to love it, too.

Our crew on the beach.

Uncle Adam bonding with Jameson.

Burying Uncle Michael.

My happy place, snuggling with my sleeping baby boy.

My nephews Trev and Ty.  

Their legs.

"Okay, now a funny picture."

The week was wonderful.  The week was exhausting.

But I love the people.  And I love this place.

poolside...

It was so great to have a pool at the beach house this year!  The cousins had a blast.

the people, the place...

There are places each of us long to be.  Places to which we feel connected.  Maybe we grew up there.  Maybe we didn't.  But for whatever reason, when our bodies inhabit that place, it feels as if our souls are truly home. 

And there are people to whom we are connected.  Perhaps by blood.  Many times not.  But when you are together, you feel a greater sense of who you really are and less of who you find yourself trying to be.  It feels as if no time has passed.  And there are hours to just be and not do.

This week those two things, the place and the people, have intersected, and it leaves my soul singing.

My family is enjoying a week at the Outer Banks in North Carolina.

Here's a small peek at the first half of our time together, though I haven't taken my camera out to the beach just yet...


(my parents, my sister and her family, our family- minus Marc, the photographer- and my brother and his family arrive tonight)


Around the beach house...




(yep, we are bathing in the kitchen sink.)  :)


A morning out at the park...




Cousins.




A rainy day trip to the North Carolina Aquarium...


(who is this girl?  I don't recognize her!)

These people.  This place.

(to be continued...)

thing 1 and thing 2...

Thing 1 and Thing 2.


Handed down from Aunt Cheryl, who got them from Auntie Jill for her Thing 1 and Thing 2.


Thing 1 is a wonderful sleeper at night.  Thing 2?  Not so much.


Thing 1 is waiting to lose some teeth.
Thing 2 is waiting to get one.


Thing 1 finds it hilarious to "decorate" Thing 2.


Thing 2 absolutely loves a cold sip of water.


And is caught up in deep thought at times...


I love these 2 Things!

love from lubbock...

A few days ago we received a little care package from a dear woman in our previous church in Lubbock, where we did RUF (at Texas Tech) for seven years before moving to Virginia.

She wrote a beautiful card, which brought me to tears.  I miss so many of the families from that church, and we have such sweet, sweet memories with our students there.  I felt so loved as I went through everything in the package for the kids, thinking how amazing that even years later, she would care enough to think of us in this way.

This week we also had the privilege of hosting someone from our Lubbock church who was in town to finish an online course at Liberty, so I got a little piece of West Texas right here in Central Virginia!  It was so fun to talk about a unique place with wonderful people that we love so much.


It's hard to believe it's been five years since we moved (Caroline was only 2 1/2 months old!) because we've still got our guns up!  (If you look close, even Jameson is trying to make the "guns up" sign- ha!)  Thank you so much, Brenda, for these super cute Red Raider pj's!  They are perfect!


And are we looking at a future Red Raider athlete in the making??  :)


"YEAH!" he says.  (he he he!)


Guns up!  Raider Power!

We love you, Brenda, and all of our Lubbock friends!