We had such a wonderful time with family this weekend.
My parents drove out on Friday and stayed with us until Sunday.
Dad found a new favorite song and was determined to get Jacob and Ethan to learn it, too. He gave Ethan a guitar lesson on the porch. Caleb is leaning on Grandpa, listening to the music.
Then Jacob joined in, too. Later on, Grace wrote down the notes so she could play on the piano. Mom, Amanda, and I sang.
The album the song came from is titled My Cry Ascends. If you want to hear part of it, click here and listen to # 15, “Blest is the Man”. We bought the album for our ipod and they did some practicing by playing along with the ipod.
The basketball hoop that was given to us a few months ago has been such a blessing. Mom and I had so much fun watching everyone play a game together on Saturday. Dad played, and Rich, Jason (my brother in law), Amanda (my sister), Isaac (my brother), and Jacob, Ethan, and Grace.
We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch and made potato salad, corn chip salad, fruit salad, and other yummy things.
After Jason and Amanda left, Mom and I went to a library book sale with Jacob, Ethan, Grace, and Sarah. We got there toward the end of the sale and were able to get books for only a dollar a bag. We got some wonderful books and came away so happy. I even found a book about airplanes for Davy, who wants to build one so he can fly to Grandma’s house. 
On Saturday evening we went out for ice cream downtown.
Grace and David, with mint waffle cones.
Caleb, with soft serve chocolate, in a waffle cone.
Going out for ice cream is our favorite family activity in the summertime.
Ethan had some sort of mixed mixture.
Mom and I had hot fudge sundaes.
I shared mine with Sethie.
Dad likes to be silly in the photos. He laughs so hard when he sees the pictures.
Isaac, and Dad hiding behind Isaac’s ice cream. (and the backs of Caleb and Ethan’s heads, as they watch the entertainment)……
Baby Sarah did not eat ice cream. She was mad.
I looked over and was able to catch this sweet moment between Seth and David:
Isaac and Jacob
Mom, Caleb, and Gracie:
Rich and myself, with baby Sarah:
Here I am with my Dad and Mom, back at my house….Caleb is sitting on the driveway behind us, playing.
Mom took this picture of me with Sarah. My Dad’s Bible is sitting on the porch railing…I didn’t crop this picture because I liked seeing his big Bible. He and Rich had some nice conversations this weekend about spiritual things. Dad did his devotions out on the porch, early one morning. I’m so thankful for his example and encouragement to us.
Sarah slept all night on Saturday night, she was so tuckered out. From 8:30-5!! It felt so good to sleep!
Rich with his tiny little girl (on the hammock)~
Last night we had a beautiful sunset, of soft pink clouds~
What a happy weekend we had. It continued into Sunday, when we were all in church together. We didn’t fit in the pew so Jacob and Ethan got to sit in front of us, with their Uncle Isaac. I missed most of Sunday School and some of the sermon, because I had to feed Sarah in the nursery. 
After church Mom and Dad left to visit Amanda and Jason, and Rich and I took the kids to a picnic. It was a terrible hot day, but the children had a great time.
Rich was able to take most of this week off for a much needed vacation. He is busy right now installing a couple of a/c window units here at home. It’s supposed to be a hot day and we hope to spend some time relaxing today after such a busy weekend.
My goal for my blog this week is to post one picture a day, of whatever special family activity we spend together.
Love to all~
Shanda
Good to be Home 
Loved looking at these pictures so much. I just see and feel the Love and what a beautiful gift God has blessed you with… a loving family. The picture of Sarah in daddy’s arms is so sweet. And I’m thinking you look just beautiful too. Wishing you a restful day today.
I gave the children a snack and coloring books so I could come read blogs. I had a moment of peace to read yours. So nice. You look fantastic, Shanda! What a lovely family you have. Well, my peace is over, Lucy is screaming. Gotta go!!!Love, Amanda
Seth looks like such a cute boy in that 1st picture! What a lovely weekend you had together. I love seeing everyone. Such simple times of great happiness. Love the picture of Rich and Sarah. You look wonderful. Great to hear those hours of sleep stretching out. My hubby was snoring so much last night, he is usually not like that, he kept waking me up all night! I have to go work at the Sawdust festival today, so I will need to take a nap later.
Really LOVED all of these pictures! Rich with Sarah in the hammock Is precious! mINT n cHIP IS MY favorite ICE CREAM—>yum! Your hanging flowers look GREAT!
David kissing Seth is my favorite! All are wonderful pictures of a very happy family!
I’m looking forward to seeing more this week then. I loved this post. It was full of happiness. Love you, Lish
what a beautiful time Shanda. Such a blessing to see you all able to get out, and to see your family hanging out together…looks like a great grouping of people. i love that picture of Rich and Sarah on the hammock. i also love that you guys have a wrap around porch, beautiful views and a hammock on the porch. what a beautiful home you have created together.
you have such a wonderful and active family!!! There is warmth and love in all your pictures! Have a wonderful day and I’m looking forward to your blogs this week!
I like the third picture. Grandpa with his guitar, Jacob with his violin, Ethan with only one sock on. I love your hanging flowers and the laundry hanging in the background. Sethie up on tiptoes trying to take it all in. Just love it all! So glad you had a wonderful weekend with your family. You should be receiving mail from me soon! Love ya, Hannah.
Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream with a waffle cone……y-u-m…..my favorite!!!!
Happiness is like a RADIO Station,Broadcasting all the time..YOU just have to learnhow to tune it &receive your favourite channel…HAPPY TUNING
My favorite picture is the first one—Seth looks adorable. So glad Rich has most of the week off . . . Enjoy
Wow what a wonderful weekend with loved ones! Those are special times indeed. I don’t get to have many times like that any more since my brothers and their families live far away. However, I have wonderful memories of special family times back when wewere all together!I was wondering, would you mind sharing your corn chip salad. I have never heard of it but it sounds so good!
lovely time it looks like 🙂 beautiful pics of all – Sarah is just a cutie! (like the rest). icecream sounds good ~blessingsa
Sarah Joy is SO CUTE! Love those shots of her in her daddy’s arm. Bless you and your precious family. Thanks for continuing with your updates.Sarah
What a great weekend! Family time is always so important. That hot fudge sundae looks so delicious. We have ice cream, whipped cream and cherries in so I may just have to run out tonight and get some hot fudge and make a nice treat for everyone!Have a wonderful week enjoying some more family time!
Your posts always make me smile, which I desperately need this evening! That ice cream certainly looks yummy!!
Glad to see you had a great weekend! What great pictures.
Great pix…hope you have a really good week!
I’m so happy for you that your parents were able to stay a short while with your family! What a nice gift! I’m also happy you are getting some extra a/c help! We had a pink sunset on the 4th, too. My pictures aren’t as vivid as yours, because we had heavy thunder storm clouds coloring the sky, too.Once more, Grace and Rissy could share closets. She has that same yellow shirt, but in long sleeves!!!! Happy week, Shanda!
Ok, this post made me cry. It is not your fault. It made me miss my family right now in a huge way. We live so far apart and I pray God will allow us to be together again one day soon. Pray for me! Your post gave me the idea today to send photos to the grandkids in special cards and also send some money for them to go and buy some ice cream cones on us. I love that your dad is so loving and shares his love of music with the kids. They will always remember those moments. You are blessed!
What a sweet post!! My first time here, after seeing your comment on another site. God Bless!
No icecream for Sarah? I’d be mad too!! Loved all your pictures and commentary.
@lynn – You took the words right out of my mouth (well, how I felt while reading this post) with your entire comment! Except I am a daughter missing her parents and siblings, not a grandmother.
I enjoyed every word and picture of this post! Absolutely precious moments! It is so special to hear about the kids working up their own arrangements of music and playing with your dad. I loved seeing the pictures of them together on the porch!Have the window units helped with the temperature indoors? I am so glad you got those; it is hard to believe you’ve had so many hot days without any relief like that!Your hair is so pretty!!!
Shanda, I’m curious and intriqued – what is in your “corn chip salad”? Is it like a taco sald, or what? Actually, can I see the recipe for it? I recently posted a ‘bean salsa’ that you guys might enjoy.I love all of your “family time”!!! So heart warming! So-o-o important!!! Brian and I were talking one evening just this week, somebody had said they were doing such and such and building memories for their children, Brian had shared with me how it saddens him that certain things we did that he really wanted to be memories for the boys, they don’t seem to remember. I replied, “But Brian, what they most defenetly DO remember, is doing things with you!!! They fully realize how important they are and were to you. They “remember” how even though their dad always had to work two jobs, often equalling 80 or more hours a week, you still “did things” with them. You’d come home from work so bone tired, and yet let four high energy little (and later teenage) boys ‘wrestle’ with you. You’d skimp mightily on sleep so that you were at home soccer or rugby or wrestling events. Or band concerts. When we went camping, you made a big deal out of buying me a book so that I could sit by the fire and cook good meals, while you spent tons of hours playing with your sons. Brian, each and every one of them has their own wonderful memories of their daddy proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loves them! Yes, over the years you also had some huge head to head confrontations. To be expected with such strong personalities. But they did survive those. To this day, is something ‘goes wrong’ in their life, you are the person they call to talk it out with. If something exciting happens, they call you ‘just cuz’ . ” Shanda, I bet some day you might be having the same type of conversation with Rich!Cheryl B.http://thebzhousethatlovebuilt.blogspot.com