June 27th

This is the view from our backyard tonight.  So peaceful!!  One of the many reasons I fell in love with Sonora...the incredible sunsets! :)

June 19th

Dinner with friends tonight before going back to Arlington.

June 18th...Matt's Birthday

Wyatt and Granddad blew bubbles and played in the backyard this morning before Granddad had to leave for Orlando.

Today was Matt's birthday...so Wyatt wanted to go get his daddy the best present ever....a Spiderman balloon!!  Daddy loved it!

We went to celebrate at Red Lobster.  Matt wouldn't let me tell the waiter it was his birthday...so we ordered a cake and "blew out" pretend candles.  I guess my husband is getting to old to be sung to by complete strangers.

June 17th

On our way back to Arlington today, we drove through a downpoor for a good 45 minutes. Nothing but gray skies and rain on the windshield.  But after the rain....it was absolutely beautiful.  Like...continuing to stop on the side of the highway to take pictures beautiful.  It was absolutely breathtaking...not just right after the rain...but for a good two hours until it was completely dark. 

 

June 2nd-8th

This week was the youth mission trip to Ruidoso, NM.  Wyatt was supposed to go with us...but thank goodness my mom chose to watch him for us because I was SO sick the first three days.  There is no way I would have been able to take care of him!  So...some of these pictures in the slideshow were not taken by me.  My camera was passed around while I stayed back at the church on my not-so-comfy air mattress.  

 

We met some aliens in Roswell

Here is a slideshow I made from pictures taken throughout the trip.  For those of you who know Matt...you will get a kick out of the very end. :)

May 30th

Kathleen, Jacob and Blair visited us for a couple of days to help our youth group learn "Arise My Love" for the mission trip next week.  It was so good to spend time with them!!!  And Wyatt enjoyed using the PVC pipes to sword fight with some boys...as well as some Spiderman action.

 

We went looking around Sonora for some deer and ended up meeting a Jack Rabbit!

May 28th- Memorial Day

Today was the day.  The day the best friend moved away.  I have to say...Wyatt handled it very well.  He knew.  He knew all about an empty house, stacked boxes, and moving vans.  He had been through it himself last August.  He fully understood that Isaac was moving out of his house and to a town far away.  He was sad, but brave.  We had talked and he knew Isaac would be OK and so would he.  At a young age he is already learning life changes, but he knows that we are in it together.  Daddy, him, and me.  Although life changes, our love for each other never will.  The song that I have not been able to get out of my head the past few days...a beautiful Patty Loveless song:

 " I kept on waving 'till I couldn't see her
And through my tears, I asked again why we couldn't stay
Mama whispered softly, Time will ease your pain
Life's about changing, nothing ever stays the same

And she said, How can I help you to say goodbye?
It's OK to hurt, and it's OK to cry
Come, let me hold you and I will try
How can I help you to say goodbye?"  

Lifting up the Halsted's in prayer before their departure

  

After the goodbyes were said and tears were shed,  we were able to look to friends for smiles and laughs.  It was nice celebrating Memorial Day with friends. 

 

Croquet anyone???

 
 

May 27th

This is what Wyatt chose to do on the floor of my bathroom while I was getting ready for church.  

Sunday morning beauties!

I walked in the foyer of our church after picking Wyatt up from the nursery.  This is what I saw.  Matthew wrestling a youth to the ground.  Every pastor does this...right? 

So today was the last Sunday morning the Halsted family would worship with us at FBC Sonora.  So bittersweet.  They are going to be incredibly missed!! 

Gracie saying goodbye to Ms. Lydia

The boys spent their last full day in Sonora together at our house.  The fun included sidewalk chalk, riding bikes, chasing a HUGE grasshopper, hitting each other with enormous balloons, building a fort, eating popsicles and ice cream sandwiches, and splashing in the bathtub.