In His Hands

There have been many things on my heart lately. They range from wondering about the future, worries over my children to relationships with others. And all of them have been magnified by us being half-way through the semester for Texas A&M. Half-way is always when I hit a wall, realize how long I've been sprinting and how much I need a rest.

As I've hit this point yet again, God has been renewing my mind over time, working with me and bringing me to the point of brokenness. I've also been reminded of many truths as I've been mulling over areas where I'm in sin that need repentance, things I need to let go of no matter how wrong I think they may be, and petitions that need to be laid at the cross.

God never sleeps. God carries me through every circumstance and He has the strength to carry me through every task He's given me to complete even if I don't know how I will actually get there.

So I need not fear.

And really, I'm very close to the top of this mountain (semester) and once on the other side, I'll be able to see the end. That's half the battle right there. The rest of my concerns will work themselves out over time. That's the beauty of time itself...it brings clarity and it heals.

As I wrote recently, difficulty isn't necessarily bad. It just feels that way sometimes. But it develops character, produces faith and gives hope.

Some of the chastisement and weariness I feel at this time, I deserve and some of it I don't. But either way, this I know for certain...

I'm in His hands.

He has me.

And that is enough.

In fact, it is everything and all the hope I need in the midst of my fears, worries and frustrations.

I'm in His hands.

In Your Hands
Bebo Norman

I didn't know how I'd love you when I looked into your eyes,
Now I have a heart, that cannot keep
And the greatest of fears, is that you'll leave me here
Stranded in this water, so deep.

So don't you turn away from me
Because my heart and my hope, they're in your hands
If I don't seem certain, it's just a common fear from a common man
But I'm in your hands.

Just so you know, I've never done this sort of thing before,
I've never given up my very soul,
But I have heard a voice, like none I've ever heard before,
And it's a voice that never grows old.

So don't you turn away from me
Because my heart and my hope, they're in your hands
If I don't seem certain, it's just a common fear from a common man
But I'm in your hands.

So don't you turn away from me
Because my heart and my hope, they're in your hands
If I don't seem certain, it's just a common fear from a common man
But I'm in your hands.
I'm in your hands.
I know, I'm in your hands.

Bebo Norman

In Defense of Religion-Part 1

First off, I want to say that I am no theologian. That is not my aim here. This is only my experience, my story. But lately, I've been thinking about my faith journey that started as a child and how God has led me to this point in my life. I'm sure we have many more mountains to climb together but for all it's worth, this is where I've come from.

I grew up non-denominational. I do not regret my upbringing whatsoever. In fact, I have many fond memories of Sunday School, church musicals, Awana, Vacation Bible School, becoming a Christian when I was 5 and being baptized at 7. Even though the church I grew up in was non-denominational, it was pretty much Baptist without the title. I didn't know that until I was older. It was a Bible believing church that sang praise music and even hymns at times. It was contemporary and conservative all at the same time. It was home for me and it is where I learned what it meant to be a Christian.

My Junior High years were spent at another church just like it and those years were a bit more difficult for me. I waned, wandered and questioned who I was quite a bit. But one thing I always knew was that I loved God. I didn't always do the right thing (in fact I often made poor choices), but I knew I was wrong and I knew I needed to repent. By the time I got into my high school years, I returned to the church of my youth and my faith was strengthened greatly.

When I went off to Cal Poly, I knew what I wanted (besides getting a degree). I wanted to marry a Christian. Not just any nominal Christian. I wanted to marry a man who loved the Lord more than he loved me. I wanted him to be passionate about his faith and solid in his beliefs. When I met Steve, he blew the lid off of my expectations. He was even more than I had hoped for...he was the real deal and I couldn't believe he wanted me!!

His background was quite similar to mine. Yet, as the months went on in our relationship, he began learning things about Reformed theology that were difficult for me to understand at first. That's when our first conversations in this area began. And let me tell you, they weren't pretty. For some of the first times in my life, I was challenged to look at how we are saved. Are we saved because we made a decision to be saved or saved because God chose us? Who is the one acting...us or God? If we are dead in our sins, how can a dead person make themselves alive again? Only God can raise the dead. How can we choose God when the Bible clearly states that even our most righteous actions are like filthy rags in comparison to God's glory? These were conversations that we would have, both of us grappling with the implications the answers would have on our faith and our future. Often these conversations took place, in the car, at the end of a date night. They were hard for me to process but still, something kept my heart open to the ideas. And as time went on, I learned to trust Steve's leading as well.

John Calvin himself

Steve went a lot more willingly than I did to the reformed side for he is way less emotional and much more logical. He looked at the evidence and thought it was overwhelmingly in favor of God's sovereignty over man's choice (some of the very basics of Calvinism-Reformed Theology...Luther was a major Reformer as well and there were many others). I just didn't want to believe that maybe it was that way because if that were the case, it would change all that I had grown-up believing in. Not that it would totally undermine it but, it would just spin things in a completely different direction.

And a different direction it did...one that I could not foresee at all but would bless my life beyond measure.

Until next time.

PS: I am not attempting to start a huge argument about theology here. Sometimes these issues can cause people to get a bit huffy (I know, for I've been there). This is simply my story and I hope it blesses you for that is my intent.

Cross Country Wrap-up

As you all know, I had the very great opportunity to help a bit with Monte Vista's cross country team this season. Although I only got to get out there once a week, it was a TON of fun. Getting to know the students a bit more was really a blessing to me and I look forward to getting to know them even more as time goes on.

On Friday there was a little party commemorating the season and I was able to show up with the kids for a little bit. We watched The Office episode where they run the 5K for Rabies. Seriously, so, so funny. The running jokes in that episode are just classic. We also enjoyed some food and got to say good-bye to the season.

I love running and I love connecting with high school girls. So it was really special for me to marry those two passions. I'm thankful to my mom and hubby for giving that gift to me.

Today they ran their finals. I'm so proud of those kids!! Go Mustangs!!

The Good Life

So it's summer and I've been neglecting my blog a bit. Just a bit. But I have good reason.

We've been swimming.

We've been hiking in the redwoods.

We've been going crazy in the sand and running in the waves.

We've been playing with cousins and running around with friends.

And every single night, we've been soaking up the waning sun by eating outside.

The garden is going crazy.

As in...I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-the-abundance-coming-down-the-pike-CRAZY! And tomatoes are on the horizon-lots of them.

Snap peas are exploding!! These snap peas were a totally unexpected crop...we kept thinking they were just a mess of nothingness. Yet today we discovered a plethora of the cute, little pea pods all over the place.

Summer squash is going to be coming out my ears!

We've been roasting marshmallows-big, fat, juicy ones; getting sticky, sandy, tired, and playing outside until we drop.

We've been telling stories about princes and princesses who triumph over evil and slay the dragons.

We've been getting dirty...very dirty and not bathing enough to make up for it. Shhhhh...don't tell on me.

Daddy is home a lot and he and I have been sitting around the chimenia talking about life until it's time for bed.

So I've been neglecting the blog...just a bit.

I'll be back.

But I've got to soak this in while I can. It's just a season and it's too short.

Soon school will be back in session and summer will be a distant memory.

So I'm relishing every single second.

This is the good life.

Like a Bed and Breakfast

Yesterday I got an amazing surprise. I got a new bed! Here's what happened.

When we got married, in college, we took whatever free furniture we could get our hands on. And we were grateful let me tell you. Our first bed sat on the ground and we didn't mind it at all. But when we got the opportunity to get some new mattresses from my parents a few years ago, we decided that we were outgrowing our newlywed, random status and that we should to go for it. We never got an actual bed and so the mattresses sat on a simple metal frame for the last couple of years. It was okay. We were content with it. Really we were.

But, if I'm being honest, I've always dreamed of a certain bed. One that if I had all the money in the world, would be perfect. I have always wanted a wooden, four poster bed.

They are just so romantic and beautiful. But I knew we couldn't afford to drop a chunk simply for me to get the bed I wanted. It just wasn't practical. So I kept dreaming.

One day, I told a lady who lives close by, my dreams of having a four poster bed and she said that when she went to yard sales, she'd look for one for me. She is the queen of decorating and has an eye for beautiful things for a reasonable price. I thought she might be successful but I didn't get my hopes up.

That was two years ago.

About a month ago she mentioned that she still hadn't found a bed for me but that she hadn't given up. I had forgotten all about it and thought she probably wouldn't find one-ever.

Then yesterday I had a horrible migraine. I sloshed through the day waiting until I could lay down at naptime to get some relief. I haven't had a migraine like that-ever. Anyhow, in the midst of my misery, she came by to tell me the good news.

She had found the bed at a yard sale over the weekend and she just wanted to bless me with it.

And bless me she did. I can't stop staring at it.

I can't believe it's mine.

I had a coverlet I had bought off of a friend from church and it looks just perfect with the bed. It looked a little silly on our plain mattresses. But with the bed, it's the perfect, finishing touch.

It's like sleeping at a Bed and Breakfast. Every night.

Can you tell I'm excited?

Sometimes God just blesses us beyond what we were ever expecting.

Yesterday, He reminded me again just how much He cares for us...even in the silly little pleasures like a new, dream bed.

I'm thankful. Really, really thankful.

I'm Not Strong

A lot of times I think I'm strong. I'm young. I can be fast. My mind processes things quickly. And my health is currently in order.

It's easy to get lost in this mindset and forget that my youth is fading, my strength is dwindling and my memory is quickly flying out the window.

I'm not strong.

The older I get, the more I realize this truth.

This last weekend, I was reminded yet again, how weak I really am. We've been a regular infirmary around here. At the end of our wonderful camping trip last week with friends, Isaac came down with a fever. And then pretty quickly everyone else trickled in with their own ailments.

Miss Elliana has had some sort of bug that has given her the runs for eight days now. No matter of rice, bananas, bread or cheese will plug her up. She's happy as a clam with no other symptoms but she's a literal mess. Today's "present" on the floor has only been one of many over the last week. So I've been worried about her. She's so small. Is she okay? How do I know when enough is enough? How am I to care for her? A quick call to the nurse only yielded a "wait and see" approach. Okay...how long do you let a little baby go like that? As I pondered my daughter's condition, I tried to be reasonable but fear of the unknown, of my lack of knowledge, would seep in. I want her to just be better. I don't want to wait for it. I want her to be okay. I don't want to watch her be sick. I'm not strong.

Then there is Isaac. He had a fever. It came down promptly. But then he had the worst sort of stomach cramping we've ever seen in any of our kids. He was screaming and writhing in pain over a period of hours. He's our oldest. He can talk expressively. He can describe his symptoms. Yet I was so scared and had no idea how to help him. When you child tells you that it hurts to breathe, and you don't know why, it's scary. Especially when you know that child isn't your King of Drama. That's when it is helpful for Dad to take over and head off to Urgent Care since it is nighttime. I don't cry often. But as I set to the task Steve had given me when he left (he gave me a job to try and keep my mind occupied), tears streamed down my face. And I realized again. I'm not strong. I don't know how to care for Isaac. What is the wisest course of action? How long does one wait? When does a parent act and when does a parent just watch?

Of course Joshua and Caleb were not to be outdone. They both registered decent fevers on Saturday. No biggie. I had the same ailment as all of them so I was walking around achy and feverish but, not too bad. Tylenol helped. But Sunday, just as I was catching my breath from Isaac's little scare (which they had no idea what was wrong with him by the way-just some weird virus) Joshy decided to ramp his fever up to 105. It was too soon to give him medicine again and so we were dunking him in the bath, trying to calm him down and then we finally decided to give him more ibuprofen. The process repeated itself on into the early morning as we battled this very high fever. By morning his fever had broken. And I thought to myself, as I rocked him in the twilight, "I'm not strong. I'm achy, tired and mentally fried. I am not strong."

All moms experience times like this. I have many times before and will many times after. It's nothing new. But, I forget my own frailty so easily. I get caught up in all the things I can juggle, how well I can generally get things running that I forget, in the end, I can't do it all. The weight gets to be too great. I have such a responsibility to care for all of these little souls yet I can hardly remember who got what medicine at what time!! Yet with that responsibility also comes a realization that I must trust in One who is greater than me. And so, in response, I open my hands and give up.

He made each little body. He knows the intricacies of their precious souls. And He loves them even more than me. As much as I love them, it is like nothing compared to His love.

As the hours ticked by last night with little Joshua by my side, I worried, I prayed and I talked with God reminding Him that I'm not strong. That I'm at the end of myself. That I have no wisdom left.

Then He reminded me that He is strong. That He will bear this very little, tiny burden (for it really is a small one) and that all of this chaos is His work in me. And I am not to go through the years raising my children without my job totally and radically turning me inside out.

"These are children, they are eternal souls. They are not supposed to be easy. They are not supposed to pass through our homes like quiet guests. They are supposed to be the unmaking and the making of us. They are supposed to challenge us and change us." Rachel Jankovic, The Strength of the Ox.

I'm not strong. I'm not wise. I'm not loving. I'm not good.

So it is Christ and His strength, His wisdom, His love and His goodness in me that will shine through. Without it, it's simply impossible...totally and completely impossible.

So Much More

So it's been six years since my husband started teaching. We've seen a lot of students come and go. I've known a few. In my defense, there have been four children born during that six years! But mostly, I've stayed holed up in my little circle of friends just trying to maintain my own life. There have been some great students over the years that Steve has really gotten to know but I haven't ever really been a part of that. I've always just considered the students "his job" and not really much of my concern.

Until this year.

Once I started doing the cookie stand, I began to notice and get to know the students who would come by as regulars. While they would pick out a brownie, I had the opportunity to ask how their sports were going, or the play, or whatever it was they were involved in. Some girls would stop and chat for awhile. I had a few open up a bit as the year went on. And whenever I'd be on campus with my children, I'd always see a few students who would smile and wave at me shyly. And as this started to happen, I realized that all this time, I've lived across the street from the school and yet I still hadn't engaged much of my heart into Steve's work. The more I got to know students, the more my heart began to love them. And I realized, there is so much I can do to support and come alongside them even though I'm not their teacher. I can smile at these kids. I can laugh with them. I can be a friend.

But most importantly, I can pray for them.

Our family had a recent experience, where we found out that another family had been caring for our family over a period time without our knowledge. That care, that love for us God placed on their hearts, translated into such incredible encouragement to all of us-especially me. And we didn't even know it was going on. This situation reminded me that I need to be looking for ways to be loving the people God puts in my path.

The girl who looks downcast on a regular basis, the jock who constantly tries to be cool but really exudes an incredible amount of insecurity, the girl who dresses all in black, the boy who won't look me in the eye when buying a cookie, the girl who is struggling with her body image...these are just a handful of the types of kids that come in and out of this place I call home and all of them are people, with families, cares, hurts, dreams and hopes.

And I need to remember them. I need to pray for them.

This last year I finally got my heart involved and it was a wonderful experience. I'm truly going to miss the seniors-a lot! I got so used to them striding through the parking lot, making jokes and giving my boys high fives. But I'm also looking forward to getting to know more kids next year and reaching out to more parents too.

I started selling cookies and brownies to make some much needed extra cash while the husband is in grad school. And what I received was a beautiful reminder of all the amazing things God can do through friendship, reaching out and caring.

So, so much more than I ever thought or imagined. But isn't God that way?

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us..." Ephesians 3:20

Busy Week

It's been a busy week here thus my silence. School is winding down for the husband and so he gives finals next week. That means he's working all day today. It's funny how him having just one weekend free from responsibility last weekend has made this weekend mentally difficult for me. It's like running and finishing a half marathon and then in your cool down/walk time someone tells you to run again but just for a quarter of a mile. It's really not a far distance but it literally hurts and you don't know if you'll make it. Kind of like that. I keep reminding myself to breathe today.

But some really great things have happened this week and we've done some fun stuff. First things first, Ally is doing really well. Her parents weren't sure if she'd be able to go in for surgery this week due to her having a cough. And if you remember, last time for the Craniosynostosis, she had a very slight cough and they would not go ahead. But, for some reason this time (possibly since it was a less serious surgery and didn't require her laying on her back asleep for as long), the doctors still wanted to forge on. So she had surgery on Tuesday and has been recovering really well. Thank you to all who were praying for her this week.

Two of my friends had babies this week as well. One of them came on Thursday and he was the first boy in a family that already had three daughters. I keep joking with his mom that we need to have a yearly camping trip so that our opposite sex children (who are all around the same ages) can "meet" over the years. Ha ha. I was really happy for them though. Such a sweet little man he is!

One of my best friends from Cal Poly had her baby last night. I haven't talked with her directly yet but, it is quite the story (as told from her sister to me on the phone last night). I got the benefit of a phone call since I don't have texting...being stuck in the last century does have its benefits! Pretty much, to sum it all up, she didn't make it to the hospital. Her husband delivered the baby in their bedroom, their second-another son, and she rocked it. Her first labor had been long and she was in the hospital the entire time. I knew she wanted things to go differently this go around. And different it was. She felt like things were going along just fine and then all of the sudden things ramped up quick. Too quick to do anything about. The baby came and they all got an ambulance ride to the hospital. Baby was totally fine and perfectly happy wrapped up in his mama's arms while the chaos ensued around him. And to everyone's surprise, big brother, who is not yet two, slept through the entire thing. However, me on the other hand...I seriously could not sleep for awhile last night after hearing the story because I was so wound up from the whole ordeal. Now I can't wait to meet that little adventurer.

Speaking of adventures, we've inherited a pet snake in our backyard. Three times this week we've had to call Steve home from work to come and get the snake. And three times he's taken it elsewhere on campus to get it out of our yard. Well, either this snake has babies somewhere nearby or just really likes us because it keeps coming back. And it's a big one. It seems harmless but, snakes just make me a tad nervous if I'm being honest. Not my favorite creatures.

We've made a few meals for families in our church who just had babies and that is always so much fun for me. And yesterday, we entered some Brownie Pops into the Appetizer Contest at Steve's work. I don't think I won because I probably would know by now if I did. However, it was really fun to try something new and be creative with it. I think I'll make those again for a shower or something.

Steve had his annual Boat Races this week too. So the boys and I ventured over to get a piece of the action. They're always a lot of fun. And the entire school comes out to watch.





All three boys had ice cream dates with Daddy on separate nights too and one night we watched Daddy and his other colleagues play in the Staff vs. Resident Students Basketball Game. It was as if their Dad was a star. I've never seen my boys so excited to see anything. Isaac kept saying, "Dad didn't score any baskets but he sure had some sneaky passes!" Let's not tell him why Dad didn't score any baskets-ha ha! And Caleb was screaming at the top of his lungs for him. Hilarious. Now that the older two especially are getting into sports, I think it's really fun for them to see Steve play in an actual game. Joshy doesn't quite get it all yet but if you ask him who his favorite Giants' player is, he'll tell you Buster Posey. Not bad.

And this little stinker has decided to get up nearly every night this week to make her presence known. She hasn't done it quietly either but has been nursing and then screaming when I put her back to bed. The first time I tried everything to get her to go back down since it was so unusual for her to be up. She never went back to sleep. Every night since she's been up and crying after I nurse her. She doesn't need to nurse (and normally she doesn't) but she still will wake up occasionally and so when she does, I usually feed her and she goes right back out quietly. But not this week. So, after two nights of that, we finally said enough. Luckily the boys are used to sleeping right through crying because she's been exercising her lungs quite a bit. My goodness she is so darn cute but her antics just won't fly with me, no matter how darling she is. Not gonna fly. She's normally a pretty great sleeper. Who knows what's going on with her. I'm not even going to try and figure it out because you never know; it's always a guessing game.

All in all, it's been a great week. Just a bit busy mentally and physically. I think I need to go bury myself in a book now before having to set the table for our Sabbath Dinner. I'm reading through The Hiding Place again by Corrie Ten Boom. Such an amazing book.

Toodaloo!

Have a great weekend! And Happy Sabbath and Lord's Day!

The Fog is Lifting

Every time I have a baby, a fog ensues in my head and really in my life. And with the successive addition of each one, the fog has stuck around just a tad longer. I wouldn't describe this fog as a funk but rather fuzziness. It's as if I'm trying to press on but I just can't really see where I'm going. And predictably, after awhile, the sand trudging can get tiresome.

Yet there are some really good things about being in the fog. One great thing is that since you can't see but a few feet or so in front of you so, all you do is live in the moment and put one foot in front of the other. Never mind a few months from now, survive till dinner. Okay, that's easy (enough). I can do that. Life becomes simple and the important things very clear.

The other great thing about the fog is that since it's so fuzzy out, things tend to slow down a bit. More responsibility and less visibility equals an inevitable push on the brakes. Caution takes over and the innate urge to burrow in for the winter overcomes all else. This instinct is good. We were designed to need rest. When our loads are heavy, God tells us to take His load for it is easy and He'll trudge through with ours high on His back. This gives us just enough reprieve to keep pattering through the sand.

But you can only live in the fog for so long. Ultimately it's confusing and cold. And after awhile of being socked in, I find myself longing for it to lift so that I can feel drenched in the warmth of the sun again and leave the gray monotony behind.

It's almost been a year, the longest fog I've experienced so far, but the fog is finally beginning to lift. I'm starting to feel like I can watch the horizon for little glimpses of the emerging sun and not just stare down at the shell-ridden sand to keep my feet from tripping. Life has its seasons. They're all good. Some are harder than others. This season hasn't been extremely horrible, just foggy, and at times confusing and tricky.

Hear me, I don't particularly hate the fog...I just relish in the warmth of the sun when it peeks through. Because I know, the fog has to lift sometime and when it does, the contrast of the sun will be brilliant.

Right now, I see rays. I don't have everything organized. I can't remember everything I'm supposed to. I'm still struggling to schlep everyone through the day with a good attitude and smile on my face. And most nights I crawl into bed spent from a very full day.

But yet...I can see the sun. I can see it! And I've been here before. I know...

The fog is rolling back-slowly but surely. Before I know it, I'm going to be surrounded by the most breathtaking scenery. And instead of merely forcing myself forward, I'll be able to breathe in my surroundings, drink in the beauty and thank God for His help. The best part is that as it lifts, I get to see just how far God has taken us, when all I could see before was the swirling gray.

It's a time for rejoicing! As I see the world afresh, the lifting fog spurs something deep within that causes me to want to worship.

O Lord my God. When I in awesome wonder. Consider all the worlds thy hands have made.
I see the stars. I hear the rolling thunder. Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul! My savior God to thee! How Great Thou Art. How Great Thou Art!

Then sings my soul! My savior God to thee! How Great Thou Art. How Great Thou Art!

Strong The Ties

When Steve and I were undergrads at Cal Poly, we were part of Alpha Gamma Omega, a national Christian Fraternity. He was a member and I was a Little Sister. The joke was that LSM (Little Sisters of Maranatha) wasn't a "dating pool" but really, in all actuality, many couples came out of that group because we were together all the time and were like a big family. It's amazing how, even after so many years, when we're together with our AGO friends, it's like no time has passed. We're still a big family-a loud, boisterous, loving family.

When we all got sick last week, Steve and I both thought it was inevitable that we would have to miss a very anticipated wedding weekend of one of our friends from the fraternity. If any of the boys were still sick we could not leave them with grandparents (not their responsibility at all to take care of our puking children) so we had really tried to accept the fact we probably wouldn't be attending. This made us SO sad at the thought because we knew that a TON and I mean a TON of our friends from AGO would be there and the guy getting married was one of Steve's old roommates and very important to Steve so we SO badly did not want to miss it.

As the weekend approached we fully expected Isaac and Caleb to finally be coming down with the flu bug and for some reason, it skipped them-to our utter delight of course. So off we went. We had the time of our lives. We stayed with our amazing, faithful friends and laughed our heads off. And then we were off to the festivities.

Ellie had a great night with her Daddy and all our friends. Here she is with Auntie Steph. Even though Stephanie had the night off from her two children, she constantly helped me with Ellie, holding her, feeding her and getting me food. Love you Steph.

It was a beautiful wedding. Our friend was literally beaming the entire day and his wife was just stunning. Truly we have prayed and hoped for a wonderful wife for this friend and she is just so much more than we could've ever dreamed for him. God is so faithful!! God is so kind and lavishes us with good things doesn't He?

So the wedding was joyous and Steve and I simply soaked up as much time with our precious friends as we could. There was so much laughter, telling stories, hugs and celebrating together. At our table alone there were ten children amidst the five families present and our friend Andy raised his glass and reminded all of us how good God has been to all of us and our families. Amen.

For those of you interested, here are some of the precious people from our past that have helped shape us into the people we are today. God has used all of them tremendously over the years to encourage us to be better Christians and better spouses, and now parents.

These are my girls. All I can say is that I love them. Pure and simple. Steph was my Big Sister in LSM and we've been such close friends ever since. Jill and I became much closer after I got married. Don't know what I'd do without her. Seriously don't know.

Isn't she beautiful? (She just might kill me for this but oh well.) Here she is full-term with #2, a boy. Never saw a more beautiful, radiant, expecting mom. Over the years, she and her husband have seriously been rocks for us. Wish we still lived close but love how we can just pick-up where we left off. We love you guys more than you know-100%!

I've known Donna since high school and was thrilled when she married Corey as she was the perfect match for him ever. So fun to see them and meet their adorable daughter Faye. That sweet little girl can party let me tell you. She was grinning and smiling at everyone even though it was way past her bedtime I'm sure. Seriously, she was so much fun in her beautiful polka-dot dress.

These two were the first ones who talked to Steve about us getting married before graduating. At the time we assumed we'd just have to wait another two years for us both to finish but they really encouraged Steve to think outside the box and that it could be possible for us to get married before that. I'm SO glad they did. For us, it was the best decision. We hadn't seen them in so long but it was seriously refreshing and wonderful to see them again. They also helped us get our first apartment as it was theirs before us. Love this couple. Wish we weren't so far away and could hang out all the time.

These two are just well, the best. I've known Andy since high school. Steve and I feel like we've grown up with them as we all dated and got married close to the same time. They're people we can be totally real with and they'll still love us-thank God! We are so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. Pretty much would do anything for their family at any time or place, no questions asked. Just love 'em and are thankful for them.

These are our engagement buddies. We got engaged within days of each other and married within weeks as well. So fun to catch up on their lives. Such amazing people!!

Below are as many LSM that we could gather at the time. All the way to the left is Sonja and I wasn't able to catch her with her hubby (pictured all the way to the right) but they are an amazing, cornerstone as well. They have served AGO tirelessly for years and we have always looked up to them tremendously (they are a few years older than us). I never tire of seeing them and catching up with them. Love 'em.

As many of the guys that could be gathered are pictured below.

All of us circling up around the couple (a few extra people joined in and I don't think they had any idea what was going on...it was pretty funny!) At every AGO wedding, all the AGO guests circle up around the couple and sing the fraternity song and then dog pile the couple with a massive group hug.

Such a blessed time. There were so many people there that we love dearly who I simply didn't get to mention or didn't get a photo of but we truly love you all and it was a blast to see you and how God is blessing each of your families!!

And thanks to the grandparents (both sets) who took our three older monkeys so that we could get some precious time away to celebrate and see friends. We love you guys so much and are so thankful for you!!

Strong the ties that bind together, men with hearts so true.
Staunch the love of Christian brothers, loyal through and through.
Alpha Gamma Omega we will thy name uphold
Fighting, striving, working, winning
For the blue and gold.

Loyal sons of California, men of AGO (and Little Sisters!)
Pledge their all to Poly's laurels, as they watch them grow
Alpha Gamma Omega we will thy name uphold
Fighting, striving, working, winning
For the blue and gold.