Let Them Be Little

When I was going through albums recently, I came across this picture of my little sister Chrysta. I was in college when we took this, and I have to say, I got a little choked up because I had forgotten what it was like to be so much bigger than her. She's quite grown up now (just engaged, actually).

And Shana (the youngest) is now in college herself. Admittedly, it is fun to be grown-ups together. We just had some of the most fun I can remember shopping for wedding dresses. But I miss the days when I could pick them up and hold them. Here's what Shana looked like when I was in highschool:

And here's my own little girl. I can't imagine what it will feel like when I can't hold her anymore...

Congratulations to the 9th Wellman to take the plunge. Go Chrysta! Here are the Wellman women who were at the blessed shopping event...and more importantly, here is THE dress!

Now I Can Say It Was Summer

My parents weren't California people. Rocky Point was our beach and we went there every once in a while on a spring break. We went skiing some winters. Once we took a big long road trip to Canada, and we did Disneyland a few times, which was wonderful! But we didn't take regular summer vacations, and we didn't adopt San Diego as our summer staple - I learned that from the Schaubs! And now that I'm totally spoiled by them, summer doesn't seem official until I've been to the beach and back. Thanks be to a generous God in heaven for blessing me with a whole second family who continues to bestow the glorious gift of a California vacation on me. Thank heaven they started stowing me away at a young age in their big grey conversion van for a week of beach bliss that I neither earned nor deserved. And why they still count me in, I do not know, but just a few weeks ago they put me up with my husband and kids in a lovely room right on the Carlsbad coast. Thank you Kimber, for card games and paddle ball, for long piers and boardwalks, body surfing and sun bathing. Thank you for happy, happy memories. The mere smell of sunblock and seaspray reminds me of you and your family. Here are some pictures of us, old and new.