sigh of relief

So, the summer has come to an end. We have gotten past the withdrawals of missing our summer camp family (not that we don't miss y'all...it's just sunk in that y'all don't live here anymore), and are easing into the fall - if you can call it that. With the temperatures still in the upper nineties, it's hard to believe fall will ever arrive, but I'm holding on to hope. We've enjoyed time together as a family and a few quick day trips to Katy and Austin. We've spent time with our year-round Columbus friends, and even made some new ones! We've begun to discuss what a typical week will look like this fall and are getting plugged in to some fun opportunities at church and in the community. And if you know me at all, you know that I can't just sit back and enjoy a nice relaxed pace...there's always more to do! So here's just part of my fall to-do list:

• get rid of Landry's pacifier
• get Tucker sleeping in his crib (in Hank's room) at night
• paint the built-in cabinets in our dining area
  
• lose 15 pounds
• potty train Landry

Ummm, I'm tired just thinking about all that I have to do! Actually, though, it's exciting. I know there will be hard days, but the results will be rewarding. And really there's nothing I'd rather be doing than spending time investing in my family and home that the Lord has so richly blessed me with. Let the adventures begin!

(Updates on the kids, more pics, and maybe even some videos coming soon! I tried to include a video on this one, but it's not working right now for some reason...)

five

Well, it's way past time to post again, and I have all kinds of things to write about and a few cute new pictures to share (all of which WILL come in the next few days...I promise), but for now I want to focus on the milestone which tomorrow will mark - five years of marriage for Jeff and I!!! What a five years it has been, full of so many happy moments and some exciting adventures. I often look at my life and think, "Wow! How did I get here?", and I wouldn't trade it for anything. And there's no one in the world I would have rather shared it with. In honor of our five years of marriage and to attempt to express my appreciation for my beloved, here are 10 of my favorite things about Jeff (in no particular order):

1. He has such a genuine compassion and concern for others. I love the way he cares about people...and the way it motivates me to care about people. I love that he shares generously when he sees a need.
2. He knows how to have fun. "Young at heart" is definitely an accurate way to describe Jeff. Playing and being silly is one of the things he does best, which makes him an amazing dad and an incredibly fun husband.
3. He's a manly man. Forget v-necks and skinny jeans - he looks HOT in his t-shirts and gym shorts. I love that he portrays what biblical manhood looks like and has a passion for seeing the younger generations of men (including Hank and Tucker) grasp that concept, as well. And the fact that he's a Brett Favre look-alike doesn't hurt anything either.
   
4. He'll sacrifice anything for the good of our family. He sold his maroon dodge ram truck so we could get a mini-van...need I say more? I love that he truly is a family man, not just in word but also in deed.
5. He's a dreamer. I love the times that we sit side by side and talk about what our lives might look like in 20 years. I love his imagination and his ability to dream big. I'm excited to see where the Lord leads us in the days to come and to see which of our dreams come true.
   
6. He makes me feel like "it's all going to be ok." On those days when I'm anxious and fretting (usually because I'm failing to trust the Lord), Jeff's great big bear hugs (and his gentle reminder of the Lord's promises) are all I need to get through.
   
7. He loves with a Christ-like love. I so appreciate that Jeff loves me, and our kids, and his staff at camp, etc. enough to love us with a true, deep, Christ-like love. A love that isn't always a warm-fuzzy kind of love (although it often is), but is loving enough be challenging and tough when necessary in order to foster growth. Seeing him discipline our kids out of this love is one of the most attractive things to me.
   
8. He is loyal. A die-hard Aggie. Anything but a fair-weather Cowboy and Ranger fan. Just finished his 14th summer at Pine Cove. Ask any of Jeff's friends, loyalty is something Jeff is known for. And what a comforting trait to have in a spouse! I love his desire to remain faithful to me, and all the steps he takes to do that.
   
9. He is a servant. He helps around the house. He is incredibly helpful with the kids. He even cooks...often...and he's exceptionally good at it (yes, I'm a lucky woman!). What a servant's heart he has - one that inspires me to serve him in return (although there's no way I can keep up!) and seek to serve others in my life.
   
10. He truly is a man after God's own heart. Jeff made it clear when we were dating that I would never be more important to him that the Lord is...and that has remained true. I love that! I love that Jeff desires to learn and grow and be the man God desires him to be. There's a Toby Mac song with the lyrics, "I gonna be a daddy who's in the mix, and I'm gonna be a husband that stays legit." I tear up every time I hear that song on the radio because it makes me think of Jeff and how he truly desires to please the Lord with the way he prioritizes and lives his life.

So, there you have. The list could go on and on, but I have to cut if off somewhere! I don't know why the Lord chose to bless me with Jeff, but I'm so glad He did! And I'm so grateful for ALL that the past five years have held, the good and the challenging. I'm excited to see what the next five years have in store for us...and the five after that...and the five after that...etc...

I love you Jeffery Dean Lay, even more than I did five years ago when I walked down that aisle and said, "I do." And just so you know, I still do.

country livin' is the life for us...sometimes

So, last night we went to a little town down the road for a bluegrass festival we had heard about. We, along with Chrismiss, got all "dolled" and "duded" up in our best country attire (to get in the mood) and headed to Fayetteville, TX (population a couple hundred I think...at the most).

(Side note: the main reason we put on our country attire was because my awesome little brother Joey hooked me up with a free pair of boots this past week and I couldn't wait to wear them!)

Well, let's just say the bluegrass festival wasn't all it was cracked up to be. There were two groups of people who were playing their instruments and singing, and that was entertaining...for about 15 minutes. Honestly, if we didn't have the kids, I bet we could have been entertained, just by people watching if nothing else, for a good long while, but it was hot and the kids got restless, so we took a little evening drive down the country roads, picked up some ice cream at the Dairy Cone, and headed back home.

Probably the best parts of the evening were the fun photo opps, so enjoy!!!

a few of our favorite things...

I've somehow let two weeks pass since I last posted, so in order to summarize the past 14 days, I'm going to use pics of some of the favorite moments we've had lately...

...a visit from Grammy and Pops!!! Our sweet second half nanny, Deo, was needed as a counselor for week 10, so my mom graciously offered to come lend a helping hand for a few days! Pops dropped her off, so we got a little time with him, too. Always a treat!





...playing outside!!! Despite the crazy heat, the kids love playing outside on our great big driveway. They play with sidewalk chalk and ride on their tricycles until they're cheeks are bright red...and then they play some more.





....playing inside!!! We like to build tents, play dress up, build towers, color pictures, etc. It's been so fun to watch as Hank and Landry are truly becoming best friends. Most the time they play amazingly well together, BUT they also know how to push each other's buttons better than anyone else, too. Tucker is also getting to where he can "play" with his big brother and sister. And watching them is probably his favorite thing right now.


...Daddy time! Oh, what a treat it is when Daddy is home. One more week, and we'll be seeing a lot more of him! Yippee!!!

A few other quick updates...

I had a wonderful 30th birthday...thanks to everyone for your phone calls, facebook messages, cards, etc. My sweet hubby surprised me a couple days after my actual birthday with a get-away to Katy...a yummy dinner, a little shopping, a NEW CAMERA, uninterrupted sleep, sleeping in (kinda), and just having time together...so nice! Deo and Chrismiss watched the kiddos and did a fantastic job! About the new camera...if you notice an improvement in the quality of pictures on our blog from this point on, that's why. Thanks, babe!

Camp is continuing to go so well! I've heard story after story of the exciting things the Lord is doing in the campers and in the staff! I'm really enjoying this summer and have loved getting to know the girls at camp. I think we'll experience a little culture shock more this year than in the past because things will seem SO QUIET and SO SLOW in Columbus once summer camp has shut down. I'm sure it will be nice, but weird!

There are so many things I'm looking forward to about the fall, but we'll save that for another time!