for my mom

it's that time of year again.
when people flock in droves to the card aisle to select something that poignantly captures their true sentiment about the woman they call MOM.
when families gather around to to remember and reflect on our mothers-who they are and the impact they have on our lives.
when we celebrate the tremendous sacrifice and selflessness that is involved in raising children and shaping young lives.

this year I was really hoping to spend Mother's Day with my mom,
but a flight cancellation yesterday prevented that.
even though I won't get to celebrate with her in person again this year,
I want to find a way to let her know just how much I am thinking of her this year,
and how truly thankful I am for her life.

this has been a difficult season over the last few months.
and even though she has not always know what to say,
or how to say it,
my mom has stayed available and present.
she has reminded me through texts and calls that she is always there,
even when separated by hundreds of miles.
Thank you, mom, for your availability and presence in my life. 

my mom and I have walked through uncharted territory these last few months.
this type of emotion and grief is new to me,
which means it is new for those who love me.
in the last weeks and months, I have sensed that those who are closest to me are not sure exactly what to do with me.
I am often the strong one, the sure one.
How do you support the one who is usually the supporter?
I will admit that I am not always the best at receiving these gifts;
so I am thankful for those who have shown me steadfast love and grace.
thank you, mom, for your love. 

thank you, Mom, for
giving me space,
praying without ceasing,
offering me comfort and kind words,
sending small "happy presents," and
reminding me of Truth.

On this day - and every day- may you know how much I love you!
Thank you for loving me, for walking with me, for being a witness to my best & worst moments.
I love you.

forever and always your daughter,
erica lea

our people

I knew when we embarked on this adoption journey,
that it would change me.
Other who have gone before us have said that it is one of the most transformational processes of their life--if not THE most transformational.

We are only--I hesitate to use this word, because it seems to minimize the significance of the last few months, and it has not felt like ONLY, but for lack of a better word, I continue--5 months into this process.
but already I can feel the change stirring, rising in my heart.

Already I am learning much about myself, my husband, our God, and our people.

You guys know what I'm talking about when I say "our people."
Those people that have your back.
That know-maybe even before you do-that you need something.
The ones that laugh at your ridiculousness and cry when you hurt.
The people that are right there, by your side, in the thick of it, figuring it out right along with you.
These are your people.

We have been blown away by the people who have gone out of their way to let us know that they are praying for us and cheering for us.
We have literally been speechless and shocked by the sacrificial giving of so many of you. So blessed and so humbled.
We have been reminded of God's goodness through the love of HIS people, OUR people.

Honestly, the most difficult and humbling part of this process so far
has been trusting God with the finances.
Surveys have shown that many more families would pursue adoption if it were not for the large financial investment that it required.
I totally get that.
I do.
It's scary.

I am daily surrendering this.
DAILY.

Fundraising is not my favorite thing.
In fact, launching the fundraiser last Monday triggered 24 hours of anxiety.
no lie.
or as the Kardashians would say, "Bible."
Yes. I just admitted that I sometimes watch the Kardashians.

But here's what I'm learning in the midst of this whole thing:
it's not about me.
it's not about you all will think of me for writing this, or having an online raffle, or even for adopting internationally.
it's not about my manipulating or controlling things.
it's just not.

if anything,
it's about inviting people to share in the joy of what God is doing.
it's about allowing others to give and to be blessed for their generosity.
it's about allowing our lives to be blessed by the kindness and generosity of others.
This process is about obedience and surrender and joy, and allowing other people (our people!) to come along side us on this crazy journey.
And through it, we get to come alongside THEM, too.
That's what is so great.
Relationships are built, strengthened, rekindled.
We are blessed and in turn we get to bless others.

pretty cool stuff.

So, with that in mind, I'm trying to have a different perspective on this whole "fund raising" ordeal.

For those of you interested in joining the fun & helping us get that much closer to bring home our kiddos,
there are still 2 days left to enter our raffle and have a chance at $200 in gift cards. Click here for more info.

thanks for being our people.
we can't wait for the day when we get to introduce our kids to you.

with all our love,
R & E

life lately

 

it's all cloudy and chilly out today.
so, in honor of today's weather, I'm inviting you to coffee...

won't you pull up a chair and stay awhile? :) 

if we were going to sit down for a cup of coffee this afternoon,

I would probably ask you if you were coming from out of town,
if the answer was yes, then I might subtly drop a hint for you to swing by Starbucks or your local coffee shop for an extra hot caramel macchiato.
(tell them to make it as hot as possible before they scald the milk...that's the way I like it..k, thanks.)

I'm a bit cut off out here, ya'll. :)


Once you sat down and got cozy,
and I took a quick sip of my scalding hot drink,
I'd ask you something like "What have you been up to lately?" 

and because you are polite, you'd ask me the same thing. :)


to which I would respond.....

Lately I've been reading a lot....mostly about adoption (but I'd save that for another post conversation)....
I'd tell you that this weekend I took break from all the adoption blogs and books, and read The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers.

I'd admit to you that I stayed up waaaaaay too late one night reading this book on my oh-so-awesome Kindle. and then I'd tell you that it made my heart ache deeply for all the women I know who have faced decisions about abortion. I'd mention to you that I value those who come alongside these women and love them well before, during or after they have made this decision.

I'd tell you that the part of the book that got my blood boiling was how so many of the "Christians" responded...boiling...because I see it every day...all around me...and I recognize the tendency in myself, if I'm not careful to remain humble and focused on Jesus. 

I'd tell you that theologically, there are things in the book that make me raise an eyebrow, but hey, it wasn't mean to be a study of theology, but a STORY-a beautiful story about forgivness that spans years and generations, about hope, redemption, healing, and an unconditional love that does not judge.

I'd also probably bring up this blog written by Donald Miller last week, where he challenged the current Pro-Life strategy, and I'd tell you that I whole-heartedly AGREE with what dear Mr. Miller asserts.

I'd tell you that lately I have not been doing as much running as I would have like, but that I did complete 10 miles before work yesterday!
Which made me feel strong and gave me a confidence boost going into this weekend.
I'd tell you that I ran the whole 10 miles without music because my phone was completely broken, but that I really enjoyed running without music.

I'd share with you that it was beautiful to watch the sun come up in silence, and then I'd tell you that I'm hoping I will keep up the motivation even after the half marathon is over. :)

While we were on the topic of music, 

I'd tell you that I've been listening to a lot of bluegrass, indie-pop, and country music lately.

especially country.

Hey. Don't judge.

You can take the girl out of the country, 

but you can't take the country out of the girl.

Country music makes me all nostalgic,

& it gets me REALLY excited for summer.

I'd tell you that country music

is like a soundtrack of my childhood summers.

I'd share memories with you.

Memories of long days on the farm,

riding horses,

getting animals ready to show,

running through sprinklers,

water skiing on the lake with friends, 

sitting around campfires, 

crashing the local wedding dances at the VFW & 4-H building,

cruising around town with the windows down. 

ah, sweet summertime. 

If you were lucky, and the caffeine had kicked in, I might even break into song:

it's a smile,

it's a kiss,

it's a sip of wine,

it's summertime.

I'd tell you that I actually really love to ride in the car with my feet on the dashboard,

and that it drives my husband a little crazy.

he let's me do it anyway. cuz he love mes. 

I'd tell you that we are planning a 3 week road trip to CA and CO for weddings.

and that we're planning to "rough it" as much as possible. 

I'd tell you how thankful I am for my husband,

and that I get to do life with him. 

I'd tell you that lately I have been reminded that 

God really, really blessed me when he brought Rob into my life.
 

I'd tell you that I'm reminded daily that being connected to people is important,

to family,

to friends, 

to strangers.

I'd tell you that this is why we LOVE to have people stay with us,

and why we continue to operate our house a bit like you would a Bed & Breakfast.
that even though it takes work,
we love to have people stay with us
(I'd tell you about how we had a total of 7 visitors this weekend in a mere 48 hours).

I'd tell you that I'm extremely thankful for friendships,

like yours,

and then I'd tell you one last time how THANKFUL I was you came by for coffee.

:)

feeling the love

wow. 

over the past few weeks, we have really felt the love from those around us. 

as we announced our adoption 

and opened up our first fundraiser,

you all have been amazing.

(thanks, KT!)

people have prayed for us, 

been excited with us, 

encouraged us, 

bought coffee,

made donations, 

and just been with us.

it's been fun to have people send/post pictures of their coffee as it arrived. 

this really IS a box full of love. 

you have no idea.
(Thank you, Jo!)

Hello, Sunshine!

(Thanks, Myles & Anna!)

I can't wait for their sweet little curly haired babe to play with our kiddos. 

another generation of cousin-love.

everyone has had really positive things to say about the coffee. 

so yummy!

(Thanks, Beth!)

you can get your own by clicking below. 

www.justlovecoffee.com/HaudeAdoption

thanks for showing us the love! 

Have a great weekend!

much love,

R&E

P.S. We have raised nearly $250 from coffee sales already. Just wanted to keep you all posted. :)

what march looked like

this is what my March looked like:

the first weekend of the month I took a solo road trip back to Colorado. 

I realized that it was the first long trip I'd taken by myself in years. 

it was really, really wonderful. 

don't get me wrong, 

I love traveling with my hubby, 

but it was just really great to have all that time to just think and pray and talk on the phone and listen to this book on my kindle. so, so good. 

I drove to ft. collins and stayed the night with kristen. 

we ate breakfast and spent the day walking & shopping in the sunshine.

 

 

glorious. look at that sunshine. 

saturday I drove down to Denver and stayed with the lovely Holmes family. 

their house is one of my favorite places. 

probably because they are one of my absolute favorite families. 

and emily has really awesome style. :)

we ate yummy food and laughed and had great conversation. 

it was goooooood. 

 

i apparently forgot to take ANY pictures though. 

boo. 

monday of that weekend I had a three hour coffee date with taryn. 

she's awesome. 

her and her husband mentored rob and I for over a year. 

it was transformational for us. and we love them dearly. 

on my way out of town, 

I visited Excelsior for a few hours

and was reminded once again why I LOVED working there. 

I miss those people something fierce. 

it was seriously one of the best jobs ever. 

challenging? exhausting? difficult? yes. 

but still. I loved it. 

my weekend trip to Colorado was my early bday present to myself. 

and it was so great. so so great. 

as I drove back to Kansas I felt energized and refreshed. 

I also felt secure and confident, 

knowing that Kansas is "home" for us. and that it is GOOD.

but that I'll always have a place and piece of me in Colorado. 

which, it was really great that I came back feeling refreshed

because march was full of challenges emotionally. 

we JUMPED into the adoption process.

we contracted with our agency--and then I proceeded to freak out for about 24 hours.

we started working on our dossier--and I made a note book to keep my from panicking. 

 

 

we got fingerprinted and sent in all our back ground checks for our home study.

it's been a journey already!

and, you guys, we are only about 6 weeks in. yeesh!

this is what my nightstand looks like most of the time. 

 

and ever evolving mound of books. 

I added these to the piles, as well. 

my mom and brother also came to kansas for a visit. 

rob and I spent a weekend in wichita hanging out with them

and these cuties:

 

 love. love. love.

naked blonde baby.

finger sucking blonde boy. 

cuddles for all. 

so so great. 

for christmas I bought haven this DVD.

bahaha!

I loved this when I was a kid. 

sage, my brother, apparently did not. 

he does not even remember it. 

go to YouTube and type in Wee Sing in Sillyville. Do it. It's worth the laugh. 

and then you will understand why Mackoy was doing this:

"I'm SUPER FROG!"

 

"Have you ever seen a frog, walking a dog?!"

"A frog, walking a DOG?"

we may have sang those ridiculous songs for hours. 

i may or may not have video to prove it :)

I love being an aunt. 

and I can't wait for our kids to play with their cousins.

and giggle and dance and act silly with us. 

I dream of that day. 

 rob went to Cali for a week. 

my mom came to stay with me and we got busy on the basement. 

I spent lots of time with friends. 

I met new friends. 

like this lovely lady who is waiting and praying for her boys to come home from Ethiopia. 

I ran not enough miles in preparation for the half marathon on may 5.gulp.

march was full. 

march was good.

 march has come and gone.

 and here's to hoping that april is jsut as full. 

but maybe not quite as busy. 

maybe?

time with my mama

my mom came to spend a few days with me

while rob was out of town. 

it was wonderful. 

we started our time together at the salon. we both got a cut.

and I got a color. 

it was loooong overdue. 

I was lookin' rough. 

then we shared some yummy Mexi food 

and headed back to my casa.
where we got busy working. 

here's something I realized this weekend:

I get more done when my mom is around. 

I think I already knew this. 

in high school I used to beg her 
to come sit on my bed and talk to me while I cleaned my room. 

which, by the time I got around to cleaning it, 
was usually a disaster.
my house cleaning skills have really improved since then. 
on most days any way. 

 

I just liked having her company while I cleaned. 
talking. laughing. 
and usually she could be talked into folding a few things while she sat there :)

 

she's beautiful, huh?
yep.
I've got a good mama.

so this weekend we painted the entire basement.
and filled in the cracks on the great wall of paneling. (this involved a lot of sanding!)
and sanded/primed the basement ceiling.
AND got caught up on all the laundry. Hallelujah!
AND we cooked a meal for the 3 college boys living in the basement.

oh, and for the record,
in case you ever hear my husband argue differently,
I did at LEAST 4 loads/sink-fulls of dishes this week. at least.

productivity at its finest, folks.
brought to you by my dearest mother.

mom-
thanks for coming to stay with me. 
I loved my 1on1 time with you.
it was good for my heart.
and my house. 
I am so incredibly thankful for you.

I miss you already. 
love, 
your O&O :)

answers to questions we hear often these days

I figured it was time to give a few more details regarding our adoption.

I'm guessing there may be at least a few of you out there that wonder what in the world is going on?!

since adoption is something I have been interested in for a long time,
I have spent countless hours reading up on the different types and steps involved.
but I get that not everyone stalks adoption blogs or reads up on attachment issues in their free time :)
so, it only seemed fair to answer some questions.

here are some of the most frequently asked questions we field these days:

"Are you adopting domestically or internationally?"
Internationally.

which is followed quickly by a, "Why?" 
Honestly, once we made the decision to adopt, deciding where to adopt from was the most difficult question for me to settle in my heart. We felt really overwhelmed by the task of "selecting a child," which is what it felt like we were doing. Then a really wise friend  (who also happens to be an adoptive mama) encouraged us to approach this decision by asking:  

What child do you feel that you and Rob are 

best equipped to parent at this point in your life? 

and this question was a game changer for us. While I was working as a therapist in residential treatment, I saw how desperately older children need families. But I also saw how difficult and unpredictable parenting those children could be. I desperately see the need and there is something in my heart that longs to meet that need. But we had to be realistic about where we are currently at, and since we are going to be new to this whole parenting thing, we are going to have enough unpredictability on our hands. ha! So, for us--at this point in our life--it settled that we wanted to adopt as young as possible. 

so. and "infant" it is. 

you hear infant and you think fresh from the womb. 

well, in the world of adoption, and infant is really any baby 12 months or younger. 

the question then became WHERE.

we spent time reading about different countries that currently have adoption programs with the United States, as well as, researching infant adoption in the US. For whatever reason, God really led us toward international adoption. That is where our attention was focused and where we felt our hearts were leading us. After looking into different program requirements and the ages of children available, we settled on Ethiopia. 

Yes. we know that this means we will become a multiracial/multicultural family. 

Yes. we know there are challenges that will come from being a multiracial/multicultural family. 

Yes. we recognize that not everyone will necessarily "agree" with this decision. 

and YES we are sure. 

this does not mean that there are not moments when I feel anxious about being able to parent children that look different from me. Sure. I do. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have moments of doubt.

but I also KNOW that God is in this and that growing our family through adoption and becoming a diverse family will be beyond beautiful. 

We recognize that we have a lot to learn and will need to rely on others to help educate us and our children in this area. That is part of what excites me--learning and loving and being open a community bigger than us. 

"Do you have a baby picked out for you yet?"
No. We have not been matched with a baby.
We are still several months from being ready to receive a referral.
Here is a general timeline for families adopting with our agency right now.
As of now, we have been told that the following time frames are "average"

this picture is of the hubs and I the morning we sent off our application and contract to IFS. eek!

Step 1: Choose an agency, apply with agency and be accepted. Check!
Step 2: Complete Home Study & Dossier
(read: spend countless hours completing massive amounts of paperwork). It usually takes around 2-3 months for this step to be completed. We are days into this step... so pray for us!

Step 3: Send Dossier (with home study) to Ethiopia where it is translated and processed by the Ethiopian government (MOWA).

Step 4: REFERRAL! From the time our dossier arrives in Ethiopia until we receive a referral will be any where from 2-4 months (again, we are working with averages, people. and this could change. we know that.)

Step 5: Accept referral and pay the remainder of our program fees. EEK!

Step 6: Court date in Ethiopia! Travel to Ethiopia where we will appear before Ethiopian court and the adoption will be finalized. We will officially be parents! From referral to court date is approximately 3-5 months.

Step 7: The child, though adopted, can not leave Ethiopia until the case is cleared by the Embassy. Once the case passes the Embassy, we will bring our babes home! Average time from court date to Embassy clearance is anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months. So, we'll be counting on you all to be praying. hard. that it is closer to 6 weeks. :)


Which means that we are about 10-12 months from having them home with us. 
We are holding this timeline very loosely, as we know that there are several factors that are out of our control, but we are also praying that this would be close to the truth.
Either way, we have a lot of waiting ahead of us. 
waiting. 
and paperwork. 

"How old will your child be when they come home?"
At the time of referral a child can be as young as 2 months, which means that they are anywhere from 8-10 months old when they come home for good.

"If you don't mind me asking, how much does adoption cost?"
I certainly don't mind you asking! In fact, I think it is important to educate people on ALL things adoption--including that it is a major financial and emotional and physical investment.

The rough estimate for international adoption is around $30,000.
Gulp.
Yep. It's a lot.
But we serve a really BIG God. 
And we are trusting in HIM to make this happen.
We will have fundraisers.
We will pinch pennies.

We will apply for grants.
We will pray for hearts to be led to give.

and we will give HIM all the glory.

We welcome your questions.
Honest.
Please feel free to send me an email (erica.haude@gmail.com) with questions about our adoption process, how you can get involved, or adoption things in general.

I am in no way an expert...yet :)...but I'm learning a lot each day.

thanks for reading. 

something brewing

have you sensed that something was coming?
that something has been brewing in our life?

did you even notice that I hadn't blogged in awhile?  wait. don't answer that. :)

after I posted about 2013 and all the things I wanted more & less of--
one of those being to write more--
I went off the air for a bit.

sometimes I just need to hold things near to my heart.
so that I know that I'm listening to my heart instead of the opinions of others.
so I can tell if what I'm hearing is actually the Holy Spirit stirring, or if I just have anxiety.
I hold things near so that I can tell whose opinion and voice I'm listening to--God's or the worlds.

I've learned that this is important because I can get wrapped up in the opinions of others sometimes.
this might be a surprise to those who know me in real life,
because I am fairly independent and confident.
but the honest truth is that I still struggle with worrying about what others think.

so I've spent the last few weeks holding things close.
I am happy to report that I have been writing more. 
in my journal.
with a pen.
and cute curvy letters.






and after several weeks of writing,
listening,
talking with the hubs,
praying,
researching,
reading,
praying some more,
and dreaming up some BIG things,

we have an announcement.

one that I am beyond excited to share with you.

Rob and I are answering the call to adopt. 
yep. you read that correctly.
we are adopting!!!

isn't that exciting?!?!
we think so. :)
we are extremely excited.
and slightly terrified, as well, but mostly just really, really ready to bring home our babe.
(I know, I know....I have lots of waiting ahead of me....)

remember when I wrote this post in September 2011?
God is so cool.
He has been stirring this in my heart-our hearts-for a long time.

in the coming days and weeks I'm going to share lots of adoption stuff.
so get ready.
like it or not, here it comes.
considered yourself warned.

I'll share about telling our family and friends.
I'll share about how God brought us to this place and how/why we are so stoked to be growing our family in this way.
I'll share details and timelines.
I'll give you information on fundraising and how you can come along side us during this time. 
I'll probably post some videos and stories of other families that are growing their families through adoption.

I'll also share my fears,
my joys,
my questions,
and what I'm learning as we walk this path.

it is a journey. 
an adventure. 
but isn't that what following Jesus is all about?!
so, I invite you to come with us on this journey.
we'd be delighted to have you :)

will you?
will you share with us in this journey that will result in us being parents and an orphan finding a forever family?
we sure hope you will.
we can't wait to share it with you. 

with love,
rob and erica

summer recap #4: apartment perks

one of the best perks of living in an apartment
is having a pool.
and our apartment has THREE (1 is indoor).

so while the fam was in town
we took a dip in the pool.



mackoy LOVES his papa.
in fact, that statement does not really capture
the extent to which mackoy prefers papa
over the rest of us.

at one point dad (papa) was holding mackoy
and I swam up behind them and put my hands on dad's back,
and mackoy whined and pushed me away.

don't worry,
I reminded him that he was my papa first. :)
no really, I did.

this daddy's girl still has her place, right?

p.s. yes, you are seeing that correctly. my dad got in the pool fully clothed.
polo shirt, hat, and all. dove right in.
only my dad. gotta love him.
well, you don't have to...but I sure do! :)

summer recap #3: the zoo

my family all came out to visit this summer.
all the way back in June.
(only about 3 1/2 months behind. not bad, right?!)

we spent one morning introducing
Mackoy to all the animals at the zoo.




these pictures make it look like the child is neglected, huh?



don't worry.
he's not.



we all make sure he gets plenty of attention.


we did have stroller around.
mostly for carrying our bags.
but it came in handy during nap time.

all that pointing, talking, running, laughing, watching....
it will wear a person out!

Mackoy napped and we all enjoyed a picnic lunch.
it was perfect weather for a day at the zoo.

sage was in charge of protecting Mackoy from the geese.
no joke.



it was a great day at the zoo.
full of lots of joy!

i'm ready for them to all come visit again.
hint. hint.

i heart adoption

i really love being with family.
rob and i both do.
nothing is quite like being fully known and fully loved.

which is why i grieve so much for the people/kids i work with that don't have this.
who either don't have family.
at all.
or who have families that hurt and harm.
breaks my heart.
literally.

and it breaks God's heart, too.
I believe that God is passionate about family.

God wants us to be known and loved,
and I believe that He designed families for that purpose.
but since earthly families fail,
God reminds us that we are adopted into His family
as HIS children.

this is something that I have been meditating on a lot lately.

In Hebrews there is a lot of language about "adoption"
and being brothers and sister through Jesus.
and it is just beautiful.
and causes hope to swell within me.

i want people to know Jesus.
i want them to know they have a family.
no matter what.
whether that is biological.
or adopted.
physical.
or spiritual.

family matters.
adoptions matters.

I am adopted by God,
and I want to be an advocate for adoption each and every day.

I have heard by some that they don't believe anyone
could ever love adopted children as much as biological children.
I sure hope that is not the truth.
I believe that God loves me just as much as He loved His own son,
or why else would He have let His son die for ME (and for you, too!)?

i have no idea what God plans to do in my (our) life in this area,
but I want to always be open to it.

i think that adoption is a beautiful
(read: difficult, scary, hard, challenging, rewarding, terrifying, exciting)
adventure.

p.s. I really have no idea why this has been on my mind & heart lately. but God does. and I am His. and my blog is His. so....yeah....that's all I got :)

rmnp

this was our 4th summer in colorado
and rob finally made it up to
Rocky Mountain National Park.

we stayed the night in Estes Park
after his tri
and then drove up into the park
to do some hiking and fishing.

still goofy after 30 years.

my parents hadn't hiked since our family vacation
to Yellowstone in 1998 (or something like that)
i had braces then, that's what i remember.

and my mom's last hiking experience was....
well, let's just say, she wasn't lovin' it.
and we caught it on video. HA!
but this time she did awesome!

it was quite the trek up to the lake,
so mom and dad decided to head back early to do some
reading and resting.


but the Robert Haudes and I
made it all the way up to Fern Lake.
the hike up was beautiful.
as was the view at the top.


we spent some time fishing.

yes, even I fished.
a little.
I like to cast.
and I even caught a fish!
rob and his dad spent a lot of time tying flies.
haha. they lost them or they didn't use the correct ones.
i think there was probably more fly tying than fly fishing.

sunset tri

remember when i posted this?

well, here is the proof that he did it.
and he raised $150 for Autism Speaks.
thank you for all the donations!

first he swam 1/2 mile....

he came out of the water if 4th place
in his division (39 and under).
4th!
wow. he was fast.

super impressive!
next was the 17 miles of biking
he used his hybrid bike instead of a road bike.
so that slowed him down.

but he did it.
and now he wants a road bike for sure :)

next came the run.
3.1 miles to finish it out.

i was so proud of him.

his dad was there to cheer him on.

and at the last minute (literally...the very last minute)
my parents decided to come out for the weekend, too.

it was so fun.
beautiful weather.
smokin' hot husband.

good job, babe.
love you.