Much to Celebrate

In four days I will turn 40.  A week ago Abe and I just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Clark turns 18 tomorrow and Greta turns 1 in a little over a week.

We are blessed and have much to celebrate--and when Foxes want to celebrate, we throw a party!  

My very favorite thing to do in the summer is to hang out in a park on a summer evening.  We reserved a pavilion at a park in our city and invited all our best friends to join us.  We were happy to have so many come celebrate our life milestones with us.

Cousins galore!

Dear friends, James and Andrea.

Organizing themselves for a kick-ball game.  

I didn't play in the game, but I do love kick-ball and I think I'm going to have to organize a kick-ball night with friends soon so I can play too.

Brig and I with our wonderful sister-in-law, Misty.  She and her girls were down from Washington and we were so happy to see them!  Baby Jules and Greta are about 2 1/2 months apart and it makes my heart happy to see them together.

Misty is currently undergoing chemotherapy for brain cancer and she is beyond a rock star!  I've never seen the likes of her strength and determination and there aren't words enough for how much I admire and love her.

And as you can see from Bethany hugging Aunt Misty on the right, I am not the only one in the Misty fan club.

I love to see kids of all ages playing together and having fun outside in the summer.  See?  I'm telling you, parks on summer evenings are the best!

Abe, Philip, and Daniel-- just a smattering of the seven Fox brothers.

Big thanks to Philip for providing the music for the evening.

We and a couple other families brought our Nerf laser guns.  Hopefully they were all returned to their rightful owners. 

Beautiful cousins!  

Faith and Rosalie have always looked so much alike.  Their cute smiles!

Our good friends and neighbors, the Redd-Stone family.  Kelli was in the cast of Beauty and the Beast with us this past spring.

I'm just going to say it... Here comes trouble!  Fox cousins-- Phoebe, Edra, and Peter.  

The Fox contingency-- keeping watch over the kiddie pool of ice and water bottles.

Elinor and Cousin Lizzie-- these girls are rocking the "lunatic fringe"!

We love the Paynes!  Our families aren't as involved in the same homeschool circles as we used to be, but there are always a lot of laughs to be had with Grace and Kendall and it was great to see them again.

The Cannon and Tesch family-- we are so very thankful for wonderful family on both sides.

I'm sorry Lori's eyes are closed in this picture, but I had to share it anyway.  This lady is one of my favorite people on the planet-- she is a listening ear and constantly keeps me in stitches.  Everyone needs a "Lori" in their lives.

Love, love, love these marvelous young women.

Many thanks to Grandpa for ensuring that his grandchildren eat well-balanced meals.

GIRL POWER!

The Snow family-- check out those cutie little twins!  They'll be in Greta's church classes.

Cannon and good buddy, Jake.

More fun with Fox cousins-- they're just warming up for the the upcoming Fox family reunion in Spokane at the end of the month.

Did he think he was going to be in trouble for drinking a water bottle?

Abe was a sweetheart when it was time for cake and singing happy birthday to Clark, Greta and me.  He said some very kind things, and even though I sometimes tease him about being a mushy-gushy softy, I love that about him and know I am a fortunate woman. 

On the eve of Clark's 18th birthday, I am relieved to have made it through his childhood!  There was NEVER a dull moment in raising Clark.  He has been determined and visionary and honest and creative and adventurous and and good, and basically a grown man trapped in a child's body for most of his life.  What a thrill to finally see him become who he was always meant to be.  I love you, Clark, and it has been fun to share birthday season with you.  Dad and I anxiously await word of your next grand life adventures!

Greta, in about a week you will turn one.  You'll start walking soon, (well, pretty soon-- you are a Fox baby after all), you'll start eating more foods, start saying little words.  I will only say that your infancy has been one of the greatest joys of my life!  What a pleasure you have been-- all I could have dared to hope for for our last baby girl!

Thank you, thank you to everyone who came to be with us.  The evening was all we hoped it would be and it is all because of our wonderful family and friends.  Life is so good with you in it.