With this ring, I thee wed...

Thank you, honey
for holding my hand
for 37 years.
I love you.

Happy Birthday, Nikki

On June 21st, our lovely daughter-in-law Nikki will celebrate her birthday. We love Nikki for many reasons, not the least of which is that she is married to our dear son David. But this year, we love her in a brand new way - as the mommy of our sweet little granddaughter, Miss Adelaide Grace Dorr. Nikki has always loved babies, has cared for other people's little ones, and has even been a nanny. We predicted that she would take to motherhood like a duck takes to water, and we were right.
So today we celebrate you, Nikki. We thank God for bringing you into our family, for loving our son David, and for being such a gentle and tender mommy to Adelaide.
We hope your birthday is as special as you are. We love you so much.
And maybe, just maybe, that precious little baby will give you a birthday present you'd REALLY like: a full night's sleep!

Happy first birthday, Ayeresam!

From our very first glimpse of you in pictures...

...to our very first glimpse of you in person...

...to precious times together with you ever since...

...we can only say that we love you with all our hearts. Some might say that you are blessed to be part of a family who will love you and care for you, and that would be so true. But truly, WE are the ones who are blessed, to know you, to love you, to have you as such an integral part of our lives.
God bless you, sweet boy.
Happy Birthday!

We proudly announce the arrival of...

...our first egg!

Yes, the proud moment arrived yesterday when Mark went out to the chicken coop to check on the girls, only to discover this little surprise.

It's pretty tiny, but we like it!

This shot shows perspective, when the little egg is placed alongside our regular-sized store-bought eggs.

Way to go, girl! We are proud of you.

Happy Birthday to the one who started it all...

Today our sweet daughter Sarah turns 32. We were positively head over heels in love with her from the first time we laid eyes on her. And even before that. We didn't know back in June of 1978 that she would be the first of our five kids! She has always been a joy to our hearts, an absolute delight to be around, and such a positive example for her younger siblings to follow. We couldn't be prouder of her, and are so very thankful to be her parents.

Mark - suddenly Daddy - holding his precious daughter for the very first time.

Sarah with Ben and Jake.
First steps. Being the first of our children, every little thing Sarah did, every accomplishment, was so new and exciting to Mark and me.
Gotta try those Mr. Potato Head glasses on for size!
A new outfit from Grandma Dorr, which must be modeled with flair!
Sarah in fourth grade, wearing her medals from a reading contest.
Soccer for all!
The whole family at the lake.
I must apologize to Sarah and the world for her bangs. It was the 80s, people. It's what we did.
Sarah has always been a wonderful big sister, especially when it comes to Hannah.
Hannah and Sarah in the snow.
This one was taken just this past weekend at Silver Falls, on Hannah's birthday. Our girls' birthdays are just three days apart. And nine years.
Sarah has been blessed with a super wonderful husband, Chris, who loves her to pieces. Any time we can spend with them is absolutely precious to us. So, dear Sarah, have a wonderful day today. Know that you are SO loved and treasured. Happy Birthday, sweet girl.

And our baby turns 23...

From her very first smile, it was all about the dimples.

We love you so much, Hannah. You have always brought such joy to our hearts, and we are so proud to be your Mom and Dad. Have a wonderful day today!

Which part was more fun?

Yesterday Mark had to make a run to Portland to the Rockler store to pick up some supplies for the middle school wood shop classes he teaches. When he invited me to join him for the journey, I thought, "Hmm... of course I love any time I can spend with my sweet hubby, but how could we make this a bit more exciting?" And I came up with a plan that would involve Sarah, Chris, and Hannah. So after our wonderfully thrilling time at Rockler (Zzzzzzzz), we met up with our kiddos at Claim Jumper for great food and even better conversation. Guess which part of the day I liked best (hint: it wasn't the first stop on our itinerary).
I LOVE MY DAUGHTERS SO MUCH!

(Thanks, Sarah, for these sweet pictures!)