After returning from Hume Lake, we spent 2 weeks in Southern California with my family! We also got to visit with the friends we left when we moved to IL. It was a wonderful time together! As in the previous posts, the pictures tell the greatest story, so I'll let them so the talking! Oh, how I love remembering these memories made together!!!
Eating on the beach at Malibu Seafood...one of our favorite places to visit when we're home! They have the best fish and chips around!
Here's our table overlooking the Pacific Ocean...I love it becuase you order at the window downstairs, find your table and listen for your # to know when your food is ready to be picked up! We like to bring a table cloth and our own drinks to spice it up a bit! SO fun!!!!
Can't wait until the next time already!
Grandpa Don and Jane came to visit one day too! Such fun to see them again after a long time!
Reading with Gramma before bedtime is a favorite of our boys...
Saying goodbye to Uncle D as he heads back to Nashville...we love you Uncle D and can't wait to be with you at your graduation!!!!
Off to visiting our friends we've known since college. We loved seeing everyone, having a few different nights of spending time with different groups of friends, and even spending time with friends we hadn't seen for 3 years :) Though we didn't get pictures with everyone, we were so thankful to have had those moments with everyone we saw! We love you guys and are thankful for our friendships that run deep! We were also blessed to share a bit about our journey at our home church on a Sunday morning, and I was also able to share at my mom's morning bible study on a Tuesday morning. What a joy it is to tell of all God has done. How good it is to remember His faithfulness to our family and share of His goodness and purpose for trials in life with all who will listen :) The following pictures are from our visit with friends...
Our boys with the Clays in their awesome tub!!!
At the track watching Uncle Bryan practice...Cole, Kate, Ryder and Jacob :) They had fun playing in the sand pits (long jump) and riding their bikes around for a bit until it got a bit warm! Can you believe it! We had to borrow shorts for the boys...I wasn't thinking shorts in January! My IL brain got the best of me!
Uncle Bryan reading the boys a book...
Anthony, Ryder and Jacob playing the night before we left to go back to my parents house.
Ella, Anothony, Cole and Ryder...buddies since birth! Everytime they are back together again, it's like no time had past at all...
Jacob and Ryder pretending they are on a pirate ship...apparently Ryder is the doctor on board :)
A little basketball...
Being silly...or normal!
Also buddies since birth...what wonderful friends we have! Thanks to everyone for such beautiful memories...whether we have your picture posted or forgot to take out the camera while visiting, we love you and treasure you all...
Visiting Babi and Deda's house! First stop...the tennis courts!
Ryder and Babi...
Cora and Babi...
Ryder being the "ball-boy"
Cole trying to figure out this crazy game!
Ryder serving...he's pretty good!!!
Visiting the geese...
Babi and the boys...
Cole pretending to take a snooze on the chair...
Hammock time!
Deda, Gramma and Cora at the top of the hill!
The boys in my favorite chair!
All 3 :)
The boys LOVED Deda's binoculars and were looking for hawks, deer and more animals in the reservoir that their backyard overlooks...
Cora taking a little nap on Babi...
I was so thankful Babi was also able to join us when we visiting Advanced Bionics again, giving them an update on how Cole is doing since we spoke there last, 8 months ago. What a blessing to be able to share stories and examples of his incredible progress!!! He is doing SO well...we're so proud of him :)
Here we are in the plane on our way home...Daddy sat across from Cora and I with the boys. Ryder is holding Cole's hand here as the plane takes off...Cole didn't like take-off too much, so we'd take his CI's off so he wouldn't hear the loud rumble, and he held Ryder's hand...by the last take-off he seemed to do better :)
Here they are watching a video on John's laptop...John got a splitter so that Ryder could use our headphones, and he plugged Cole's left CI directly into the laptop so he could hear the movie...pretty cool, huh!
What a blessing to have a month to visit family! We realize it's not everyday a family gets to take this kind of vacation time together, so we consider it a blessing that the Lord gave us family to visit and the time to do so. We know we won't be back to California again until next Christmas so that made the time even more precious...One of the reasons we know we won't be back until then, is because we will be adding another little one to our family this summer!!! We were surprised with this news while at John's parents house after Christmas :) Our 4th is due to arrive on Ryder's 5th birthday...August 28th :) More news of #4 to come...for now, we are thankful for the memories we're making with our 3!!!! Praise God for family!!!!
So fun the news of # 4 has been posted for all to rejoice with each of you! Loved getting to see some of the memories you guys shared while you were in CA! Hugs and love! Team Murphy
Looks like you guys had a wonderful time visiting with friends and family. I'm glad you were able to take that time as a family.
And how exciting that your family is growing. Congrats!!