EMILY!

It's Emily's birthday!

To celebrate here are so many wonderful pictures of Em!! I got a little carried away- I tried to reign in all the pictures, but I couldn't. She's just too cute. (Is it okay to call a 22-year-old "cute"?

Christmas 1996

Mexico vacation in 2008

 

Doing "thriller" moves on a giant terrifying ski lift

Siblings + ocean = jumping picture, naturally

Emily at prom!

Oh hey there, Captain Jack Sparrow

We didn't realize the waves would get so high...

That one time when our family had matching t-shirts on our cruise

Bubbles at Jason & Caroline's wedding

I tried to ruin a picture of Emily. She tried to ruin a picture of me. 

Slapping each other (naturally) 

Visiting Emily on her college campus

After an amazing bridal shower she hosted for me

My bachelorette party

Rehearsal dinner

My sister, best friend, and Maid of Honor on my wedding day :)

Giving her Maid of Honor speech at my wedding

Getting thrown into the pool by our cousin

Looking classy- Christmas 2014

On a random visit to Des Moines

Aunt Emily meeting Baby Colton

Teaching Colton how to play the guitar and piano

 

Christmas tradition: peanut butter balls

Christmas 2014 (We missed you, Dyson and Hannah!)

One of my favorite pictures of Emily and Colton

I found this on my phone :) Thanks Em!

She graduated!

Child Dedication + Mother's Day

On Saturday May 9th we dedicated Colton at our church. This was also my first Mother's Day! (Well... my first Mother's Day with Colton outside of the womb.)

Child dedication is a public commitment to raise our child in the ways of the Lord. This is done at our church service in front of family, friends, our church family, and the Lord. Child dedication is based off of Hannah dedicating Samuel:

"So I have also dedicated him to the Lord, as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord." And he worshiped the Lord there.  -1 Samuel 1:28 (NASB) 

When dedicating Colton, Brian and I committed to:
-Presenting Colton before God and seeking His wisdom, guidance, and blessing in raising our child.
-Training Colton to love God and others and to raise him in the discipline and instruction of Jesus Christ.
-Dedicating ourselves to following Christ, trusting and obeying Him as Lord of our lives.

This was a very special moment for Brian and I. I can't imagine a better way to celebrate Mother's Day weekend! 

Here are our top prayers for Colton, if you would like to join us in praying for him:

• That Colton would come to know Christ as his savior at a young age. 
• That Colton would be a man after God's own heart, and that he would do great things for God's kingdom. 
• For Colton to be a healthy, growing boy. 

Emily + Indiana Trip

My sister, Emily, graduated from University of Indianapolis on May 2nd. Brian, Colton, and I took a trip to Indiana to celebrate her graduation and visit family. Brian took a couple of days off from work so we were able to spend extra time with everyone.

Emily was graduating with her undergraduate degree- she has another year and a half of grad school and will then be an official Occupational Therapist. Woohoo! This past year was not only her senior year of undergrad, but her first year of graduate school as well. I'm not sure how she does it!

Colton was a great traveller. He got to see all of his grandparents and great grandparents and great great grandparents on the Wake and Dunkel sides of the family. He also got time with aunts and uncles and my cousins. We are so thankful we got to celebrate with Emily and see so many family members! Colton also got to play with my little cousins for a couple of nights while we stayed with them. He loved playing with them! ....and their toys. :)

Here are approximately a million and a half photos from Emily graduating and our visits with family.

Emily Graduates! 

She did it!

Proof: 

All the graduates. Ten points if you can spot her. 

 

Getting her degree :) 

 

Brian, Colton, and I at the ceremony

 

Family at Emily's Graduation

Emily with our parents and our grandparents

 

Siblings!

Siblings and sibling-in-law and soon-to-be sibling-in-law :) 

Emily and Colton

One of my favorites because it's so random/classy

Colton and his Grandpa Brian

I think my dad is tipping over from Colton's weight in this one...

Colton and his Grandma Candi (I had to crop this one strangely because Dyson was enjoying a piece of cake in the background.) 

Emily and Dana

Dana with Colton

Colton playing with his Great Grandma Tammy

One of the reasons I had a kid: so that I could use him to attack Dyson

Colton and Uncle Dyson

Colton enjoying time with Aunt Hannah

My grandparents posing. (Grandpa thinks he's on the cover of GQ)

Colton with his Great Grandpa Rob, finding some shade

Brian and I.... then when we realized my mom was taking pictures...

Hotel and Dinner

Colton got some time with Great Grandpa Rob after the ceremony

He also enjoyed crawling around the hotel

Just checking out the menu at dinner

Cousin Time!

Paxton, Harrison, Landon, and Colton enjoyed LOTS of playtime. 

 

Practicing climbing stairs

Harrison and his Uncle Brian

All the boys

We tried to get a nice one when they were all dressed up. Success? 

Dunkel Family

Emily playing with Colton

Enjoying a beautiful day

Just doing a little laundry

Colton and his Great Great Grandparents!

Colton and Great Great Grandpa Gene

Colton and Great Great Grandma Margaret

Wake Family

Colton got to spend the day with his Great Grandpa Mike and Great Grandma Barb!

Enjoying the grass

Oh hey look, a family photo. (Thanks for smiling, Colton)

Travelling

Here are a few pictures from when we stopped in Geneseo for the night. 

Nicklaus Family

We got to see Brian's uncle Dennis and aunt Sherry! We enjoyed lunch with them on our way to Indiana. 

Colton and Sherry

Colton with Dennis

He appreciated the travel break to crawl around and stretch out his little baby legs