Hadassah is engaged!!!!

 Oh boy .... some exciting news hit our household last week and we are so excited for Hadassah and Jeremiah to begin planning for the best day of their lives!!!!!!  They are getting married!

Jeremiah asked Hadassah out for their first date last summer.  Their journey together has been so fun to watch and I love how they serve others at the Honey Brook Youth Center and how they interact with other friends and youth group and how they talk about goals and guidelines and life in general!  

We knew "the big question" was going to pop up one of these days!  Jeremiah and Mike went out for dinner the other week and he asked for Mike's permission to ask Hadassah to get married sometime this fall.  We gave our blessing and waited to see when this would all take place.

Hadassah was excited to go to the Pinnacle to take some pictures with Jeremiah!  She was working that day and came bouncing in to quick get ready for the night!  Jeremiah brought his sister Jendaya along because she was going to be the one taking their pictures.  They were off to beat the sunset and get some photos together.

When Mike came home from work, I whispered in his ear that I think maybe tonight is the night Jeremiah is going to ask Hadassah to get married.  I just had this feeling.  Hadassah on the other hand thought about it a few weeks ago and even mentioned to her friend Jess that she thinks Jeremiah is acting kinda funny.  She thinks he ordered her a ring.?.  Meanwhile, we had small group at our house that night and we were busy hosting.  I did check my phone around 9 PM and said to Mike after the people cleared out from small group that I guess tonight wasn't the night after all.  I thought Hadassah would call us if he popped the question.

Hadassah and Jeremiah drove to the Pinnacle and he wanted to go to a tower that they had visited before.  Jendaya was there to snap those photos they wanted when suddenly Jeremiah knelt down on one knee and asked Hadassah to marry him.  She was so shocked and surprised that this was the moment!  He showed her the ring he picked out (with Jess helping him pick it out at Brent Millers) and she loved it!!!!!  It's the ring of her dreams!  Everything was happening so fast and soon she heard this "click, click" behind her!  Here her friend Rita and Peyton were asked to come and take professional photos of this event!  Jeremiah did such a good job at arranging all these details!  Hadassah couldn't believe that the "weird dressed folks" she saw were actually Rita and Peyton and that they were taking photos of their proposal!  So cool!!!! 

They laughed and she cried as she said "YES!!!!"

Because they knew our house was buzzing from small group people, they drove to the Petersheim family first to tell them and then at 9:30 PM came buzzing into our home with excitement and flashing her ring!!!!  

We've been thinking wedding ever since that moment!  Some days my head spins with so many thoughts and feelings and arrangements and plans that need to be made.  It's overwhelming at moments but Hadassah dreams of a simple outdoor wedding.  She always wished for a May or June wedding so we are anticipating a date in 2021!

We are blessed to have such a great man love our daughter!!!!  

You do not have to wonder what we will be thinking the next upcoming months!  Wedding is on our minds!  

 Congratulations Hadassah and Jeremiah!  May all your dreams come true!!!!

Quick Trip to Florida part 2:

I hate that my photos download backwards but here goes.  Of course this is a picture of traveling back home but after the first two photos, you can see what we loved in Florida!  

 

Traveling to Florida in the Fall is such a wonderful idea!!!!  Last year, we attended the Turkey in a Hole event at Gator Camp and we loved it!  They also have the fall flavors and I just had to taste Yoders Pumpkin Cream Pie!!!!  It was so yummy!

I love palm trees!  Austin loved the biking around!  He mastered this little bike from Mommy Lapps shed just fine!

Mike did a fix up job on Mom Lapps shed in her backyard before heading home.

We let Postal 98 Cafe fuel us up each morning with fresh hot coffee, breakfast wraps and muffins!  Just so yummy!!!!!

Austin and Mike did some biking together!

Soaking in the sun was high on the agenda!!!!

The first full day, Thrusday, Mike went golfing with his friend Bob Hailey.  So, Austin and I hopped along with Lena and Anna Ruth and the children to Cindy's pool!  What a gorgeous place!!!!!  We had beautiful views of a lake plus the huge pool about to ourselves!

Then on Friday, we went the beach.  Mike went golfing again and so Austin and I were sidekicks once again!  The ocean water was like bath water and Austin acted like a fish the entire day!

These cute boys keep their mommas busy but also loved the water!  I have no idea why I didn't catch a cute photo of baby Zayla but she was along on the trip too!  She did great and slept at the pool and mostly at the beach!  She was a great traveler and she's so sweet!

Googles and water are one of Austin's best friends!!!!

We ate out on this vacation and Austin got a waffle cone with cookies and cream ice cream inside after dinner one night!

I grabbed my favorites on Thursday before heading for the pool!  I must have some fresh veggies for grabs and nothing beats that yummy granola from Yoder!  This is the perfect blend of foods ever!!!!

The boys had a blast at the pool!  Cannon balls and many splashes!!!!

The older children stayed back home to work and go to school.  Ashlyn was not happy at first that she was staying back but she had a great time with cousins and friends!  Many thanks to Jody and Sari for caring for her so sweetly as we were out of town.  Here she is with Meleah having breakfast at the lovely, new cafe, Agape!  And, each night Mike would FaceTime Ashlyn and play the little music box he bought for her weeks ago.  It's something she treasures each night before falling asleep.  Mike turns the music box as it chimes "You are my Sunshine".  So sweet!

Matthew stayed home to and spent his days at school or at Reagans house.  He did finish his golf season while we were away.  Their golf banquet got changed to a later date and so Mike and I couldn't attend.  Sad but so proud of him because instead of being able to do his golf day with his dad, he golfed with Brian Allain instead.  Parker Allain pasted into eternity last year and he was one of Matthew's golf friends.  Brian is Parker's dad and so what an honor for Matthew to golf with him!  And, AND THEY WON FIRST PLACE!!!!  This was such a fun time for Matthew!!!!

 

This little trip to the Sunshine State was really fun and it took us only a few hours to fly back home and pick up Matthew, Ashlyn and Ginger!  We were all back home .... well, except that Hadassah was already off for her weekend plans.  Youth Center Staff went on a hiking trip and it was her first time going for a few days with camping in a tent and hiking trails.

Congratulations Ritchie on your graduation!  May God bless you as you finish up your term and serving there at camp.  Our time of celebrating, golfing, soaking in the sunshine, eating yummy foods and breathing in the ocean air was just wonderful!

Quick trip to Florida for Ritchies graduation.

 

We took a short drive to Harrisburg and hopped on a plane that flew us to Sarasota!  Mike's two sisters and some of their children went to!  

We decided to Austin with us because that just keeps things more simple back home!  :)))

We arrived in good time but had no time to waste!  We jumped into a rental from Turo and drove straight to Gator Boys Wilderness Camp!  Graduation for Ritchie would start soon and we had an hours drive!

These sister in laws are fun and they sure did a great job with hustling with their babies on their hips and dragging their suitcases behind them.

Austin and Bryce were together a lot!  What a blast!

Travel buddy!

Just what we wished for!!!! Sunshine and warm tempts!!!!

Wednesday was a long day of quick travels and finally settling back in Pinecraft for bedtime!  To now spend a few days in the sunshine and enjoying the Florida vibes, we were excited!!!!

Ritchies Graduation!

 We got to make a quick trip to Sarasota, Florida last week to celebrate and see Ritchie graduate from being Chief at the Gator Boys Wilderness Camp!  This was a 15 month commitment and only God can equip a young man to go and minister to hurting boys!  Each boy has a story of his own and Ritchie went to help, to serve and to guide these troubled boys.  It was a growing experience for Ritchie as well, but isn't that how God works???  It's neat!  Often we go and help others, we end up being helped ourselves!  We grow in many ways!  Spiritually, physically and emotionally.

This camp is nestled in the deep palms and woods of Florida.  It was a wonderful night of pizza and celebrating Ritchie!!!!

His oldest brother is so proud of him!!!!  Can you tell????

The other Chiefs and leaders of the camp encouraged Ritchie as he moves on with life and leaves camp life soon.

Youngest ----- Oldest of the family.

Such great Dudes!!!!!

Just add me to the this photo and here's the crew that traveled to see this all take place!  These people and children are dear to me!

The boys also took turns thanking Ritchie and saying good things about him!  So cool!