Yosemite in June

Finally, an update from our summer...

We were blessed with the opportunity to visit Yosemite National Park for the first time this year, as we went camping with a group of friends from church. I've always heard what an incredible place Yosemite is, but didn't really understand until we were there. It is the most beautiful place we have ever been camping! If you haven't been there yet, I highly recommend it! There are some scenery pictures below, but they just don't do justice to the real thing.

In addition to the great scenery, we also had so much fun visiting with old friends and making new friends. We even got to teach a few others to play pinochle and enjoyed playing after the kids went to bed. And the best part... someone else organized and did all the cooking!!! That is a huge plus when you're dealing with a crawling toddler while camping. :) Thanks Doug and Tammy for inviting us and doing all the work! We were so blessed!!!

Yosemite Falls

Ashlyn had fun hanging out on Daddy's back during our first hike.

Micah and Kelly having fun in the sand

Micah even ventured in to the freezing cold water!

Mirror Lake

Ashlyn, Nathan, Micah and Kelly

A group of friends out on a bike ride. Micah had so much fun with his bike up there!

And he was thrilled to be able to see some wildlife up close.

Micah and Paul - good buddies!

Enjoying Yosemite Falls after a little hike.

With the rest of the gang at the base of the falls.

And of course, you can't go camping without roasting marshmallows!

Eating smores is truly the best part of camping!

Ashlyn even enjoyed a baby version of smores - graham crackers!

In the mornings Nathan and Micah invited the other kids to share their "Joe time" with them, as they read the Scriptures together. Ashlyn enjoyed being a part of it too!

We enjoyed a family bike ride around the valley one day.

Taking a break to enjoy the view of Yosemite Falls.

Although Ashlyn had started walking a little before our camping trip, she preferred crawling in the dirt to walking on the uneven ground. Here in this beautiful meadow though, she was happy to walk as long as I was holding her hands. The meadows there were amazing!!

Half Done - Yosemite's famous landmark. About 10 people from our group hiked to the top on our last day, and survived to tell about it. Nathan is hoping to go back another time to take part in that hike.

Ashlyn was so tired from missing her nap. But she got a little catnap in during our bike ride.

Digging out this hole occupied Micah (and several other kids) for hours! They were trying to make a trap for the many squirrels around the camp.

On our last day Micah found a caterpillar and had fun playing with him... at least until the little guy drowned because Micah wanted to give him some water!

Showing off his find to his friends!

Ashlyn loved this little tree. She climbed in it herself and wouldn't leave until I pulled her out. And she wasn't very happy about that.

And Micah always loves climing in trees!

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls

Ashlyn loved the camelback during our hikes. It's the new favorite for both kids.

Resting while eating lunch. Ashlyn loved her reclining seat!

Our family in front of Half Dome.

Yosemite Valley

He Lost His Tooth!

Micah has been very excited lately about the loose tooth in his mouth. Papa joked with him that he wanted to tie a string to his tooth and to a doorknob, then shut the door and the tooth would come out. Well, Micah wasn't so keen on that idea and was content to keep wigglinng it with his finger.
Today he was playing with Daddy, when all of a sudden he realized something wasn't right. He couldn't feel his loose tooth anymore - it was gone! It fell out all by itself. So he and Daddy combed the floor to find the lost tooth. Here's a few pictures of our toothless boy...

Happy 5th Birthday!

My little boy is growing up so fast! He turned 5 years old today! And we had such a fun time celebrating! I am so thankful for the blessing that Micah is in my life. Here's 5 things that I love about him!

1. I love his passion and zeal for life! He is always so excited about learning new things and discovering more and more of God's creation.

2. I love how his vocabulary seems to grow daily. He's always listening to what other people say and loves to grab onto new words (especially big ones) and use them in his own conversations.

3. I love that he enjoys playing games and doing puzzles with me. We even just completed a 500 piece puzzle from Yosemite, and he did a lot of it on his own!

4. I love his inquisitive mind! - whether its about how things work or trying to better understand the truths we teach him from God's Word, he is ALWAYS asking questions. He certainly keeps me on my toes.

5. I love his cuddles, his amazing blonde hair, and his contagious laughter! He is so sweet and affectionate, and I am so blessed to be his Mama.

Happy 5th Birthday Micah! I love you!

Happy Anniversary!

Today Nathan and I are celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary. I love to use special dates, like our anniversary, to think back over the time the Lord has given us together.

14 of my favorite memories from our married life:

• Our wedding day! The day we committed to love each other for the rest of our lives! I praise God for the grace He has given us to strengthen our marriage and our commitment to our vows during these 14 years.
• Our honeymoon at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC. What a wonderful week that was!
• Our first year of marriage! After being apart for 3 years we were so excited to be married and in the same place. We had so much fun during the time we had together that first year (we were actually apart for 6 months of it because of military deployments and schools).
• Myrtle Beach - our favorite South Carolina get-away. We have so many memories from there. I can't wait to take our kids there someday.
• Celebrating our 2nd anniversary in the most luxurious bed & breakfast in Ashville. That little get-away sparked a dream that we have to one day operate a Christian bed & breakfast/conference center. (If I recall correctly, that was the same trip we hiked Chimney Mountain - and I had 3 broken ribs!)
• Preparing to move to CA during our 4th year of marriage. It was a bittersweet time. We were so sad to be leaving the Carolinas, but excited for the new adventure the Lord had before us. It is awesome to look back and see God's faithfulness to us through that time of transition.
• Camping in Sequoia on our 5th anniversary. We talked about where we thought we would be in 5 years and then in 10 years. We are quickly approaching that 10 year mark and boy were we off in our guesses!
• Skiing together in the Austrian Alps (and getting lost).
• Spending 4 months together in Israel. It was a very challenging time for us in our marriage, but God was so gracious to use it to strengthen us and create so many wonderful memories at the same time. We learned so much during that time.
• Traveling through Eurpoe together. So many memories and things we learned through our travels, about ourselves, and the world around us. We were so thankful for the many opportunities we had to travel.
• The birth of our first child, Micah. It was such a joy to see that little one who looked so much like his Daddy!
• Recounting God's grace in our lives following my health complications after Micah's birth. God used that time to really teach us to depend upon Him and His sovereignty.
• Nathan's seminary graduation. I was so proud to help him celebrate the finish of 5 years of hard labor!
• Watching Nathan holding his little girl, and celebrating the end of that rather difficult pregnancy!!

Nathan, I am so thankful the Lord has given you to me as my husband. I am blessed to be your wife! Thank you for loving me and leading me for the past 14 years! I can't wait to see what the next 14 years will bring. :) I love you Nathan!

May in Idaho

We had a great time visiting our family in Idaho and celebrating Papa's 60th Birthday with him. Bonnie and the boys traveled up with us, so Micah and Josiah had a ball together for a whole week! 2 boys and 1 big backyard - what more could you want?! It was fun to see Bobby and Joy's new home (sorry - forgot to take any pics) and to learn that they are expecting a little boy! Here's a few pictures from our time there...

The Truax Grandkids

Ashlyn, Micah, Jasmine, Joshua, and Josiah

Ashlyn and Joshua had fun playing in the pool, as long as the big boys weren't around splashing them!

We brought the boys' bikes with us so they had fun riding around the greenbelt.

They definitely drew some looks with their Zaks Wax hairdo. But since we were in Boise, people understood the blue and orange. Go Broncos!!

Micah had fun riding across this wooden bridge.

Micah and Josiah spent hours and hours in the backyard, working hard on anything they could find to put their labor into. On this particular day they decided to bring the trailer up by the pool so they could fill it up with water and swim in the trailer. They're quite creative when they get together!

Cookie break!

Love you Papa!

Ashlyn had fun playing with Jasmine in the playhouse

The girls dressed up in their matching Easter dresses

Kisses

We celebrated Papa's 60th Birthday while we were there. Happy Birthday Papa!!

The alligator pool was a big hit in the warm weather!

The boys also had lots of fun on the slip-n-slide!

Wheeeeee!

Daddy took advantage of the backyard to take some pictures of Ashlyn

To finish off our week, we headed back down to the Greenbelt for a picnic and bike riding.

It was a hot day so Micah was excited to find a fountain that would splash him as he rode by.

While the adults were getting packed up the night before we left, Ashlyn and Josh found Nana's tupperware cabinet. When I walked back into the kitchen I found that Ashlyn had climbed right up into the cabinet. So cute!!

Faith Kids Graduation!!

In May, Micah finished up his Faith Kids Preschool program. We had a great year together learning and playing. A graduation ceremony was a fun way to finish up the year.

Micah with his teachers - Mrs. Flowers and Mrs. Kim.

Thanks for faithfully teaching the kids this year!

Mama and Micah

Ready for graduation

The kids started with the Pledge and then sang a few of their best songs

Making sure his hat is on straight

During the ceremony, his teacher asked Micah what his favorite part of Faith Kids was. His response: "Snack Time!!!"

After receiving his certificate, I presented Micah with an album of our year together in Faith Kids.

Faith Kids Graduate!

Micah was very excited to have Josiah there with him to celebrate!

Our family

Micah and Kelly

Micah was also very excited to have Dinanna and Auntie Vonna there!

Ashlyn had fun hanging out with Daddy during the reception.