knox family...

I know I've been neglecting my blog a bit and I have stuff to write about...it has just been a little crazy around here (like always).  So I'm attempting to update the blog over the next few days so my faithful readers can stop complaining keep up with my beautiful family!  So, when last I left you, it was the 5th anniversary of my little blog and we had just returned home from a Knox friend gathering, so I guess I'll start with that.

Seeing my friends from Knox, as I have said before always calms me, no matter how stressful the planning may get (and it does get stressful at times) when we finally get together it is like I let out a breath that I didn't even know I was holding in.  We had a fabulous weekend hanging out at the Miles house.  As always they were the best hosts and we laughed the kind of laughter than I think can only happen among old friends, the comfortable, laugh until you cry kind of laughter.  Our little group has 2 new babies on the way and at the time of our gathering one that was only 3 months old.  We have grown so much.  We started as a group of 6 girls and we have grown into a family of 17.  It is hard to describe the weekend other than that, we ate, we laughed.  In one word I was simply this....happy.  (the only sad part of the weekend...I have NO pictures?What the heck?)

On Sunday, after most of the group had left it was just Bob and I with Dawn, Chris and Hayden.  Chris and Bob wanted to go golfing (big surprise there) and so Dawn asked if I wanted to go to church with her.  I quickly agreed and we packed up Hayden and went to church.  The church was wonderful.  I don't really talk about religion or faith on here, because I don't want this to be a place of tension, stress, etc.  But I just want to write a bit about the service I attended.  As the sermon started I thought to myself "Did Dawn know this was the sermon and she knew this is just what I needed at this moment?"  (I asked her later and she said she didn't know).  The Pastor (sorry if this isn't the right word here) spoke about being the vessel that God wants you to be.  He is the potter and you are the clay.  He shapes you in the way He wants you to be and sometimes he has to start over, and we have to be patient because everything happens in his time.  I am anxious and wanting things to change in my time and to know where I'm supposed to be and what I'm supposed to, but hearing that message...calmed me.  I want to be the vessel He wants me to be.  Since that service I have prayed that I become that vessel and I have prayed for patience.  I guess it is hard for me to sum up here maybe it is one of those things that you have to experience to understand (and obviously I'm not a great writer and cannot correctly find the right words)
After church we went back and I got to play with Hayden and he told me that of all of his Knox Aunties he clearly loves me the best loves us all the exact same amount.  He is such a cutie pie and gave me the baby fix I needed.  After the boys returned we discussed Bryce's little accident and Chris (Dr. Miles...even though I know he hates when we call him that) gave us some pointers about what we should do, etc.  After getting some pictures of the cut we decided as we were driving home to take Bryce to the doctor to see if he needed stitches.  Chris graciously tolerated my text, phone calls and pictures while we were driving. Bryce ended up with 5 stitches (which most came out on their own so I'm not sure how effective they were) and now has a little scar on his forehead.  It makes him look tough! :)  Here is a picture with the little man and his stitches...the only picture I have from the weekend. 

What a long rambling post for my first one in a couple months...  I guess I could have just written this to describe this little weekend in August. 
We may not be related by blood, but these girls are my family, a part of my heart and I love them all dearly.