Mayla's first skiing adventure...

SHE DID IT, SHE DID IT!!!!!! After Papi spent a few hours making Mayla's skis, and some dry land practice around the yard, Mayla was READY! 

HOLY SMOKEMS....

....It's the middle of August, I know a lot of you are saying the same thing, but WOW! 

The song I sing to Mayla in the morning each time I get her from her crib (which is not every day as it's one of Papi's favorite things to do) is: 'Rise and shine and give God the glory glory, rise and shine and give God the glory glory, RISE AND SHINE AND......give God the glory glory, children of The Lord.' While signing, Mayla is all smiles, and she moves and she squirms, she is eager to start the day, she is excited and she has no stress. Each morning, each day for that matter, I can learn so much from her. She greets the day head on, and I'm thankful for her as a daily reminder that I need to try and do the same. No matter what lies ahead or what stands in the past, we are given a new day, every day. No matter what happens, the sun sets and the sun rises. I'm so thankful for Mayla and how The Lord is using her to teach me (us) already. The way she looks at the trees moving in the breeze, or how she is in awe by the way a bird flies through the air or the sun shines in the through the windows, she makes me stop and think why all these things are possible. Thank you Jesus.

Lately we have needed the reminders of Mayla. Will and I feel like we are stuck 'in the land in between'. We are just wandering, with no direction but yet in a battlefield, daily wondering what our training ground is going to be for the day, and each day it seems to change (thank you J.M for the reminder). We know we were called back to America, this we do not doubt, but it's been hard to keep that in mind when we've been hit and hit and hit and then hit some more. Something that always sticks with me is you can't choose your battles in life, but you can choose the way you respond and your attitude about the trials you endure. And this is something we have been really bombarded with. Obviously we need more work:) It's like practicing spelling with your mother, you get the words right, you won't get them again, however if you mess up, she will keep giving you that word over and over till you REALLY got it (ironically I'm not a great speller so this analogy is particularly challenging). 

We are currently preparing, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, for a family business trip we will be taking. If you remember, Mayla and I were unable to make the last business trip and after an extremely LONG and VERY hard month apart (in June/July), we don't want to do that again, so we are going along.  We leave this week Thursday and are praying that we all come back together, in the same vehicle. We will be gone about three and a half weeks we guess, but with our busy, active, energetic, spunky, walking, non stop moving munchkin, it might take us 6 weeks. Our end goal is Florida for a big Surf and Ski Expo in Orlando, but we will be making a few stops in between for dealers, a barefoot tournament, friends, boat demos, and long walks at rest stops. Yes, thank you in advance for offering, please do keep us in your prayers :o)

Our summer thus far has been WONDERFUL. We have spent a lot of time with family and around water, two of our favorite things, we could have done more though! We have taught a lot of kids waterskiing, wakeboarding, barefooting, kneeboarding and the joy of riding a disc on the water, other wise known as 'the pizza', it got renamed by the kiddo's. It's been pure joy, we have dreamed about these days since getting married, and it was nice to team up and share the same passion together and have so much joy while doing what we love to do. 

We hope that as the day light gets shorter, school buses start back up, and sports uniforms need to be washed all over again, that you too can wake up each morning with a smile on your face, just knowing that you get a new day, a fresh day. 

Dry land practicing with Papi on the 'Pizza'.

What a STUD!!!!

Will with our niece practicing their 'act' on the disc.

Beautiful morning on the water and happy to have Grossmütti along for the ride.

11 Months

happy day, it's mayla, today i'm 11 months old. papi is so creative and used skies for the #11, i sure do like my papi. i was playing peek-a-boo behind the ski, it's one of my favorite games, i'm walking everywhere now and love to play outside, especially the park where i can swing and go down slides. i have 8 teeth and still put every single thing i can in my mouth, you better watch your toes, i will nibble those too:) i clap, give kisses,wave goodbye and give high fives.  i'm content with that, but you know my mommy and papi....well, I have to go play now, have a good day and remember God loves you!