As a family, we have never been down to San Antonio to visit my Brother and his wife, Charla. Their precious twins, Liam and Teagan just turned one, and we were able to take the boys and spend several days down with them in the Texas heat. It was perfect!
The Tully's and their Texas Hospitality were so welcoming and we felt right at home. The boys were amazed at watching the babies do things like eat by themselves, through their mouths - they thought that was amazing! Teagan flirted with Mike the entire time, and I think he's sort of smitten by her as well. Teagan LOVED my Ellie Kate necklace, which I always wear. She liked the charms, and continually was drawn to Ellie Kate's thumb print charm. I teared up as she did this over and over. She will never know how special it was to see her little hand touching the finger print of my daughter - someone she never was able to meet in this life. It was a special memory I will treasure forever.
They are Connected Through That Charm
Our stay was over the Fourth of July, and we watched the fireworks in the most perfect of spots - in the park of the Tully's historical neighborhood. It was actually sprinkling as the fireworks went off, but it was wonderful! We were surrounded by many different languages that night and it reminded me of what a special Country we have - one that was founded to welcome ALL people from all religions and all walks of life. It's a pretty amazing thing. 
Ya'll. I love these babies like my own!!
Since the Tully's live in Downtown/Midtown San Antonio, we pretty much walked wherever we went. It was SO fun to get a taste of the culture! We of course ate AMAZING Mexican food and Tyler was sure to fill us in on all of the history of his incredibly special town. The trip was beautiful, and I was so, so sad to leave. I just cannot tell you what a blessing it was to see Ty and Charla in action as parents. They truly are some of the best parents I've ever seen, and I couldn't be more proud of them both. I miss Tyler, Charla and those cuddly babies so much already!! Oh, how I wish we lived closer!
We were home just a few days before we left for our new great adventure! Mike's brother, Drew and his wife Liz, live in St. Louis with their precious kids, Andrew, Matthew and Molly. We haven't been up to see them since Conner was almost two and I was pregnant with Ellie Kate! We were SO excited that it worked out for us to come up, and the St. Louis McLaughlins welcomed us with a darling sign as we pulled up to their house! The boys jumped out as soon as they could, as they were SO excited to see their cousins.
It was non-stop playing with legos, hitting golf balls, playing soccer, throwing the football, playing basketball, and swimming! Going to the St. Louis McLaughlin's is like going to a theme park. They have an absolutely gorgeous backyard with a huge common space, so the kids could run their little hearts out until late at night. It was picturesque, really and truly, and I found myself completely relaxed under the stars each night, watching the fire flies as the kids played and the parents visited.
Molly, Matthew and Henry
We also went to their Country Club pool and swam, and swam and swam; well, Mike and Drew played and swam with the kids while Liz and I enjoyed the warm sunshine and relaxation that comes with laying out and not having to entertain the kiddos. Henry and Conner fell in love with the diving board, and Henry tried to copy the teenagers with all of his tricks off of it. It scared me a few times, I admit - but I am super proud of his tenacity and brave-spirit!!
Henry, Molly, Andrew, and Conner at Matthew's Swim Meet
Miss Molly and Liz took me to the American Girl store and helped me pick out a doll for Lucy. I wanted to get her a special one for her third birthday, which is coming up in September. I loved seeing little Molly run through the store, checking it all out. It's so fun to watch little girls just get so giddy and excited over such fun things! I don't see that often in my house, so I really took a lot of joy in seeing Molly enjoy the store and in just watching her play all weekend. She is a doll.
Sweet Molly
We were even able to meet up with some of our dearest OKC friends while we were in St. Louis! We at a quick lunch with our Hope Link friends, Allison and Brian Dalke and Meghan Dickinson who were all there for a large Scentsy Convention. We met downtown St. Louis and talked about Hope Link and about how good God was to let us all meet up in a different state. Our time together can be described as "JOY"! Pure joy.
Precious Hope Link Friends!
We also conquered the St. Louis Arch!
The St. Louis McLaughlins loved on us so well and made us feel very taken care of. We really didn't want to leave today and we kept putting off the goodbyes. I wish we lived closer. I wish Mike had his brother to see and talk to in person on a regular basis. I wish My Boys had their cousins to play with and grow up with on a daily basis. Family is just a really precious thing, and this weekend was another reminder of that.
We are SO grateful that the Lord graciously provided a way for us to drive both to Texas and to Missouri these past two weekends! We feel loved, refreshed and renewed. We also have made tons of precious new memories with the boys. And of course, it wouldn't have been possible without God's provision, without the help of our parents and our nurses, and without the hospitality of our families!
Ryan
