Shana's Bridal Tea

Sunday afternoon I helped host a tea for Shana's upcoming wedding! What a special day for our special "Aunt" Shana-

The bride and hostesses-



Congratulations Aunt Shana- we love you!



Meanwhile- while BB and Mommy threw the bridal shower, Daddy took the babies to Poppy's farm for the day. They had a fun filled day that began with a browning baking contest- Marky and Poppy vs. Marc, Julia and Tuck Tuck-



They swam, fished in the canoe, had a cookout with burgers for kids and steaks for grownups, and rode the four wheelers and picked blueberries and apples-

Plays and Protetsts

Marky being on crutches has kept us slowed down a bit, but today I decided to get moving.  :)  This morning began early as we went to see Three Billy Goats Gruff at the Children's Theater with some friends. 




Charlie went too- he was in my lap. They do the summer shows in the little studio theater, which is still adroable-

Marky was the only kid willing to take a picture with one of the billy goats and the troll afterwards-


We had packed lunches and decided to stay and have a picnic at the civic center courtyard.




It's a good place for a picnic because there is no street for toddlers to run to- not that I have a hard time keeping up with a certain three-year-old in our family-



After lunch it was on to the rally for religious freedom! We saw a ton of people we knew- and you wouldn't believe how diverse and eccumenical it was. It really shows this issue is bigger than particular religious views- it's about talling the government that it cannot REQUIRE people of faith to act against their conscience.


CSR- I have to post this- you were cracking me up!



Even Charlie and his friend had to take a stand-



There were all kinds of religious speakers and our own Attorney General Luther Strange spoke-



It feels good to be doing something active to protest intrusive government-



But it also wears you out!

Will you stand?

Tomorrow is the Stand Up for Religious Freedom rally to oppose President Obama's attack on religious liberty with his HHS mandate. It will be held in 160 cities at noon, including Mobile, Huntsville, and Birmingham in Alabama. We Christians can complain about what's going on, or we can do something to stop it. Rallys like this help expose this HHS manadate for what it is- OUTRAGEOUS. The idea that the people cannot practice their faith in a hospital is FRIGHTENING. This has nothing to do with people's personal views on abortion, sterilization, etc- those services will be provided (are are currently provided) without this mandate.  This has everything to do with the government telling certain Christians that if they aren't interested in doing morally reprehensible things- things completely forbidden to them by their conscience- they cannot practice medicine or run a hospital.   They are restricting the free exercise of religion, which is expressly protected in the the U.S. Constitution.    Let's not let our government take away the freedoms that we as Americans fought for- the freedoms that make us Americans. 
For the locals- see you tomorrow at Kelly Ingram park at noon!

Overheard

I was rocking and singing to Charlie and from the other room....
Marky: "but he's NOT your ONLY sunshine....." :)

Sunday pics and such

Pics before church-



Sadly, little Charliebear was not in these pics because he and Daddy were at the doctor, where we learned Charlie had an ear infection and throat infection (on top of teething). He and Daddy met us at church and he did okay, but he gets quite sad when his pain meds wear off-



You know what to do with a fussy baby- take him for a walk outside! Cheers him right up. :) He's doing his newest trick- waving- (I'm sad these are blurry)-




This is what we look like coming down the street- I push Marky in a wheelchair and Daddy takes the other three- I think that's fair, right?



I want to remember that Marky has been an incredibly good sport about his knee surgery. He has not one time complained about his crutches or wheelchair or having to skip boyscout camp or not being able to swim. He just goes with the flow.



And, before I go, I have to admit- I think just about anything curly locks does is cute-