july has been a busy month! :)

where to even start? i need to finish the road trip blogging, but so much has happened since then and time is getting away from me! :) what have we been so busy with? well, let's see....

last week we were counselors at camp willowbrook in des moines.it is a small camp, and there were only 13 campers this year, but we had fun, saw God work and were thankful for the chance to serve and to be a part of it! :) here are a few pictures...i was also able to throw my dear friend charissa a wedding shower earlier this month, and we pulled off a HUGE surprise because jan and charity flew in from north carolina the night before and she had no idea!! :) when she walked in to see the decorated table in the kitchen, this was her face when she saw the girls sitting at the table :) (ps: i think surprises are awesome! when i came back for a visit last summer, i surprised the heck out of jan and charity (wish there was a picture for that one! and they told me it's my turn next... uh oh!) :)
here's the (not quite finished) decorated table: and here are the fab foursome together again:it was a lot of fun and the first big event we had in our new place! there were about 15 ladies that came! :) speaking of our place, we are getting settled and maybe next blog i can put some pictures up of the apartment.

the 19th brought ben's 29th birthday! we were at camp, so i had the directors wife (our friend anna) get some cupcakes on the sly and we all sang him "happy birthday" and enjoyed a little cupcake in honor of my sweetie :) we also went out the day before we left for camp to celebrate with graeme and ashlee because graeme and ben share the same birthday! (just different years) :) here we are eating a little birthday mexican food:

we have also been able to help friends of ours move, traveled to kansas for a wedding and to stay with our wonderful hawkinson friends for the night, have other house guests (more this weekend!), gotten our iowa licenses and car tag (boo hoo! it was sad to say bye to the GA ones!), we've had lots of game nights and people over for dinner, and just been social in general :) (we're trying, anyway!) it's been an adjustment getting back into the swing of "normal" life, but we're doing our best and trying to keep trusting God along the way :)

next month we are getting a photo session done by Graeme :) and are looking forward to that very much! ben also starts school and we are having more company come to stay with us a couple different weekends! it seems that we are just staying in a busy season of life!

well that's all for now as we actually have a houseguest today and people coming for dinner soon :) but hope y'all are enjoying your summer, staying out of the heat when possible, and enjoying God's love and provisions! i was reminded of this verse the other day by a friend of mine. Phil 4:19 "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." so thankful He does just that! :)