To El Paso and Back......

Hi friends.

I'm back from El Paso. Everybody survived the trip and separation and Owen did even better than grandparents were expecting. Hallelujah for that!

 Our trip? It was awesomesauce. It was exhausting and exciting and emotional and hilarious and God used those teenagers in a big way. And they stepped up to the challenge. And I love them in a big way! And I'm so proud of them!! Seriously. If you're one of those people who has little hope for the next generation, come spend some time with these hooligans because they will knock your socks off with their smarts and wit and dedication to doing God's will in their lives.

(And they have epic photobombing skillz.....)

 

I spent most of my mornings doing this. I was the resident hair stylist and I loved it. 

 

The rest of my time was spent in this bathroom. Most of the time I was by myself but occasionally Chelsea would come in and liven things up with her quick wit and mad painting skills.

 

We affectionately titled this photo "Mother Hen." Seriously. I was chilling on my bed braiding Jen's hair when a homeless man stopped by and was trying to get into the church. While Todd and Gene were outside taking care of the situation, this is what my bed looked like. Scared much, teens? As soon as he wandered off to try to find somewhere else to stay, the baby birds left the nest and it was just myself and Jen again. Hilarious I tell ya. Hilarious.

 

Best advice I can give you when hanging out with teenagers? Do not, under any circumstances, leave your phone unattended. I deleted 1200 pictures like these off my phone last night. Yes. 1200.

Thank you Chelsea. Just you wait. Payback's a you-know-what.....

 

Saturday morning part of the group got to do some hiking. And by hiking I mean rock climbing. And by rock climbing, I mean I was seriously wondering where our waiver forms were and if we were going to make it out alive. It was awesome and a little bit scary and we even saw a rattle snake. Amazing views though!!

 

And this is just one of the millions of reasons I love these teens. They gave of their time, their energy, and showed anyone and everyone the love of a big God! 

 

Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to go. Thank you to everyone who kept our kids so we could both go. Thank you to the teens for making it a memorable trip. Thank you to our God who kept us safe and changed our lives.

To my teens?

 I miss you!

To the flying cockroaches of El Paso?

I do not so much miss you!

Thirteen Years and Counting.....

Thirteen years ago today was my wedding day.

Yup. 13 years of wedded bliss.....or something like that.

And what better way to celebrate than leaving together on a mission trip to one of the hottest places on earth with 30 teenagers?

Awwwww yeah.

We live it up big at the Fischer household.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Love this guy. Even when he's difficult to love. And you married people know what I mean.

(Luckily for him, I'm never difficult to love.)

Ha ha. That was funny.

Anywho.......

Good luck to the team of people that are taking care of our kids and sweet Liza while we're gone.

May the Force be with you.

And thank you! 

Just the Five of Us....ish

We got back yesterday from a week long beach vacation with just the five of us.....ish. (We did have some friends come down and share our beach house with us for one night) but the rest of the time, it was the Fischer Five and we haven't done that in about five years. 

 

It was time.

And it was awesome.

As I've said before, the kids are at that great age where they would bake all day in the hot sun and sand if we let them. They had such a blast together and we had a blast watching them.

I'll let the pics speak for themselves.

There's a plethora. 

What can I say? I like the camera and the beach and salty, happy kids.

 

 

And there were mucho surf lessons this week. And I have to say, I was impressed with my kids mad surfin' skills. Lord knows, they did not get that from me. I tried once.....a long time ago.....and we almost got divorced..... So I relish my role as photographer now that he has new subjects to teach. :)

 

 

 And this is what they looked like most nights.

And dang.

These three people?

These little souls that God entrusted me with?

They're pretty cool kids.

And I know I'm biased, but really, I like them. A lot.

Our transition back to being home has not been a smooth one. It has been full of screaming and four of us needing a lot of extra patience to help one of us understand that we're home and we're staying put for awhile and that it's okay if his toothpaste is a little bit crooked or his brother wants to play something different or his chair is not perfectly aligned at the dinner table.

And during the screaming and the crying and the needing more than I sometimes feel I have the energy to give, I come back and look at these pics and I know. 

It was worth it.

 

Beaches and Weddings

I have a to-do list today that's longer than my arm, so of course it is the perfect time to catch up on the blog.

Our summer has been action packed with trips and friends and family time - just the way we like it.

Todd's cousin, Trevor, tied the knot last weekend on the Outer Banks. It was gorgeous and fun and Todd officiated, which means he walked around a lot and said that he was "marrying his cousin" which was pretty humorous.

And of course, we had a great time with our cousins on the beach:

Todd and Kenlee? 

Nough said.

After beach time, it was wedding time:

Lachlen. Nough said.

Todd's Nana and her sister were precious. Absolutely precious. They never get to see each other and I could have sat and watched them for days. Precious, I tell ya.

Isaac and Will acting out Todd's role. Hilarious.

Love this pic!

They happy couple with the Fischer's.

What a great day and a blessing to be involved!

Congratulations Trevor and Connie!!!!