Ethel LOVES car trips.

Hello family & friends!

This past weekend we made the trek home to Wheaton to visit with family and friends. We had such a great weekend, and it flew by all too fast.

Friday we got in a late, just in time to see Ben and Dad Haist before they headed off to New Orleans for the weekend early Saturday. We were happy that Mom Haist decided to stay home so we got to spend a little time with her as well this weekend.

We stayed with the Dean's this weekend and enjoyed a beautiful new guest room as well as delicious food and great conversation. Saturday was jammed packed. We squeezed in visits to Aunt Chrissy & Uncle Leonard, Grandma and Grandpa Nelson and Aunt Joy AND swung by the Klobuchers! We were happy to see the Gerry's and Lucas's out on Saturday too :) We miss them terribly! Needless to say, Ethel was the life of the party and enjoyed meeting all our family and friends on Saturday. Saturday night we enjoyed pizza night with the fam and a classic, Justin Beiber movie (Katelyn cried).

On Sunday, we enjoyed going to church at Blanchard and having lunch at Egg Harbor with the Dean's. In the afternoon we were overjoyed to see KELSEY AND TIM all the way from Washington!!!!! Oh how we have missed them. Sunday late afternoon, I (Katelyn) also had the pleasure of going with Kelsey to meet little Nolan Casey. He is just precious. Sunday evening we enjoyed a yummy BBQ with family! And then headed over to see our friends Anna and Scott that we haven't seen since our wedding! TOO LONG. It was great to visit with them in their new home :)

This morning we woke up to eggs and bacon made by Papa J and enjoyed visiting for a few hours with Mom Haist and the Dean clan before we hit the road back to St. Louis. Ethel met a total of six dogs this weekend, and too many people to count and she did great. We were proud of her. One thing is for sure, she LOVES car trips.

Anyways, we hope you enjoy some pictures from our weekend in Wheaton! It was an action packed weekend, but a much needed time with family and friends. We are happy to be home safely and relaxing in the air conditioning. Welcome summer in St. Louis. We do not like you!

Love,
Katelyn & Sam (Ethel too)

Family photos with a dog that hates the camera, makes things difficult.

Ethel and Cody bonding.

XBox Kinect ... this puts a whole new spin on game night!

Does this surprise you that this was a dance move?

Home bound!

This is how Ethel rides in the car!

Home sweet home!

Birthday Week

This past week, we celebrated three birthdays! Sam's birthday was May 8th, Ethel's was May 10th (since we don't know when her real birthday is, we decided to throw hers in the middle!) and Katelyn's was May 11th. It was definitely a birthday week of celebrating!

For Sam's birthday last Sunday, we left a wonderful service at South City and went to The Original House of Gyros for lunch in The Loop. It was a gorgeous day to walk around! The gyros were delicious. Then we walked down the street to Vintage Vinyl where Sam picked out a birthday record. Once we got home that day, Sam spent the afternoon working on his last sermon of his first year of seminary (he did great)! That evening, we opened gifts and had a yummy french silk pie. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband. Thank you Gaye for bringing him into the world 23 years ago!

Then for Ethel's birthday on Tuesday, we put a goofy party hat on her and made her take a picture (she HATES pictures). However, she did get some extra treats and yummy wet food that she enjoyed as her birthday pie! She is such a cutie pie.

On Wednesday to celebrate Katelyn's birthday, I decorated the kitchen (Sam) and Katelyn thought it was "just too cute". We celebrated that evening with Pei Wei, no dishes for Katelyn, and an apple pie & vanilla ice cream by request (we're both not cake-lovers). Then we video chatted with Katelyn's family and opened gifts! My wife is an amazing woman. I am very, very thankful that she was born :)

The week didn't end there. Our good friends (and neighbors), Danielle and Justin took us to Fro Yo in the Loop on Friday to celebrate! Danielle even brought candles and a lighter to stick in our frozen yogurt and they sang to us! It was so sweet.

Well, that sums up birthday week for us! It was fun to be together for our birthdays, and to celebrate with our new little pup :) It was sad to be away from family, but we are looking forward to coming home at the end of the month! Thank you to all our friends and family for the phone calls, cards and well wishes on our birthdays! We are blessed.

Love to everyone.
Sam, Katelyn & Ethel

Happy 23rd Birthday Sam!

Happy 23rd Birthday Katelyn!

Happy 2nd Birthday sweet Ethel!

"Her children rise up and call her blessed."

Sam and I are both SO thankful for our wonderful moms and mother-in-laws. Surely God has blessed us with two of the most wonderful women to walk along side us and support us into the man/woman we have become. Thank you Mom (Julie & Gaye) for being beautiful women of God, leading by example and being a true gift of God's love to us. We can't expressed how blessed we feel by your love!


Proverbs 31:28

Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

Sam, Ethel and I are wishing all the wonderful mothers we know (especially our own moms) a very blessed Mother's Day!

Love to you all.
Katelyn, Sam & Ethel

P.S. Sneak peak of Sam's BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION today! I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband! And spending the day with him on his birthday and not having to say goodbye (or being miles apart) was simply the best! Can't wait for many more birthdays spent together. More pictures to come next weekend!