Toddlers and Scholars

After Jared and Rebekah’s wedding in Virginia, we went to Conservative Mennonite Conference’s annual meetings in Holmes County, Ohio. We love going each year, and I’ve missed maybe three conference meetings in my three decades of life, so it’s a big reunion of family and friends and lots people who changed my diaper as a baby. The only thing that made sixteen straight hours of being on the conference grounds for three straight days tolerable with three kids in diapers, two-year-old meltdowns, and naps in gymnasium bleachers was all the help from lots and lots of people. Still, it was rigorous enough that I told a fellow father that Conference is probably the best form of birth control around.

Here’s a typical scene, minus the kids we chased around all weekend.

And a gratuitous picture of Benjamin.

Well, after 35+hours of driving, an entire box of fruit loops, about 50 rounds of the Antshillvania CD, and more tanks of gas than I want to think about, we arrived home around midnight last night. It was a good trip and we enjoyed connecting with a lot of friends and family. But it does feel good to be home!

On Monday we attended a lovely wedding in Virginia. Jared is a good friend from Rosedale and recently completed a degree in music education. He did an excellent job of arranging the music, and everything was really beautiful. David and his mom were there to help watch the boys, so I got to play violin. And take pictures. And sing! So I had a very fun day! Here are a few of my favorite pictures (click on the small ones to see them full-size):

Congratulations Jared and Rebekah!

We had a great time with the Weavers last weekend. It was fun to be in to be in Alabama again. We had an OK

drive from South Bend last Thursday (and “OK” with 3 kids in the back seat for 10 hours is really pretty

good).  We stopped several times–once at a Presbyterian church with some interesting out buildings that the boys could explore.

All of my dad’s siblings were there and many of my cousins. It’s a really fun family to be a part of and it was fun to watch the boys get to know them better.

Andrew and Jonathan were very excited to see Grandpa Carl who enjoyed showing them trees, pinecones, and everything else, and Grandma Sharon who read them lots of stories.