Oh, friends…we had such a wonderful weekend! My girl bestie and her family came in from Denver. The last time she was here was the weekend Wryder was born and she brought a little surprise with her…she had a baby on the way! This time, sweet baby E made the trip and she did awesome!
Sawyer was in love, obviously, just like the rest of us. 
They played toys and hugged…
played on the playground…
and just had a good ole time!
Aunt Dessa even let Sawyer help feed her!
Wryder just held her hand…
Uncle Ryan read some Cinderella…
and Wryder fell in love with his Auntie D! From the minute he laid eyes on her, he was done for! All weekend, he’d smile and wave and blow kisses; he’d walk to HER and not me when we were practicing…it was all Dessa, all weekend.
We ventured out to do chores and to let baby E experience a little farm life. 
I’m not sure she knew quite what to think of all of those stinky, noisy guys!
She was a trooper, that one!
We watched a movie during naptime and then we got the kids ready for a little water fun!
We didn’t realize that our little pool blew away during the last storm (we’ve been a little busy, ok?! 😉 ) so we had to improvise with a sprinkler and a tarp.
Sawyer and Wryder were all about it…miss E? Not so much. 🙂
She chose to sunbathe with mom and then go inside for another little snooze.
Wryder had a ball crawling all over the yard and playing in the water!
By Saturday night, the kids were pooped! We put them in bed and headed out to the fire pit. It was a gorgeous evening! There was a breeze, it was a tick chilly, thunderstorms were all around us, we were amongst amazing company…we toasted some marshmallows and indulged in some gourmet s’mores – salted caramel anyone?! Oh my – they were delish! It was a good ending to a good day!
I was so sad for Sunday afternoon to roll around…I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye. Sweet Tredessa is truly one in a million; irreplaceable, in my book. She has been such an important part of my life, during the most important parts of my life. She was the friend I never thought existed; the friend I thought I would never (or could ever) have. The Lord crossed our paths in some small ways and then BIG ways and I am so glad He did.
She’s been a roommate, a leader, a mentor, a counselor, a sister…she helped me birth my sweet Sawyer (and wasn’t too traumatized to remain my friend after)…she’s been my party throwing co-host, my photographer, my invitation/Christmas card designer…she’s shared her family with me, her time with me, her life with me. This girl has more wisdom and faith than anyone else her age and I soak it up every chance I get. She’s my favorite person to solve the problems of the world with…and trust me, we get it all figured out! For years I said I wanted to be just like her when I grow up…still do.
Being farther away is hard and we each have our own families and lives but she is in my heart. Always in my heart…
We had so much fun with you guys! You are most welcome here ANY time, you easy house guests, you!
Aw. So glad you guys got that time together! You know I adore that pic of Wryder holding Evangeline’s hand. Love you!
Oh my goodness…LOVE this so much!! What an honor to be featured on your wonderful blog. You already know that we loved and adored being with you guys this weekend. The perfect birthday getaway for me! For those who have never had the privilege of staying with the Phipps, I would encourage you to plead, beg, and connive your way into them granting you permission to be their house guests (Stef, you’re gonna kill me for saying that, aren’t you?). Stef and Wrex (and now little See Saw and WD) are the most hospitable family I know. It was relaxing, hilarious, joyful, fun and SO life-giving! We slept late, ate the BEST food and just got to enjoy some great conversation with our dear friends. And we got to use it as Eva’s first road trip and the first place she stayed overnight away from home. Couldn’t have picked a better place! My bestie is…well, the best! Love you so much, Stef and fam. Thank you again and again for letting us invite ourselves to your awesome home!