the lugbill family: marriage, playdates, and a surprise.

Oh wow, we had SO much fun visiting DC last week! I think it would have been more helpful to wait like 6 months or even a year before going back, because this way it just felt like coming home after being on vacation for 3 months...We stayed with our friends, Justin & Abigail, who graciously allowed us to use their almost-here baby's nursery for Silas. They were the perfect hosts! We got to attend the wedding of our good friends, Ben & Meredith, which was a beautiful celebration of God's glory displayed in marriage. Throughout the week, Silas and I got to visit tons of friends, and Nathan rejoined us on Thursday to attend our pastor's surprise party to celebrate 15 years of service at the church. We were overwhelmed with thankfulness as we considered how the Lord has used this body of believers to teach us, grow us, and show us Christ's love for the first two years of our marriage. And we are so thankful for Mark's faithful preaching that brought us to a deeper appreciation of the gospel!!!

We got to have a couple of playdates with Silas' best buddies, Jack & Cullen! (And the grown-ups enjoyed hanging out too. :) ) Last time these boys saw each other, Silas was too young to really even notice them...but this time, they were definitely more curious and interactive! It was so fun for us to imagine in a few months when they could be running around chasing each other around. :) This shot is with Jack:

Silas got lots of hugs and spoiling from our sweet hostess, Abigail. Abigail was 37 weeks pregnant when we arrived; we're still waiting for the news to find out whether they have a son or a daughter! She was seriously the least pregnant person I've ever been around. I can't believe her energy!

We got to visit with my dear friend and former neighbor, Jessie, along with their 3 kids. Elliot is only a week younger than Silas! Here they are checking each other out:

I think they decided to be friends!

Caedmon and Evangeline join the picture. It's crazy to see how much these sweet kiddos have grown since we moved to DC 2 years ago!

Playdate number 2 with the twins. They kept pulling Silas' hair. We think they must have been jealous. :)

Silas is actually sporting a hand-me-down double from Jack & Cullen. Being friends with twins who are 3 months older than you has its perks. :)

My dear friend, Kim...I miss you already!

Here we were at Mark's surprise party. Pretty amazing that 700 people knew about it, and nobody spilled the beans. To watch a short clip of the event, click here.

In this picture, we are all waiting quietly in the sanctuary for the guest of honor to arrive. Silas was immediately kidnapped by the ladies behind us. He's quite the popular (and photogenic) guy. :)