in Community

First week of July, all of our surrounding Community Groups got together for a BBQ at the park. We had a blast and it was awesome to see how many of us there are! I've never actually seen all of the Community Groups in our city or cities in close proximity to us, in one place together... just us. We see each other at church on Sunday, but that's with everyone else there as well.
It was really exciting because someday we're going to have a church campus out in our city and so this was kind of a future glimpse of what that will look like. Especially since there were 100+ of us just at the BBQ! The time spent together was great and the fellowship was sweet.

I realize that many of you have no idea who most of these people are. 

Lets just put it this way... this is our family up here :) 

I'm serious. 

Not only are we brothers and sisters in Christ, but in many ways, these dear 

people have become like family to us. And all in different ways, just like family is.  

We're very, very close to some.

We've shared laughter and tears and had many of them walk through valleys with us

 and us with them. 

With some we only see them on Sunday, but its that familiar, happy, 

sit by each other in church friendship. 

Its that "pick up where we left off, lets go to lunch" friendship. 

Its sweet and deep and easy and its blessed our family so much. 

So when we see these pictures, many wonderful emotions fill our hearts. 

Ally, I like this pic I captured of you... 

                     Rachel got a boo-boo and somehow Daddy's iPhone was making it all better.

      this is a group of ladies I hadn't met until this evening at the park. This is why I love when we all meet in one place. Its fun to put faces on names and names on faces :)

ultimate frisbee was played. 

loved this picture of Megan. So sad it came out blurry :( 

      I like how neither one of them are looking at the camera :-)

       Mr. Nick and his baby girl Maggie

       we love Maggie, but her Daddy is a bit of a goofball ;-) 

      this picture was taken to capture the sun...
      and apparently some random strangers we'll probably never see again.