Summer 2010: Part 2

The other trip that Josh and I were able to take this summer was for a family Reunion near the Mammoth Caves in Kentucky.  Mike road with us for the trip.  We stayed at a Jellystone campground that Josh's mom's side of the family had arranged.  Thankfully they arranged for cabins because it was HOT!!! It was really great to spend time with Marilyn's family for the week.  We enjoyed time at the pool, water slide and putt putt course on the campground.

Of course we took a tour of the Mammoth Caves.  It was really spectacular.  I had never been in a cave before.  Josh was a bit too tall for some areas and there was one small spot where all of use had to dug and then jig jog our way through a small spot.  We got to see a cave cricket, which the park ranger told us was rare to see while were were in the caves.  They turned all the lights off at one point so that we could really tell how dark it is in a cave.  Hannah and Madi did great with this and weren't even scared...great job girls! At the end of our tour, the we all got a picture with the park Ranger who gave us our tour. 

We truly enjoyed our time with the Fraizer family.  It was nice to spend time with the cousins and their children in our cabin and we had a nice evening one night around the campfire.  We were able to get some great pictures of each family and the whole family that will be cherished by all.

Summer 2010: Part 1

This past summer we were excited for our move to the Milwaukee area and for Josh to start his schooling at Concordia University in late August.  We were pretty busy at work helping finish some small and large projects at the seminary before we moved.  Thankfully Josh and I were able to enjoy a couple of trips this summer before his busy schedule with school.

We visited my family in MI in June.  Mom and Dad took us to a lookout on the bluffs of Lake MI that we I had never been to.  It was GORGEOUS and a rain storm came through while we were up there. It was incredible to see the storm clouds move closer and closer to shore as the waves picked up and following the intensity.  At one point we were just watching the rain heading up the coastline towards us.  We were lucky and only got hit by a few rain drops.  Then the sun started peeking through the clouds on it's way down for sunset and we saw a DOUBLE rainbow. We could see both full rainbows and it was remarkable!  I got some great pictures.  God's creation is so beautiful!

While in Traverse City we also enjoyed some sports and time with other family members.  We played a round of golf with my dad and mom joined us for the ride. We played a round of Frisbee golf with my brother Jon, his girlfriend Tara and my niece and nephew, Alyssa and Jacob. We also had the chance to watch Alyssa play softball. 



Spring 2010

Josh and I enjoyed the spring time in the house at the seminary.  It was such a nice large house where we were blessed to have each of our families visit for Thanksgiving and Christmas last year (who know if we'll ever have a house again that can fit our whole family).  A lot of beautiful flowers popped up around the outside of the house, including two peony plants! These were my favorite.  One of the most exciting things that happened for us in the spring was Josh's acceptance to a Physical Therapy program in WI.  So we greatly looked forward to that opportunity for him later in the summer.

I had the privilege of helping my sister-in-law Melissa take the kids to Ohio to visit Josh's parents.  Eric, Melissa's husband couldn't make the trip because of school and Josh could only go for one night to attend a golf outing with his dad.  So I made the trip with Melissa and the kids and it was quite the trip!  Three small children on a 6 hour car ride would have almost been impossible for Melissa to do on her own.  One of them got car sick, the baby needed to be fed when we would stop, crying for toys that were dropped on the floor while driving and most anything else you can expect on this kind of car ride. It sure made me appreciate Melissa and mom's everywhere who work REALLY hard for their children and families.  I even think I experience mommy brain at one point.  I was trying to buckle the girls in their seats and each one wanted their bears and blankets, while grabbing at toys and I was also trying to give them a snack. I was looking for toys while trying to help and remind the girls to get in their seats and begin buckling (they could do most of it by themselves).  Finally, they were all buckled up with bears, blankets, toys, snacks and I couldn't find the lid to the Pringles container. I was sure that I had just set it down next to me.  Sure enough after searching the whole back of the van it was in my other hand.  I also proceeded to wake up the first couple mornings after returning home with children's songs in my head. Just a glimpse of mommy brain:)

We enjoyed the time at the Moore's.  We went to a beautiful children's garden and the girls enjoyed big bubbles with Uncle Josh.  We celebrated Melissa's birthday and the girls helped grandma decorate a
butterfly cake for their mom.  It was a fun and crazy weekend...but I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

The butterfly cake that Hannah and Madi decorated for Melissa!

Charlie and his first hat...what a cutie!



Uncle Josh helping the girls make big bubbles.

The children's garden in Dayton.