Getting Away!

"hammock time"

"enjoying a night on the lake"

"MAYBERRY CAR"

A GREAT DAD, POLISHING DAUGHTERS FINGERNAILS

(HOPEFULLY HE DOESN'T MIND I POSTED THIS :)

So you may have guessed it...our "big idea" road trip did not happen this year! That is o.k., we are happy and healthy and blessed by so many great friends. A couple of weeks ago we were able to get away to our friends cabin, just the eight of us! We left on a Friday afternoon and stopped just on the other side of Grantsburg, at a "dairy/cheese store," (can't remember the name, but had been there before with my friend Barb, when we had gone to her cabin). Anyways we had some great ice cream and bought some great cheese and pizzas! The weather was a balmy 55 degrees when we arrived, which is really unheard of in July in Minnesota..we didn't care though we were getting away! Our weekend consisted of campfires, smores, pontoon rides, seeing loons and their babies, miniature golf, pizza with a cooked fly on it (true story), ice cream shoppe, walks, reading, napping, polishing fingernails, golf cart rides, warmer weather, games, visiting a candy/popcorn store and eating a lot!!
Thanks Tim and Barb for a great weekend away, we had a wonderful time!

IT'S A MIRACLE!!!!

Seriously, if you read my previous post.....we have been looking, praying, searching, praying and frankly assuming the worst, as we have had a Coyote and Fox in the neighborhood.
This morning our kids were riding their bikes through the neighborhood and spotted our dog from a distance...yeah, our dog petrified...went running. We have been looking all day, this afternoon a jogger spotted him by the railroad tracks on a trail.....we continued, my parents, and all 7 of us. Troy then joined in the search. after work...10 of us, and some friendly passers by that were keeping their eyes open......Troy saw him and hollered, "Come here boys!" because that is how we call them into the house....he came running, after a sleepless, tearful night we are rejoicing and blessed by the miracle of the day!! Thanks for prayers and calls!!
We will sleep well tonight!

Missing Friend!

Today as our little brother Daschunds went outside for their morning "recess," we noticed that it was starting to rain and thunder a little. Our brothers are inseparable, so when Tucker showed up on the back deck we looked for Link, Shelby thinks she saw him running to our little red barn. I told Shelby that he probably wanted to get out of the rain.....we have not seen him since. This is Shelby's dog and she is simply heartbroken, her last daschund that she had died about 2 years ago. Please say a little prayer that if "Link" is alive and well that he finds his way back to us. Today we spent the day putting up flyer's and driving around the neighborhood.

Twins Game!

We were able to take in a Twins game on Saturday, July 11th! We have had this day on our calendar since April. A friend of ours has season tickets and he sent us 8 and said, "have a great time!" We sure did! When we picked the game date, we had no idea that our local KTIS radio station, was sponsoring a concert after the game. As part of the "Friends and Family" day we were also able see one of our favorite bands, "Jars of Clay," after the game.
We took off at 3:00 and stopped at Chili's, then on to the dome. Our seats were in the first and second row, just beyond third base, they were great seats!! Syfah was able to get a batting ball and in the 9th inning Troy caught a ball that was hit by Jose Morales, so it was an exciting game! The Twins lost by one!
The concert began about 1/2 hour later and that was a lot of fun too. We were able to hear from a few of the Twins players regarding their faith and the difficult times that they sometimes encounter on road, away from families!
We arrived home at about midnight, it was a great family fun day!

The dogsitters!

I think my parents enjoyed our dogs while we were gone! They came home quite spoiled!

My Dad was working very hard in the garage....sleeping

Disappointed

As many of you know, our boys were to leave for Camp Heartland tomorrow for one week. This evening we received a call from Camp H, a couple of the counselors that are there for the summer have come down with the H1N1 flu. Which as many of us know is a big deal! The other part of this is that many of the kids that would be attending, are immune compromised due to their HIV, they have sought the advice of the State Health Department and have made the decision to cancel camp. While we completely agree, our boys are disappointed, they are packed and ready as they were suppose to be at camp tomorrow by 5:30.

The interesting part is that Troy, I and the four girls had already planned a weekend away! We were going to a friends cabin, after we dropped the boys off.......now, we all get to go away for a fun weekend! While I would never admit (no not me) that the girls are also a little disappointed that we now have "the brothers" to deal with.....It will be fun...I can feel it :)

Have a good weekend!

She Passed!

Today Morgan got her drivers liscense.....Yahoo.....I think! Seriously, it will be nice. She went out tonight with friends and her sisters. It was so weird to look out the driveway and see her, Seble, Shelby and Corbin heading out the driveway..(I would of loved to be sitting in the back and listening to them). They were meeting friends for a movie and bowling! It was so weird, I just feel like I am sort of in the Twilight Zone, kids growing up too fast.

While Morgan was relieved to have passed, she was so upset about the guy that gave her the test. When she got out of the car, I was not sure by the look on her face if she had passed....she really didn't look all that excited. She said, "Mom, he was so rude." I could tell that he was all business by the way he approached the car...sounds like he was a real downer. We were warned about the instructors that give the road test in Cambridge...just causes me to wonder....what is the purpose....why do they have to make you feel as though you are a big burden to them. Is this not their job....anyways...just rambling for a minute.

Congratulations Morgan!!

Decided it was the day!

Araya picked out a new bike last summer! This year he rode it for the first time! Last summer, he just decided to look at it, and that was fine. We have asked him periodically if he wanted to try to learn to ride bike, and he has just so, "no, another day." This week Troy said, "Araya, do you want to go shoot hoops." "No, let's go ride bike." I was getting supper ready and I was preparing myself for some tears at any moment. I should of known, when Araya sets his mind to do something he does it....I looked out the picture window, there he was, going around the driveway. His eyes were determined, yet smiling from ear to ear! He did it, it was the day!

Different kinds of Tears...

"Fast Friends"

We picked up Morgan on Sunday from Camp Heartland, it was great to see her after 2 weeks. When we arrived they were loading the kids on the vans, they were heading back home. I am guessing by the kids screams of excitement and the tears in the counselors/staffs eyes that they had a week they will never forget. When they drove out of camp all the counselors follow after the vans running after them shouting, "Good-bye." It was an awesome sight! We (Troy and I) had been taking this all in....Then Morgan realized we were there for her and so did the others, so many of the staff fly in from all over that it is evidently a rare event to have a parent pick up their kid. When they realized that we were there to get Morgan, the tears were falling again. I think she made friends from all over that she will never forget. I am so thankful that she was able to experience this. I will post a few pics of some fun times at camp. Morgan evidently had a little buddy all week, he was about 7 years old, she said she wanted to keep him :)!

"Cross-dressing at it's best...this is her little buddy"