New Sneaks

My new sneakers are well over due! 

I few years back I wrote a post above my beautiful new red & white Nike's.

They served me well.  I'ave been running in the well past their expiration date!

 Now I have a brand new pair of blue & whites.  Every time I put them on they feel so strange because there actually is some type of cushion between the soles of my feet at the cement. 

So tired ... in a good way!

Yesterday we said goodbye to my neices Cailin and Maren and my brother Mark after two weeks of fun together! I've been looking though all my pictures and am amazed at all the great times we packed in. Mark and Ryan went fishing every evening and also a few mornings. They had a great time minus the evening when Ryan's bass lure inadvertantly ended up in Mark's chin. They stopped at home to get a picture before they went to the ER but I won't share that pic with you! Mark is fine and the kids found it fascinating!


We did lots of crafts but the coolest one was making tie-dye t-shirts. Here are the kids modeling theirs. I was so happy with how vibrant the colors were even after I washed them!



We went though almost 500 water balloons ... here are highlights of the water bomb war.




Mark took us all fishing at a park near our home where we grew up. Adam is trying to be like Uncle Mark wearing his fishing and glasses : )

We didn't catch anything ... there was a huge rain the night before ... but the weather was so beautiful and so was the scenery.

The kids spent hours and hours in the pool every day ... here is an action shot of the water balloon game they made up. They took it very seriously!

Isaac making a few bombs with the cool contraption I found that makes it a breeze to make water balloons sooooo easy! There is a hose hooked up to it and it fills them and then ties them!

Most nights the kids watched a movie and slept in the camper together.

My sister-in-law Renee flew in yesterday and they're all spending the next week in northern WI at her family's cabin. Wish we could have spent time with her too but she got a recent job promotion and had to work.

Today we're packing as the kids are off to Crossways Camp tomorrow for a week. The boys are soooo excited! I'm going to spend the week getting our home ready to sell. It's going to be too quiet around here! We love having company! When we're all settled in the new house we hope everyone will come for a visit!!!

Love, Joy

Tiger Lily in bloom

Doesn't this scene look like a rain forest? That is my yard right now. It's gorgeous.

Berry Bounty

The boys and I made signs and this is one of mine.

We are have wild strawberries in abundance on our property and we are looking forward to these cultivated blueberries and wild blackberries. We have raspberries too, but they don't look the best so I didn't include those.

Good looking

I love this picture.

Bike Ride

Yesterday Ken and I rode almost 15 miles. This picture is at Hennes Park where we stopped and went down to the waters of Lake Michigan. On the way home I got stung on the back of my leg twice and today it is as big as a baseball and it hurts. I am glad I am not allergic. It was a beautiful bikeride though and we both enjoyed it.

Celebrity CRIBS

What a special gift it was to have Ken & Carol come down to the party.
Alaina LOVES the crib that carol made for her baby dolls. The problem is Alaina hasn't quite grasped the idea that it isn't for her.
What a pair of celebrity smiles from the ladies. (doesn't look Alaina look cute in her new suit?)

Tender Moments

I Rode the Wolverine . . .

and found these beauties at the end of the line

 

Summer Fun

Faith having Ice Cream with her friend Maddie after a great play time outside!

Faith and Maddie playing on the slip and slide

Faith in her new swimsuit

Faith and some of her friends from daycare!

Faith and papa measuring the house at nanas on Fathers day, it was soooo cute!

I love Faiths smile!

Faith Dancing in her pretty dress.

Faith practicing T-ball in the yard with the T from Joe and the bat and ball from GG for her birthday. I think she may be a slugger like i was! Go Faith!!!!

Good night little lady

When I showed Alaina the crib I made for her, she crawled right in. I hope she enjoys putting her dollies to bed.

Two-year old twinkle toes

We enjoyed Alaina's birthday party. She was on the move so it was hard to get her picture, but I got a few. It was a really fun party with lots of people. Their new house is great. We saw Addison for the first time and what a little beauty she is.

Beautiful birthday girl

I thought this picture of Faith at her birthday was priceless.

June Fun

Faith batting at T-ball

Batter Up

Faith and Mariah (Faiths new best friend! LOL) Building with marble works. This was winters when she was a kid and it works perfect today. They really made toys so much stronger and durable back then.

Lindseys new hair-do isn't it adorable. I think she looks 10 years younger!!

Winter and Ryan

Joe and I, we went out for Karokee last weekend with my friend Tara and we had a great time! I love to sing!!!!