Florida

Can you believe this? This is Justin! Swimming head under, no goggles, not fins, no lifejacket! He is doing SOOOO good! This picture is supposed to be with the others but I can't figure out how to move it... We have been swimming every day while in Florida - the boys love it!

We have been in Florida this week trying to get all of the details of our potential move set, so that once our house sells we can go. We have been here since Friday and have gotten quite a bit accomplished. We are so tied with not having sold our house yet. We have found a place to stay when we do move and we are excited about that. Also, Eric is enrolled in the school and everything is all set for him to start. Hopefully on September 29. We spent the first night in Orlando, and the past 5 days we have been in a house in Sebastian. It has been wonderful! We have three bedrooms, a kitchen, tv, washer & dryer (no going home with a suitcase of dirty clothes!... it is so nice to have some space and not be in a motel room. This is not a potential house that we can rent when we get here - but just one that we found on the internet. Tomorrow morning we are heading back to Orlando for a day at Animal Kingdom. The boys have been wonderful as we spent lots and lots of time in the car - driving through developments, neighborhoods, and around town. So they deserve a day of their own and they chose Animal Kingdom. Thursday we fly home. So in a nut shell that is our adventure so far. We have another Open House for our house on Sunday, September 7 (if you know anyone interested in a wonderful house in the Cascade, Ada, Lowell area send them over) - maybe God will bring just the right buyer so that we can be back here when school starts for Eric. Otherwise we will continue to wait on God... His timing is perfect...

I tried to upload pictures and it wasn't working... okay I got a few - but they are no order...
Playing in the ocean.
I was worried the boys wouldn't have any wildlife to stalk if we moved here - not a problem! They are constantly on a hunt for lizards - and they are plentiful around here!
The house we have been staying in this week, in Sebastian (just north of Vero Beach).
The boys on the plane - they traveled really well. Levi was so excited to take off - he asked over and over again when we would take off - and he fell asleep while we were on the tarmac - just minutes before we took off - we tried everything to keep him awake and nothing worked! He was so confused when he woke up and we were in the air!

Vacation

Last Friday morning I left for the Airport at 3:30 a.m. to head to North Carolina, at 5:00 a.m. the boys headed to Ludington with the truck and trailer to catch the S.S Badger. This was the way that Eric could get the boys and the trailer to Osh Kosh, Wisconsin without having to go through Chicago! This was our annual vacation to Airventure Air Show.

The boys on the boat - it is a 4 hour ride across. They found lots to do!

This is the Kodiak airplane. Two weeks ago it was on a tour and stopped at Lowell Airport - it is a new plane that is great for Missionary Aviation. Eric was able to fly right seat (co-pilot) with the pilot (who happens to also be a missionary from our church!). He even let Eric take control and fly the plane and he was able to log it as time in his log book! This same plane was in Osh Kosh.Levi enjoying "Daddy's Plane" I bought this new stroller for Levi - not certain he would even sit in it. The total opposite happened - he would never get out of it and he would not let Justin have anything to do with it. I was totally amazed - he was so content just to stay in the stroller the whole time! Unbelieveable - still is to me!

One night we went to the Ford outdoor movie theatre where they were playing Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford actually was there to introduce the movie.

This plane is the Dream Lifter and it is HUGE!!!

Justin and his cousin Matt loved watching the airplanes - the best seat from our campsite was on top of Grandpa & Grandma's motor home!
Justin had a great time with Matt.Hanging out around the camper after the air show. Levi showing Daddy his jet.

On Thursday morning we headed north to head back home via the Upper Peninsula. We spent Thursday & Friday in Straits State Park.On the ferry across to Mackinac Island.
Of course our first bike ride on the island was all the way to the top - to the airport. Last time we were there the Airport was under construction - this year it is almost done!
After leaving the airport we biked all the way around the island.
Justin thought it was funny when Levi said he was tired! We stopped and had lunch about half way around the island and let the boys play in the water.A kind lady offered to take our picture!

Justin set out to climb this large rock - he loved it and of course had to do it two times!

Levi too had to try! This brought back a lot of memories because we have picture of my 3 brothers climbing the same rock when we were younger.

To end our time on the island we got ice cream and went to the park for a while. Justin was determined to get all the way around the monkey bars by himself before we left - and he did. Look at that look of determination!

This is the face of a happy camper! We had a beautiful day on the island!

This is the face of an exhausted camper! He couldn't even stay awake on the boat ride back to St. Ignace!

You can't camp without a campfire! Daddy's big helper!
Roasting donut holes - our favorite campfire treat!
A little chocolate and LOTS of sprinkles is Levi's favorite!
Precious Leviand Justin & Daddy!

What a week! I went from North Carolina to Milwaukee to St. Ignace to Home! It was great to get away and just have fun and not worry about things at home!

GEMS Conference

Last weekend I spent in Ridgecrest, North Carolina for the GEMS Conference.

14 ladies represented our Club.

(Back row left) Sarah, Deb, Sheri, Jan, Julie

(MRL) Sharon, Lisa, Julie, Sally, Marva

(FRL) Linda, Sheri, Barb, Melissa My Mom is the President of GEMS and I could not have been more proud! She did so well and had to do quite a bit of time on the stage! Here she is giving blankets to the my friends Lori & Lenae and their mom for coming together to conference.Here she is again sharing her passion for GEMS!
Our ladies had no idea I took this picture! They are learning the new theme song - actions and all! "You gotta talk the talk and walk the walk..."
This is where we had all of our Mass Meetings! We celebrated 50 years of God's goodness to this ministry! We had a parade of banners and as you can see from the balcony - it was a great way to visualize the many years and lives that God has touched through GEMS.
On Sunday the sectional that I had chosen was "Joining Creations Song" little did I know that it was going to be a hike up to the summit of a mountain! I really didn't think I could do it - but I did and I am so glad that I did it!! This picture is of the conference center below - we started out down there - and this was hardly even half way!!
See - proof - I made it to the top! Here I am with Allison & Paulette. One of the best parts of conference is meeting new friends and reconnecting with friends you made at last years conference!

Allison & Sara

Lori & Tammy

Annie & Allisonand Amy!

Amy is a board member this year and she worked SO hard! Thanks Amy for all of your hard work!

If you are a GEMS counselor and never been to conference you need to go! You will be so glad you did! I know that I am!!