Water... Water... and more Water!

We got all our ducks in a row and went to the water park early this morning.


The kids started it off in the lazy river and had a great time. This lady kept getting in the way of my photos.


Hello Logan!


This river goes all the way around the water park and has exits to let you off in the area you want to go to so you do not have to walk across the park.

We had a great time in the lazy river and did not want to leave. We went around and around, they kicked us out of the lazy river, I think we were the last ones in it. Once again I need to go to sleep. We have another long day tomorrow. Must get sleep...

Day in the sun #1

We went to the beach today. I must say it is the best place to start your holiday.


We are having a great time. Our friends kids are here in advance of their parents so they can get a head start on the fun.


This photo cracks me up. What is going on with Shelby's legs?


We had some fun surfing, swimming, playing in the water...


Then we took time for a little break.


After the beach it was time for a Florida shower...that means dip in the pool to get rid of the ocean and sand before you get into the house.


I think it was a nice day and now I am going to bed.

SWAMP?

Paige and some of her friends went out to do a little canoeing (SP?) today. They had a good time. Paige said she heard a wild pig and that they saw an alligator. I don't know, I think they could have been seeing and hearing things, but than again this is Florida.


Paige showing off her buff shoulders


Troy putting the canoe in the right spot for a great photo. Thanks Troy!

Happy Birthday Paige!

It would not be a birthday for Paige without Katie and Alyssa...


the beach & rain...


and Cake from Cold Stone

Happy Birthday Paige!

Five months later...

Done! I finally got the curtains done. I bought this fabric back in February at the Webster flea market and wanted to make curtains for Pearls room and finally got around to it. Lets see... Feb, March, April, May, June, July...Hmmm right on time.

Published and on the cover!

Single Issue #19 of Summer 2008 Designer Quilts Magazine featuring: Possibilities, Jason Yenter, Cosmo Cricket, Willowberry Lane, Sheri Berry Designs, Jackie Robinson, and Bonnie Sullivan. Summer '08 issue is available after July 15, 2008.

Okay, so this is a shameless plug for my friend Sheri, but we are all proud of her talent and think the world should know about her.

Not Plaid

Thought I would share some beautiful flowers. Have a great weekend.

Farmers market 101

Bring fork!

Does this bug you too?

I like to pay a fair price for a product and get what I pay for, don't you? Well I really hate how some companies are being dishonest and passing off less product for the same price. Here are two examples for you. You can see the whole story HERE. Also check out Mouseprint.org for other interesting ways we are getting shafted.

Is it smiling at me?

Paige cam running into the house "mom come see" I know when words like that come out of her mouth that I need to grab my camera. This little guy was hanging out on out truck. They are not the easiest thing to take photos of, I am not ever sure where to try to focus. They are so delicate that I am never sure if I am in focus, so I take a million photos and hope that one is crisp.


The face on this guy is very cute. Looks like he is smiling and belongs in a Pixar film.

Who took this?

I don't know who took this but it is the nicest photo I have seen of me ever! I was enjoying reading a magazine in Leisa's court yard getting a few rays of sun on our resent trip. I need to make a place like this in my back yard, with out lizards, snakes, slugs, spiders, sticky frogs and Florida humidity. I guess. I mean, I would like this some place other than my back yard or I would like my back yard to be in Wisconsin, Nebraska or Michigan.

Farm fresh eggs...

Our friends Leisa and Dan had the most beautiful eggs in there fridge I had to take a photo. I would love to have these in my fridge. They were the most lovely colors not one of them were alike. I would have loved to see the chickens that they came from, I bet they were beautiful as well.

Yet another beach photo

This time in Michigan. I think this will be the last photo from our trip. I wanted to take more photos at the beach but time was not on our side. Too many places to try to fit into a single trip. We decided that we wont do that again. We will find a place on the Lake Michigan or we will find a great little cabin in the north woods on a lake somewhere and have everyone come and see us. Too much wasted time driving all over the place. We were glad that we went but it was a hard trip, and we had to make it longer than we wanted, to try to fit everyone in. We still did not get to see my brother and his kids. I really wish we could have seen them... anyway we did have a nice time, but we are glad to be home.

Mr. Squirrel out for lunch

This cute little guy was down town Holland Michigan having his lunch. He used paper and not plastic. I think he was having a nut muffin. We love to see black squirrels, we haven't seen any since we left Nebraska we had quite a few there. KC Tom this photo is for you. Done you wish your squirrels were kind enough to bring their own lunch to your back yard and not eat all your plants and dig up your yard...

40 never looked so good!

Okay, this photo is technically 39 but still looking pretty good to me. Happy birthday old man, see you there in 6 months.

Day at the beach

A few of Paige's friends were going and that is the only thing we needed to hear to pack the cooler and go. The big beach at Clearwater was packed and there was no parking anywhere so we drove down a little and found a spot that was walking distance to the big beach and had parking for all of us. We also had a spot that had steps down to the water and there were hardly any people. Tim found a live hermit crab still in its shell. I have not seen a wild hermit crab before and it was pretty cool. It had barnacles growing and living on it, that was creepy! barnacles look like they are from another planet.


Here are Katie D, Patricia, Alyssa, Paige, Raquel, Phillip and Yasmin having lunch sitting right on the edge of the wall that went down to the water. It was a great view and not as much sand as having lunch right on the beach.


Love the pile of feet in this photo. Tim, Paige, Alyssa, and Andrew all had to pile in so I could get this photo.


Once again Tim. Paige, Alyssa, Andrew and Yasmin floating along side.

Love any day that we spend at the beach. We almost did not go because the forecast said 40% chance of T-storms, but that means 60% chance of a great day, and it was.

Other mother

This is Paige and her new best buddy, they bonded very quickly while we were in Michigan. This is what he told his mom, Heidi while we were there "Momma, your my momma and I love ya, but Paige is my other mother and I love her." So cute, wish we could keep him.

No prompting needed

These two have to be the photographed kids I know. While we were in Michigan We went to the pier at Silver beach. Paige and Scott climed up on this, and with out prompting they did there thing making it easy to have a fun photo of the day. They pretty much grew up together until we moved away and for them it is like second nature being in front of a camera.

Lake Delton ~ Gone in 4 hours

When do you hear of a lake emptying? We we on vacation in Wisconsin when a lake decided to empty and take a few houses with it. I have never heard of such a thing and of course I had to go and see for myself.


Well here are the photos to show that it is in fact empty. I know it was on t.v. but it just seemed unbeleiveable.


Paige, my trusty side kick and I had to explore and walk the edge of the non-lake and I am so glad that we did. To see this in person is a breath taking event. I think she will remember it the rest of her life, I know I will.


A few days of torrential rain sent the 267-acre lake rushing through an embakment that was holding up Highway A'.


Paige and I were standing down in the lake about 15 feet below this dock.


It is hard to see how dry the lake was. It is a little deciving to see the photos they make the mud look like water.


This was all the water left that we saw, and a few unfortunate fish.

Here is a video of it from u-tube it is so unbeliveable.

Dan the fox man

If you are lucky enough to be a cute grey fox, caught in our friend Dans trap, you are a very lucky fox. He is nice enough to let you go. But not until I get a few photos.