True confessions - I have misplaced the flashdrive with our vacation pictures.  2nd confession - we didn't get that great of pictures anyway.  I might find them soon, but it really isn't a top priority - so here you go.

Wisconsin Dells - July 2014 - without the personal photos (at least for now)

We stayed in NE Iowa on our way to the Dells.  Our accommodations do not deserve a picture, but here is the river we canoed.  If it doesn't look scary - it should - I got stuck on a tree, and under a tree and Ken had to yell "duck" more than once as we crashed into the side of the river.  Lesson - don't canoe a river, especially a fast flowing river.  (Yellow river is located in the only part of Iowa that isn't flat.)  We should have waited and canoed at Devil's Lake - which despite its name was quite calm.

We stayed at Wilderness Lodge - did you know Wisconsin is the water park capital of the USA?  (I am not sure that is official)  It was interesting to note that Anna had the best time swimming at our [normal] hotel pool where we stayed the last night....I think because it wasn't crowded and she got to swim for a long time.....funny when you look at the other places she swam.

Tommy Bartlett Show - something Ken saw as a child and wanted the kids to see.  It was pretty amazing.

Here is a picture of Devil's lake - we also should have waited to fish here, as fishing on Yellow lake was unsuccessful and we noticed people catching while we hiked around Devil's Lake and climbed rocks (not this one)

 Last, but not least, we road in a DUCK ("amphibious land and water tour") .  Ken did this as a kid too, it was pretty cool...the littles got to steer a bit.  It was a pretty tour.

Back to School 2014-2015

2nd grade

 7th grade

 Hey hey the gangs all here (which is a bit of a surprise since they go to 3 different schools now....4 next year - don't get me started)

 5th grade

 Sophomore! 

Carolyn is a teen

We planned Carolyn's birthday at about 4:15 on Friday.  

Here she is the next day....at the party!

 She and her friends got together for pizza and ice cream cake at Godfather's

I love that she is flexible, since it was WAY too hot for our original plans.  We had fun putting together a last minute party.

Here is Carolyn on the same day as an "Angel in the Outfield", helping with our local Miracle League baseball team.  

Joel is in double digits! delayed post from February

Here is Joel around his birthday (February) with his basketball team.

 Celebrating the big day!  (also took his best buddy and sibs to Sky Zone, but I didn't get a good photo - will have to ask Ken....but we take what we can get....I stayed with Anna most of the time, so I have a great photo of her, but that would be out of place in this post!)

 Totally out of chronological order, but here is Joel shooting off his one of his last Rocket as a Cub scout.  (2 weeks ago)

Getting this blog post ready made me realize I haven't printed pictures since Christmas - oh no!  The task is really overwhelming now since my camera needs a new battery and new cord, but since we really just want to replace it totally I haven't done anything!

More favorites

I know this may shock no one, but I love crafts.  We did one this summer that I LOVED and we just started something new to give to the kids religious ed teachers and maybe a few of their friends at Christmas.

First the summer fun....

 Something similar to this will also be Anna and Joel's Valentines!  I can't wait to make more!

Now the newest craft

 This craft involves a HARD surface and a bit of power!

Here is Anna with her washer keychain (and earplugs)

Faith Hope Love

This cutie will go to one of Anna's RE teachers!  Joel, Anna and Carolyn each have a keychain with their name.  I think Matthew would like one that says Centennial (or CHS BAND) (Centennial is his schools name.)

I think Carolyn would like to make these for her friends since now they do mostly "no gift" birthday celebrations....this wouldn't count since it is handmade.

There is one other craft recently, but I don't have pictures yet.  Also I am charging my camera battery to share Carolyn's birthday pics!

Things I love and others....not so much

Anna spent some of her Christmas/Birthday money to buy this great new activity.  She had first played it at her YMCA day camp and loved it....now I know why - best building toy since sliced bread (which of course means Legos)

My niece Leslie lived in Des Moines for a year as a Focus Minister on the Drake campus.  We sewed several pillows like this one....sorry if I actually did a post about this before....I am not sure which is more likely - that I did a post or that I forgot about it :0)

Ok - now that I covered 2 "I love" things....here are two things that fell into the "not so much" category.

Matthew had to keep an amphibian or reptile for a MONTH to complete a Boy Scout Merit badge.....There were 6 tiny frogs in that bowl and the net in the picture was used to catch bugs to feed same frogs...enough said.

See the hole in our fence....BAD bunnies chewed through the fence multiple places and multiple times!  Now the fence is metal covered in plastic....Ken thinks we are safe until they take a running leap and jump the fence......not gonna happen my friend - but too late for the soybeans!

Guess who passed the swim test!

(Anna is pointing to her hand "stamp", indicating her new status.)

This is our very motivated swimmer....at our pool you have to swim the length of the pool without stopping or touching the side to be able to dive off the board or go down the "deep-end" slide.

For Anna (who isn't quite ready to do either) it was more about "passing the test" then what it allows her to do!

Way to go Anna!......really by the time she passed the test on Monday, she had swam 5 or 6 lengths of the pool practicing!

If you had asked me if she could pass the test THIS summer I would have said, "no way", but she was ready on Monday to try.

She continues to measure herself at the lily-pads to see if she is tall enough......but of that I am certain - she will not grow 4 inches in the next 2 weeks.....but I still let her go and check each day we go to that pool.  On vacation she was able to do the lily-pads at the Wisconsin Dell's pool and she stayed at that activity for over an hour.  For the record - it is harder than it looks....which I know from experience.