DeLong's

Room Up-Date

2009-10-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

This is what the room looked liked when we started.

This is were we are as of tonight. Still quite a bit to do but we have come a long way!

Carpet Clean-Up

2009-10-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

This is the corner I started in. Once I got an edge the rest of the carpet came up pretty easy.

You caught me doing nothing!

This is what was under the carpet. A foam carpet pad that fell apart once you started to move it.

The floor under it all.

Braces Update

2009-10-03T16:43:00.001-07:00

This is a picture just after Mackenzie got her braces on the end of April.

This is a picture from the end of September. Her teeth actually moved rather fast. She is excited and I am too. She now has the expanders (wires between the teeth to make room for her permanent tooth) on and they hurt only a little on they day they do the adjustment. She has been in almost no pain. Praise the Lord!

MOPS Convention

2009-09-29T06:40:00.000-07:00

Heather and Stephanie patiently waiting for their ride!

What a great time we had with 4000 other women. The worship time is unbelievable!

It was great to have my sister Kristine attend this year. Dawn and I have both attended 6 conventions! Needless to say we always have a great time!

Run In with a Van

2009-09-01T16:08:00.001-07:00

I just knew this day would come!
Last night we arrived home after dark. I got out of my door. Amber followed out her door right behind me. I stopped at the back of my van and opened the hatch. While the hatch was opening Amber came around the corner and the door caught her. We were Praising the Lord that the door did not hit her eye.

This morning we were the first ones at the doctors office. He worked us in. Removed the tape (okay, I went a little overboard with the tape. That's the only thing that hurt her was the tape removal) and found her wound was looking good. He said to keep it clean and don't put anything on it.
During the night it closed up quite a bit.

Friends Outing

2009-08-27T07:14:00.001-07:00

Macknezie and I along with a friend from school and her mother, took off and went to Michigan Adventure for a day. The weather was perfect and we had a great time.

The girls enjoyed the rides!

They had mini Go Karts.

Before you know it she will be driving for real and waving goodbye to me.

The night in the hotel was a big hit! The girls were up...Had breakfast....and in the pool by 8:30.

What's up with this weather?

2009-08-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Okay...rain....sun....rain....rain....sun/rain.
This is how the week is going. Have made the most of the sunny days. Played at the beach, lunch outside, great bike ride with ice cream, dinner cruise (pizza on the pontoon). What more could you want from a summer day.
And those rain days have been great to get a little reading in. The girls have been playing great together. Harmony in the house. PTL.
Back to reality this afternoon. Laundry and so much more!
Looking forward to Movie night tomorrow!

Fair Days

2009-08-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

It's fair time once again. We spent last Tuesday at the Imlay City Fair. My nephew Ethan pictured in the plaid shirt one Grand Champion Pen and Reserve Champion Market.

Here Ethan is with his sister Micaela telling her how to do it!

Levi and Micaela both took 1st place in their market class. Way to go guys!!! We are proud of you!

Amber and cousins Drake and Kaleb enjoying the show.

Mackenzie had front row seats at the show.

Cousin's Autumn and Drake both showed in the clover buds. They are to young to show market animals. They both did an outstanding job showing their cousins sheep.

Camping in Caseville

2009-07-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

RAIN!!! We had our fill of Rain. We had my 10 x 20 tent that we had 3 picnic tables under and a huge tarp that was supported up in the trees that was over our fire pit that was probably 40 x 20 so we made the best of a bad situation.

We ate well! Of course we always do. Got to love those community meals where you fix the food for everyone so you don't have to cook daily. I made breakfast on Monday and Dinner on Wednesday. Too bad I can't get the neighbors to do that here.

We did have a few days where we were able to go to the beach when it did not rain all day. On Saturday our group particiated in a sand castle contest. They made a huge Sand Town complete with a castle. They did win first place. It was fun to see everyone working together have a good time.

The kids enjoy snacks on the beach. One days Amber told me she didn't want to swim or play in the sand she just wanted to go and eat one of those good sandwiches I make. She did play in the sand and enjoyed being buried. I never did like being buried in the sand. Had a fear they'd bury me and leave me for the sea gulls to munch on.

This is what I looked liked going to the beach. I have graduated from the wagon and am now the bag lady with her own cart.

Niagara Falls

2009-07-16T06:10:00.001-07:00

We were at the falls with my brother Daniel family. Along with my mom and another nephew. We thought we would take in the Maid of the Mist, but the kids thought they were getting wet enough from the mist that was hitting us from the falls.

"Is it my turn to use the camera? "

There was even some time for some hand holding.

Our God is Amazing! His creation is beautiful!

Delay in Return

2009-07-14T05:45:00.001-07:00

Yes....This is a picture of a wrecker in front of my parent's motor home. On Saturday morning we left WOL Family Campground in New York to head home. Once we had cleared the 2 hours in the mountains and been on the tollway for about 30 miles we ran into problems.

It had started to rain very hard. We were on the toll way and the motor home started losing speed. The engine was running but we were getting no where quickly. We pulled off and after a couple of attempts realized we were not going anywhere.

God had it all worked out.

*10 miles of construction was a 1/2 mile ahead of us.

*A state police officer and a big wrecker were sitting in the turn around right besides us.

*The wrecker took us to their repair shop.

*Repair shop closed would not be able to look at us until Monday.

*Repair shop had a Best Western within walking distance.

*Found a 7 passenger van after 2 hours. Thought we might have to rent 2 vehicles.

*Spent multiple hours in Niagara Falls which was a bonus.

*Dad brought our van to Niagara Falls Sunday Night.

*The motor home was not serious.

*We came back home on Monday afternoon along with my brother Daniel's Family.

*Dad & Mom returned the rental car and got the motor home.

*Dad & Mom went back to my brothers and Dad got to visit with them.

So....everything worked out great but it was not what we expected at all.

I will post vacation pictures soon.

5 Days of Rain

2009-07-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

Does it rain because we bring the big tent? This is the question I have been asking. Last summer the two times we were camping we had our new 10 x 20 tent and it got lots of use. We are currently camping in up state New York and have the tent and it has rained the last 5 days. Today we have not had a shower yet.
Despite the weather we are having a great time as a family. We have 16 of the 32 of us here. The kids are having a great time playing (lots of bike riding) with their cousins.
I'll post pictures when we get home. We were tempted to put life jackets on and stand in the volleyball court that was under water. Thought it would be a great family picture.

Mud Bath Anyone?

2009-06-30T12:16:00.001-07:00

Last Friday the girls had two friends over. They enjoyed a picnic lunch under a tree in the front yard until a spider decided to join them so they left the shade and moved to the driveway to finish.

Malia and Mackenzie decided it would be great fun to play in a little mud. They covered themselves in mud and them proceeded to take a bath in the kiddie pool.

Looks like fun but I wasn't about to join in.

Their skin no longer shows signs of aging!

Fishing and Golfing

2009-06-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

These were the girls two favorite things they did when we spent a week at grandma's when school got out. The picture does not show but on the end of both girls fishing rod is either a rubber blue fish or a nut because Amber's rubber fish flew off the line. Needless to say we had no fish to clean! :) Mackenzie came running off the dock once screaming because she was sure Amber had a fish on her line. It was a stick! I don't think we will be putting a real hook on anytime soon.

The girls are ready to go to the golf course to hit a few balls. This was their first time. They both really liked golfing.

School's Out!

2009-06-06T05:02:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Night Amber graduated from Kindergarten! The grandma's came along with Uncle Daniel, Aunt Dawn and their family. It's hard to believe Amber is now in the First Grade.
Mackenzie's last day of school was on Tuesday. She had an awards assembly on her last day. She enjoyed school this year and did well too.

Okay...so she did not win the egg toss at her school party. Talk about having egg on your face!

All In a Days Work!

2009-06-01T16:34:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to remove the wall paper in the girls room for years! It happened today. Stephanie, Heather and my mother-in-law can over and helped make it happen. We had a great time working together and boy and I excited and so are the girls. The project is no were near complete but I feel like the dirty work was completed today. I hoping to work some more in their room this week. Maybe I will get the carpet out of their room in time for garbage pick up on Thursday AM.

How Much Did I Pay?

2009-06-01T03:36:00.000-07:00

Okay...So this is not original. I saw Kelly's blog a few weeks back when she took a picture of the items she bought. This is what inspired me. Please cast your vote on my grocery bill. I shopped at Meijers. I had coupons. Following is a list of items purchased:
Meijer Milk Gallon, Wheat Bread, Large Eggs, Frozen Tator Tots
Kraft: 2 BBQ Sauce, 16oz Italian Salad Dressing
Lays: 2 Kettle Chips
G.M. Cereal: Total, Multi-Grain Cheerios, Fiber One
Betty Crocker: 3 Fruit Stackerz, (2)Brownies Ulitimates, (2) Cookie Mix, (1) Cookie Dough ready to cook, (2) Box Potatoes, (2) Suddenly Salads
Orville R. Popcorn 2 @ 3 in a box, Frozen Pizza original cost 6.59, Hefty Tall Kitchen Garbage bags tie top 30 count, 1 Coffeemate creamer, 1 Jasmine Rice, 1 Heluva Dip
Dry Idea D.O.

Larissa Graduates!

2009-05-29T04:15:00.001-07:00

Our oldest niece graduated from High School this week. We have helped celebrate this milestone for the last few weeks. What a great time we have had. It was exciting to see her walk across the stage and receive her diploma from Grandpa. He has just completed about 35 years serving on his local school board. It was just over 3 years ago that Larissa was paralyzed from the waist down. To see her today you would not know. She is a beautiful girl who has left a positive impact on many.

School Picnic

2009-05-22T03:54:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week the girls had a school wide picnic. The weather was perfect. The girls really enjoyed the games that they got to play together. I'm sure they would enjoy any time that they could play and not be in the classroom.

Amber's class was releasing their butterflies. Mrs. Bell (teacher) got caterpillars about a month ago. They got fat, spun their cocoon, then turned into butterflies. All 5 lived to fly away. What a great project.

Right of Passage

2009-05-21T03:57:00.000-07:00

On Monday Steve and I had a meeting at church. The granddaughter of the neighbor stays every Monday night with her grandma. She is a regular at our house on most Mondays. Kaylie turned 12 this winter and she was interested in baby sitting. So...Monday Kaylie had her first baby sitting job watching (playing) with the girls. Everyone was excited about this BIG event. Of course, Grandma was home and just across the road so Steve and I felt comfortable to have the three of them home alone. In just 4 short years it will be Mackenzie baby sitting. Where does the time go?

Scavenger Hunt

2009-05-20T04:12:00.001-07:00

On Sunday night we concluded our T-N-T (kid's club program) time. Lynn planned a wonderful scavenger hunt theme event. Along with the scavenger hunt we also had to take pictures of our teams doing funny things. Here are a few pictures from our team, who by the way WON with the most points. We had to pretend to throw someone in the dumpster, push the van while some of the kids were showing their muscles and pretend to eat a sour pickle in the kitchen.

My kids are still talking about how much fun they had! Way to go Lynn!!!

Hair Cuts and Pedicures

2009-05-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to my brother Willie and Kelly's home. While we were there the sheep shear came to give their sheep a hair cut. The girls checked out the activity in the barn. I believe Mackenzie is pleased that we live in town.

My brother Willie trimming some toe nails.

Larissa and Ethan hard at work!

Even Amber got into the action. Here she is stomping down the wool in the chute.

The girls were tired and filthy at the end of the day. They however had a great day.

Elegant Dining

2009-05-08T04:15:00.000-07:00

Last night Amber was setting the table for dinner. She asked me for a piece of paper that I didn't need anymore. I walked into the dining room and was just about to complain about her not having the table set when I noticed she was in the process of making name cards for each of us for our place setting. I'm glad I caught my tongue before I said something that would have ruined her wonderful idea.

She felt pretty special. I have wonderful kids. I just need to remember to be patient or "name card" opportunities will be missed.

Art Show

2009-04-27T16:40:00.001-07:00

Mackenzie has been in an after school art class for about 8 weeks. Tonight was the art show. She really enjoyed this extra art time and she did an excellent job on her projects.

I'm sorry some are sideways. I did fix them before I moved them here but they uploaded this way.

The clay project was very delicate.

These are her fellow art students.

Painting Pottery Part II

2009-04-09T16:42:00.001-07:00

These are the finished pieces. Last night when we brought them home, I washed Amber's plate because she could not wait to eat on it. Last night alone she ate off it 3 different time. She thought she needed to use it even if it was for just a little snack. Mackenzie used her sunflower dish for ice cream.

Painting Pottery

2009-04-09T05:14:00.000-07:00

On Amber's actual birthday which was on a Thursday, I took the girls to Bay City to paint pottery. It's been about a year since we went last. They had such a great time and have mentioned that this was something they would like to do for a birthday party.

Dinner

2009-04-08T04:11:00.001-07:00

Thanks Jenny for the Chicken Fajita recipe. I made it for dinner last night and it was a hit.

I will be making this again.

I also used one of the taco seasoning recipes that Kara posted for a Taco Salad I took to a school lunch. I liked the flavor and I will not be buying any more taco seasoning.

How's Your Attitude?

2009-04-07T05:05:00.000-07:00

The picture tells it all! Yes, she has put a piece of tape over her mouth with a smile drawn on. I couldn't help but laugh and get the camera. I must have said something about putting a smile on her face. Even her eye brows are saying "I may look like I'm smiling but I don't have a happy heart!"

This is how she left for school. I'm praying she has a good day.

Celebration!

2009-04-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we had the family over to celebrate Amber's Birthday. Here she is wearing a mermaid costume. She had a hard time keeping her shell's up. We taped them on but she didn't like that so she had droopy shells.

Didn't I do a great job on the cake? Yes....I did take the picture, process the photo, delivered the photo to Sam's Club and they made the cake. Boy... I didn't even break a sweat.

It only took 2 blows to put these candles out! She was so excited that it only took 2!

Is there a birthday party in the next room? Michigan State was playing so everyone was enjoying this party!

Happy 6th Birthday Amber!

2009-04-02T05:57:00.001-07:00

Today Amber turned 6 years old. When she took her bath last night we sang a silly song about out with the 5 in with the 6. All her 5ness washed down the drain. Okay...so we a little silly at our house sometimes.
She made the X-ray of her foot when they were studying the letter X at school.
She loves to sleep with her big penguin that she got from Uncle Keith a number of years ago. Penguin has even made the trip to school for special reading days.

She loves snacks and sweets. Yesterday while I was in North Branch I bought some special glazed sugar cookies from the Bakery. The cookies would be her special treat to take to school today. I gave her one last night and after just one bite she told me she didn't like it. So much for me trying to do something special. The picture with Amber and her cookie is from her Valentine's Party at school this year.

Amber did get to skate at least one on the Vassar public skate ring. The weather did not cooperate very well.

Here she is just being cute! She is quick with a smile and makes us laugh often.

Happy Birthday Amber! We love you!!!

Beware!

2009-04-01T05:03:00.000-07:00

April Fool's Day is upon us! Mackenzie had a private conversation with one of the girls yesterday at her Orthodontic appointment. She was excited when she left the office and was up early to pull this off. She got both her dad and I.

As she was leaving she said that there was another prank in the house waiting for me. The only hint she gave was that it had nothing to do with water. I'm going to be cautious around here.

Birthday Party at MOPS

2009-03-31T09:27:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Everyone! We had a birthday theme day on 3/24. Gini made the above cake giving us lots of tips on making a birthday cake. Belinda provided us with some great theme birthday ideas along with games. My Uncle Don came and showed us some things we could make with balloons. We all had a great time. Kyleen is showing us her sword with no blade. She is one safety conscious mom.

Andrea is pretty in her party hat!

Scrapbooking Fun!

2009-03-30T10:04:00.001-07:00

Okay...so we had to take a little break from scrapbooking! Chocolate anyone? On Friday night we had a 70/80's theme night. Here are a few pictures of some of the gals dressed in their outfits for the night and enjoying the chocolate fountain. There were no chocolate fountains back then but there was fondue.

End of Swim

2009-03-23T06:08:00.001-07:00

The girls just completed their 3rd year of taking swim lessons in Frankenmuth. They are both improving and it's a wonderful break in the middle of winter. Besides the swim lessons they get to invite a friend to the water park for one night and then they both receive a 1 day pass to use later at the water park. This year they had their lessons during the same hour.

When it was warm one day last week Amber thought it was warm enough to go swimming outside.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2009-03-20T05:15:00.000-07:00

My mom, Kate, had a birthday on Wednesday. Only a few of the 18 grandkids are pictured with her. Some of us were able to gather to wish her "Happy Birthday" on her birthday. The cupcakes and cake were so springy. The kids loved the cupcakes. It was a great "64th" birthday celebration for her.

Friends

2009-03-17T18:19:00.001-07:00

Ellie and Adam stayed at our house for part of this past weekend. Sunday after church we went to Burger King so the kids could play at the play land. They really wanted to go to the park but after checking two parks that were closed Burger King got the vote. We ended up playing at the playground at Adam and Ellie's school and then the kids later played on the play equipment at church. They had fun playing together put their time went way too fast.

T-N-T Time Fake an injury night! This is a picture of the Amber's class. Everyone had fun showing off their injuries.

Mom...I don't feel good.

2009-03-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is our morning.....Everyone is up, dressed, hair done, teeth brushed, backpacks packed, lunches made and breakfast done.
Amber goes back and lays in her bed and said that she does not feel well. Okay..I'm believing her. She is a little warm (I did not take her temp) and she was clingy last night.
Mackenzie starts with the "I don't want to go to school" talk. I hear it too often. She says her stomach doesn't feel good.
She has only missed 1 day maybe 2 this year so........Is she really sick or just playing me?
I hope this is the hardest thing I deal with this week. If so, life is easy.
Anyway...both girls stayed home. However, Are they sick??? I don't think enough to be home. So....I'm taking Mackenzie in to school. It has interrupted my day but I don't have a kid hanging out all day when they should be in the classroom learning.

Just a Visiting!

2009-03-14T11:46:00.001-07:00

Last evening the girls and I took off and went to North Branch. Dawn and I went shopping while the girls stayed and played with some of their cousins. We spent the night and around noon today we stopped in to see my grandma who turned 93 last month. Grandma Cooker we all call her because food is aways offered when you stop. The girls enjoyed Cinnamon bread, bananas and an orange. I had the privilege of fixing grandma a tuna sandwich. A tuna sandwich was her Sunday evening after church meal for many years. I'm not sure if she still does tuna on Sunday night. I would say no because of the many cans that are on her shelf.
The weather is beautiful today. What a great day for a visit!

Addict

2009-03-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

Okay...I think I'm an addict! Of what you may be asking? I've been listening to podcasts on my ipod. Today I found another blog talk radio show I wanted on my ipod and when I went to sync my ipod with itunes all my podcast disappeared from my ipod. I tried to fix it on my own and after several attempts I had to call in the big guns to help (my hubby). After 2 left messages 40 minutes apart he returned my call. He walked me through the steps and as I'm writing my idpod is getting uploaded with all my old podcasts and some new ones.
I'm a happy camper now!

Sleep

2009-03-12T05:25:00.001-07:00

We can't seem to get enough sleep lately. Sunday, the first day of the time change, we didn't seem to do to bad. Okay..we were late to church but that was because we needed to drop Steve off at work. Yes, we missed the exit and had to cross the river and come back but we got up okay.

Monday, we forgot to set the alarm. Amber comes into our room at 7:34. I open my eyes and immediately know that we have overslept.

But since then it seems to be a struggle daily to get out of bed. We haven't been to bed early but by no means real late either. I hope our inner clocks adjusts soon.

This is a picture of Mackenzie sleeping in the princes bed on a vacation in May of 2004. This bed was amazing. It reminded me of the "Princess and the Pea" kind of bed. It was so soft. I would love to stay at that hotel again just for the bedding.

Date Night

2009-03-10T19:02:00.000-07:00

I called my mom yesterday and asked if she was available to come over and watch the girls so Steve and I could go out. So tonight she came over and we went on a date.

We had a very nice dinner at Uno's. I ordered the Lemon Salmon with roasted veggies. The meal was good.

We then worked on filling in the "If-Then" chart and "The Blessing" chart. I'm looking forward to using these wonderful tool to help us raise Godly children. Now all I need to do is be consistent in using them and pray that each one of the girls has a desire to live in obedience to God.

I pulled this picture of us from an anniversary weekend about 5 years ago. I don't seem to have any current photos of us together in my library. Maybe I can get Amber to send me a copy of the picture she took of us together at Olive Garden.

Family Movie Night

2009-03-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

We showed "Horton Hears a Who" last night. We had about 30 there. This was a first for us. We have the license now so I believe more movie nights are in the future. My family had a great time and I believe everyone else did also. Here are a few pictures I took.
Mackenzie really likes pizza!!!! Okay, so these pictures with Mackenzie and Jacob and then Mackenie and Rachel were staged. Put the rest I just went around and took.

Daily Devotion

2009-03-07T06:52:00.000-08:00

I just started this week doing devotions on line. I'm using the "Our Daily Bread" from rbg.org. Today's devotion is on "God's Love and Ours". It was a great devotional. If you haven't been in the word today check out this devotion. Do some of you do a devotion on line? If so and you like it let me know the address.

Mama said there'd be days like this!

2009-03-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Steve!
I don't think this will be a day Steve will forget ever. It probably was his worse one yet.
He still is fighting the cold. His cough is terrible. I think he would have stayed in bed today but at 6am he gets a text message that the power is out at work and the generator did not start so all computer systems are down. Needless to say he spend a very exhausting day at work trying to get HDI up and running again.
The girls and I stopped about 3:30 bringing him B/L/D because he did not have anything to eat all day.
He was able to come home shortly after that only to have a leaking boiler at home. So tonight he spend the evening try to repair our 76 year old boiler. I believe he has had success.
The picture is from Christmas. He wanted a remote helicopter. It is still in the box. I should rewrap in and give it again. I hope he will find the time soon to play.

Honey is Sick!

2009-03-05T03:43:00.001-08:00

My honey is not feeling well at all. He has a cough, fever and all the other stuff that is going along with this crud. I came on kind of fast. His birthday is tomorrow and being sick is no way to spend your special day.
Did you notice his winter hat? It may look funny but when your out on a cold day moving snow it keeps you warm!

Happenings!

2009-03-02T05:55:00.000-08:00

So it's not Christmas anymore but I was in the mood to post so I pulled up a Christmas picture.

Mackenzie asked Santa for a heater for her room. I'm pretty sure that was not a normal request for a 8 year old. Santa did deliver. She is enjoying a warm room when she goes to bed and wakes up.

Amber is full of funny comments. Upon returning from our anniversary get-away, Amber said "Dad, I thought about you alot while you were gone but I didn't think about mom at all!"

She sure does love her daddy. I'm okay that I'm about 4 or 5 on her top "I love" list.

2009-03-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

Okay...I figured it out.
I forgot to mention that his mom's house is at the bottom of a steep hill and only 4 x 4's can go down the drive so we had to carry our luggage up and down the hill. On Saturday night the drive was very slippery so getting down was quite an event. We laughed a lot and Steve almost fell a few times.

Mackenzie loves to play in the snow. She is in a snow tunnel that she made in the snow bank at school.

10 years!

2009-03-01T18:45:00.001-08:00

We celebrated our 10 year anniversary last weekend. Steve's mom came to our house and took care of the kids for the weekend. We went to her place in Traverse City for the weekend. Had a great time! It snowed almost all the time we were there. Steve had to remove snow from the van at least 7 times on Saturday. You would like that we would know enough to take our boots. No....we forgot. I hate cold, wet feet. Other than wet feet we had a wonderful time!
For some reason I'm not able to add the pictures I had planned to send. Maybe they will show up later.

2009-03-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, I was going to add a few pictures but It's been so long since I've blogged I think I forgot how.
This was taken at the Valentine's Party. The more sprinkles the better. Of course she made it for Dad.

T-N-T Party

2008-10-28T16:49:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, 10/25, we had our T-N-T party. This is our Sunday Night program for kids in preschool through 6th grade. We had scheduled a hay ride but the weather did not cooperate. So we went with plan B. The Klein family had room in their pole barn for our group. The kids cooked hot dogs, played games, and even made a craft. We all had a great time!

MOPS Convention

2008-10-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

Stephanie, Amber and myself took off to Dallas for the annual MOPS convention. It was held Oct. 2nd-4th. We had a great time!!! The convention was packed full of general sessions with just under 5000 in attendance, workshops, resource fair, good food and lots of fun. The toilet monster seen in the photos was left in our bathroom after a "we want to see your room" visit from the 7 gals from the North Branch MOPS group. I screamed! They were waiting outside in the hall waiting for someone to find their friend. When I found him and screamed I heard laughter in the hall and 14 feet running away. Later that night we woke to an alarm clock they had hidden in the room that abruptly woke us up. They were again, outside the door waiting to hear all the commotion inside. We did not disappoint them.

Field Trips

2008-10-14T12:56:00.001-07:00

I'm back!

I thought I would post a few pictures of the girls.

I was able to go on a field trip with both of them.

I just love this wonderful fall weather we have been having. The girls and I went on a walk today.

Summer Vacation Coming to a close!

2008-09-01T08:46:00.001-07:00

What a great summer! The girls are home after an 11 day stay at Grandma DeLongs. They enjoyed all the lake activities like playing in the sand, paddle boat rides, pontoon ride and swimming.
Mackenzie made a few new friends and the girls have their own fort now just feet away from the beach. It is a great place to read, draw and just have some fun.
Amber sprained her ankle a week ago Sunday while playing on the trampoline. She had x-rays and they said it is not broken but if she is not walking on it in a week to see the doctor. Well, the week is here and she is not walking on it. So, it is going to be interesting with her starting school tomorrow. I'm going to call the doctors office tomorrow and make another appointment for her.
Today we are getting ready for school to start. The back packs are packed and we just have to get them into bed early so they are ready for school. They are going to make the most of their last summer vacation day. They have great plans to play with the neighbor girls.
I'm still without a camera so I'm unable to post any pictures.
Enjoy your Labor Day!

Are we there yet?

2008-08-12T10:16:00.001-07:00

After almost 12 hours in the motor home we made it Word of Life Family Campground. There are 19 of my family members here this week. My mom (Kate), the girls and I, along with my sister Kristine and her 4 kids, sister-in-law Dawn and her 4 kids, my brother Ralph (he works for WOL), his wife Wendy and their 2 kids and my niece Micaela.
We are having a great time. We have 4 camp sites connected. The kids are enrolled in classes and we adults have meetings in the morning and evening.
If has rained every day but we are still enjoying ourselves. The temp. has been in the low 70's. Today is family fun day with inflatables, games and face painting this afternoon.
I do not have the ability to post pictures.
We sure do miss Steve. He, along with the other men are home working.

Fair Day!

2008-08-06T05:38:00.000-07:00

Tuesday we took off and went to the Imlay City fair to watch three nieces show their sheep.
Larissa (17) won Reserve Champion Pen and Reserve Champion Market Lamb. Micaela (13) was in the show ring 10 time and placed 9 2nd's and 1 3rd. Autumn (7) was in the clover bud class. She went out to Larissa's and Micaela's often and helped them work with their sheep. She showed Micaela's for her showmanship class. It was a very long and hot day. When all the showing was complete we then went and hit some rides and took in a circus and other shows.
My nephew Drake and Amber hit the barn with my camera. That's why we have the raisin picture. There were other pictures he took of the sheep and it's anatomy but I thought I better not show them.

Helen L. Sanborn 4/21/18 - 7/27/08

2008-07-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

Grandma with some of her great grandkids on her 89th birthday celebration.

My Grandma passed away last evening. She was an amazing woman. She was diagnosed with bone cancer about a year and a half ago. Thankfully she still remained active and did not experience great pain. One July 5th she had 88 people at her home for the annual Barnes Lake Fireworks. She enjoyed herself that day and visited with many people. She was put in the hospital 7/13 with an infection. My family visited with her there on 7/17. She tickled Amber and we visited. She was transferred to Marlette Hospice on 7/18 for pain management. She was doing okay. The hope was to get the pain she was having under control so she could come home. God had other plans. Her body proceeded to shut down. Fortunately, she was able to rest peacefully and that is how she was went she went to be with Jesus.
Thank you for those who have been praying for my family.

Camping

2008-07-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

We have been camping at Albert Sleeper State Park in Caseville. This is our sixth summer to go with my family and some friends. This year Aunt Kelly provided the kids with crafts almost daily. Mackenzie and Amber love to do crafts along with the other kids. Our time went quickly. We had fun going to the beach, building sand castles, roasting marshmellows, watching movies, riding bike and a whole lot more.

Luau Party

2008-07-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

Big Party for four very important people. Grandma DeLong, Mom (Tracey), Mackenzie and Amber. The girls, along with grandma went all out for the four of us. The food was fabulous and the decorations top notch. We have a beautiful location at grandma's for a party. What fun we had!

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie & Amber playing waiting for the airshow to start.

We watched the Blue Angels on Saturday the 5th in Traverse City.

On the morning of the 4th we went to Breakfast at the airport where we were able to see some airplane and watched the Blue Angels take off and land. I know nothing about airplanes. Steve is my airplane man. We all enjoyed both the tour and the airshow.

We watched the airshow from the beach with thousands of other people. We were there for hours (about 5). The girls played in the water and had a great time. They even acted like best friends most of the day. I wish I had a view from the sky of all the people that were there. Miles of people on the beach, boats anchored in the bay and people everywhere.

Cedar Point

2008-07-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Some of the cousins hanging out! There was no line so the kids rode this about 5 times without getting off. Left to right. Alana, Natasha, Mackenzie, Amber and Drake. Drake seems to be totally board with this ride.

Amber was wicked in the bumper cars. Watch out....here I come!

Natasha, Mackenzie and Amber met snoopy.

Would you like to take a ride with me? I have an empty seat!

Taking time for a family pose.

This was the first time our girls have been to Cedar Point. We had a family wedding on Saturday that was 45 minutes from Cedar Point so two of my brothers and one of my sisters along with our family and my mom went to Cedar Point on Thursday before the wedding. It was perfect. Cedar Point was the least busiest that I have seen it. The kids road as much as they wanted without waiting in line. The only line they waited in was for the Ferris Wheel.

On Friday we went to Soak City. Great family getaway.

Woodchucks & Girls, Birthday & Surfing

2008-06-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

Amber taking a ride on the surf board. Mackenzie giving her some words of encouragement although she herself would not ever think about trying this.

This picture is of my brother Willie (in Blue)

at his surprise 40th party.

Woodchucks & Girls

Okay, so what do the two have in common?

Both have removed the top of some of my flowers in the bud stage. I've talked to both the culprits. Okay...I yelled at the woodchuck and told him he is not welcome here.

The girls I talked to and they have assured me it will not happen again.

Last week went by fast. VBS was great. Work went well. On Thursday night Amber had the full and continued on thru the day on Friday. So, I did not work and Amber did not go to VBS.

I gave a couples shower for my cousin Jacob and his bride to be Laura. We had a fun time. Played the newlywed game and if you know my brother Willie he always add some life to the party. I believe Steve and I got the most answers correct. Too bad the prize was not a 5 day get away with just the 2 of us.

Speaking of just the 2 of us. Steve and I are home alone. Okay.. he's off to work making money to support this family and I was home sick for 2 days. Feeling better today. The girls are with grandma DeLong and guess what....she has the flu too. Came down with it last night. Said she is doing better and I don't need to come get the girls.

So tomorrow and Friday I"m back to the office. Today I'm doing many loads of laundry. We have way to many clothes. I'm going to try to cut back. Who needs that much stuff? Not us!!

I did not take 1 picture last week. So I pulled some from the past for you to enjoy. I know you all like to look at pictures and not just read.

I'm posting some pictures of when we were at Avalanche Bay the End of April. Amber went on the surf board "thing". I was surprised that she wanted to try. She even went twice.

2008-06-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

The picture on the right is of Mackenzie and some of her classmate on the last day of school at her awards assembly.

Adam Michael Stone and Amber are great friends. They have been in preschool, MOPS and church together. They act they have known each other since birth.
It is cute to watch the two of them interact. Earlier in the year they talked about marriage. I think they have other plans now.

Adam, Amber and Tessa during their preschool program.

Mackenzie and Amber posing by Amber's classroom door.

Well, school is out and the DeLong family is off and running. We left immediately after Mackenzie's award assembly and took off for Grandma DeLong's house. Grandma was still down state so we beat her home. We enjoyed three nights there. The girls had a few firsts. They rode in the paddleboat all by themselves. They even took Peach for a boat ride. Mackenzie also learned how to skip rocks.

Friday Night Steve and I helped another MOPS group with a MOPS and POPS night out. It was fun and some of them from their steering team will be coming to Immanuel in the Fall to help us with a MOPS and POPS night out.

Saturday we did a little work at the church during the work day. Steve worked on the computers adding memory and other misc. stuff while Tracey and the girls did some painting. The girls really wanted to help so we tried to give them some things to do. They picked up rocks out of the parking lot and pulled weeds. I believe it is important to let the kids work on projects just like the adults.

Sunday was another great day. Pastor Mark is an excellent preacher. Something that hit me this morning was the fact that I'm guilty at times of telling God how he should answer my prayers. Okay...I'm going to work on this. Let God know my need but let him work it out according to his plan.

Tonight we had a great time at the Klein's. I'm not sure what the girls enjoyed the most. The slip and slide..trampoline...playing ball...our just having fun with friends. Steve and I enjoyed ourselves too.

Thanks Klein family we had a wonderful night.

Like I said we are off and running. Tomorrow we head to North Branch for the week. I'm working while the girls are in Bible School. We are staying with my parents. Hopefully we will have some great pool time. I'll try to take my camera and post pictures next weekend.

2008-05-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

Amber is always ready with a smile!

Mackenzie at her class survivor party. She made it through this challenge and moved on to the next.

Memorial Weekend. Some of the cousins enjoying the day.

Amber and her friend Tessa at the school picnic.

May

2008-05-29T05:18:00.000-07:00

I'm here! Not sure how active I will be. My computer needs new memory so posting pictures takes some time. So this will be more a journal than pictures.
May has been a busy one.
Girl update: Mackenzie will be finished with 1st grade next Tuesday. Amber's last day of pre-school will be on Friday. We have had a few field trips this month. Both girls attended the new Children's Museum which open to the public in June. What a great addition for Saginaw. It was a lot of fun. Amber is looking forward to going back because she did not get to do everything there. The pre-school class had a field trip to Chuck E. Cheese. Amber even made it home with a few tokens. We were the first ones there so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Mackenzie's class along with some other classes had an all day outing. We headed to the state park in Bay City but it was very cold. So we came back to the school to finish the day.
We have been around home most of this month. Steve's mom has been in the area so we have seen quite a bit of grandma. So making trip to Traverse City has not been needed. We are actually getting some things done around the house. Steve power washed the deck along with some outdoor furniture so we are ready to stain and paint. I was able to clean out a flower bed and plant some new perennial I had received from friends. I received a bird bath for Mother's day so I placed that in a new flower bed area that I'm in the process of cleaning out. I have more work to do there. I've placed a stepping stone that I made last year in MOPS in a better place. I'm going to take a picture once the flower beds mature.
Only 2 more lunches to pack!!!!! I can't wait for summer vacation.
I have been making a conscience effort to cook more at home rather than eating out. When I was growing up and into my mid 30's restaurants were not in abundance around me. Now that I am in Saginaw 5 days out of the week restaurants are everywhere. It is easy to stop for dinner but the costs add up. So I'm cooking and cooking and cooking. Tonight I think it's pork chops. I have to get them out of the freezer.
Steve was able to spend a week in Chicago. Had a great time. He is going to take me there sometime to see the sights. I hear it is beautiful at Christmas but I think I would rather go when the weather is nice.
Well, house work is calling. I'll try to keep up.

Happy Birthday Amber!

2008-04-04T05:07:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, April 2nd, Amber turned 5. We started celebrating on Sunday, 3/30, with a Luau Theme Party. Amber wanted her cousins to bring their webkinz to the party. Some of them even came dress for the party.
The celebration did not stop on Sunday. On Wednesday, her actual birthday, she took brownie treats to school and a balloon for each kid. You can do that when you only have 6 in your class. Then on Thursday we went to Chuck E Cheese for a special treat. I believe the celebration is over. Mackenzie is not planning for her birthday. Okay, she has a lot of planning time. Her birthday is not until November.

2008-03-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

New Baby!

2008-03-13T16:39:00.001-07:00

Okay, I logged on tonight for the purpose of seeing if there was any new news about Pam. Unfortunately not. I will keep waiting.
The dinner theater last Friday night was fun. I may post some pictures later. I'm a little challenged when it comes to photos. Check out Amber B.'s sight if you want pictures.
Nothing new at the DeLong house. Mackenzie missed a day of school due to illness. Low temp., red face, headache and all she wanted to do was lay around. She went in a little late on Wednesday but has made it through the balance of the week.
Amber is fighting it. She has a runny nose. I hope that it does not get her down.
Saturday we are off to a special Easter Egg Activity at my parents/brothers church. They have a program at 10 for the kids then they walk 2 blocks to the school property and have an egg hunt there. This is the first time they have done this event. I hope it goes well for them.
We are on the count down to Spring break. 4 days next week and then we have 6 school days off. Looking forward to sleeping in. Oh that's right. I'm talking about my kids. They get up before the sun every morning. No lunches to pack!!!

Winter Update

2008-03-04T05:37:00.000-08:00

What a great Michigan winter we have had. We have shoveled snow, ice skated, shoveled snow, down hill skied, shoveled snow, played in the snow, shoveled snow, went sledding and did I say shoveled snow? We have enjoyed having some snow days. Got to love those days when everything is cancelled and you get to enjoy a bonus day of unplanned activity.
We just returned last week from a short stay in Florida. Steve and I were able to spend 3 days together in Tampa without the girls. He had training and a conference. I enjoyed myself by staying in bed late, getting ready at a slow pace, making coffee in the room and calling room service to clean the room. I have tried to locate the customer service button on my phone since I've returned but I can not find it. I then made my way down to the patio and sat in the sun going over my scrip for the dinner theater we are having at church this Friday.
The girls and Steve's mom flew to Orlando on Sunday and we met them there. We then spent a day at Sea World and 2 days at Disney. What fun. Our time flew by and we kept very busy. The weather was great on Sunday and Monday but come Tuesday a storm came through. We had a thunderstorm Tuesday evening followed by temps in the 50's on Wednesday and 60's on Thursday. Fortunately we were prepared for cool weather. We went to Animal Kingdom on Wednesday and because of the cool morning the park was almost empty. We had great seats to see the Finding Nemo Musical and Steve and I rode this ride where we walked right up and got on and then when the ride was over they asked if we would like to go again without even leaving our seats.
We have had pretty good health. Steve has been making a few business trip. This week he flys to North Carolina for 2 days.
I'll close with a comment from Amber our 4 year old. While eating dinner on Sunday she says "When I'm a mom and if I have a girl I'll let her do whatever she wants, eat pizza or whatever. If I have a boy I'll sell him." I think she has been playing on webkinz world a little too much. She likes to buy and sell things for her pet's. I'm not sure what she things she could get for a boy. She also things that being a girl comes with too may restrictions.
We have all our pictures into the computer so I'll try to post some later. It has been so long that I will need Steve's help.

January Greeting

2008-01-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

Who says I need to post a picture to post a blog? Okay, so I know the picture is much more excited than my words.

I thought I better write something because it has been a month since I posted anything.
I'll give an update.
Steve has taken some vacation days in January. It's been nice to have him around. He has had to use the snow blower a few times and enjoys not having to shovel the drive and sidewalks.
Tracey has read a few books. I found Karen Kingsbury this summer and have enjoyed reading the Redemption Series and the First Born Series and a few more stand alone that she has written in the past.
Mackenzie is enjoying school. Art is her favorite! She would love to skip spelling but she has no choice and she is improving weekly with her spelling tests. She loves to jump rope and play basketball in gym. She would rather leave the running to the others.
Amber has been on her best behavior in school these days. No more choking a fellow classmate. I just ran across the note from the teacher today. It was from October. It said that Amber had been bitten by a classmate in school in the morning and then later in the day she had her hands around a classmates necks. I asked Amber, "Why did Adam bite you? She said, "Mom! I was choking him!"" I know this is one of those times I should be serious but I had a hard time holding back a chuckle.

Mom DeLong is up for a few days. Steve and I worked the Mid-Year Word of Life Conference in Lansing. Mackenzie was sick earlier in the week. She only missed a half of day of school because no school was scheduled for Monday and then Tuesday was a snow day. She went Wednesday in the afternoon. Amber, however is currently the one not well. She has a cough and has a fever too. The fever keeps coming down and I hope she will be back 100% soon.

I'll try to post some pictures soon. Enjoy that cold MI weather. It actually felt warm today with it being in the 20's.

Christmas

2007-12-26T07:59:00.000-08:00

The 18 grandchildren of my parents. Oldest is 16 years old the youngest is 7 weeks old. Tracey and Steve have Mackenzie & Amber front row right side in pink. Theresa and Pat have Jordan and Huck. Huck is in the gray back left. Jordan is 5th from right in back row. Willie and Kelly have Larissa,Ethan,Micaela and Levi. Larissa front row holding baby. Ethan is in the back row holding a baby. Micaela is 2nd from right in back row, Levi is 3rd fromleft in back row. Ralph and Wendy have Drew and Molly, Drew is 2nd on left in back row. Molly is in the back row far right. Kristine and Nathan have Lauren, Kaleb, Natasha and Eli. Lauren is in the middle back in red, Kaleb is 2nd from left in back row, Natasha is front row 3rd from left in red, Eli is in the back being held by Ethan. Daniel and Dawn have Autumn, Drake, Alana and Aubree. Autumn is in the front row 4th from left, Drake is in gold in the front, Alana is in the back row 3rd from right, Aubree is the baby in the front row.

Mackenzie and Amber opening gifts at our home Friday 12/21.

The girls working together to open a gift from Grandma DeLong. Christmas Day

Mackenzie and peach pose for the camera. They consider Peach their dog but she belongs to Aunt Ruth.

This a picture of the 32 of us at my parents on Saturday 12/22.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T09:02:00.000-08:00

Greeting from the DeLong family.
We are having a wonderful Christmas. We started our Christmas celebration this past weekend with my parents. All six of us kids were there with spouses and 18 grand kids. We had both great grandma's there on Saturday as well. What a wonderful time to be together with family.
We then gathered again on Sunday for more food and visiting. We always seems to eat well and it sure does show. I think we are going to kick off a "Biggest Loser Family Addition". So far it has only been talk, time will tell it we jump on board.
There seemed to be a theme this Christmas season with my family. It's the flu. So far 5 of the 6 sibling families have had at least one member if not more who have had the flue since Sunday. The bright side is it last only a short time. Both our girls have had it and Steve and I are trying to keep it at bay.
We headed north on Christmas Eve night to be with Grandma DeLong. We are here for a few days. It is a little quieter here. We went form 34 at my parents to 7 here. We love our time with our families.
I will try to post come pictures.
Merry Christmas to you all. I did not get Christmas greetings out this year. I think I will be sending a New Years Greeting.

Birth and Birthday

2007-11-11T19:43:00.000-08:00

This week we added a new niece to the family. Aubree Danielle Deshetsky was born 11/6/07 to Daniel and Dawn. She is welcomed home by Sisters Autumn (6), Alana (2) and brother Drake (4). Mommy and baby are doing well.
Mackenzie turned 7 on Friday. We celebrated with family Thursday night 11/8. Grandma Deshetsky made her a barbie cake.
I could not find any halloween pictures. We took some so when I locate them I'll try to post the girls in their costumes.

WOL Superbowl

2007-11-11T19:01:00.000-08:00

On Friday Night, 11/9/07, Steve and I helped with the WOL Superbowl. The evening started with a Pistons Game at the Palace. Pistons beat the Clippers by a good 30 points. We then stayed at the Palace and had a rally where there was a speaker followed with games. We had around 1500 teens attend this years event. We left the palace about 2 am and went bowling until 5:30 am. Our time went fast. Many teens and adults made a decision to be a follower of Christ that night. Following are some pictures from this event.
If the pictures do not come up. Hit the view all image area on the right and you will be able to see them.

Anyone out there?

2007-10-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that is the question that is being asked about me. Okay, so Blogging has not been part of my life lately. I think I've only been on once. I hope to return to the bloggin world sometime soon but right now I don't see a light at the end of the tunnel.
I think about you guys and am anxious to get caught up with you all. Hang in there and please don't delete me from your blogging friends to check in on.
Thanks!

Soccer!

2007-09-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

The girls have started soccer. They had their first game on Saturday. Soccer is new to the whole family but the girls are loving it! Amber even had time to blow dad a kiss during the game.

The Last Three Weeks

2007-09-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

Home...Boston...Flint....Traverse City....Vassar....Freeland....Vassar...Traverse City...Vassar...Saginaw

A lot has happened in three short/long weeks.

Steve and I were able to spend a few days in Boston. Our room was on the 30th floor with a beautiful view. In the evenings there were many sail boats out on the river. We had a couple of dinners out and enjoyed some adult conversation. Boston has much to offer and we enjoyed our time there.

We spent some time around Labor Day at Mom DeLongs in Traverse City. The weather was perfect. Sitting on the deck in the evening and watching the sun shine on the trees across the lake is always a favorite for me. I was able to enjoy that a few times while we were there.

Mackenzie started school on Tuesday. First Grade here she comes. She is in a 1st/2nd grade class with 5 girls in the first grade and two boys in the second. She was excited that she now has 3 recesses.

Amber started preschool on Wednesday. She goes M-W-F for a full day. Amber did great on Wednesday but Friday she had a hard time. She cried because she missed her family. We will have to figure something out if this continues.

I put together a slide show of a few pictures. I seem to be having technical difficulty tonight so I'm not sure if the pictures will show up. Sorry!

A look at Summer!

2007-08-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Since I'm new to blogging, I need some practice posting pictures. So, I went through some of my summer photos and thought I'd post a variety.
Amber loves rocks. Since she was little she has enjoyed a good chew on a rock. We would have to check her mouth often and remove a rock. She would have loved to bring a rock home from church every time we are there. After being told that they were Gods rocks and they needed to stay at the church, she would put them back. The picture of her with the rocks was taken just last week. The three rocks in my washer was after the repairman was here. One was a nice size one too. Rocks not pebbles.
I've posted pictures from camping in Caseville, the children's parade that the kids were in, Kid activities after the parade, the great capture of tweety from Barnes Lake where my grandma lives, a picture of my mom and I from a friends wedding and my college girlfriend getaway at Mackniaw Island.

North Branch Alumni Football!

2007-08-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

Friday, August 3rd, 2007. North Branch vs Imaly City.
My dad along with my three brothers were involved in this alumni football game. Along with family friends.
It was a very warm day. I think it was in the 90's when the game started.
My dad (#15), did not play along with my brother Willie (#45). My brothers Ralph Jr. #55 and Daniel #44 did play. My nephew, Levi, was the ball boy.
Last year was the first year for this alumni event. North Branch was the winning team last year with Imaly winning this year.
No major injuries occurred.
They guys had a great time and it was like a school reunion with family and friends watching the game. I've put just a few of the 800 pictures Steve took that night in my slide show. My family loves having their own personal photographer!

A Day at the Fair!

2007-08-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday this week, we spent a full day at the Imlay City Fair. I had 2 nephews and 3 nieces who showed sheep there. The kids did well. They each showed 2 market lambs. When it came time to judge for the Grand Champion Lamb each one of them were out there because they either placed 1st or 2nd in the weight class. My nephew Ethan had the Grand Champion Lamb and he then also had the Grand Champion Pen. Way to go kids!!! Your hard work paid off!
After the kids were done with their show we then went and rode rides. I have a niece and nephew the same age as Mackenzie and Amber so they had fun riding with Drake and Autumn.
Amber wants us to get a horse. Good thing we live in town. Getting a horse is not an option.

Family Gathering

2007-08-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, August 4th, we gathered at my parents home for a family party. There were 50 some who dropped in through out the day. We had a great time. It was a very warm day and I think Mackenzie and Amber spent about 12 hours in the pool that day.
Both my grandma's were there along with one of my dad's two sisters and 3 of my moms 4 sisters. Not all my cousins were present but more than half of them were there.
I've put together a few pictures from the day.

More pictures

2007-08-02T08:57:00.001-07:00

Grandparent DeLong's

2007-08-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

The girls and I have spent a few days in Traverse City with Steve's parents.

We always have a long list of MUSTS while we are here:

*We must go to the Island and swim!

*We must go and play at the tree house in the mall!

*We must go to the mall and ride the carousel!

*We must....we must.....we must....

This time we picked blueberry's. It was in the 90's. We even went before noon.

I'm going to try to post some pictures.

Poly Pockets go camping...

2007-07-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

Who whould have thought that poly pockets could go camping? Well they were a big hit this year. The girls enjoyed setting up and tearing down complete displays. I guess it helps to have a few of the guys in green to do the heavy lifting. :-)

Steve

Back from Vacation and needing one!

2007-07-24T04:46:00.000-07:00

We're back!
This is my first post. Steve set up my account and posted the first pictures. I still do not know how to post the pictures so it will be a few days before he and I can sit down together so he can show me.
We had a great time camping at Sleeper State Park in Caseville. I think we had rain every day but 3 of our 11 days there. We even went without power last Thursday for about 10 hours. No power means no bathrooms and no running water. At one point my nephew said there were 25 people lined up at an outhouse. I was able to use the bathroom in my mothers motorhome.
I'm excited about having a blog of my own. I've enjoyed keeping up with everyone on theirs and love the pictures that are posted. I know that I will not keep mine up to date like Kara but I will try to get something out there every week or so.
So.. I'm off to a MOPS play date. Hopefully I will post camping pictures no later than Thursday.
Enjoy your week!

Gone camping...

2007-07-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hey!

We are camping so don't bother calling our home number. :-)

One of our most enjoyable times are at the beach and here are a few of the moments so far.