A visit with the Mozombites

We had fun visiting with Amy & David. It was fun to catch up with them and we enjoyed a nice meal together. It was a blessing to meet Asher for the first time, and all of our kids had sure grown since we had last reunited 2 1/2 years ago.

Family Party at Wildwood

On an absolutely perfect day, we had a fun bbq with everyone. In addition to some games, some eating, and some time on the playground, we got in a nice little hike. Wildwood Metropark was a perfect place for the whole group.

With all the family around, it is hard to avoid taking too many pictures.

Keeping up with the Smiths

We had a fun evening with Asher and Melina, catching up on their time in Toledo, and letting Reeve and Isabelle, who were childhood friends, play together. With a family of three girls, our girls were in paradise -- add in a park across the street and a huge tree swing, and things were going great! Always fun to catch up with friends.

Evergreen Lake - Oak Openings

Here are some more fun pictures from our walk around the lake. It was sure fun exploring the pine forests on the back side of the lake.

Abbott & Costello

Fun Video Memories

Bryozoans - large freshwater gelatinous mass size of a football

On our visit to Evergreen Lake, at Oak Openings in NW Ohio, we had a delightful walk around the park. One of the big highlights was Michael discovering a huge mass of something soft and squishy -- a huge gelatinous mass about the size of a football. Being in a freshwater lake, we weren't sure what it could be.

Before I touched it, I was sure it was a piece of old glass globe that was covered in slime. But since it was quite soft, that was definitely not a match.

When Michael tried to put it back in the water, it broke apart, and we had a little part of it, which gave me a bit of a guess in the phylum porifera -- some type of sponge.

After a bit of searching on the web, we guessed it was a bryozoan, largely based on the hints of this web site.

If anyone has a better idea of what it might be, I'd be happy to know any tips, but for now we will revel in our bryozoan discovery.

Family Pictures

Since it is always so difficult to get family pictures when everyone is happy, we decided we'd better take advantage of the packaged professionals and get a family shot. Nice to walk up with some updated pictures to hang in our house -- ( and a reduced quality .jpg for the blog. )

Beautiful Weather

We had another spectacular day at Oak Openings, trouncing around the lake with the kids. The stated "purpose" of the trip was to film a parable, directed by Michael. But we managed to also hike around hte lake, splashing in shallow areas, capturing a frog, and exploring the beautiful area. The kids had lots of fun hanging around and having a good time with each other. Without a long hike in store, there was plenty of time to explore (while Doug explored his new camera, using his video function for the first time and trying to get some snapshots of the kids.) Still lots to learn in the photographic realm, but it sure is fun exploring.

High Dive and Pool Fun

Thanks to Nicole's initiative, we had another opportunity for some fun at the YMCA swimming pool. Since we were guests, they had not kept a record of Gabi's swim tests; Reeve still had his band showing he had passed the test, but Gabi's had come off her arm. So Gabi got to take the swim test again.

Since there were more day campers there, and the wind was brisk Reeve and Gabi did not do the dozens and dozens of dives. But we still had fun swimming, even including a picnic lunch. The little ones also had fun splashing in the kiddie pool.

Oak Openings Visit

With such beautiful weather, we had to make another trip to Oak Openings -- where we had a wonderful time trying out a new camera (Canon Rebel)! and exploring and hiking.







How fun to have the Sandlins around for fun times with cousins.

Monumental Week

It seems as though quite a bit has happened in the past week. Some good, some bad, some unexpected -- and several times, we realized we were without a camera. Imagine!

We had a fun time going out to eat with JNikQuinn and then the kids danced around as there was some live music at Fallen Timbers -- a great family atmosphere on a beautiful evening. Kids were cute; no camera.

Gabi learned to ride her two wheel bike WITHOUT TRAINING WHEELS. We are still working on stopping and starting, but it is wild that one day she wakes up and cannot ride a bike. That evening, she can. Wow!

Gabi and Reeve also went off their first high diving boards. We went to a YMCA near JNikQuinn's abode, and Reeve and Gabi said they wanted to go off the diving board. First they had to take a swim test -- which was surprisingly strenuous, swimming across the pool on their front, swimming back on their backs, and then treading water.

They then were approved as "swimmers" and went to the diving boards. After a couple of times on one of the two regular diving boards, they went for the high dive -- and did it maybe 50 times over the next hour. Wow!

And we also got back some lab work showing that diagnosed Tracy as having celiac's disease, and an intolerance to gluten. So it is a whole new culinary world for us.

But we are enjoying the summer and we've had quite the spectacular weather.

Oak Openings

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2009


We took advantage of an absolutely glorious day to do a little hike at a nearby Metro Park. While our stated goal was discovering the "sand dunes" our real goal was just to get out and enjoy a hike. It was truly beautiful and fun to see the cousins playing in the sand, searching for walking sticks, or intently watching brightly colored beetles.




Despite the loud parade we made as we went through the forest, we did manage to see a deer bounding through the woods.

Independence Day Picnic

SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2009

We had quite a fun day when Oak Bend had an Independence Day picnic. The parade was a big hit. The kids brought bikes and trikes and tractors to ride in the parade. Gabi ended up using a tricycle like a scooter, and Rania decided to lend her little green tractor to another little boy.

But with Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty leading the parade, it was good fun.

There were also some fun games -- where the Sandlins outshown the Woodwards on most occasions -- with Michael as a celebrity pie eater, and Perry winning the sack race. Reeve did manage to bring home a cake by winning the cake walk, and it was a fun time on a beautiful day.




(The sack race pictures are courtesy of Oak Bend's web site www.oakbend.org).

Quockert BBQ

Jason and Niki had us over for an amazing BBQ. Lots of fun with cousins and lots of space. Doug and Jason were the reigning bocce ball champions, defeating the over-matched Perry and Barrie.

The kids had a wonderful time -- pushing each other around in the toy 4x4 (after the battery failed to work), and swinging in the hammock.

What a delightful afternoon and evening. One of the great delights of the summer is watching our kids interact with their cousins -- and have so much fun!