Imagination Station

One of the highlights from our summer was a membership at the Imagination Station.  We sure enjoyed the chance to enjoy the downtown situation.  We finally figured out the parking issue -- with free street parking allowed between 11 and 2.  So we took the whole gang to the Imagination Station and had a fun time -- getting to see the Bodies Revealed Exhibit.

It was a fun day -- and good times with cousins - as always!

July Thanksgiving

Thanks to having some turkeys and taking advantage of having family together, we had a July Thanksgiving.  What a great time together with some absolutely delicious food.  Jason was in typically hilarious form with lots of laughter and lots of fun.  It was great to have Uncle Carl and Aunt Dianne for a summer Thanksgiving.

Horse Riding!

Wow!  What an amazing experience for our kids to go horse back riding.  It had been very high on our priority list, and the kids had constantly been begging for a chance to go horseback riding.  With the string of super hot weather, we got postponed a couple of times -- but finally everything fell into place and the kids had a chance to do something out of their dreams -- riding through Oak Openings.

We had made contact with a local operator near Oak Openings and finally had the chance to have our kids out riding horses.  They went in two groups, with Julie, Gabi and Laura going first, and then Tracy, Jacob and Reeve getting the second chance. Carrie had to back out at the last minute due to back pains.

We had some video that was filmed.  The next summer, the girls put together this video.  Unfortunately, YouTube did not like the audio track selected, so it is a replacement one. 

Aunt Marcia's

What a wonderful day at Aunt Marcia's!  We sure had a great time escaping the near 100 degree heat of Toledo -- and it was quite cool on with the breeze blowing off Lake Erie.

We took advantage of swimming in Lake Erie and doing a little bit of kayaking against the strong breeze, before retiring to the pool and enjoying lots of fun memories with cousins!

Mud Hens Game

One of the fun traditions in Toledo is the Toledo Mud Hens in their beautiful downtown stadium.  Sure, we'll always be partial to Victory Field in Indianapolis, but it is truly a great minor league location.

We had seats just off the first base line and enjoyed seeing the game from so close to the action.

We had fun on a VERY hot night enjoying the game.  In addition to the game, there was some big news from Jason and Nicole.  Can you see the reaction of the siblings?

What is it that they are reacting to?  Well, there was a bit of a message on the shirt of the youngest nephew in attendance.  That said it all. Indeed, quite the surprise with #4 on the way!

 It was crazy in that the Hens were down to their last strike, but blasted a tying home run to put us into extra innings.  We weren't so keen for the extra innings with little kids -- we were waiting for the fireworks.    The final run also came with a bizarre play -- walking in the winning run - a bit of an anticlimactic ending in the 11th inning, but good fun. 

After the game, the kids got to run the bases (wow, was there a line all the way around the stadium concourse level between 1st base all the way past the third base line.   Kids also got a chance to have their picture taken with Muddy, the Hens mascot. 

 At the end of the night, we finally had what we had been waiting for:  fireworks!

Pandamania

The kids had a super fun week at Pandamania, the Vacation Bible School theme for the week at Oak Bend.  What a great experience for our kids, and they were thrilled to be there, had lots of fun, and came home excited and enthusiastic about the lessons of God-sightings and neat experiences.

For the final night, they had a big celebration.  After the performances, it was face painting, barbecue, yummy food, cool weather, balloons, carnival games -- what a great atmosphere and fun way to end the week.

Family Outing

After nice cool weather the day before, we decided to have a nice family outing for ourselves.  We sure enjoyed the day and Tracy had fun with the camera.

The kids had so much fun the prior day that they insisted on showing mommy the Sand Dunes Trail.  So again, we went and played at the sand dunes, and had fun jumping out of the same tree.  It was fun letting kids be kids and enjoy the cooler weather for the week.

Oak Openings

We sure do love Oak Openings.  We had a super experience going out and enjoying the outdoors.  The Sand Dunes Trail is a spectacular trail and we sure did enjoy getting there and playing a bit on the Sand Dunes.

It was fun to have Laura join our three kids.

We spent a while there climbing trees, jumping out of the trees and playing in the sand dunes. We sure are blessed to be close to such a great nature preserve.  It is sure fun to get outdoors, enjoy the smell, sounds, and experiences of nature.

Swimming

We had the chance to go over to the Sandlin's family friends -- and enjoy their private pool.  What a nice way to cool off and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

It was a great afternoon of enjoying the sun and the pool.

Wedding Hike

True to their characters, James and Malia planned a post-wedding hike for all the guests.  How wonderful to be out in the middle of Colorado enjoying a delightful hike.  It was a great experience and a beautiful climb up to a natural arch. 

The view from the top was spectacular and we got back just in time to beat the rain.  But, wow!  Hiking in mountains sure does make one miss the beauty of the Pacific Northwest or the Rockies.  What beautiful scenery just outside of Boulder, Colorado.  It definitely has us hoping for a trip through the Rockies in two years -- a big family vacation of some sorts! 

When we weren't gasping for breath a mile up, we enjoying conversations with friends and catching up.  

Let's also note that Tracy was a bit more adventurous getting closer to the edge than her husband!

Wedding Reception

The reception was a delightful mix of fun and seriousness.  The food at the Chattaqua Inn was excellent as we got to enjoy the buffet brunch.  It was fun to re-unite with friends from KL who have scattered all over the globe (Georgia, Colorado, Uganda. . .now Switzerland).

There were some touching slide shows and fun little games led by ISKL's Adria Rosendale.  We also had a group picture, and a definite highlight was James' mom preparing some incredibly delicate cupcakes for everyone to enjoy.

James and Malia did a great job of bringing everyone together and encouraging us to get to know friends from different walks of life.  As James so eloquently put it, "I want to talk to you about my friends, so you need to get to know each other."  

Wedding Ceremony

What a picturesque setting for James and Malia's wedding ceremony.  It was also a beautiful ceremony with lots of personal touches -- Malia and her dad dancing down the aisle.  The story of their first meeting and their love blossoming, as told by Malia.  The story of their relationship almost imploding (well, a bit of hyperbole) when James went off to Bangkok to get Malia's engagement ring.

We especially remember that day as we had Jamie and Lindsay over to our house that night to play Settlers of Catan, but were prohibited from letting Malia know about it -- due to James' jaunt to Bangkok.

We enjoyed the music, the heartfelt blessings given by the bridesmaids and the touching message by the attendant / leader. James and Malia have lots more info on their website.

Rehearsal Dinner

Friends of Malia hosted a rehearsal dinner which gave the out of town guests a great opportunity to enjoy some absolutely delicious Indian Food.  The grounds were absolutely stunning and it was a great time to catch up with friends from far and wide -- as a good number of KL folk made the trip to Denver.

It was so great to see Malia and James looking so wonderful and the speeches by the parents and the music played for the rehearsal dinner was so incredibly touching and meaningful.  

It was also thrilling to see Jaime and Lindsay again -- and catch up with the McQueens and their first year in Uganda.