July 2...Creation Museum

 Teach a boy to fish...

 and he will spend the morning waiting for the fish to...steal his bait over and over or bite!

Teddy caught several fish over the course of our week!  They were little sunnies.  Some other little boys caught bullfrogs and a couple catfish.

 Tuesday was a beautiful, cloudy day as we headed over the big bridge across the Ohio River into Kentucky to the Creation Museum.  What a beautiful setting!

 What a wonderful place to visit!  Every person needs to visit here!

 The displays were well done...very clear presentation.

 Lots of information to read, see, hear, and watch!

 Our kiddos were quiet and pensive...taking it all in!

 I was so mesmerized after awhile...I forgot about taking pictures.  We went into the planetarium and were overwhelmed at the vastness of the universe...of which we are but a mere speck!

 The grounds were lovely and well-cared for!  The guys rode the camel...but didn't enjoy it as much as they thought they would.  The girls didn't even want to try.

 Back to the cabin for supper...and to do dishes!  The sink was so little...it was easier to wash in the basin...and I rinsed in the shower!

 This is for my mom...I really tried not to get up-tight about the sand and grit...but after kiddos walking through the puddles and then onto the cabin floor...I had to break down and sweep!

 I joined up with the rest of the fam at the pool after my house-keeping chores were done.

 The campground was quiet...only a few of us here.

 This building intrigued me...metal roof...does anyone live there?  Some things are kind of run down...and in need of TLC...but it was a beautiful setting!

 There was some rain that moved in...off and on through the rest of the evening...but we were too tired to care!  Showers and bed...in order to go on another adventure!

Happy July 1st...Our family vacation

Packing for our trip took everybody's help!

 We took off for our summer family vacation to Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky to visit the Creation Museum.

 Ted packed the Yukon like a jigsaw puzzle.  We are staying in a little cabin for the week.  I hope we remembered everything!  Sure seems like it!

 We drove through the rain and arrived safely.  Our little cabin sits on the little pond!

The country is so hilly and pretty!  The Ohio River runs along the road to the campground and then disappears...hidden by cornfields.

This corn is WAAAAY taller than "knee high by the Fourth of July"!

July 6...Home Sweet Home...safely!

 There are no "last morning of vacation" pictures till we were packed into the Yukon.  It was pouring and it wasn't pretty...puddles that covered your feet, drowned rat look, and no shirt guy so his shirt wouldn't be soaked for the ride.  It was a beautiful ballet out of the cabin and into the vehicle all choreographed by Ted!  He studied and calculated so we wouldn't have to finagle the car top carrier (even though it is water resistant...water comes in at the zipper in driving down-pours...thank goodness for contractor bags to save most of the dryness!  We found this out at the beginning of our trip.)

 Water was gushing down the streets and gutters of Aurora.  The gutters were "from the olden days" with flat rocks placed on their sides...like books on a bookshelf.  It made for cool looking "water falls and rapids"!

 We started in the rain...and ended in the rain!

Almost two hours of torrential down pours...made for some tense driving moments.  God guided Ted to safely bring us home.  We finally drove out of the rain in Toledo!  It was so nice to have quiet and peaks of blue sky!

 The rain clouds followed us home...but we were able to unload with no rain!!!  Laundry is going, errands run, and crashing taking place as we gear up for next week...CAMP!!!

The kiddos have moved into the packing and planning mode.  What fun summer outings we have had so far!  More pictures to come of our family time...because we want to remember!!!

A fun weekend with old friends!

 Fun with the Farrells...who traveled many hours to come for a visit!  We are so thankful they shared some of their summer with us...it was a blessing.

 We enjoyed some yummy food, Wii bowling tournaments, conversation, and lots of laughter!

 This silly girl's boundless energy and wit amused us!   My favorite..."Give me five, bro!" when Teddy got a strike for their team.

Friday was spent at Greenfield Village.  A beautiful day and place to walk around with friends.  "Hey, Ted, how do you call a sheep?"

 Then the rainstorm blew in!  Thunder and lightning and torrential down-pour...kept us in the weaver's shop.  During a lull, we ran to the pottery shop...and then the heavens opened again.  Due to construction, water started pouring into the shop...Alisa said they should put clay in the holes.  Next thing we knew...they were stopping the leak...with clay!  The kiddos thought it was cool when they each got a little piece to play with.

 Next stop...the printing shop...till the rain slowed enough for us to walk to lunch.

 Ted and I shared the pot roast served in a bread bowl with mashed potatoes and gravy.  Yum.  Chris tried to get Ted to try some of his hoppin' johns.

 Grape vines...and a little lesson about abiding in the vine!  "The branches stretch out from this one vine...look how far they go!"

 Beautiful flower gardens all around this cottage that you can visit for tea!

 Buddies for the weekend!  Little A wearing her bandana from her hobo lunch.  We were sitting on a bench watching people, horses, and Model Ts go by.  I almost fell off the bench when she commented, "I've never pooped on the road!"  A carriage had just gone by and...well...when horses work...I love the frankness and honesty of young children who say out loud what some of us refined folk are thinking..."I'm glad I don't have to do things that way!"

 Craft project from pinterest...that worked!  Sharpie markers, dry white t-shirt, and rubbing alcohol.  We set the color by throwing them in the dryer for 20 or so minutes.  Easier and less messy than buckets full of dye to dip in!

 Saturday...a trip to Kensington Park to the petting farm...

 more comments about animals and their habit...

 more laughter...

 and a picnic!

 It was cool, but sunny.  This kiddos had fun in the sand...

 the seaweed...

 and eventually the water!

 Then...we did what all good parents do...we left the kiddos in Ashlynn's charge with dirt to eat...

 and went to BD's grill!  Some of us packed our bowls with meats and veggies...some of us did not!  We took leftovers home...

 because we wanted Chris and Steph to try the deep-fried Oreos!  "These are so good!"

 Not quite ready to go home yet...we stopped at Caribou Coffee.  What a nice evening out!

 And the kiddos survived!  More fun and more laughter...as Little A found out what happens when you push someone's nose!

 We laughed about how we were spending our time after the kiddos were in bed..."We're all using our technology."  I was even more amused after snapping the picture and then looking at it..."Look at the wide variety of stuff on the table!  Oh, my!  What a nice hostess!"

Another proud hostess moment for me...my guest eating her eggs out of the frying pan!  I am going to believe that they felt at home!  Thanks, friends, for coming.  We sure enjoyed our time with you all!