Friends & Family

My Dad has been working to put new siding up on some buildings on the farm over the past few years.  One is my Grandpa's workshop.  He was an amazing artist, in many mediums, and one he was particularly talented in was wordworking.  The kids love to go out in Grandpa's workshop and help Krampa by sweeping the sawdust off the floor and looking all around.  (I used to love the few and far between chances to go in the workshop too, when I was a kid.)  

Today, Sylvia was looking around in the workshop and asked Krampa if she could make a geoboard.  He didn't know what that was, but when she explained it he got her all set up with a board and nails and a hammer.  We were pretty impressed with her project!

This evening we visited the Skinner family at their home.  It was a beautiful evening, and I so enjoyed sitting outside chatting with Amy while the kids played.  The boys were very into sword fighting (with pool noodles and anything else they could find), the girls played Barbies, and a game of kickball was attempted.  I think Caeden was completely enthralled by the dog, too.  

We wish we got to see these wonderful friends more often too, but are grateful for friendships that span time and distance.  Love you, precious friends!!

Sewing Day

My mom is a long-time member of a homemakers' club.  She is one of the people in charge of an ongoing local project to use donated fabric scraps to make tote bags which are give to hospitalized children.  They meet one day each month and sew, sew, sew.  Since we were visiting, the girls and I went along to sewing day today and helped cut the bags out, iron and sew.

Only 2 other ladies showed up to help today.

These are the bags we finished today, and several more had a good start when we had to leave.

Lovely day

This morning my friend Lori and her sweet daughter, Hannah, came to see us at my parents' house.  As hard as we try, we usually only manage to see each other once a year.  Still, we always pick up where we last left off and have a sweet visit.  

Hannah is a few months from turning 2, and is a preciously little sweetie pie.

Caeden and another of my old favorite toys...

Another great day to be outside...

Exploring the yard and the deck...

I walked all around the yard taking photos of my mom's various flowers, and ran across this little cutie...

 

Here is a slide show of some of the flowers...

Or if it's not working properly, here is a link to the album.

We're enjoying just hanging out and relaxing today.  The kids are watching back-to-back-to-back-to-back episodes of Phineas & Ferb and playing with Tessa.

It has been beautiful and cool enough to enjoy lunch on the porch today.

Annah looks annoyed, but was really just sidwards glancing at Krampa being silly...

Tessie loves her books, and Annah likes to oblige her wishes.  It amazes me watching Annah and how good she is with little ones.  (I surely was never like that!)  She loves babies and is really sweet and careful with them.

This afternoon the girls had a visit to Mindy to get their back-to-school haircuts.  Except for my trimming their bangs, neither of them had even had a trim since she cut their hair last year--shame on me!  

Sylvia enjoyed the way Mindy massaged her head when she washed and conditioned her hair.  She just had her hair trimmed up a couple inches, and is keeping it long and all one length with bangs.  Annah's hair is like mine and has a lot of natural curl, so she decided to get some long layers cut in while she is growing out her bangs.  Mindy showed her how to scrunch the curl into it while under the dryer.

Ahhhhh...nice relaxing days...

Tincaps Baseball Game

This evening my Dad treated us to a Fort Wayne Tincaps baseball game.  We had a good time!  The stadium is now downtown and is super nice!  They have a lot of great community sponsors and all kinds of fun activities going on during every pause of the game.  Tonight was "Family Feast Night" and pop, popcorn, hotdogs, and pizza slices were all only $1 each.  We were quite entertained, until it started to rain a little more than we liked.  We left during the 8th inning.  The Tincaps did not win, but it was a fun night for us anyway.

Cinderella?

The girls love playing with their baby cousin Tessa.  She is at such a fun age right now, and everything she says and does is just adorable and/or hilarious.  

Here, Tessa was trying to put the shoe from a Cabbage Patch Kid doll on Sylvia...It didn't quite fit, but she was satisfied enough.  

Christmas Card Picture

After Annah's concert yesterday, we had a little caravan over to Indiana.  Jeremy and Sylvia led and Annah, Caeden and I followed.  We chatted back and forth on our walkie-talkies, and arrived at my parents' late in the evening.  Jeremy is only staying for the weekend, but the kids and I will stay all week.

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For the past several years, we've taken the Mc Fam photo for Mom's & Dad's Christmas card on Thanksgiving weekend.  After realizing it is somewhat stressful to get the tree up and decorated  and all of us together and dressed up and smiling during the middle of a busy holiday weekend, and then realizing we can't really display the photo in our homes all year round with all the Christmas decor in it... Mom decided we should try to get one while we were all together during the summer!

The wind rain snuck up on us, but there were a couple nice ones.

I love my family!

ISU String Project Summer Camp

Annah attended a week long day camp through Illinois State University's String Project. She went each morning from 8:30 until noon and had Musicianship class, chamber ensemble rehearsal, a private lesson, and orchestra rehearsal each day. Today, after the last day of camp was completed, they put on a great concert.

The students were [going into] grades 4th through 8th. I think there were about 50 kids involved, playing violin, viola, cello, and string bass.

Twelve chamber ensembles each performed a piece to start the concert. This photo is the quartet Annah was a part of. She played 1st violin in it, and they played Festival March by Greig. She enjoyed getting to lead them.

Each chamber ensemble was to choose their group's name, and Annah's group chose the one she suggested, "Skating Rockstoppers." This came about because the cellist was skating around on two rockstops one day in between sessions, and Annah thought it was funny.

In Musicianship class the first day of camp, the students were put in groups and given an assignment to compose and notate a piece using items from the instructors' apartments as instruments. The second day the groups performed their compositions for each other and were judged. Two groups were chosen to perform their compositions, and Annah's was one of them.

The girls used spoons to play empty plastic bottles, pots and dishes, and Annah played a sandblock on a strap. It was obviously a fun experience for them.

The camp was divided into two orchestras, one for beginners, and an advanced. Many of the kids are part of the String Project either every summer or all year long. Annah has had 5 years of private lessons, but this was her first time playing in any kind of ensemble. She played 2nd violin in the advanced orchestra. (She is towards the left in bright green.)

Annah came out of camp grinning and so excited every day! She loved every part of the experience! We loved watching and hearing her!









"They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre;
   they make merry to the sound of the pipe."
- Job 21:12

Puke Fast

While Annah has been at String Camp each morning this week, Sylvie and Caed and I have run errands and found air-conditioned places to go.  Today, it was cooler and nice and we finally found a park not to far from campus.  So, we played for a while...

We even rode on the merry-go-round!  I spun them as fast as I could, and they said they were going "puke fast!"  In fact, when they finished riding, Sylvia said her tummy didn't feel right.  So, we had to go get her a smoothie to make it feel better.

LEGO magazine contest

Ever since Caeden started receiving the LEGO magazine, he has wanted to enter the monthly contests.  This month, we finally took a picture of his project and sent it in.  I think he's just excited to actually enter.  And, I'm just glad to have a cute photo of my little LEGO guy...