She's Here!.....

Grandma Elsie made her grand entrance last Tuesday. She arrived in G-ma style.... 3 hours early. We still are unsure of how that happened!

She told me to pick her up at 2 pm on Tuesday....at about 11am she called and said she was in GR!?!?!? We are pretty sure they chartered a special plane 'to move her' out of the airport!

We have spent a few days together but our most recent day was Monday. We crossed a lot off of her list. We went and visited Steve's G-ma, toured Neil & Bonnie's house, visited Fremont, Haveman Hardware, Goodwill, Arby's, Aftons Blueberry Farm, Aunt Ruth, Talked W/ Aunt Donna at church....I think that was about all we did!


She celebrated her 83rd birthday in June. Doesn't she look great! She goes like crazy too! I have a hard time keeping track of her and Trent! I think I will see her on Saturday...check back to see where we are going!.....

More Cuteness......

Need I say more??.........

Jaxi loves to give kisses....especially to Trent!

And There Off......

The 2nd annual 4-wheeling trip is underway.

Trent isn't on this trip.....just in the picture....and neither is Jaxi.

They are heading to Strongs MI in the UP. I hope I don't have to send anyone looking for them because I'm not positive where they exactly are!!

They had a last minute change of plans when one of Craig's 4 wheelers wasn't working. Steve had to go get his dad's trailer and reload all of our 4-wheelers on a bigger trailer to accommodate an added 4-wheeler. It's was only a 2 hour delay...not bad!

They have such a wonderful time together. They are meeting Craig and his 2 boys....and this time Kristi is going along for the adventure. Steve tried to get me to go....maybe next year! It didn't sound like a great time to me to ride on the back of Steve's 4-wheeler for 2-4 hours at a time. They will have a much better time without me anyway. No one to tell Troy to brush his teeth......

It's Official...ly Scarry!

He's a registered driver now! So if you see him out and about...watch out. He does pretty good...needs a little practice on braking....gently. Yup, that's him in the picture...talking on the phone....license in other hand. He couldn't seem to get off the phone so I could take a picture.Michigan now gives under-age-drivers a license that's up and down, so that they can't be altered as easily.This was an uneasy birthday for me as I started thinking about how much longer he will live here. Three more years and he will be headed off to blaze a trail for himself...make a life for himself...choose a career....get married....!

Yikes....have we taught him everything he needs to know?...Is he going to be a good citizen?....Is he going to make wise chooses?....Who will he marry?....Will he get married?....Will he have to move away from us?.....Will he be a good husband?....Will he be a good dad?

Our prayer, is that God would take what we 'tried' to do and bless our efforts. We know, far to often how we fail as parents. We consider ourselves blessed, to have had him in our life for these past 16 years.

It just seemed like when they were 5 you had sooo much time to make up for your parenting choices. College seemed soooo far off...you were just happy if you got everyone in bed before 9 and they had clean feet. Now, in a blink off an eye, we are quickly approaching those college years! Let me tell you, it just doesn't seem possibly....I still think of myself as having 8 year olds!...when did they grow up??

Julie..this post is for you....since you were wondering if Tyler still lives here??

Well...what can I say?...

Some are doing good....


As you can see, some are doing better than others. The Clematis is doing very well on it's own. It takes no help from me...and receives none. I can almost take no credit for it's success. I planted it and that's about all I can say for myself.




And some aren't....


This is the kind of plant that doesn't do so well in the Buckner yard. It's so needy! It starts out well about June when I pick it out and bring it home. I even water it and take of the dead heads. But then about July 18th I start to think it's a lost cause and give up on it. I look at it everyday on my deck and see it's dying leaves and no new buds and think I really should water it....but I don't? What is wrong with me? I should just not buy plants that aren't self sufficient!

Cuteness.....

Talk about Cute! It doesn't get better than this! Sunday Trent lost his first tooth! He was so excited...he came running up to us at church....tooth in hand! He lost it during Jr. Church.











He has two others that are close behind. He will be full of holes!

Fireworks....

We took in all Sparta had to offer.......


We were witness to the fireworks show!! We arrived with a little time to spare...like an hour...but it flew by, with good company! Dad and Linda treated us to ice cream sandwiches and fudgesicles...we walked to Family Fare to get those while we waited.

We were adorned with glow sticks.....but they are hard to see in this lighting! (I think Chris is getting his on in the picture)

In attendance was Dad & Linda, Chris & Jerri Coates w/ Nicole, Lindsey & Jared, Steve & Joanne w/ TX3 + Sabrina, ? & ?

It was a great small town show and we had a great view......until next show!

P.S....come back soon to see the cuteness that is going on at our house!!!

Saturday Fun....

We headed out for our annual Sparta Town & Country days parade. Dad and Linda met us there to take in all the fun!


We picked our seats out first and then headed over to Sparta Baptist for a free hot dog, pretzel and juice. While in the foyer eating it started to pour.....so we took up residence there. While there we visited with Dave & Carolyn Cumings.






A clown trying to make Trent smile...he doesn't seem to impressed!


















Handing out junior fireman stickers









Tootsie Roll face













Trent and a Kent County Sheriff....hopefully he never gets this close to one again!





I saved the best for last! Trent got to ride the Scrambler...as you can see he is enjoying himself! He rode all by himself.....not because we were afraid...because it was $4.00 to ride...that's what was scary!








We did have to endure some rain drops...but it stopped part way through the parade. We went over to see the car show and saw friends from church, Randy and Darcy Atkins with their car...I'm not sure what it was...I think a Camaro??...19__ something??

It was fun so met Dad & Linda there and walk around with them. We had dinner there too...a walking taco and homemade ice cream (from the dollar store) We plan to go to the Fireworks show with the Coates Sunday night...maybe Tasty Treat ice cream....I'm gonna have to wear a moomoo. Until next year....

Beat'n The Heat.....

We were trying to beat the heat today by heading to the beach!! It's been HOT HOT HOT here in Michigan. Troy, Trent and I headed to Pere Marquette Beach in Muskegon with the Snyders. We arrived about 11:00 and had pick of the beach! The kids immediately hopped in the water and then came in to play on the sand......





















We also played on some playground equipment that is on the beach. We don't know the little boy on the left....he just kinda wandered into our picture.











The water was a nice 68°...which is warm for Lake Michigan. We sure do have a great beach to swim at!.....








We think this is a beautiful state to live in...The Great Lake State! The kids had a great time!.....

I think I'm Gonna Have an Affair!....

Remember back in May when I wrote about my anniversary date? Well here is the rest of the story!.....

If you remember right, our 'date' consisted of going to Best Buys and IHOP! Which was perfectly fine with me!



While we were out we purchased an Anniversary gift....for more ME than him!...and I'm thinking of having an affair..He's beautiful. He's everything I dreamed he would be! He does his job and he's sooo quiet and he waits patiently for me when he's done. He sits on a pedestal so I never have to bend over to see what might have been left behind! He has stole my heart!

No kidding He is a wonderful thing. He helps me be able to play on the week-ends and get caught up in no time...he's such a helper!

I'm thinking of naming him......and suggestions.....

UPDATE.....what do you think about Herman? say it slow

Too Much Playing.....

This is what you find in your laundry shoot after a week-end of playing! I knew it was gonna be bad when Tyler put his laundry in the shoot on the third floor and I opened the shoot door on the second level...I could see it!!! So guess what I've been doing all day...catch up!

We had fun visiting with the Griffioen family, Tuinstra family, Buckner family, Isenhart family, Sadowitz family........

We watched fireworks at Crockery Lake from the new pontoon boat. It's a pretty nice show for a little lake.....enough to say you saw fireworks! And no traffic jam to get home. Some even enjoyed pie irons, as the Rexfords call them. (or tonka pies) It always brings back fond memories of our cabin days.





Laundry, Laundry and more Laundry!!

Blessings.....

Just a reminder to take time today to Thank the maker, of this wonderful land we live in! We truly are blessed and have a great nation to live in! We are blessed beyond our comprehension...God is so good to us!

We should be SO proud of the USA and yet the news tells us not to be?? Take time to reflect on the blessing you personally enjoy...food, home, family, cars, clothes, friends, job......

Also take time to pray for our many troops that are fighting in Iraq to preserve our freedoms. We often have a removed understanding of what they are truly doing over there and how much they sacrifice to stay there. So many of them give up precious time with their wives and children......and even put their lives on the line for us!....AMAZING....when you really stop and think about it!

I'll leave you with these........
Oh! say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?........

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O beautiful for spacious skies,For amber waves of grain,For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain!America! America!God shed His grace on thee,And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!

Playing Again....

Tuesday we were caught playing again! We made our way to Michigan's Adventure in Muskegon. We had a beautiful day to enjoy the rides and water park. Grandma Bonnie and I ventured over with 7 kids...all but Trent could go off by themselves. (Madison & Bethany took off before we could get the picture)

Merry-Go-Round


Trent and me on the Scrambler this is my kind of ride! Trent's favorite! Time to get weighed (notice who's NOT getting weighed)Trent trying to win a prize....he didn't win a animal but he did win a blow up crayon! It only cost me $3...which goes against everything I was taught!
Here is Trent on his 5th ride on Zach's Zoomer roller coaster (notice I didn't get a good shot of him!) He's the one behind the post in the front cart!!!...show off!
Trent's big smile...worth every dime (or should I say $25)

The Little Dipper....this about my speed!

The water slide in the kids area
Trent going down the water slide....he's sooo fun!

We had a wonderful time and the kids did too!!!

I was wondering when I saw all the people there........I thought the economy was bad???.......apparently those doomers haven't been to M.A. on a sunny day!! Don't these people have a job to go to??