What we've been up to

I can't believe summer is gone and fall is upon us. Actually, this morning I thought winter was here. This post contains pictures from the summer up to Halloween, since I can't quite seem to find the time to post more often. Here we have our little princess, Bat Girl with her little bat dolls, and a famous pit crew member of Lightning McQueen

Our neighbor girl Hannah invited Claire to her birthday party at the American Girl store in Chicago. Claire and I got to go and have lunch. It was quite an experience that I'm sure she'll always remember.

Our vacation this summer was to southern Indiana. We stayed at a cabin by Patoka Lake. Some of the highlights were swimming, spulunking (cave exploring), going to Holiday World, boating, train riding, and enjoying each others company.

This sign was at the closest gas station/store. Needless to say we did not dine there.

The kids actually got to see Santa at Holiday World. He took the time to talk to them and everything. We were listening closely when he was asking what they wanted for Christmas.

We also got a retaining wall and landscaping around our house this spring. This picture was taken sometime in mid summer.

Another highlight for Claire was her first year in 4-H. Here she is with her steer, Oreo. She did a wonderful job, placing first in the class and winning beginner showman. She also was in creative writing and photography.

Hope and Kidest hanging out close to the time that Kidest left for Lebanon

This is one of my favorite pictures. Brock and Toby on the beach at The Dunes State Park chasing seagulls. These two guys are such great buddies. Toby now lives across the world in Lebanon.