Halloween Happenings

This year, we got to use the new building at church for our Fall Festival which gave us more room for all the games. The girls had a great time playing the games, eating hot dogs, and jumping in the bounce house.

We were all a little tuckered out from our weekend of camping, but a good time was had by all!

Grampie and Gina joined us for the festivities.

Avery, Paislee, and Skylar - Bee Buddies
Great minds think alike.

Abby, Cord, Beth Anne, and Avery,
enjoying the bounce house.


Amy and Ansley - two cute bananas.


Jessie did a great job painting Abby's ladybug.


Avery at the ball toss.
I am thinking she should stick with soccer.


Easton, thanks for being a good sport
for the sponge throw.

Our Home Away From Home

-OK, maybe not, but we sure do enjoy camping at Eisenhower State Park!

We went again with several friends in our small group at church. A huge plus of this state park is that it is 15 minutes from our house. We had just four tents on the campgrounds, but we had a couple of other families join us for the days and not spend the night since we were so close to Denison.

As usual, we had a blast hanging out with one another. We went on walks/hikes, watched the kids play, roasted marshmallows, carved pumpkins and more.

Friday night was pretty cool – about 35 degrees. It was fine around the campfire, but it was pretty chilly when we headed to our sleeping bags. All the kids slept fine and were nice and cozy. Most of the adults stayed pretty cold through the night. I was even in Wes’ nice sleeping bag meant for 10 degree weather that he uses on Trek, and I was still cold.

The next day we had breakfast around the campfire. I made pancakes for our crew. There are little jugs with pancake mix that you just have to add water to, which makes it super easy.

After breakfast we went on a little hike with Sam, my friend Jennifer’s dog. Wes and I had to leave during the day to go to the girl’s soccer games. We also grabbed a quick shower afterwards at home since it was on the way.

Wes went to the Ranger game that evening and just slept at our house afterwards since he was getting back so late. He also needed to be at church the next morning. He was able to come after church and bring us all lunch and help us tear down camp.

Saturday evening we carved pumpkins, roasted hot dogs, and marshmallows. Don’t worry, I got some healthy food in the weekend too. I gave the girls lots of V8 Fusion (vegetable and fruit juice – they just don’t know about the vegetable part) and lots of grapes.

We slept much better that night mostly due to the fact that it was about 10 degrees warmer. I also had Wes’s empty sleeping bag to cover me.

On Sunday we had another breakfast around the campfire. Cara, our camp cooking queen, made donuts for us over the fire. The kids got to shake them in powdered sugar which was a fun treat. Cara taught us all kinds of meals and treats to cook over the fire.

After breakfast we had a nice little worship service around the campfire. We sang lots of children’s songs led by the kids. Then Barry led a little devotional for us with one of the girl’s devotional books. There is nothing like praising God right in His beautiful nature.

A huge thanks to Jennifer for taking some of these great pictures! She is talented!

Jennifer and Barry, it was fun being neighbors. Wish you lived next door, for real.

Avery climbing a tree, again. She loves doing this!

Abby cleaning a rock! She is concentrating hard!

Love this gal and her "natural" smile she is sharing with us here.

Having fun!

Preslee holding Abby - sweet friends.

These girls are planning something.

The kids had so much fun playing with this water faucet, creating waterfalls, and just playing in the mud.

Rocks + mud + water + sweet girls = hours of fun

Hanging out around the fire.

The Milner family.

Jana and Alyson - we sure love you both!

Sweet Jamison. Not sure what she thought about the whole camping thing.

She wants to climb much higher like her sister.

This girl loves to give kisses!

Thank you God for our friends!

Avery is not enjoying this, can you tell?

Abby think Jennifer needs help, I guess.

I do not pretend to be a great pumpkin carver. This is the best I could do. The girls did not want to help get the "guts" out of it. These are the same girls who played in the mud and dirt all day. Whatever!

They all looked pretty neat when it was dark.

Cara was so sweet to let the kids help cook and eat the donuts.

Abby dancing/shaking the donut in powdered sugar.

Abby eating Cara's amazing donuts!

Good stuff!

Abby giving Sam some water.

Alyson and Abby picking out a Bible story for our devotional.

"If a brother is in the way, we will stop and pick him up..."

The girls leading us in "This Little Light of Mine".

We had a great time and made lots of memories. I can’t wait to do it again sometime soon. I am so thankful to God that I get to walk through this life with such great friends.