HE'S BACK!!!!

Yes, Conner made it back from his 1st mission trip!!!

Conner went to the "Alive In You" trip with our church. There were about 407 Catholic teens that attended this summer (not all from our church of course).

Conner spent the week scraping paint and repainting the outside of a house. He has some blisters on his hands to show that he did indeed work. Oh, he also brought home some poison ivy on his arms and legs. Poor Conner looks at a poison ivy plant and it hops on his body. He is surviving well.

Sunday (father's day) Chris and I met Conner at church in the afternoon to welcome the group home, eat lunch together and then hear a little about the trip. By the stories that were told it sounds as if all the kids had a great time and took something away from the trip. Conner did tell me that he will go on more mission trips.... hmmm maybe we need to send Conner and Chris on a medical mission to a Spanish speaking country.... Chris can treat and Conner can translate. We will have to look into that.

I want to thank everyone that donated to Conner's trip.... It was because of you he was able to participate in such a wonderful experience.

Anyone can be a father.....

....But it takes someone special to be a Dad!!

Here is a post to all those dad's out there.... single dads, married dads, adoptive dads, step-dads, grandfathers and all those dads that I left out!

But this post is especially for these 3 dads....

The one that brought me into this world.... well he did have a part in it.....
(this is the oldest picture I could find on the computer of my dad and me).... gotta scan some I think



The one that brought Chris into this world..... (like my dad, he did have something to do with it)

...... ok, so after hunting for awhile I have realized that I have no pictures of Chris and his dad on the computer.... actually, I do not think I have any pictures of Chris and his dad anywhere...


Chris' dad is in the white shirt...

and the Daddy to my kids.....

this is Dakota (my step son who is now 6) and Chris....


Kennedi and Chris


and of course Conner and Avery, his step-sons....

Chris.... thank you for being the awesome dad you are too all the kids!!!

Thank you all for being some of the greatest Dads on the planet!!

I hope you have a wonderful Father's Day!!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!

There's an artist in the house

The two big boys are very opposite when it comes to art....

Conner wants nothing to do with it.... never did want anything to do with it....

When he was little he was not one to sit and color but wanted to do other things instead...

and that's ok.....

When Avery came and as he grew he was the one that would sit on the floor and color with me....

for hours.....

and trace pictures....

and draw....

he has an imagination like you would not believe!!

That is why when he recently brought me a few of his pieces of art from his art class a few years ago to look through we saw one that gave us an idea.....

ok it gave Chris an idea.... (I am more like Conner when it comes to art)...

Chris saw this picture that Avery drew and immediately commented on how it would go so well in the baby's nursery....

Hmmmm ok.... I guess it would.... (remember I am like Conner. I can not visualize anything... I mean anything... just ask Chris)

But Chris can..... (thankfully)... because what was once a little drawing on some paper....

is now....

a piece of art that will be hanging in the nursery.... (as soon as Chris visualizes a place for it to go).......


Picture drawn by Avery!!!!

This picture does not do it justice!!! More pictures to come when Chris gets it hung....

Today was the day!!!

It is going to be a long week for both Conner and Mom (me). Today we sent Conner and 18 other teens from our church youth group off to Tennessee for a mission trip.

Conner will be working his tail off fixing up whatever is needed and I will be home hoping that he is having a great time and having his eyes opened at the same time. I do not think I have ever gone 5 days without talking to or texting him. I already cant wait to hear all about it when he gets home.

I am not going to write much more about it since I did post about it the other day, right here.

So, until he gets home, keep the group (teens and adults) in your prayers.

Finally!!!

The housing market here is finally starting to pick up!! I am so excited!!

It figures about the timing. We have renters that moved in June 1st and since then the realtors have been calling to show the house. Whew!! Thankfully we have a clause in the lease in case the house were to sell.

Oh I am so crossing my fingers that the house will sell soon. It has been on the market for about 2 years (or more) and we have not gotten much action at all. All these calls about it are really nice but trying to schedule a time to show it is a little frustrating. But in the end it will be worth it (or at least that is what I tell myself).

So.... hopefully something will happen soon and we will go from

This......

and this......

To just this........

and how nice that would be!!!!!