Jellystone Park

We just got back from a great camping trip to Jellystone Park! That's right....Yogi Bear! We had a huge group! My family and in-laws, the Miller's that their parents and in-laws, Tina's sister and her family, Wayne's sister, and some other friends and their family. It was perfect! I think the kids were all asleep BEFORE their heads touched their pillows each night! The days are filled with activities for the kids, like hay rides, arts and crafts, gold and gem mining, pedal cart races, laser tag, swimming, it was great! The best entertainment for the kids was the jumping pillow! Here are some pictures!






Here we are making candy sand art.





Just hanging out!

Playing some dominoes!

My "fishes" and their friends.

Boston or bust!

We just got back from an amazing week in Boston! We had a part family vacation, part church conference. We were there for 7 days. Lee's mom and dad went, as well as his brother Todd, and his girlfriend, Maribel. The girls are getting so big! They just took care of themselves! Pulled their own suitcases through airports, security and down the jet ways. They got out their movies and snacks and life was all good! Corinne is Claire's other mother!
Boston is gorgeous! The leaves are changing and the air was crisp. We ate some amazing lobster in Kennybunkport, Maine. Got to see ex-President George (Daddy) Bush's house, and shopped in the cutest little town ever. (Like Fredricksburg, but better!) Drove through the Hampton's, where the movies stars vacation. Spent a whole day in downtown Boston. We took a trolley tour and jumped off when we saw something we wanted to see. There is so much history on the east coast. Paul Revere, George Washington, the Declaration of Independence, etc. We toured museums, ate at Cheers, where the TV show was filmed, saw Fenway Park. We ate more Dunkin Donuts then the law should allow! (Boston is the birthplace of Dunkin Donuts.) We also went to a replicated village called Sturbridge Village. It is a whole town that has been replicated from the early 1800's. We got to see the bank, printing press, mansions, common houses, farms, churches, etc. They had live actors that interacted with you, they even had a horse draw carriage ride. It was a lot of fun and the scenery was breath taking!


These are from Kennybunkport, Maine.

Before:
After:
On our drive to Maine, we stopped in the Hamptons and saw the Atlantic Ocean and some very beautiful homes. It was so cold and rainy that day.

These are some of the pictures from downtown.






My sweet family.



Here we are at Sturbridge Village. The village was amazing! and the foliage was so beautiful!




The girls and Todd in a big sled and Todd wearing his "overcoat."






We rented a 12 passenger van for the 8 of us and all our luggage. It was crazy driving that thing in downtown Boston! And, Boston drivers have to be the world's worst! But, it was fun!! I nicknamed it, the "Party Bus!"

Wrapping up the summer

Wow! Where has the summer gone?? We have been so busy having fun, that summer just flew by! Now we officially have a Kindergartner!
At the end of July, we had our annual church camp, which lasts a whole week. Corinne came down with a fever of 103 the afternoon that we left. It lasted 6 days, 103-104 temps all week. She was stuck in the trailer watching movies. Then as she was coming out of it, Claire's 102-104 temps started. It was awful!! They each missed out on lots of fun, but we took advantage of the moments that they felt good. Lee and I are in charge of organizing the "outing" for camp. The year we went to Granite Shores Beach in Marble Falls. Most excellent fun was had by all! Here are a few pictures from there.



This was a catapult, where one person is on the end and then someone else jumps and it catapults the other way up in the air!
Corinne and I hanging out--must have been a feeling better day!




Mid August, we went to Garner State Park with the Miller's. One of our best camping trips yet! Here are some photos from there and the Frio River. The dogs had a blast too. We found out the Kinsley LOVES water! We hiked to a cave, it was so cool inside, felt good after that long hike up to the top of the mountain. We went to a dance, Corinne and Marshal danced together. Lee even danced to one song with me!!








August 21 - Corinne's PreK graduation. Very sweet! We are so proud of her and her confidence.
Corinne said the opening prayer.





August 23 - 1st day of Kindergarten!!!!!!! Claire is a little lost without her sister here, but so far, she is doing good! Corinne loves school and I love hearing her talk a mile a minute each day when I pick her up, about how much fun she had, what new friends she made, what she ate for lunch, who she sat by, all about the playground, etc.
Doesn't she look ready?
Walking in with Daddy and Claire.

Her locker.