Madeline

Maddie has been SO HAPPY lately! I need to figure out how to video tape it better because it's so stinkin' cute. She's just like her dad (and grandpa), all smiles until she sees a camera, then she's all business. Plus, I'm not coordinated enough to make funny faces at her to get her smiling and hold the camera still at the same time, lol.

Dustin & Madeline

I just thought this pic. was too cute not to share!

Ringger Lake Visit

This past weekend was the first (and hopefully annual) Ringger lake weekend at our cottage. We didn't have perfect weather (windy, chilly and choppy water Saturday) but we still had plenty of fun. Here are some of the highlights of the weekend:

- lots of EATING

- fishing (see Micki's blog for details of the "big catch")

- Swimming, I can't believe how much the kiddos are starting to like the water, they're lakers already

- Carlie took her first ski run, what a brave little girl, she had a smile on her face the whole time and her nose plugged...lol too cute

- tubing, I wish I had a picture of Eli's hand signals to post, we just couldn't get the speed right for that guy or maybe he just liked using the hand signals

- wakeboarding, hopefully no one is too sore (we had some pretty intense falls) but everyone who tried eventually got up :)

- bonfires, s'mores and even an impromptu fireworks show for our last night

I wish I was better about carrying my camera around with me, Sunday rolled around and I realized I hadn't taken a picture all weekend, whoops. Sunday Dustin and I took Lucy and Carlie on a scavenger hunt down the "Nile of Matteson". We found everything on our list except for a frog. We found cat-tails, lilly pads, white and yellow lillies, pink flowers, birds, weeping willow trees and even a turtle (which Dustin decided to get us an up close and personal view of and almost ran into it with the boat)

Adams Visit

Better late than never... The past two weekends have been a blast! We headed to Indy to visit with the Ringger clan, do some boating and go to a baseball game. See Gin and Micki's blogs for the details of the fun filled weekend. Below is a pic of us at Ram brewery before the game. I love this picture of Dustin.

65th Wedding Anniversary

A few weeks ago my grandparents celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. I can't believe how blessed we are. A lot of people don't live to see their 65th birthday, much less their 65th wedding anniversary. Dustin and I were just discussing the other day that if genes play a part in how long we live we have pretty good chances. Both of us have grandparents in their mid to late 80's that are still living on their own and working, amazing! The picture below was taken after the church service where my grandparents renewed their vows. I can't believe all those people came from just one couple and probably around 20 cousins couldn't make it back for the celebration.

I just had to laugh too when I saw the picture because beforehand I asked Dustin if my hair still looked okay and my sister mentioned that she might be a little under dressed for a family picture. It took me a while to even find myself in the picture and I even knew where I had been standing.