T-shirt Switch Day!!!

Abby and Ben thought it would be fun to wear each others shirts to school today.....Remember she's almost 16 and he's 8!

Here is the crazy face photo!!!
This is them just being cute.......

We are Expecting.....Again!!!

Did I scare you?? It would scare me too!! :)




















No really.....We are expecting a new puppy! The puppies were just born on Sunday so we won't get one for another 6-8 weeks.....Here is a photo from the lady we are getting it from. They are full blooded beagles.....They are free and Brian has been wanting a beagle for a long time....

It's not a great photo but look how small it is and that pink nose is so cute.....We are hoping to get a girl puppy so we have been thinking of names....They are going to keep sending a photos and let us pick the one we want once they know how many of each they have.....



Other than that......What can I blog about when nothing is new or going on??? Another very boring/busy week for us. Abby has a football game tonight and another band competition on Saturday. Last week the EHS Band took 3rd place and the Color Guard took 2nd place at the O'Fallon competition!

The kids got their mid term reports this week and they were wonderful....We have not seen so many A's in one place!! Way to go kids!!!!!


Abby and I are going Sunday to look for her Homecoming dress. The dance is Oct 4th.

Nothing To Report...

Just a fun photo to share of our best dog ever.....Shakes...I really don't think there is anything that expresses happiness more than a dog out a window....It always makes me smile!! :)

We have been really busy with work and there really is not much going on this week that's very interesting. I have not been taking alot of photos....need to pick up the camera more!!

The kids are all doing great in school....Abby is busy with band (football games and competitions) and is getting ready for basketball to start soon. All three boys are bowling this year so that is what we have been doing on Saturday mornings. Ali is working (2 jobs) and going to school full time. She is doing great and plans on moving soon to a new place so she can have a room mate (she will still be in Effingham).

Brian if feeling great, except for his yearly allergies and I am doing good too...

EHS Band Color Guard....

The First EHS Home Football game was held last Friday.....Abby had me come to the school a little earlier so I could take some photos of her and her friends in their Color Guard uniforms. These uniforms are new this season and they are really nice.....
She is standing in front of the new Memorial they just built this summer......
Abby getting a little sassy.....
Here is Abby and her friends Sam and Brenna.....
Aren't they cute????

Beautiful Day In Boise......

We took off on a drive one day with the plans to maybe go boating......Well the marina was full so we ended up at a swimming area. We had a nice picnic and the kids swam.....

This is just a view of the area.....
At the marina.....
Abby and Grandpa Bo....
Ronda watching the kids swim......

My nephews...Spencer (9) and Nolan (8).....
Me and Ronda......

Bug Catching at Ballard Nature Center.....

Abby has been working on a bug collection for a couple of weeks, well now it's due on Friday and she is still missing a dragonfly and a stink bug. We were told that Ballard Nature Center would be a good place to look. I, for one love Ballard.....It's so peaceful and it's always different. Whatever time of the year you come it's new.....I can't wait to go back when the leaves start to fall......here are some photos I took while Abby was trying to catch her bugs....which by the way she never got!!! :(

If you have the time double click on most of these.....There are bees, butterflies and grasshoppers to look for (kinda like a "eye spy" games)
My favorite of the day......this grasshopper was eating this flower....if you look you can even see his "arms" wrapped around the flower to hold on too......
Abby and Gabe looking at the frogs and bugs in the wetland.....
Another friend......
Abby trying to catch her bugs......
Really Abby.....was really trying to catch some!!

There was all different flowers there.....of course I don't know what anyone of them is called but I sure do like to look at them (and take photos)
Don't know what these are but they were so cute...they were only about a nickle big
Gabe....getting tired of waiting for Abby to catch her bugs.....He actually had some frogs scare him by jumping near his feet, we saw a snake about 6 inches and alot of bees were doing their thing on the flowers.....
Another favorite from the trip......

Boise Depot (at night).....

This is a beautiful area in Boise....it sits on top a hill and gives you a great view of Boise......

Here is Boise at night......
Abby.......

My Dad......
The grounds have a great walking path with a stream and rocks to climb on. It was really too dark for photos but the kids had fun in the dark.....

Spencer's Bam-Gam Game.....

While visiting Ronda we got to attend Spencer's Bam-Gam 3 on 3 Tourney.....His team played 3 games and won all 3....they also were the Tournement Champions in their division. This tournament took place in downtown Boise.....

Spencer is the one in the air......

Here is Ronda and Abby sitting the table.....they volunteer and got free t-shirts!!
Spencer #19.....
Here is Abby, Mallory and Delaney with a "cow".....

First Day of School.......

Did you think I forgot about 1st day of School photos??? I am still trying to get caught up with my blogging from my vacations (and I still have more from Idaho)....but here is the "token" 1st Day of School photos....

The boys.....
Ben ready for 3rd Grade......
Gabe ready for 1st Grade.....
Beau ready for 8th Grade.....
Here is Abby, Beau, Ben and Gabe......
Abby and her boyfriend Nate......She is going to be a Sophmore (he's a junior)......

Beau rode his bike the first day of school......
Here is Ben meeting Mr. Manuel (the Principal) outside of school......
Gabe just about ready to get out of the car at his school.....
And now Ali.....This was her first day of classes at Lakeland College.....She came by just so I could take some photos of her...

Abby and Mom go Zipping!!!

Abby and I (and Grandpa Bo) spent a week with Ronda and her family the first of August. Ronda is always coming up with cool things to do when we visit...however this time she was really "crazy". She signed us girls up to go Zip Lining!!! OK...I never do anything like this (I am a bit of a "baby"...but Abby was all for it.....Check out some of our photos from that day.

Abby and Mallory on a stop up to Horseshoe Bend.....Don't they look alot alike??
Abby, Mallory and Dalaney (Ronda's friend's daughter from Florida).....
OK....after a very rough ride up the mountain we got to our stop and got all "hooked up" to the gear.....This is me, Ronda and Mallory.....
"The Girls" ready for some fun......
This is the view from the first tree stop. I decided to go first because 1. if I did not go I probably would not and 2. because if I went first I could take some photos of everyone!!
This is the first line......I am standing in the tree above.....

Here comes Abby on her first trip.....
This time Ronda took my camera and went ahead of me....I thought I better have some photo showing I actually did this or no one (Brian) would believe me.....
I did it!!! This was line #2.....
Ronda and Mallory......
Here comes Abby again....line #2.....

She lookes cute in her helmet.....
Here comes Ronda......Line #4
Beautiful views from on top of the mountain.....
Abby in a tree waiting to go again....
Ronda and Mallory watching the "zippers"...

Abby going from tree to tree.....
Here she comes again....she is really getting good....
Back on the ground.....There were 4 tree stops and then we will be doing 2 land stops.....
Me and Abby......
This is the Wild Turkey line....it's 1700 feet long and you go all the way down this valley to the other side.....

This is my shadow on the Wild Turkey!!
See the area on top of the mountain.....that's where I started the Wild Turkey!! It was fantastic and the view was so incrediable.......This is Abby on the line now.....
Abby waiting to get "pulled in"......
This is not very clear of Abby but look at the view behind her.....
This is the Double Trouble Line (and the last one).....you get to "race" a partner and Ronda and I raced......I am in red, she in black.....

And the winner is.......ME!!! ME!!! I never beat my sister at anything!!! I was so excited....
Here we are at the end.....Abby took these photos of us...
As we were leaving there were cows everywhere and they would not leave the road....it was like they were showing us the way out!! It was really funny......
One last view of the mountains......
If you are ever in Boise, Idaho you need to try this out.....www.zipidaho.com. I still can't believe Abby and I did this but I am soooo glad we did. I will say, I have done it and probably won't do

it again.

More of our Idaho trip too come......