March 2024

March 2024
Over the years, we've always compared our family life to a wagon train heading west. Just as everyone had to do his part to get to Oregon years ago, so everyone in our family must do his/her part to make our journey through life successful. If somebody climbs in the wagon and lets the others do the work, we just don't make any progress. We all have to pull our weight and work together. Along the trail we find lots of pebbles that make for a smooth ride and some bigger rocks that jar us a little; we hit the occasional pothole that can slow us down. But if we purpose to search diligently, there are countless gold nuggets and precious gemstones along the way as well. This journal is an attempt to preserve some of those precious moments for our children, and our children's children, as together we travel this trail called life.

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11


Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Summer Daze

 Monday crowd had a blast as always.



Always fun when these two and their folks stop by for a quick minute. And an ice cream cone.



Tuesday. Not sure where these came from but there they are. So pretty.


One...


Tuesday Lucy and these two had lunch here after Josh and I went to Peoria with them. Sarah had their two cousins here. Was pretty cute to see them all together.


Roxy brought her crew to the lake again. Lots of kayak time!


Wednesday morning walk. I love the color of this weed although I can never remember its name.


Thankful for Coreena's help with my one (1) bucket of apples. Made delicious sauce though!


Cloudy and thundery and a little drizzly now and then but kids had fun. Lots of smiles😄



Speckled sand from drizzle. First time we had rain on a Wednesday I think.


From Kaitlyn -




Back to my camera -






That evening we went to see GGK and these two and their folks stopped by too. This one is King Of The Mountain!


And this one is Just Plain Cute.


Thursday project.


Friday.

😆😸


First of the blackberries from my patch!


Jewel and Josh were walking beans and I thoroughly enjoyed my quiet morning at the sewing machine. This doesn't happen often and that's fine. But I enjoy it when it does. Jewel thinks I can get it finished in time for her to take with her to CO. 😏 I make no promises ha.


Then I took Josh to mow Levi's and picked up three kids to swim at the lake awhile. And someone was having a birthday the next day so I took him his bd present too. 
Happy Birthday Flint!


Hot hot hot and beautiful.


 Dad & I picked peaches. There are a *very* few nice ones...


VERY hot evening. Lake felt great. And it was so pretty.



This is pretty much the 2023 peach crop. Since there were so few, Dad didn't spray; so the few aren't that nice. Only a few of the few are pick-up-and-eat edible. But those few few are delicious😋


That's it. Thanks for reading!

Saturday, July 15, 2023

KochKaiser Independence Day Cookout

 Our annual cookout was actually a few days after Independence Day and was also truly a cookout this year as the weather was beautiful. Seems like many years we cookout inside bc it's so hot. This year was perfect. We were missing Levi's, Gabe's, and Josiah's, but it was still such a nice evening. These are friendships that we cherish.


Jacob made two little boys very very happy💕


Travis got the first ride but I missed it.





What would we do without Kaiser Lake? It is so pretty.
Thanks Dave&Beth!






😆







This year's fireworks show was... omy. 
Best ever. 
And thus I was the most nervous ever. 
Thankful for no injuries.


These from Sarah:

(screenshots from videos she took)




And Sarah's videos -