July 2026

July 2026
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, December 27, 2011

12-27-11 FOLEPI

by Kaitlyn

(Festival of Lights East Peoria)

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These dinosaurs were very neat……

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So was this whale………

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The ducklings’ mouths were opening and closing.

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This is a bulldozer if you can’t tell.

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I think that this might be a helicopter!!?

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This skier skied down the ramp and then jumped across the road right over us!

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Josh loved it!

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“Boy oh boy oh boy!”

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(that was Jewel!)

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ps – I told Kate if she’d put in the px, I’d finish the post. She wrote a few comments, but I’ll just add that the kids LOVED IT!!! Especially Jewel and Josh, but all of them said it was well worth $10! When we were done, Jewel thought we should go back through it the way we came to get back where we came from! Too bad it doesn’t work that way! The kids wisely noted that during the actual FOL there was NOTHING to indicate Christ or Christmas; it’s a festival of lights, not Christmas. A little further on, though, we went through the nativity display (last 5 px, above), to which there is no charge to enter, and which, sadly, had little traffic. Tuning in to AM 1610, we heard a brief narration as we drove by these displays; it was a nice ending to our first ever trip to the FOLEPI!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

12-25-11 Merry Christmas!

And again I am happy to report we sang #300 plus many other Christmas favorites today; singing was again beautiful. Messages were inspiring and fellowship was sweet; then we came home to chores and a walk on another VERY sunshiney day!! Alas it grieves me to report that KennyCat was evidently hit on the road yesterday; her remains were discovered in the cow pasture when Dad & I were walking. She will be missed, especially her clawing at the windows. She was a nice nice cat and we had hoped for pretty kittens from her too this spring. Such is life… good lessons to be learned about staying off the road, anyway.


A few afternoon px -


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Someone is in bad need of a haircut.


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?I don’t know who took these; I just found them on the camera.


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Jewel spends so much time doing this puzzleball!


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Last year we skipped our annual Christmas family photo for the first time in about 10 years. This year I didn’t forget…although it’s still next to impossible to get a good picture of 11 people at one time!! The kids all wanted their instruments in the picture too – do you think they kind of like them?!!


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The Christmas story -


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Gifts -


Josh LOVED this helicopter!!!!!


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Nice to have some pretty ducktape for Kate’s shoes :) Thanks ASK!


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Josh was pleased as punch for colored marshmallows!


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Best Dad and Honey In The World. I love you!


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First mandolin lesson for ASK!


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~Thank You Lord for another wonderful Christmas. We are so blessed!~