amy and the dells | memories

My friend Amy and I have shared a lot of great memories together. One that tops the list is the 6 weeks we spent together in Torino, Italy. Each week we got one full day off to explore, but for one weekend out of the 6 weeks we had a full 2-day weekend. It was last minute that we found out about the extra day, so we consulted our friend and translator Alessandra, and she suggested we take a train over to Lake Como. We really had no idea what we were going to do, where we were going to stay, and even what there was to see there. Mark, Dan, Amy and I packed an overnight bag, hopped on a train and set off for what ended up being the most amazing 2 days we had in Italy. Right when we got there, the uncultured Americans (us) heard there was a boat tour of Lake Como that ended at Bellagio. Had we heard of Bellagio and how absolutely amazing and beautiful it is?

Nope. Isn't that a hotel in Las Vegas?

Long story made short, we stepped foot on the penninsula only planning on visiting a few hours and ended up deciding to stay. We scored the very last inn with a room. The inn keeper handed each couple an umbrella as it started to drizzle on us and we made our way through the idyllic winding streets of Bellagio. Plus, we were able to walk through Bellagio's private gardens that were only open to the public on that one day all year.

Usually I reserve posts like this specially for my family blog, but because Amy taught me a few things about my dad's FILM SLR camera during that trip, I thought it appropriate to share here too.

On our vacation at the Dells this summer with the Daugherty's, I pulled Amy outside onto the dock one evening. It had been an off and on, stormy, sunny, stormy, sunny type of day, and because of this the evening sky looked like it was about to explode with the heaviness of golden bags of light. And so my friend and I, with a shared love of photography, sat upon the dock and watched the explosion of the sun setting through the eyes of our lenses.

And it was beautiful.

And so was she.

Jayner...I ripped open the package and looked at the book, then called you...so, I just found your note too.  :)  thanks!  made me teary-eyed.  I truly believe that this is where God wants us, but I SO love/miss the depth of friendship, laughing, the freedom to be me, the ability to talk about my spiritual life, all that comes with being known by you for so many years.  We are so thankful for you guys coming up here and getting to hang out with you!  It is truly refreshing to us.  I love you and wish I could hug you right now.  Thank you for being you...and for doing ALL of the dishes.  This week as the dishes have annoyed and frustrated me, I have tried to think of you calmly standing at the sink, not overwhelmed by 8 people's dishes...amazing in my book! :)

hard to express how thankful I am for your friendship...love you!

I love you too, Amy. I love you, too.

wisconsin dells | summer recap: part 2

{June 16-June 19, 2010}

On our way back from Minnesota last summer we planned to make a spontaneous stop in the Wisconsin Dells. Mark had found out about some great climbing spots at Devil's Lake State Park, and I had purchased for myself the best outdoor chair ever and planned on reading a book in the shade of the mountains while the boys climbed. However, we got off to a late start and didn't think we'd make it to the the Dells in time, so we stopped back by the Daugherty's instead and ate dinner and said a final good-bye for the summer (personally much more fun)!

So this summer we thought, let's meet the Daugherty's in the Dells. They're outdoorsy folk, they'll love it. However, the farthest we got in planning was to set the date and make sure the Daugherty's could come. Then Mark graduated from Mursing School and left for Liberia. Yes, Africa, for a week, with instructions for me to finalize the vacation.

Because I am the most indecisive person alive, and have no skill whatsoever for planning anything BIG, like a vacation, let alone small, like dinner, Amy finally hunted me down and said she'd gladly take over the planning. I can't express the great love and relief I felt after that. So a couple days after Mark returned from Liberia (blog entry for another day), we headed off to the Dells.

Now, when Mark and I thought of the Dells we had images like this in mind:

Vultures Domain by Derrick Mayoleth

It turns out, when most people think of the Dells they imagine images like this: http://www.mtolympuspark.com/

And we had no idea that when we drove into the Dells we would be entering the Waterpark Capital of the World ... or Myrtle Beach of the North as we like to call it. I've already spent 4 summers of my life in Myrtle Beach and really have no plans to ever go back.

Funny thing is, our outdoorsy, tree-hugging friends knew this part of the Dells but not the other. In the end, it all worked out good. We stayed on a lake (mucky, but a lake none-the-less), had only a 20 minute drive to the natural beauties of the Dells and still got to take part in some "Myrtle Beach" fun (free coupons for go-carts, wave pool, etc). Best of all, we got to spend a good amount of time laughing with life-long friends .... which of course is the best vacation of all!

{Tommy up on the line}

(I was actually sick on this day ... The Annals of an Anal Princess storybook may someday come to post, but for now, just know this Diva was sick, and wheezy and tired. So I stayed back and slept, because I know myself and me and tiredness and hot sun do not go well together at all!)

{Ephraim's first time climbing}

{Mark was a little scared of Dan's belaying skills. I can't imagine why.}

{Ephraim, Spencer, Tommy and Louie}

{There was no muck in this lake at all! Crystal clear waters! The way it should be!}

{I did miss out on the ice cream!}

Amy did a stellar job with food prep and cooking. I did a stellar job with cleaning the dishes. We each do our part ;o)

We also played many a fun game after the kids went to bed. Like who can keep the chip clip on their nose the longest:

{I think Amy won}

We also played Catan and as usual Mark showed off his greasy forehead tricks:

Oh, and I showed off my elbow.

But I suppose that's a story for another day as well. It's all part of the summer recap friends. You're not gonna wanna miss it!

And when it was all over, we were sad to leave each other but so thankful to be known by each other for so many years.

streaming light

If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!

~ J.M. Barrie (Peter Pan)

cammack station | summer recap: part 1

Back in June while Louie was attending Meghan's birthday party, Tommy and I went on—well, I was about to say date, but that embarrasses him—so we had some hang time together. My friend Malissa has told me many times about Cammack Station over the years, but have never decided to drive the extra 5 minutes it takes to get there.

Which means I've been missing out all these years on some old-school memorabilia and fun.

Meet Cammack Station.

Right out of scene from Back to the Future or landing in the town of Mayberry. I love how you're just driving along Jackson Street from Crazy Muncie to Lazy Muncie and then BAM, you drive through this blink-and-miss-it little town. They even have a shoe repair shop that Tommy and I attempted to visit so they could glue together his flip flops (they were closed).

{See I wasn't kidding about Mayberry}

I was shocked when I found the car door actually unlocked. Small towns. Gotta love 'em.

So what do you do in the corner town of Cammack?

You eat ice cream of course.

And you take photos of all the Phillips 66 memorabilia because you know your "born and raised in the hometown of Phillips 66" husband is gonna like it.

And then you just take photos of old country life.

And finally you subject your son to having his picture taken over and over again.

{it was a momentous event ... he's missing his two front teeth (actually three), can you blame me?}

life is ...

I've been MIA processing many photos.

Processing Life.

And ultimately Life is good.

Just wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten about you, Life.

love letters

This week begins Tommy's first full week of second grade. It's strangely been a smooth transition. Though that might have something to do with the fact that I crawl back in bed with Louie after Tommy gets on the bus. I then am not forced to wake up until around 10:30 a.m.

But since I'm so far behind in my life I'm gonna take this moment to look forward to Louie attending preschool starting in September. 

I found these buried in my photo pile. They were taken on the first of June after Louie had gone to visit his teacher, Mrs. Sterrett, in hopes of getting him excited for this fall.

It may have worked.

He also wrote (I mean, I transcribed) one to his favorite parent's day out teacher, Mrs. Lewis:

I hope this means we'll be off to a good start in September. If he drops out again, I'll be paying tuition to the Eads' Homeschool Association.

h2o

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

4 cousins + 2 harleys = good times

My dad is a collector. Always has been. Corvettes (models and real), Harleys, Detroit Red Wings anything.

My mom was a collector too. Always had been. Bears, Angels ... vitamins??? (maybe a story for another day!)

I try not to be a collector as much, but it's kind of in the blood you see?

So the way that I try to get around this is by using my blog as a way to document the family collections, tell a piece of history about them and then pass them on. I like to think I do a decent job at it. However, I did just arrive back from my childhood home in Michigan with a couple boxful of "collections" that will indeed need to be documented and passed on. Please pray for me.

However, today's post is just about the collection of cousins that got to be together over the weekend, and the fun they had hanging out on Papa's collection of Harleys.

Tommy and Mackie are 6 weeks apart with glasses and the same teeth missing and coming in at the same time. It's pretty obvious they're related in that sense!

You've already met my nephew Nick from the previous post. He was beyond crackin' me up this day!

What is with the youngest and their ability to be completely uninhibited in front of the camera?

{I'd like to think I look much cooler in my roller derby helmet versus the over-sized motorcycle helmet and sunglasses of my dad's ... but probably not ;o)}

I have great photos of my dad. But he has a homework assignment to complete and get to me first before they can be posted.

Here's just a couple to encourage him to do his homework: