Someone LOVES Thomas the Train!  I haven’t ever seen him sit in one place so long as when he discovered this Thomas the Train catalog and “read” it from cover to cover, many times over. Auntie Dot took a few moments to teach all the firebugs how to create a…

She liked the black beans. She was not a fan of the green beans. That’s black dirt on her face, not food, by the way. There are really no words for how incredibly adorable and wonderfully good natured this child is.  She’s afraid of strangers but only when her mother…

We celebrated Dot’s birthday with not one cake but two!  No one complained. Dot does not allow Baby Katherine to have sugar, but when she was not looking Dr. Peds gave her a little taste.  Baby Katherine did not complain either. What did Auntie Dot get for her birthday, you…

The Iowa Crew always seems to find interesting things to roast on the fire, and after locating this large grilling contraption, Dot’s dog’s stuffed pheasant became the victim.  It was actually so dripping wet that it did not catch fire.  That pheasant is the slimiest, nastiest piece of fuzz you’ll…

The kidlets pretty much live in the water at the cabin, and although the lake water is fairly clean and clear, they actually do end up stinking like fish and who knows what else after soaking in it so much. Here’s Uncle Bryan giving grouch Mr. Sneaky Pants a little…

Using the jetskis is always a fun way to spend afternoons on the lake.  Their speedy quick turns tantalizes the big kid population at the cabin. Sometimes things go wrong with a jetski, like weeds getting caught underneath, which requires the use of a good old kayak paddle to sloosh…

The first night at the cabin Auntie Dot had the excellent idea of going on a sunset boat ride around the perimeter of the lake.  We left Baby Katherine with Uncle Don, and convinced Dr. Peds to fire up the pontoon, and then we gathered all of the other kidlets,…

We arrived at the cabin in the early evening, greeted by Grandma Kathy and Auntie Dot’s family, who had already arrived.  After some food and of course some swimming in the lake, we went on a sunset boat ride and then nestled in to wait for the Iowa cousins who…

This summer he reads and reads and reads.  He stays up until all hours of the night reading, and then reads in bed in the morning. his teeth are growing in, which is sad. he does not enjoy bathing at all, and he’ll wear the same clothes for days on…

I was pretty excited about this night time extended exposure image that I took by the light of the moon last weekend.  I walked to the end of the dock and propped the camera up on a rock.  I love how the exposure was long enough to capture the clouds…