Friends, Family, and Fun

Another fun and busy weekend! Saturday we had a great girls' lunch out at the Pickle Barrel. We missed Roy, but we've made plans for another outing in August.

Spending time with friends at the Pickle Barrel



Sunday (our 35th anniversary) we had breakfast out after church with our family. Later the Patterson's hosted a barbecue. What great fun! Thanks, Mark and Joyce!

Christie's first visit to Pattersons



Lucy takes 20 steps in the Patterson's foyer!




Look at all those grandkids!



Water fun!



Yesterday was my Grammy Day Care Day. In the morning I watched Ella and Sophie while Mom and Dad took Lucy for some tests. (She's fine!) In the afternoon it was the McClelland clan while Heidi did some design consulting. This afternoon they will be coming again.

Stay cool, everyone!

Dancing Anyone?

Last night Tom performed a wedding for Emi and Phil. As do many weddings these days, this one had a theme - swing dancing. I love to watch the dancing at weddings. Notice I said "watch". There were a group of "kids" - just graduated from college age - who were awesome at swing dancing. It always fascinates me to see men really get into dancing since the men in my family are less than enthused about it. I loved watching Sam and Kristie and Amy and Bryan dancing at the last wedding. I enjoyed watching a group of guys and gals at Matt Gorham's wedding a few years ago. I remember thinking I shouldn't be watching one couple at Suzy's wedding as they were dirty dancing.

When I was in high school we had a ballroom dancing class and it was great fun! I remember that Phillip Blazek and I got to demonstrate in front of a gym full of people. It was an awesome feeling as we swirled and felt the breeze with a spotlight on us.


Just recently my mom told me that she and my dad used to go dancing at the Aragon Ballroom (across the street from Mike). She said that all the girls used to ask my dad to dance because he was so good.

Last night Tom said, "I think we should take dance lessons." Wouldn't that be fun? Perhaps I should have gotten it in writing instead of my response, "Don't make promises you're not going to keep."

By the way, we did dance one dance last night. Usually at weddings we dance one or two slow dances. Last night they never really played one. So we did dance to "Shout". It was fun! Thanks, Tom!

Summer Fun

"Finishing the last of the blueberries"


"Feeding the Fish"


"Trumpet Vine Band"


"Please don't eat the daisies, Lucy."


"The Wrestling McClellands"

A Great Weekend

Wasn't the weather beautiful? We had lots of fun activities to match.

Friday afternoon, my brother Rich and wife Sheila stopped on their way home from Chicago and Pat also came up. We had a nice visit. Later Heidi and Em and their families came over for a barbecue. Rich and Sheila had to "eat and run" for Cleveland (and I didn't get their pictures.) The kids had a "golf tournament".

Saturday we all went to "Splash Universe" in Dundee which was also fun. Later my mom, Pat, and I played Scrabble. I never won a game!



Sunday, it was my first time back at church at COK since June 24th. Sunday afternoon Tom and I took a drive out to Hidden Lake Gardens with a stop back in Tecumseh for supper.

Today, I'll catch up on laundry, go help Tom pick out some new glasses, and go to help with the other kids while Ella and Quinn play T-ball.

Last night I had a recurring nightmare (I haven't had this one in a long time.) I dreamed I had to take a college final exam and had never been to the class and had no idea what the class was about. Not coincidentally, I have to send in my application to U of M, Dearborn, as soon as I get the rest of my transcripts. I think I'd prefer an endless summer!

The Birthday Party

The cat cake was a hit and all that was left was the bikini bottom!

Avery was gracious and thankful for her gifts!

Sophie was wondering what it will be like to be four!

Happy Birthday "Missy" Girl!

Today is Avery's 4th birthday! Or as her Grampy calls her - Missy! What a delight she is and we wish her God's blessings on her special day!

My plans for the day: 1) Make a "kitty in a bathing suit" cake for Avery. Warning - I'm not a culinary artist, but the attempt should be fun! 2) Complete my application to U of M Dearborn to begin my quest for a specialist degree and recruit some "recommenders" who are supposedly capable of knowing my academic abilities. At this point I don't even know my academic ability any more.

Happy 16th of July, everyone!

Our Mini-Vacation

Tom and I had a great day on our mini-vacation. We drove down to Maumee, Ohio to look at the Buckeye Barns. We're thinking about building a playhouse/shed similar to the one pictured here. Now we have to decide whether we want to buy the kit or tackle it on our own.



Next we drove some back roads and made our way through Port Clinton to Catawba Island and took the ferry to Put-in-Bay.

We rented a golf cart and breezed around the island, ate lunch, and had our picture taken by the fountain.



Back on the mainland we drove to Marblehead and saw this view of Cedar Point. Seeing those rides makes me realize that I'm more in the mode to ride around on a golf cart than go to Cedar Point.



We got home and I talked to the owner of the Duck Lake cottages and made plans to go there next summer.

Then I checked my mail. My contract came for my job next year-- 4 1/2 full days contingent on me going back to school to work on my spec. ed. certification--Uggghhh! So much for my vacation!

Off on a Day Trip!

Tom and I are off on a day adventure today. We decided to go for a short trip to northern Ohio--a stop at Maumee, Ohio where we want to look at a "Buckeye Barn" as a possible playhouse/shed, perhaps some touring around the Port Clinton, Marblehead, area--maybe even a ferry trip to Put-in-Bay. Who knows where our adventure will lead us? It looks like a beautiful day for it. Uh,oh! Tom just emerged with his work clothes on--Me, "What are you going to do?" "Go out, and weed whack for a while!" "What time do you want to leave?" "I don't know." We'll see how far we get.

What's the matter with me?

Here I am in beautiful Grand Haven and I forgot my camera! Grrrr! Well, I'll have to store all the memories in my head. Unfortunately that doesn't work so well for me. We arrived here last night at 10 o'clock after attending a beautiful wedding in Lansing. The ceremony was at Martin Luther Chapel and the reception was at the Radisson next to the Capitol. It was quite elegant. The food was delicious and there were a lot of people there. We had hoped to get to Grand Haven by 8:30 or 9:00, but the reception didn't get started as soon as we thought it would. We are looking forward to a day to worship, sightsee, visit with Andy and Christie, and meet Christie's parents. Happy "Son"day and "Sun"day everyone!

Birthday Bunch

At 12:04 a.m. on July 3, 28 years ago, Andrew Thomas was born! 23 years 18 hours and 23 minutes later, Ella Rose was born! They also share a baptismal birthday - July 21st! Happy Birthday to two of my favorite people! I love you!

The Highlights for Me

As Joyce said, "This is (and this was) the day the Lord has made...let us rejoice and be glad in it!" The highlights of the wedding for me--seeing Amy radiant and beautiful in her dress---watching how the bride and groom looked at each other---the message that Pastor Moore had for them and for all of us as "participants" not just in their wedding ceremony, but in their marriage. It was beautiful! God be with you, Amy and Bryan!