Here would be our summer in review...
It could also be called "What we did while mom WASN'T keeping the blog current".

Corey's former foster family (a.k.a one of our all-time-favorite families) treated us to a weekend of fun at their cabin at Bear Lake. Corey felt spoiled, of course, but what he doesn't know is that we all felt spoiled right along with him. However, as he said, we never would have known them if it weren't for him.

Serenity and Howie (two of the five foster brothers and sisters he had) kept Corey and the rest of the kids busy having fun.

They got to go boating for the first time and loved tubing!

This mom hadn't water skied since she was a teenager and still remembered how - on the first try! Dad, who had never been before, even made it up!

Jared tried...got up for a couple seconds, crashed, tried again, called it quits.
But, he did make it up! It took him only one try to get on his feet.

Meanwhile, the girls played in the sand. They had quite the castle/inlet/island going, too.

This would be Howie - who buried the boys alive. And, after being buried, one must wash up in the lake...right? In fact, Jared said he officially went "skinny dipping" trying to get all the sand out. (I told him I'd never tell his little secret - shhh)

Mom trying to warm up a couple of the boaters.

Fun in the water...especially when you dump someone off the raft!

A gorgeous sunset...and one adorable girl posing in front of it.

Here would be the kiddo's ready and waiting for the shuttle that would take us to the airport...at 4:00 a.m. They were excellent travelers.

While back home in the Q.C.'s, Kyle and I took a walk along the Mississippi River and tried to find the bench I sat on when he proposed. This might have been the one - or at least a new one that now sits where the old one was 16 years ago.

The cousins...Kyle's side of the family.

Visiting some lake in MO. Not sure where, exactly, but it was pretty cool!

Hotel swimming...or was it water-wrestling?

Kyle's brother has a jeep. Apparently one can own a vehicle like this when you only have TWO children. But he'll never know how cool a mini-van is!

This would be how one cools off in the mid-west. Kinda like an outdoor swamp cooler.

The Mississippi River...

The lake at grandma and grandpa's house...

Paddle Boating with the cousins...

John Deere is BIG in the Q.C.'s.
And so is cow-milking??? This is the ONLY cow MJ would ever touch!

Helping with yard work.
A quote from Jared: "It's not so bad when you get to drive."

The girl cousins put on shows for the whole family.

A couple of boy cousins were hiding from mom who was trying to get their picture. Look what I got! HA! And the twins below...would be Kyle with his younger brother.

How Chels and MJ spent their vacation...in style!

At the zoo...Jared and Corey met extended family members...see the resemblance?


A cute family photo...with long-neckers in the background.

Huge fish that loved attention...

A goat who DIDN'T get any attention from MJ.

Our little group waiting for the train...and this isn't even everyone!
Mom and dad got to share a train ride - no kids!

This could have a caption, but I think I'll let you write your own.
This would be taken at the zoo...how cool is this photo?

When the boys take a break from yard work, here would be what country people do for fun...

Amateur water skiing...the show was a first for the kids to see!

Some pics from the Precious Moment's Chapel.
It is BEAUTIFUL!

School has started for two of the three kids.
The oldest and youngest have a couple more weeks off.
That would be a little bit of our summer-time fun!