it makes me "shutter"

I got these shutters from my sister at her garage sale, didn't really like the color because they didn't match the trim and windows, so I thought.....spray paint - miracle in a can!

end result - love it!!
They are hanging in the bathroom

Good-Bye Truck

After ten years of Darrell driving this truck to work, the lake hunting and everywhere he needed to go, we are saying "good-bye" :( Was a trusty, rusty, dependable ole thing. We sure are not going to miss it! It has been sitting in the yard (rednecks that we are) :) for the last 2 years, since Darrell upgraded. Darrell wanted to park it out in the meadow and thought we could plant some flowers around it and use it for a photography prop. Hmmmm, maybe not! May our dear GMC rest in peace.

Drew hitching it up

loading
good-bye

country boys

The boys have had so much fun playing out in the woods this summer. They made this fort and were so proud of it. (so was I) they are quite the little country boys. the fort
taking a nap
my little monkey
Random, I know, but too cute not to add...

He absolutely loved the party hats

at Thomas' party, can you tell? :)

It's Official...

summer vacation is over....sigh. It's back to school. The children were ready, however, I was not. They were ready to get back and see friends, play volleyball and have fun, not ready to actually do "school work". It was a good first day, they (we) were all pretty tired by the end of the day. It will be good to get back into a routine again.

camping

Aaaaah, we had such a relaxing weekend camping with my family. It started on Thursday eve. we all went to "Bo Woods" in Sullivan. The weather was absolutely wonderful, not hot and not to cold and no humidity! Amazing for August in Illinois. The guys and kids went out on the lake Saturday and had a great time skiing, knee boarding and tubing. The rest of us stayed back and read books and played games. We just had a great time of hanging out, eating, laughing, playing games and being lazy!

Darrell cooking breakfast
Just chillin
playing corn hole
chopping wood
Just being silly...

weekend fun

On Friday evening we continued our vacation and took the kids miniature golfing in Mattoon.

Darrell won with a 48 :) Good Times!!
DQ for ice cream
Sun. Eve. we went to Charleston, with the cousins and played in the creek,

had a hot dog roast and walked the woods.
making "Paul Bunyan's" milkshake
tree huggers (Luke & Drew)

Science Center

On Thursday afternoon we went to the science center in Peoria. They were having a Grossology exhibit. You can only imagine how much the boys enjoyed that. Learning about why and how you pass gas, burp, vomit and form mucus, gross! It was pretty interesting. the entrance
Guess Who???
performing surgery
climbing the skin crawling wall