My Family....

....Spent a week with us here in CO!

We spent three nights in a rental house in Silverthorne enjoying the spacious accomodations! (Our two bedroom apartment, wonderful as it is, just seems to get a little cramped with 6 more people in it day in and day out!)

We played lots of this! Dad is still a pool king!

Derek

These silly boys are full of spunk, that's for sure!

Loved being with my sis again! And having some good mom-daughter chat time with my mom!

Breakfast, can you tell? Sleeeeeeeepy much Joel and Derek?!?!

Peek-a-boo! Never been in a house with so many levels! We counted 7 levels and 10 flights of stairs. Pretty architecturally, but not very practical! 

Dan showing off his perfectly seared steak!

So good to be together again! :)

La kitchen

The Lighthouse...

"Hurry and take the picture before that car comes!"

Windy day of disc golf! But we got to see a bald eagle!!!

 

This little man actually had quite the arm for a little guy!

 

 

Ticket to RIDE! (thanks Fred and Jodi for letting us borrow it!)

 Thanks Dad and Mom for the wonderful get-away! We enjoyed it SO much!!!

Monday night we went to Mom and Dad Leman's for supper and music. I love seeing Dan and I's families together!

 

 

 

 One day, it turned out that Alisha had plans with some friends she knows, and Dad and all the boys but Joel were out doing man things, so mom helped me freeze peaches! Thanks Mom! (Joel was the photographer.)

 

This little one continues to amaze me. I think it has to do with me moving away when he was so young. It's like having a nephew or something! He's a cutie!  

 

And....we took a walk! 

 

 

 

Wednesday we (minus Dan who was at school) went to Eldorado State Park!

 

Alisha, the photographer! 

 

Or the heel clicker! 

 

 

  

We spotted some rock climbers!

 

 

 

 The brothers. Brett, I sure missed you! Our family will never be the same without you!

 

 Then we went downtown to hang out with Dan and have some dinner!

Riding the bear at REI.

 

Thursday morning Dan didn't have to go into work until 11 so we met some family at Mimi's for brunch! 

Herb, Rovene, and John Geyer

 

I was able to get some big sister time in with the little bros. As soon as I got done reading "Make Way for the Ducklings" Joel insisted I read it again. Love these little guys! 

 

 All too soon the week was over and they all had to go...We love you all so much and can't wait to see you in a few weeks! 

Ah, had a marvelous time.

Photo credits: My mom

PS: We want to thank everyone who has prayed for my cousin Sandra! We are praising God that she and her unborn baby are doing fine and that she is going to be released today! God is good! 

Family in Abundance!

(And its a wonderful thing!)

For six days in early September I would have been found either traveling to/from or enjoying my time in Illinois with my mom-in-law! We went to help Grandpa Hodel with a garage sale. (As avid garage sale-ers ourselves, it was fun being on the flip side!) I really had a lot of fun (minus missing my husband!). It was such a great get-away with just Mom Leman and we got lots of time to chat. (I'm pretty sure we talked the whole flight there!) Spending a lot of time with Grandpa gave me opportunity to get to know him more and to listen to his fabulous stories! He's a keeper of a Grandpa! And obviously I enjoyed being with my brother and sister-in-law! Some disc golf, chilling at Caleri's (their bakery), and dinners together. As the oldest in my family, I don't think I mind being the baby of Dan's family! :) All around, it was a great trip...so glad we made it! Thanks Mom!

Garage sale hosted at Caleb and Erin's 

 Mom and Aunt Lelia! (Plus Aunt Ellen too! If only she wouldn't run away from my camera! ;) We had a lovely time just us girls talking and munching on Caleri's sweets.

AND, Sunday night we had dinner at Uncle Neil and Aunt Lelia's...and I got to meet some more first cousins! :)

About that family in abundance....MUCH MORE to come!! heehee....if you only knew..... :)

One help to getting over a bad day...

Thanks babe...I love you too!

Mexico Part 2: Everything Else!

Onto round two! And for an overcap, Dan and I spent a week and a half in Magdelena, Mexico over the first part of August. The goal of the trip was to work on Joel and Kristi's new house. The one they are living in now is a renovated dorm and since the new addition to their family, has gotten even smaller! While Dan and Joel were busy working, I spent my time helping Kristi and of course chatting it up with her, playing with Beni, and holding Soraya! :)

:)

 Issac and Jose chowing down some breakfast!

 It was SO fun having Sarah Hodel there for a few days too! She had been in Morelia for a month doing language school and was visiting Magdelena on her way back home!

 Yes, here is BENI! Joel and Kristi's youngest charge. He's two...and rather quite adorable if you couldn't tell! Turns out, he LOVES the farm/animal pages in his books! I've never seen a kid so into looking at pictures!

 Oh yes, Sarah and I completed this 300 piece puzzle!

Snack time for Beni! (FYI the child refused to smile for me.)

 The front of Joel and Kristi's new house! Behind them is the front porch that got mostly poured while we were there.

 The beginning! Notice that there isn't any framing for walls? Not for long! It was all framed by the time we left! Dan, Joel and Zack Knobloch

 Joel Rinkenberger

 Los hermanos

 Th back of their house...the water jug is resting on a well.

 Full house for supper!

 In Joel and Kristi's living room...just chilling

 The older boys that Joel and Kristi watch! 

Angel, Jose, Issac, and Daniel!

 Seriously, the biggest toads I've seen in my life...this one was the size of a salad plate or more. YUCK!

 We were there in time for the CVE 4-H fair!!!!

Angel with his sheep.

 Beni tries his hand at brushing...until he got distracted with something else!

 (Issac and his sheep)

... Like riding it!

 Getting ready to show!

 An excited crowd!

 CVE brought in animal judges from another town. They did a great job and made it super professional!

 Other parts of 4-H: Art, electricity, photography, clothing...

 Baking, and bookmarks! Dan and I judged photography.

 And...Speech! The kids were judged on public speaking.

 There was also a dog course! The kids had to run through and obstacle course with their dog and the kid with the best time and least amount of errors won!

 Take a gander at this little stud muffin! What a smiley little guy!

 Ah...the beauty of God's creation.

 Beni again...siting on his little "stool" because he thinks it's just his size.

 Hmmm...time out?!?!

 Or keeping track of Soraya?!?

 And Grandma Stoller and Grandma Leman, just so you know, he was calling you! :)

 The Lemans have quite the amazing roses in front of their kitchen window!

 Oh look! It's an animal page!

 Soraya's "big brothers" seem to think she is a princess!

 It was Angel's birthday (in the blue) while we were down there...

 

 Showing off his present!

And since I know you all want another one.....:)

 

 I'm now realizing that I don't have a picture of what Dan and Joel and crew finished at the house! I think I took a picture of it on Kristi's camera but not my own! Oops!

Joel and Kristi thanks for a wonderful time and lots of memories! Joel, I know Dan loved working with his bro again and you are doing a amazing job with all the kiddos God has placed in your hands! We will continue to pray that God gives you wisdom in your role! Kristi, I sure enjoyed some good ol' sis-in-law time! Thanks for putting up with me in your house all day! You too, are doing a wonderful job with the kids and our prayers are with you too! Its to God's glory that they can see what a godly man and wife and mom and dad are supposed to look like and may they all choose to follow our SAVIOR someday! We love you all!