Patio Pictures!!

Here they are working on the patio near the end. What a Job!!!
Here we are spreading sand. As you know, sand is really rock crumbled up and so it is very helpful to use when you don't want rocks to move. It's like packing it with very small rocks. It shall not be moved.:)
Here is the stage we are at now.
Almost completed patio.
Here are the promised pictures of our patio. IT is coming along nicely. We are not quite done but we are sooo happy with its progress.

Hi Everyone!

Just thought I'd let you know that we got most of the patio put in this last weekend. it is looking great! It was dark when we got done, so I don't have good pictures, but I'll try to get some tomorrow. It is wonder ful to finally have that done!!! We are so excited! Will try to post pictures tomorrow. Tonight it's off to bed. Trisha

Just a quick note

Thought I'd tell you that my sister-in-law consoled me by saying that most people never get struck by lightning so I should have that kind of thing out of the way--odds being what they are.") Oh, and my brother said you have more chance to win the lottery than be hit with lightning so he thought if I would go buy a lottery ticket we could split the profits. HA Family is so great!!!:D I guess I will keep my money and earn it slow and steady. No need for the chance to lose --of course:) Trisha

What a week!

Lindsay, Travis and Emily with our neighbors across our street working. Can you see the power line under the big tree behind Lindsay?
This picture it is a little easier to see the power line down on the right. The tree fell right on it.
Here is our back yard minus two trees. It really changed the looks of it.
Here is our pool that now has no water and part of our patio. Oh it also flooded muddy water in our basement in the torrent of rain that followed. What a mess! I haven't gotten all of it cleaned up yet. But I;m working on it.

Wow! This has been some kind of week! Saturday night, I got the charge from the ground that happens just before lightning strikes you and was in bed all day Sunday. Monday morning around 6 AM, I awoke to the tornado sirens going off and wind whipping everywhere. I woke Jeff and ran to get the kids. They were already running out of their rooms and together we took off for the basement. It is a pretty helpless feeling to know the wind is strong enough to do what it wants and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. We have windows in our basement and could see trees wildly blowing in the wind, and then they were just gone. We had a little 10 ft pool for the kids and the water was swirling around and around and then all of a sudden, there was no water. It was completely gone. 10,000 gallons! Wow! Where did it go?

Anyway, when the storm died down, I was exhausted from the lightning the night before and went back to bed. It seemed to have taken all of my energy and I had none. We lost our electricity, too. I didn't care. just went to sleep. The phone kept ringing and I answered when I could reach it. The only one working was the cord phone.--and no answering machine or caller ID. Talk about the hard times>>:)

I slept most of the day and then when it got dark we went to the Jones" for the night and it was so nice. I do not like to sleep in pitch dark!!! On Tuesday, Dan and Melissa brought me dinner as I was still not doing well. Emily said, "Mom, we have lots of friends!" Thank the Lord for good friends and family. It means so much.

I am doing better though still tire easily. I am posting some pictures of our neighborhood. I didn't take these so we have none of our truck which it looks like may be totaled because I huge tree branch fell on it. sigh... What is the Lord trying to teach us? :) Well, hope you all stay well and safe and I'll talk to you soon.:D

Happy Summer!

Sorry it has been so long!!! We have been very busy. First, we went to Youth Camp and came home and unpacked and in less than 2 weeks were at our church Camp. Then, we got home and had to unpack again. I was trying to get BJU's home satelite system to work on my computer. I worked on it off and on for 3 weeks and when I finally got it all to work together, they sent out an email saying they were closing the satelite option and doing only DVD's. Needless to say, I was a little bummed. So, we undid all the satelite stuff and I now have it in my van ready to return to them. I think we will go the DVD option again, though I haven't altogether made up my mind. Decisions.. decisions.. decisions...

So, it has been a long and interesting summer. Hope you all are having a good summer and hope to catch up on what everyone has been doing. :) Will post picures later. Trisha

Youth Camp

Emily with some of the crazy hair-do's for "bad hair day". Aren't they frightful?
My lovely sister-in-law, Anna with her beautiful "do". :) Good job, Anna!
Emily and Jill picking strawberries after Youth camp.
Some of the kids and staff at Youth Camp.
Emily and Jill made homemade jam with our freshly picked strawberries. What fun!!

The kids had so much fun at Youth Camp. Emily was in Youth Camp and Travis and Lindsay went to a VBS. They all really enjoyed themselves. Here are a few pictures of our trip and of bringing Emily's friend, Jill, home and all the fun they had.

Jeff's brother and family

Just thought I'd send you a picture of Jeff's brother, Chucky and wife, Anna. They don't live nearby. THey used to live a lot closer and we had a blast going to visit them and staying up to talk till all hours of the night and morning. Ahhh... the things of youth! Don't do that much anymore. Too tired:)

On the right hand side is a picture of Chip, and beside him is Trent. Both Chucky's boys. They are growing like weeds and will be grown before you know it! Time flies... Trisha