July - Birthdays - Bible Camp and School - Swimming - etc.

Continuing on with our summer. Leah has been taking horse riding lessons for the past several months at a local academy. Below is a picture of her with the horse she uses, Pal.















Benjamin and Ryan had birthdays this month. On July 12th Benjamin turned 8, an Ryan turned 6-years-old. We had 2 seperate birthday celebrations. This photo was from the first one on July 4th. We also celebrated Ian's 80th birthday, as well as Heather and Savanna's birthday.


Here's Alex and Benjamin at their cabin at Cedar Springs Wesleyan Bible Camp in Floyd Iowa. They stayed here a few days, along with Leah who was in another cabin. They had a good time being away from home for a few days. Benjamin's actual 8th Birthday fell on a day that he was here.


On July 12th, early in the morning we had a pretty bad storm at our house. It knocked a lot of branches out of our trees, including this one from a black lotus tree in our backyard. It fell on the shed but it didn't do any damage. We just had some clean-up to do.


When I picked up the 3 big ones from camp, we stopped by the Little Brown Church on the way home. The kids are standing in front of an even smaller model of the church here.


Jenna, Alexander, and Ryan in front of the praying sculpture, also by the Little Brown Church.


For a little over a week the temperatures were around 100 degrees, so on this day the kids stayed cool at sprinklers at Guthridge Park in Hiawatha. The are playing "follow the leader."


We also stayed cool a few days at a local beach at Lake MacBride. This is a sign at the entrance to this park.


Benjamin, Leah, and Alex holding Jenna at Lake MacBride beach. Ryan is in the background. Later on this week Leah and I took Jenna to University of Iowa hospital in Iowa City to be fitted for hearing aids, which she will receive next month. Hopefully they will help out her hearing and her speech.


In the last week of July all of the kids attended our church Vacation Bible School, which was about the life of Jesus growing up. On the last day of this weeklong school they brought a mobile petting zoo to our church. Jenna is getting some attention from this little puppy.


Here Jenna is playing a bride, and she is being carried in the "bride's chair."


How often can you see a camel in Iowa. This camel was part of the petting zoo. They also had a donkey, some ponies, a puppy, pygmie goats, a llama, etc.


A baby pony with its mommy.


Jenna at VBS.


Ryan at VBS.


The whole crew - students and instructors.


Here's another birthday cake for Benjamin and Ryan, but Leah is included as well. Leah will turn 11-years-old on August 8th. We had a cookout at our house today for our family, and then cake and ice cream.


Jenna with Grandma Lois.


Enjoying cake and ice cream.


Leah with Grandma Donna.


Mommy(Donna), Lori, and Cathy.


Mr. Porter McClure heading somewhere with a purpose.


Ryan heading down the waterslide.


Ryan with his new supersoaker - he's in for a surprise from Jenna.


Here the kids are preparing to sing in front of our church during their VBS Progam on Sunday.


Leah, Alex, and Benjamin relaxing on our back deck.


Earlier in the day we ate lunch at Culvers after church, which today was the children's VBS Program. Ryan was crying for some reason and a kind older gentleman approached Ryan and handed him this wooden engine to keep. We brought it home and painted it 6 different colors. So here is Ryan with his new technocolor train engine - kind of cool I think.

Catch you later!