New Jersey 2011

We landed in PA and saw this beautiful sky.
We got to go blueberry picking. They were so big and so delicious!!! I like picking/eating...eat some more/pick some more.







All these for $11.
Lily went in the sprinklers at Grandma and Grandpa's.
Time to color
I made blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream--delicious! Everyone had purple tongues so we had a great laugh.
We love Grandpa and Grandma.
The kids wanted me to take their photo on the stairs by our condo.

Grandpa and Grandma thought their grandkids are pretty funny!





The beach was one block away and we went in the morning and afternoon...and sometimes again in the evening.

Sand is grand! And so are jellies.







Grandma helped Carl count, add, and subtract.
Everyone came over for dinner--Carol and I went shopping and cooked up a delicious pasta with meatballs, garlic bread, and salad dinner. Uncle Steve and Aunt Cathy joined us.
Back to the beach.

Hanna and Maggie and I drove to Princeton to attend Westerly Road Church.
We also stopped by my mother's grave in Blawenburg, then drove up to camp.
Sisters came back from Camp Iroquoina--yay!
We got lots of tickets for the boardwalk from the grandparents and great uncle and aunt...lots of rides.

It started pouring rain on this ride--then we went back a second time to dry off!


The pizza at Three Brothers is so yummy--and enormous. We can't even finish one!

We love Aunt Carol.
Our footprints.
Our handprints.
A message for me :)



"Jesus is Lord & Savior. Do you believe? Say Yes today!"

Beach fun!
Papa and Lily on a cold water day.

So tired from the beach
Our friends Jack and Ethan hung out with us on the SHOA beach.
A visit from our friends, the Scotts!


Papa sure knows how to make sand castles!!!
And boy can he surf!
Trey shows off his shells.
Grandpa and Lily snuggle.
All the Fletcher girls.
2 Carls

3 Carls
Hanna and Auntie Carol
Isn't she beautiful?!


The Fletchers
The Fletchers and Sokols
Moonlight walk



Time to say "Goodbye."
Last hugs
We are so glad we got to come to NJ!


Feet ready to go!

Thankful...

...for the many blessings of a busy summer. I've been able to hang out with the kids on a different schedule, organize and clean together, go swimming (sort of...still not allowed to do much with my knee), have company (Fred Barton just flew back to New Zealand after a wonderful visit), go away (camping and the Women Discipling Women Conference). I am thankful, and I am tired! I will write again when I have more energy, but I wanted to say that God is so good to teach me and guard me. Many times there were things that would have "set me over the edge" and they didn't come to pass. Praise God for His work and direction in all things!

July Fun

Happy 4th of July root beer floats.


It was fairly hot, and so we went to Steelhead Beach on the Russian River on July 6.
Lots of friends from church joined us :)I saw this great butterfly.
The kids all really loved floating around. Lily wasn't feeling so well, so she laid low on the banks.


Maggie and Trey
Feeding time
Trey caught a fish with his bare hands!
Good times

"The body might be engaged in the most base drudgery,

but always the mind can be thinking on whatever is lovely, pure, noble...."

Good quote from The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen
Thinking...Phil. 4:8

Happy 4th of July!