Gilead has their cool T-shirts! Here is grandpa's car.

Cruisin' Telegraph

This is the third annual Telegraph Cruise. My dad has his hot rod and a passion for cruisin'. Gilead Baptist Church had thier cars show contest and my dad was one of the judges. It is really great to see so many people coming out and ejoying the cruise. Joshua, Elezabeth and I got up early to go and see the parade of old cars. There were a ton of Edsels. I saw my dream car. It was a purple car of some old make and model. That part is not so important to me. I just love that it was so purpley.

Geauga Lake Vacation Fun!!!

Penny and Lizzie meet Snoopy at the gate.

Lizzie strikes a pose. Joshua and Elizabeth try to shoot someone with the foam balls. Uncle Troy has his own ideas about combat.

Can you find Aiden?
Lizzie becomes fearless and rides all kinds of rides. Daddy joins in the fun.

There were 22 of us that went to Geauga Lake for the weekend. It couldn't have been more fun. Out of the 22 only 8 of us were adults. We had 4 teenagers and the rest were kids. Talk about a mob of children. We never had a lost child scare. Joshua was a roller coster monster. I got to go on roller costers. This is something I probably haven't done in seven years. The weather was beautiful for both the amusement park and the waterpark.

This Is The Headspin.

One of Joshua's new favorite rides.

I like it when they love each other :)

Happy Birthday Michelle!

On Saturday Eric and I had to go to 3 different engagements. The first one was the party that I threw for my 5 year old, Elizabeth. The second was a surprise party for my sister-in-law Michelle. And the last was a wedding reception for my husband's boss's son.

I have appointed myself as the official photographer for any occasion. If you are taking the pictures you usually do not end up in one. I took this picture of Michelle. Isn't she beautiful!

Lizzie has a beach themed birthday party

Each child got their own fishy cupcake.

Auntie made a mermaid cake.

Thank you Aunite!

Lizzie had her party from 12:00-2:00. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, and octopi on a bed of mac-and-cheese "seaweed". Everyone thought that the mac-and-cheese was green beans. The kids made crafts, played games, and swam.

Happy Birthday to You!

Lizzie gets a new bike!

Grandpa runs the grill.

The Budget

Step One on the road to financial freedom

You want a fun and relaxing evening. Just sit on the couch across from your spouse and try to work out a realistic and workable budget. Bare your soul as to where all of your money goes. Let out all of the dirty little secrets about your trip for ice cream and the dollar store. What an oxymoron; the dollar store. Why is it that everytime I go to the "dollar" store I spend at least $10.00? Men and women do really spend differently. My husband enjoys golf. It is quite the expensive hobby. It would be very easy for me to point to that expense, and in the past I have, and say it has to go. But, the reality is I spend just as much money as him on stuff. Mine just happens a little at a time. It goes seemingly unnoticed, that is until we start to bounce checks and have no money left for food and gas. Talk about a humiliating and humbling experience. There were many a times that Eric wanted to stop, but we forged on through the tangle of our financial jungle. We have a ways to go and we will need to tweek and rearrange, but we have made two firm committments: PUT GOD FIRST!, and save our receipts and track our actual spending. TTFN

A Break in the Sports Action

Do I love sports? Not a chance!

Do I love my husband and son?

You betchya!

Eric's softball came to an abrupt end with a double elimination play-off tournament this past Sunday. Joshua's baseball season ended on Monday night with the second loss in a double elimination play-off. Both of these play-off games were brutal and ugly.

Great season for Joshua and his team. They came in 1st place for the regualr season. Nice change after playing on the last place and losing teams for the last 5 seasons. (Stealing the intent of a famous line, "I've been in first and I've been in last---First is better!)

My husband's team started out rocky, but finished up strong. He played with a lot of great guys. He hasn't played ball for at least seven years. The old man still has skills. Right now he is lying upstairs on the couch drugged up on motrin. You don't heal as quickly when you're an old man. He was just glad to get back out there, the fact that he was still good was icing on the cake.

Now a brief reprieve until football starts. Husband coaches and son plays. Beginning August 14th they will be gone five days a week conditioning and practicing. Then the games will begin and once again I will be the ever faithful cheerleader.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

LIZZIE!

It is hard to believe that my little Elizabeth is now 5 years old. It seems like just yesterday that I was bringing her home from the hospital in her pretty pink outfit. Both of her grandma's have called her to wish her happy birthday. Elizabeth, Joshua and I rode our bikes to McDonald's for lunch. Lizzie has just learned how to ride a 2 wheeler. What better way than to celebrate than using her new talent to ride to Mickey D's! She did great. We will celebrate her birthday on Saturday at the ShiRobb's house. (My sister's family the Shimaneks live with my mom and dad, the Robb's, hence the name the ShiRobb's house) We are having a beach party theme.

What kind of life are you leading?

One of blessing or one of curse?

How do you use the money the Lord has given you?

8 "Should a person rob God? But you are robbing me. "You ask, 'How have we robbed you?' "You have robbed me in your offerings and the tenth of your crops. 9 So a curse is on you, because the whole nation has robbed me. 10 Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn so there will be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord All-Powerful. "I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need.

Malachi 3:8-10

Using an idea from a sermon, "I would rather live on 90% with God's blessing, than on 100% without God's blessing." I have the desire, now I need to implement the drive.

Fun at Gilead

What a blessing to have such a great family and friends. Last night my family and I attended the fireworks display at the Gilead church. My dad bought us dinner, which started at 5:30. Stephanie and Chris and the kids attended as well. The kids had a great time playing on the water slides. Joshua and Zachary played ball. The music was great. About 8:00 some of Stephanie and Chris' life group came as was as my friend Tracie and her husband John along with daughter Maddie. The fireworks were great, but the company was better. My only regret was that my mom was not able to join us this year. Next year hopefully will be a different story.

Joshua got to go to the 22nd annual Hall of Fame Football Camp. He was on the Cowboys. He learned a lot about the game of football, but he also learned how to be a better person. After standing in line he and Elizabeth were able to meet Lloyd Carr. He also got to meet Glen Steel.