Visiting with Family and Friends

Yesterday we visited with people most of the day. Our first stop was the Jolliff's farm. It was raining most of the day, but we got to visit for a while with Hap's mom, sister-in-law, and nephews. The last time we saw them was Christmas of 2012. Ben was 2.5 month old, and their youngest son, Dane, was 6 months old.  Dane is a sweet little boy, and his big brothers Hunter and Beau are really good with the little ones.

   

                                     

The rain finally stopped so we could go outside and play.

We didn't have time to take a ride around the farm, but the boys had fun climbing on the equipment.

I had to take some pictures of the corn fields on the way home. I think there is something so calming about seeing rows and rows of corn.

That evening we met Betty's sister Mary and their family for dinner. We were going to play in a park, decided to meet at a McDonald's play land instead because it was raining all day. Keegan has gotten so big, and Hunter has grown up and matured a lot since the last time we saw him. He was so good with all the little boys, we can tell he is a great big brother.

Keegan and Caleb played very well together. They had fun running around and playing with the spider happy meal toy - which is the coolest happy meal toy I have seen!

Ben, well he was just his sweet self :).

It was a lot of fun to visit with everyone, and we will look forward to doing it again next year!

Giant City

Grandma Betty watched the boys for us a couple of nights ago, so Nathan and I could have a night away alone. There are a few nice state parks to the south of where Nathan's family lives, that he has been wanting to take me to. We decided to go to Giant City park and rent a cabin in the woods.

This park is famous for the big rocks and cliffs. Everything was so green and beautiful! We went on a nice hike when we arrived on Sunday afternoon.

We admired the rock formations.

And maybe climbed a little too :).

Some of the rocks were inscribed with peoples names and initials. It looked really unique covered with green moss.

Afterwards, we had a nice dinner at the lodge, and enjoyed the evening outside.

The next morning we went on another hike. This hike kept traversing along a cliff. It was a neat hike.

I couldn't help but notice this pretty purple flower.

I've been experimenting with my camera, and recently learned how to do an explosion scene. I didn't keep a copy, but the original is a mossy rock.

Afterwards, we took a drive to Little Grassy Lake. We enjoyed driving through the country in Grandpa Mark's red truck.

 Nathan used to come here yearly with his cross country team to run over the summer. He showed me where they used to stay and go for runs.

Grandma Betty had a great time with the boys. They had fun playing in a few parks, enjoyed playing outside in the sprinklers, and breakfast at McDonalds. Everyone had a great time, and we were glad for the opportunity to get away together!

Nathan's SCHS Sports Hall of Fame Induction

Yesterday evening we attended the Salem Community High School Hall of Fame banquet, where Nathan was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame, along with teammates Mike Mike Minton and CO for track and cross country, Jeff Morgan for golf, and their 1998 girls basketball team.  It was a very nice evening, and great to hear about the accomplishments of the inductees. Each of the inductees gave a small speech to thank their families, teammates, and the coaches. Here is the link to Nathan's induction write up, detailing his accomplishments over the years.

Athletics had a very large impact on Nathan's life, and it has helped shape him into the man he is today. Nathan gives his parents tremendous credit for everything he has been able to accomplish over the years. He is so thankful for the unconditional love and support of his parents, for the examples they set, and for their life long inspiration. Outside of his family life, Nathan had many great influences that showed him the values of hard work, discipline, and challenged him to push his limits. Most notably, he is thankful for the leadership that Coach Phillips and Suzanne Henry Brown modeled, which has had a lasting impact on him and many other athletes over the years, and better equipped him to face challenges and be successful in his endeavors after leaving SCHS.

The night before the banquet, Coach Phillips hosted a dinner for Nathan, Mike, CO, and their families to celebrate their accomplishments and reminisce about good high school memories. He decorated a room of the restaurant with pictures of the boys, now men, throughout their running careers. It was a very thoughtful evening, and truly amazing to see the love that Coach Phillips has for these men, and likewise them for him.

Nathan's teammates were an inspiration to him, and kept him motivated and challenged him to push his goals. He has the utmost respect for Mike and CO for their mentoring and friendship over the years, and he has taken away endless life lessons from his experiences competing alongside his teammates and coaches.

Nathan is a very devoted and loving husband and father to me and our two sons, Caleb and Benjamin. As the years go on, I continue to learn more and more Nathan, and he never ceases to amaze me. He is the man he is today, because of these wonderful experiences he had over the years. Though I was not a part of his life then, I love every time I can learn more about Nathan during these times through family and friends, and I am forever thankful for God choosing me to be his wife, for our family, and for our exciting life together. Congratulations on your induction, Nathan! We are all so proud of you and love you very  much!

Summer time fun

We are having a great week and have had a lot of fun doing summer time activities. Many days we go to the nature trail in the morning with the boys.

We have a a little bit of rain, and the boys loved running around and being wet.

And of course cuddling with grandma Betty to keep warm when they were all done!

 All of the grandsons love their clock. Our boys run over to watch when it gets to the top of the hour, and always want to see more.

 Earlier this week, grandma Betty took us to pick up some fresh strawberries from a local farm. We have been enjoying them all week long.

 The sunsets are gorgeous here. Nathan took these beautiful pictures.

They boys love to play in grandpa Mark's red truck, and have done that a bit since we arrived. 

 Last night, grandma Betty treated us to the circus. It was the boys first time going, and they had a blast! Growing up, my parents took us to the circus every year, so this brought back nice memories of my childhood.

 There were clowns, tigers, elephants, and all kinds of acrobatics acts.
                                     
                                     

 Ben would raise his hands and cheer when everyone clapped, he got really into it!

 At intermission, we went down the the rings and tried to ride the ponies, but the line was too long. We called it a night after that, and all got a good night sleep. It was a fun evening!