From Jessica: a few random things

Okay so here are a few random things that have happened since the last post. *i would post more but for some reason it isn't letting me post pics any more*



We went to go see the Graber family and we got to go eat lunch with Griffin. Here is a pic of him with some of his friends. We also helped them unload baby turkeys but i don't have any pics of that.
This is Nana's 90th birthday party. We love you Nana!!
This is Me and my friend Jessica. We were nuns in the high school play "The Sound of Music" *we are trying very hard not to laugh because i think these pics were taken on the day we did the show 3 times in a row and we were tired of being nuns.*
This is Kyle on his 11th birthday, opening his presents at home.
Well since it won't let me add any more pics i guess this is the end of the post, sooooooo
THE END!!!!!!!

From Jessica: Its been a while

Okay I know Dad hasn't updated in like forever, so I convinced him to take me to the church and update from there. So here goes. The reason dad had to take me to the church to update is because we moved houses and we don't get internet where we live now. But I still like the house. PROS AND CONS ABOUT THE NEW HOUSE CON: we don't get cable out there PRO: not having cable means we have to have to get dish which has like a million more channels. CON: the road is a mud road in the winter and a dirt road in the spring. PRO: we get to live on a gravel road in the summer. CON: there are woods behind our house which means leaves in the fall. PRO: its fun to explore those woods. CON: Kyle didn't get a bedroom that is bigger than his old bedroom. PRO: I got a HUGE bedroom. Anyway I don't have a picture so you'll just have to come see it for yourselves.

CHRISTMAS I have to update about that. on Christmas it was raining :( but we still had fun :)

This is a picture of Kyle ...... on Christmas......... with a football........ go figure!

This is me on Christmas sitting in my awesome zebra striped chair
that i didn't know i was getting

After Christmas at home we went to Gramma and Papa's house to celebrate with dad's side of the family
This is my little cuz, Alex. He was born the day after Christmas a couple years ago

and this is his lil' bro Max (above)

This is Kaylyn. She is my dad's cousin's baby so I don't know if that makes her my 2nd or 3rd cousin but whatever. Every one says she likes dad so much because he has the same haircut as her This is Alex eating his birthday cake. BTW, this is the face he made when I told him to "smile for the camera."

This is Alex eating his birthday treat btw this is the face he made when i told him to "smile for the camera"


Other stuff that happened that I don't have pictures of ....
Kyle turned 11.
I was a nun in the sound of music and Kate played "Brigita"
We went to Susie's house over spring break and helped them with their 15,00 baby turkeys
Susie, Megan, Natalie, Griffin, Cassie came to our house over their spring break
Me, Kyle, Megan, Natalie, Kate, and Andrew played basketball girls vs boys
(there were no fouls so it was fun to watch Andrew get "beat-up" by Megan and Natalie. He says he wouldn't hit back but it is still fun to give him a hard time about it)
We got a new 47 inch flat screen T.V.
Mom and Dad got old (they both turned 39 in March)
We had an Easter egg hunt at Gramma and Papa's
I lost my phone at that Easter egg hunt but Keith found it (thank you Keith)

Camp, Baseball, Swimming, Diving

Neither Leanne nor I are very good about taking pictures or videos so we end up with a lot of memories without the evidence (I guess that may be a good thing). Anyway the kids were involved with a lot of things that we don't have any pictures from. For example . . .

Kyle played baseball. This was his first year in the Majors and it took a big adjustment for him. He went from playing 3 years in infield positions (catcher, 1st base, pitching) to playing outfield and sitting out part of the game (ouch!). We kept encouraging him and letting him know that it was only because he was the youngest on the team and next year will be different. None-the-less he still had a blast and a good season. He had a couple good catches in the outfield and it took a bit but his batting by mid-season was doing really well also. No home-runs this year though. That was another bummer for Kyle.

Jessica was on a summer swim team. She had a lot of fun with that and her times were certainly improving. She placed well in many events and some of the relays she was in took first. Individually I think she placed 2nd a couple of times.

Kyle took Diving lessons this summer. Of course he loved it. He's pretty good at back-diving now.

Both the kids also went to camp this summer. Kyle was at the regular (dorms) camp while I led the Jr. High Wilderness camp. Jessica (since she is now in Jr. High) was at camp with Leanne and I. Camp is always great! We had 33 Jr. High students roughing it in the wilderness without electricity or water. It was an awesome week and I really believe that the students had the opportunity to grow in their faith. It was really cool having Jessica with us this year to.

4H & The County Fair

Once again Jessica was in 4H this summer. This year she chose to do "Dog Obedience" and "Cake Decorating."

This was the 2nd year for her and Jack. During her showing she got a bit of a surprise. The judge told her to take Jack off leash and do the routine. She had never practiced with Jack off leash and had never been told by her "coach" that she would have to. Jack did pretty good (although he did attempt to go through the fence at one point). The strange thing is no one else in her showing had to take the dog off the leash. Oh well she still did great!

This year they also had a costume contest for
the dogs. Jack was dressed as a Hershey bar.
Jessica wore a Hershey Jersey. When it
came time to judge everyone was declared a winner!

Her cake decorating came courtesy of her Grandma. Grandma Purdy has been decorating cakes for years so she agreed to teach Jessica. She ended up getting "Reserve Grand Champion" and therefore would have a cake to enter into the State Fair.

Her cake was a beach theme.

Kyle didn't enter 4H but he still participated in the pig wrestling at the county fair.

Myrtle Beach

I know ... it's about time! Well better late than never I guess. I'm finally posting about our Myrtle Beach trip. This summer our vacation was spent with my parents and my brother's family. We all shared a condo at Myrtle Beach. Without a doubt it was a wonderful vacation that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Here are a few pictures.

The 3 bedroom Condo

The Beach. We had a wonderful view from our
condo. We even watched dolphins swim up shore
2 of the mornings we were there.

The condo also had three swimming pools,
2 hot tubs (which I spend a good deal of time in)
and 2 lazy rivers.

I think Jessica's favorite thing on the beach
was getting creative with the sand.

Kyle was all about fighting the waves.

My Dad and Keith buried Jessica while Kyle
and I were swimming. Then they placed a
bucket on her head. When we came back
I told Kyle to pick up the bucket. He jumped
when he lifted the bucket and their was his
sister's head.

Jessica and Kyle had a blast with
their cousin Alex. They love him tons!

We went on a "dolphin watch" Basically
we followed a fishing boat and watched for
dolphins feeding behind it. We saw several.

Mom and Dad

Leanne and Dawn

Alex, Kyle, Keith and Me.

We called Jessica "Hollywood" as she
kicked back with her shades on the
corner of the boat.

We went Jet-Skiing one day. Keith drove with
Jessica riding. I drove with Leanne and Kyle
riding. It was a blast! I did flip it once when
I cut behind Keith to jump a wave. I came
down broadsided into another and we all
went over. Keith finally figured out that
we were not behind him any longer and he
came back to find us. We were just getting
back on. Fun stuff (maybe not for Leanne)

We also went parasailing. That was kinda cool!
Leanne really liked it.

I got a little queasy when I was waiting on the
boat for our turn. So it wasn't the most thrilling
experience for me. But I'm still glad I did it.

I just don't handle bouncing around on the
waves without any air movement.

We stopped past a place called "Alligator Adventure."
Mom insisted you did not have to pay just to walk
around and look. We did pass through a turnstile,
but no one was there. After thinking about it later we
are pretty sure that somehow we were supposed to pay
and we didn't. We may have inadvertently "snuck in."

I've never seen so many alligators in one place!

Family picture

Everyone

It was a big drive. But we had a wonderful trip.


I'll post more about the summer in the
next few days.