Crest Family Harrisburg, Ill. June 2009

We visited our youngest daughter and her family in June, it was my first trip to Ill. I really enjoyed the visit and seeing the grandchildren Anna and A.J.

We went to A.J.'s baseball game, he loves the game. He can hit the ball to the fence almost everytime he is up to bat.

Anna's baseball game was canceled do the the weather so we went to her practice the next day.

James and David took A.J. fishing a couple of days just a little walk from the house and A.J. always caught the most fish.

A.J. up to bat always clear to the fence.

A.J. getting ready to pickup a grounder.

Anna getting ready to catch a fly ball.

Anna ready runner out at second at practice brother A.J.

Halloween "2008"

Getting ready to hand out candy after a long day at work.

TRICK OR TREAT!!

Jade and I handed out and enjoyed Halloween candy!!!!!

Casper September 2008 "Michelle's Family

Michelle's Family:

Mark, Michelle, Rob and Felisha

James with our daughter Michelle.

Mike, James, and Michelle

Visit to Casper: Mark's Football Game

Our daughter Michelle is score keeper for the team. She is helping Mark get ready for the game.

We are winning guys!!!!

Here is the cheering section for the game. Grandpa, Dad, and Grandma. We are very LOAD....

Mark played two football games while we were there, his team won both. He played the whole game, never sat on the bench. He is good at football....... We enjoyed the games, and watching Mark play.

Summer of 2008 Black River

James and I have been coming to the Black River for 28 years now. We started coming when our youngest Jami was three years old and our oldest Jeff was 13. We return every summer the end of July the beginning of August. The camp has changed so much over this period of time. We have shared our enjoyment of our summer with family and friends over the years. The group has grown from just James and our seven children to sometimes a much as 50 to 60 family and extented family coming in and out of camp during the two weeks. The camp ground when we first started coming was only us and the kids no one around us. Now the camp is full of family.

This is the Black River where the fisherman go to catch the native trout the Navajo. James and our children over the years have spent many hours fishing in the River. There has been many a fishing contest over the 28 years we have been coming here.

James enjoying play community games. All camps come in for games played through out the day when not fishing or riding.

Wendy our daughter-in-law enjoying camp fried turkey.

Jordan our Grandaughter enjoying deep fried turkey. If I remember correctly she enjoyed the candied sweet potatoes the most. Everyone in camp comes and brings something to share with deep fried turkeys. Every summer we have a feast, with the guys cooking the main dish.

This is the gathering place throughout the day and at night. We all sit around the fire ring from all camps, there at times is up to 30 or more sitting around the fire. Roasting marshmellows and making smores, putting a hot dog on a roasting stick. We enjoy games, sharing, with much laughter. Most the time the rain which comes down mostly every day, doesn't scare any of us off.

Jade our lab, loves to be free, and play. We take her for a walk several times throughout the day. We turn her loose, she smells everything, plays in the water, she is only 16 months old here. Everything is so new to her.

Off on a daily adventure with James, brother-in-law Tom and sister-in-law Brenda. We enjoyed several hours of a ride in the pines, cool air, wonderful smell of pines and rain. James enjoys he ride as much as the fishing. Jade loves to ride and goes with us when we are out.

Generations off to go fishing and put something wonderful on the table. Fish and chips yum...

James, with son Jeff and grandson Garret.

This is Scott and his wife Sara, they come up every year and spend a few days with us while we are there. We enjoy camp stories, the fire, sharing meal, being with family.

We enjoyed Family camping this summer. It is a beautiful day.

James, Nola, our nephew Scott Fessenden, Brother-in-law Alex, and sister Becky. Becky's new little dog Duchess.

Getting the Back Yard Ready to Enjoy

James and I have spent three springs, summers and falls working on our back yard. It has taken many hours, hundreds of pounds of cement, moving many piles of rock and putting in sprinkler sytems, underground drainage, planting, sweat, but it is ready to enjoy.




James is busy here laying 2 foot by 2 foot squares. He put a lot of cement down over three summers to finish it.




Clean up work after running the cement mixer for several hours putting in the squares for the patio.








Busy digging the holes to put up the posts for our patio cover. There is nothing but layers of different types of dirt.

The patio is done and the cover is up. Painted with many layers of paint. We are ready to have a barbeque. It is so nice to go out and sit on the patio in the evening when I get home from work. Jade always joins me so we can play, she loves to have the ball thrown for her.

Yum... We are having some steak tonight and Dad is cooking!!!!

When we planted this little asian pear tree it was only 2 feet tall and the leaves turned black. I just new it was going to die. It is now eight feet tall and gave us so many pears this fall we had to give some away.

Jade in the shade of the Malberry tree. She goes out in the back yard all day. She loves to go out and lay in my pouch swing and go to sleep.

We have deer in the back yard, they were one of my purchases before we even moved in.

This is the patio finished. We blocked off the yard so Jade didn't have full run of the yard. It also gives privacy.

This calms me down after a hard day at work.