July 29th--Last Day of Vacation

Our reservations for Peninsula State Park had ended, so we packed up our stuff and headed down the eastern side of the peninsula. Cana Island lighthouse was the first attraction along our stop. We walked along the rocky causeway to the island for the simple tour. It was interesting to say the least. They wouldn't let you wear sandals up in the lighthouse, but they had a variety of their own shoes that you can choose from. Not one of our boys was tall enough to go up into the lighthouse, so we just toured the house and the island grounds. Then we went to Ridges Sanctuary to hike a little bit. We were practically running through the trails to avoid being attacked by horseflies. From there we had lunch and went further south to Cave Point County Park. It was a beautiful place with cliffs that you could walk out on. The waves would crash against the carved out caves and cause amazing sprays. It wasn't a real long stop, because it wasn't a very safe place for children to play. From there we went to Whitefish Sand Dunes State Park or beach. It was a beautiful beach with very soft sand. By this time we had already decided that we were going to go home instead of driving to Potawatomi State Park. I just didn't want to set up the camper one more time. I think we all had enough of the mosquitoes. Matt had said that he wanted to go home several times throughout the trip. Our vacation ended a lot sooner than we had planned, but we have been relaxing here at home the last couple of days. I think that we made the right choice. So, who is ready for Colorado? Cool air, no bugs and all of the comforts of home, combined with great friends and fun.

July 28th--Washington Island

We got up on Monday with plans to go to Washington Island at the northern most point of the peninsula. We stopped for coffee in Ephriam, where we left our camera battery the night before. We had no place to plug in our battery, so we went in town to a quaint coffee shop and asked if we could leave it there for the night. The coffee was great and the battery was fully charged, so we were on our way.

When we arrived at the ferry it was chilly. We spent a few minutes at the top before the boys decided that they would rather ride in the truck. When we got to the island our first point of interest was Schoolhouse Beach. It was a beach made of smooth stones of various sizes. Justin and I tried to skip a few stones without great success because of the waves. The boys thought it was great to throw the rocks into the water. The most fun of all was building the stone wall at the edge of the water. Justin, Seth and Matt stacked stones for a little while before another boy started helping. Then it became the great wall of Schoolhouse beach because people started adding their own stones and taking pictures. The water became deep really fast. The boys were a little hesitant to go out to the floating dock, but Justin swam each of them out there. I think they were pretty proud of themselves. Then it was time for lunch, so we went to KK's, the last real fisherman on the island owns the restaurant. After lunch we explored the island a little, our first stop the Mountain Tower. Justin and Seth made the hike to the top, while Matt, Sam and I waited at the bottom. Then, off to Sand Dunes Beach we went. I was amazed at how much the boys really enjoyed the sand on this trip.

Can you tell what this is? Yes, it is a goat, but where is it? Answer: On top of a Swedish restaurant. We drove by and I had to look twice because I wanted to know if they were alive or not. Yup, five goats to graze on the grass roof.

July 27th--Day Two of Vacation

On Sunday we got some coffee and I took the boys back to the kayak launch. I had a chance to relax while the boys played with the rocks. Justin took Sam for a bike ride to explore a trail that was nearby. By 10 a.m. we had to be at the park office to change our camp site, so we jumped on our bikes and headed over there. It was a simple two mile ride one way, but I thought we would never make it there in time. We stopped at the lookout pier on our way back to let the boys climb on the rocks. After we were settled in our new camp site, we spent the rest of the afternoon at the Nicolet Bay beach. It was very close to our camp site, so Seth asked to go there quite a lot.

By the end of the day we decided to drive along Skyline Road to see the view of the beautiful sunset. The boys started dropping like flies. Sam fell asleep quickly, followed by Matt. Then as we drove into Ephriam to get a cup of coffee, Seth fell asleep too.

July 26th--Day One of Vacation

We got up at 3:00 a.m. and began to drive North. The boys did a great job traveling. We don't have a DVD player for them to watch, but Justin and I decided to give them headphones and their very own CD's. It was a hit, we had a lot of quiet time (with the exception of a couple of boys singing a few of their favorite worship songs). By 8:30 we were in Kenosha--looking for the nearest restaurant before touring the Jelly Belly Distribution Center. I don't know how this happened, but we ended up eating Jelly Belly's before breakfast. We just found the distribution center before a McDonald's because of the map that we had from MapQuest. The tour was fun because of the Jelly Belly Express train, but the best part was the samples of jelly beans. Seth and Justin tried "Booger" and Matt tried "Baby Wipes" flavored jelly beans. I am not big on candy before breakfast, so I skipped the weird samples.

After the tour we made our way up to Peninsula State Park and found our campsite for the night. We unpacked and went to the park for a little bit before dinner. We went in town to Fish Creek for the traditional fish boil. It was delicious. They take a huge pot full of water and place in over an open fire. Then they put a basket of potatoes and onions in the pot. A few minutes later they add a basket of whitefish steaks. When the water is hot enough it begins to boil over the top of the pot causing a huge flame. It is really fun to watch. Then the potatoes and fish are removed from the pot and smothered in butter and sea salt. Yummy!




After dinner we went back to the state park to explore a little. We found the Eagle Tower and Seth and I climbed to the top to see the sunset. It was a pretty good view of the surrounding water and harbors. Matt wasn't quite ready to go all the way to the top.







Next we went back to our campsite, which was very close to the kayak launch. So we all went down to the waters edge. There were several kids playing in the water, so Seth and Matt walked out far enough to climb up onto a few rocks. All 3 of the boys ended up soaking wet and loving it. It was great because there was a lot of pebbles for the boys to throw into the water. The night ended shortly after that because of the length of our day.

Hogue Hall at GC

Since we have a lot of friends who are Greenville College alumni, I thought I would share this info. Justin was at GC library on Tuesday doing research for a few papers that he has due this week and next. He watched as they pushed over several walls of Hogue Hall. I had read that the original construction of the building was shaky. And I knew that they were going to replace the building, instead of repairing it. Justin had no idea that they were going to bring it down that day, but what a cool opportunity to see it. He said that he really wished the boys could be there to see the huge crane. They would have loved it.

The Bus In Our Driveway

This morning Matt came downstairs and gasped, "Mom, there is a bus out there." "That is the camper that we are going to sleep in this week." I explained. It is just a pull behind pop up trailer, nothing too big. Matt continues to say, "Where is the guy who is going to drive that bus?" Anyway, the boys are playing in it right this moment. They have been in there pretty much all day. Why didn't I set that thing up May 21st, when school let out for the summer? It is the coolest clubhouse ever!

I already have all 3 boys packed for vacation. I was a busy bee this morning. I really would have rather been at playgroup with the rest of you ladies, but lets face it--you don't go anywhere when your vehicle is at the shop waiting to be worked on. I am sure that it will be fixed by the time we get back.

Last, but not least is my favorite new saying by Matt. When I ask him to do something he says, "Yup, I am on the job." Thanks, Bob the Builder.

Small Things

What can I say? It has been a busy weekend. Lonnie and Debbie helped us work on the stone this past Saturday. It was great, we got a lot done. It is such a relief to see the project progressing and the amount of work left shrinking. Justin and I are going to try to wrap up the project before his fall semester begins.

I put Sam in his bed for a nap and I could see him peeking through the slats in the crib as I shut the door. What he didn't know was that I was peeking through the crack in the door to see what he would do next. He picked up his pillow and silkie and moved them both to the other end of the crib. Then, he put his head down and began to talk to himself. He has been eating better the past couple of days.

The packing has begun. I started getting out the sleeping bags, swimming suits and making lists of things that I need to pick up. I have no idea how I will remember everything. Usually, I am the one that is short one thing or another. I remember the things that the boys will need and then I get a little behind and just throw stuff together for myself. The number one item that I usually forget to pack for myself is pajamas. Why would I ever remember that? What is the most often forgotten thing on your packing list?

Doctors, Marriage and Weight

We had to go to the doctor today for Seth's school physical and Sam's one year wellness visit. As we were talking about it over lunch Matt asked, "Are we going to the good doctor or the bad doctor?" Apparently, the "bad" doctor is the one that gives shots.

The conversation in the van on the way to town was quite humorous. The boys went back and forth about what marriage is and who they are going to marry. Seth began the conversation with, "Mom, when I get married are we still going to go to the same church?" I said, "If we live in the same town we surely will." He said, "I might not live in this town." I replied, "Where are you going to live?" "Colorado, I guess." he said. I said, "Why are you going to live in Colorado? That is pretty far away." He said, "Maybe the mom (word for wife) I am going to marry will want to live there." I said, "Then you better ask someone else to marry you."

Then, Matt said, "I am not going to get married. I am just going to live with a bunch of people." Then he started saying, "I am just going to marry my sweet little brother." Seth said, "Matt, boys can't marry boys, you have to marry a girl." Several other strange statements were made before they started talking about how gross it is to kiss girls (except mom, of course).

After all of that we found ourselves at the doctors office. Seth and Matt weigh the same, but Seth is an inch and one half taller than Matt (which is why people always ask if they are twins). Sam on the other hand, is only 19 lbs. which makes him 0% on the weight growth chart. Please pray for his appetite to increase, he needs to gain weight.

Sumptown Coffee--Ethiopia Misty Valley

The Thomas Family gave us a pound of Ethiopia Misty Valley coffee to enjoy. Now that I have had a couple cups of this brew from Sumptown Coffee, I am ready to give it a little review. Also, thank you so much for the coffee, we always appreciate the chance to try a new cup of joe.

Just to give you an idea of what I am tasting here, I will give you a description of the flavor. Flavor: Fresh berry and red licorice in the aroma followed by flavors of fresh strawberry, lemon drops and creme soda. This coffee is very interesting to say the least. It is very light, it actually begins with a flavored tea taste. I can taste the strawberries the most, but the dryness of the lemon follows. The finale is a brief taste of smooth coffee. It is good stuff. I would recommend it to all of our friends who are not currently coffee drinkers. I would like to convert you all to lovers of the only real drink--coffee.

Psalm 127:1

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1
What can I say? I just like this verse. I guess this reminds me that sometimes it is hard to keep God in everything that we do.

The intercessors at church told Justin that they thought that God would speak to us through the process of refacing the front of our house. I am still waiting for anything that God might have to say to us, but one thing crossed my mind that I would like to share.

Each day as we follow the patterns of our lives, whether it be school, work, ministry or raising children, we are only putting up one stone at a time. Each day is just one tiny piece of the final result. So after we spend hours of sweat, tears and frustration (the whole time wanting to quit and give up completely), that entire day was worth it because one stone stuck. It is always a long process to the end result, but one day we will see it. On that day, some of us will graduate, get a promotion, see someone come to know the Lord or we will see our sons become men of God. Keep putting up one stone at a time and be encouraged because the end result will be worth it.

Door County, Wisconsin

Could I get some help here? I would like a little information from anyone who has ever been to Door County, WI. We are planning our trip and I don't want to miss out on anything spectacular. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Yes, I do want to try the fish boil and cherry pie. I am looking forward to it very much. Our family really enjoys hiking or biking and beautiful scenery. We enjoy the outdoors, so museums and shopping are not a high priority for this particular trip. Thank you in advance for any tips that you might have.

Kopi Luwak--Animal Coffee?

Could this be the most expensive drink that I will ever try? Last night Justin and I went to CoffeeXpresso with several other regulars from the coffee shop. We all decided to get the owners some Kopi Luwak to try. We were all invited to sample the coffee with them. If you don't know anything about the gourmet coffee, then you should read the next paragraph that I copied from a website.

'On these Indonesian islands, there's a small marsupial called the paradoxurus, a tree-dwelling animal that is part of the sibet family. Long regarded by the natives as pests, they climb among the coffee trees eating only the ripest, reddest coffee cherries. Who knows who first thought of it, or how or why, but what these animals eat they must also digest and eventually excrete. Some brazen or desperate -- or simply lazy -- local gathered the beans, which come through the digestion process fairly intact, still wrapped in layers of the cherries' mucilage. The enzymes in the animals' stomachs, though, appear to add something unique to the coffee's flavor through fermentation.'

Well, it was fun to try something new. But if you want a gourmet coffee, then I would recommend Peaberry coffee. It has an amazingly smooth taste.

First Corn On The Cobb

My Silly Little Man

I have to share a little bit about Seth. Some information was passed on to me that he is a bit uncomfortable with some of the stories that I write about him on my blog. I had a very serious conversation with him about the blog. We have come to the decision that I will ask for his permission before I post any silly stories about him. When I asked him who he thought read the blog he said, "Everyone in town." I am sure he thinks that because several people have mentioned something that they have read to him. The truth is that he gets embarrassed easily. I am just warning you that the funny stories about Seth could be few and far between.

Birthday Celebration

What a great day to celebrate Justin and Chad's birthdays. The children all had a great time helping decorate the cakes and blowing out the candles. The weather was perfect for swimming in the pond and relaxing on the deck. Seth swam in the pond without hesitation this time, now that he is used to the water. Matt is still a little unsure of the water, but floated around on a raft with Grandma and Sadie. Lilly, Luke, Mia and Jack are all pretty comfortable with swimming and enjoy the pond quite a bit. The blackberries were ripe for the picking and Chad and Alison took several of the kids on the paddle boat down to the vine to pick and eat them.

Great helpers!

Grandma Laughlin, Matt, Luke, Sadie and Seth

Heath and Jack

Chad, Alison, Lilly, Mia, Luke and Seth

Oh yeah. Seth went up to Lonnie today at church and said, "Guess what? My dad had a birthday this week. Now he is as old as my mom." Lonnie got a kick out of that and relayed it to the congregation as I was taking my boys to class. Seth is quite an informative fellow.

A Day At The Airport

I am sitting at home waiting for Justin's delayed flight to arrive in St. Louis. He called this morning to say that his plane was needing maintenance and his flight that was supposed to arrive at 8:50am might not even leave Norfolk today. We had plans to spend the day in St. Louis with the boys for his birthday. So needless to say, we are a little bit frustrated with American Airlines right now. The last we heard the flight was supposed to leave at 2:00pm, but Justin is still at the airport waiting to hear the next possible time for departure, since 2:00pm has come and went. We just hope that the problem is fixed or settled before it is too late for him to get a flight with another company. They don't seem to want to inform the passengers about the situation. Justin said that there are only 7 people left to take this direct flight from Norfolk to St. Louis. Is that really cost efficient?

Thank You Seth, Beautiful Flower

It is 6:30pm and Seth, Matt and Moe are all asleep. We are preparing for the arrival of the man of our house. We will go to St. Louis early tomorrow morning to pick him up at the airport.

I am displaying this picture because of the beautiful flower that Seth made for me tonight at McDonald's. Isn't it gorgeous Daddy? See you soon! We love you and miss you.
XOXO

7.11.1977

4 Months

13 Months

He looks a lot like Matt in this picture.

2 Years

5 Years

These pictures represent the first 5 years so that you can compare him to the boys.
It was 31 years ago today at 11:32 am that Justin was born. I have to wonder if that was an extremely happy day for me as a baby, since my soulmate had arrived. Justin and I grew up about 60 miles apart and yet didn't meet until college. Since I wasn't a part of his childhood I thought I might share a little of our dating history.

Justin went to Greenville College from 1995-1999 while I attended Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. I have to admit that they are both good schools (I am coming around), even though I favor my alma mater. In the fall of 1997, I began attending Living Stones Church with a friend of mine from SIUE. Justin drove home from GC for church most Sundays. It wasn't long before we began looking at each other across the sanctuary. Unfortunately, the both of us had other people that we were dating at the time. It didn't take too long for us to realize that we should start making ourselves available. The first Sunday that we both came to church alone Justin invited me to go out for lunch with him and his family. I had already made plans to meet Kim for lunch that day, so I gave him my phone number instead. We went out several times before Justin decided that he still wasn't ready for a relationship. In other words, I wasn't the "one" or so he thought at that time. He never actually said that, but gave me a hug and said goodbye. As he left I went upstairs and told my roommate "He's not coming back" (as tears rolled down my face, you big sweet jerk).

Justin was no longer attending LSC, so we didn't see or speak to each other for two years. After college I moved to St. Louis and attended a church in Fenton. Even though Justin and I lived just 8 miles apart we never crossed each others' path. Justin had decided to move back to Litchfield to work at LSC in the summer of 2000. I needed to get out of the city one evening, so I attended the LSC worship practice service. Who was there? Justin was front and center--the worship leader! Awkward! It wasn't weird for Justin though, he was very excited to see me and invited me to the youth service. After youth group was over Justin and I went for a drive in my Jeep with the rag top off. The beginning of the rest of our lives together. Tune in for the marriage proposal September 1st.

Now that you have seen some baby pictures of Justin, which boys look like him? Give us your honest opinions.

What Happens When Sam Gets A New Tooth In The Rain?

We're Back!

Well hello, hello. It feels good to be online again, checking in on all of our friends. After dropping off Justin at the airport on Sunday, I took the boys to my parents house for a few days. It was fun to visit my family for a few days. The boys spent a couple evenings swimming in my brother's pool. They really like playing with their cousins, Alexis and Hayley. Tuesday afternoon we went to Lytle Park with my sister Sheryl and my niece Desiree. The boys played in the fountain at the park, even Samuel had a great time on the fountain steps. Then we went spent the evening at Sheryl's house playing with her new kitten. As we are sitting here, Matt says, "I have a big booger on my finger." I said, "Don't wipe it on the couch." He replies, "I'll just put it back in my nose." Gross! Don't worry, I told him not to do that.

4th Of July

What a wonderful Independence Day celebration we had! Thursday was our Johnson family reunion at Lonnie and Debbie's house. It was great to see family once again. The children were anxious to swim in the pond, even though it was rather cool. We spent time catching up with cousins and keeping an eye on the wee ones. In attendance included but was not limited to Chad Laughlin Family, Heath Laughlin Family, Parmenter Family, VanHoveln Family, all located in my blogroll. We missed all who couldn't attend on this busy week, but we will see all of you sometime this fall.July 4th brought much progress on the stone archway on our front porch. Justin and I worked from 8:00am to 7:00pm to finish as much as we could before our trip to the beach for the firework show. We found that you really can use duct tape for anything. Our stones needed a little extra help hanging upside down until they dried, so we got out the magical solution. I know that I said that I wouldn't post any pictures of the house until completion, but this just had to make the blog.
As I was growing up we always sat right under the fireworks, if the wind was blowing just right a cardboard shell or two from the fireworks would fall right next to our blanket. It was always so amazing, which is one of the reasons why I always loved the 4th of July. Last night when we took our boys to see the fireworks we got pretty close. It was beautiful. Justin and Debbie had never sat down at the beach before to see the fireworks and they couldn't believe how big they seemed. Rookies! The boys loved it. Matt and Sam were a little nervous at first because of the noise, but they liked them a lot more as they got used to the sound. We met the Schwab family there and next year I hope a few more of our friends will be in town. I am looking forward to many more years of sitting under the fireworks just like I did as a kid.

Unfortunately, we didn't get many pictures because our camera battery was low. The fireworks in the background of the boys pictures just don't do the show justice. It is very hard to anticipate whether the next firework will be big or little and when exactly to snap the picture.

Fields Of Gold

Isn't this the most beautiful wheat that you have ever seen?


The farmers started harvesting the wheat fields yesterday, so I had to get a few pictures before it is gone.

Samuel David Laughlin Birthday #1

It is hard to believe that a year has gone by already. Samuel was due on June 26, 2007, but we waited a few extra days before he finally decided that he was ready to arrive. On June 30th, we went to Springfield shopping and I could tell that I was having a few contractions. That evening when we got home Justin and I began trimming our bushes since our family from Watseka was coming for a family reunion that week. I kept feeling the contractions getting stronger as we worked, but I would just sit down for a couple of minutes to rest. When we finished at 9:00pm, Justin and I started watching a movie, I can't even remember what it was to tell you the truth. The pain and regularity of the contractions throughout the movie made me believe that I was going into labor for real. Justin and I went to the hospital sometime around 12:30am and I delivered Samuel early that morning. It was a long night of watching Bill Cosby and Myth Busters on television. I was glad to see morning come since the hospital was almost spooky at night with complete silence and only one nurse around. After all of that our beautiful baby became part of our lives. It has been a wonderful year getting to know him. He has grown up way too fast. We are trying to cherish the baby phase since he will be our last child. We love you Samuel.


We celebrated his birthday with cake and ice cream. He really likes ice cream.

Uncle Gary

Yesterday was Uncle Gary's 35th birthday. Happy birthday big brother!