Summer time...and the living is easy

Things slowed down a bit because of the Flood and we couldn't travel as much as we were used to. So we hung out at home a bit more. I can't remember the last time I sat in the driveway and watched my kids play. A bit of wiffleball, cooking smores by the fire, it's all good! We also found time to go fishing at Kent State Park where the water wasn't flowing quite so fast. We bought our licenses after church and I think the guy at the counter wondered about us and if we were going fishing in our church clothes. Jacob also went to Pine Lake Camp with his friend Thomas. What a great place and one of the best things our kids did, going to camp. A little independence trying out new things, learning about God, staying up late! It was nice to see the double rainbow and remember this flood is only temporary and not all consuming. It helped to get out of town to see the bigger picture too. Not to minimize the hardships of those more effected.

The Flood of 2008

Woman and children first! As I'm writing, they are letting more water out of the dam to avoid it going over the spillway, but it probably will anyway in a couple of more days. The last time we saw this was 1993, it sure brings back memories. City Park is flooded which means no more baseball probably, Dubuque Street is flooded in front of Mayflower dorm, the bridges are a little scary to drive over too. The top picture is of the reservoir beach, except that there's no beach. You can see the top of the dressing houses barely. The boat ramp is on the left, but underwater. The top of a shelter is on the right. The spillway is the second picture. I hear three more feet and it goes over, that'll take a lot of water, but it's raining now and for the next few days. Last time it went over, it washed a bunch of dirt off below it and now we have a famous fossil gorge where people come to study. Jacob and I come fish out below the dam in the summer, but the dam has been pulled in. It was awesome standing next to all that power coming through. Iowa City's been on the Weather Channel with lots of people sandbagging their houses, we're up high enough to worry about that. It should be an exciting few days.

They're Off!

Remember last fall when Jacob got braces? Well a short six months later, they are off. A lot has gone into turning Jacob's front tooth, including a bone graft to his gum a couple of years ago and some teeth getting pulled. This is his cute orthodontist. When we see her later this summer Jacob may be taller than her! We like her office, she even has braces scrapbooking paper framed in her office. Now we just have to do another set in another year or two, yikes.

Graduation

It's hard to believe the second is now graduated. Congratulations Blake!

He is going to the U of I in the fall, we'll be glad to have him close to us so we can be available for laundry and meals.

Blake's ceremony was June 25th. Everyone got home one way or another and it was great family time. Laura brought Lindsay (our second daughter) home with her. They worked hard, but also had time to sit in the comfy chair. The rain held off for the party which was good cause the chairs were outside! Grandma Struve presented Blake with a quilt. Everyone graduating gets one and Jay's sisters and Mom helped Grandma make it. Blake picked out the material.

We also found time to play board games and of course trying to eat cheeseballs while waiting to see who can outlast the other in the rain (luckily Parkersburg was far away). We have many good memories from a great week!