They say it's your birthday...well it's my birthday too!!

Can you believe it....Emma is 11. She has matured SO much this year! Since she was at camp on her birthday, we celebrated tonight with a small family cookout. Uncle Harry also was remembered....even though it was a little late!
The two grandmas....

Frank's family......

The best part......

New sneakers....size 7 1/2 WOMAN'S...I think she is going to be as tall as Britt and Janna...which is a GOOD thing.

And once again her "favorite" birthday dinner....grilled wild turkey breast. Hope she marries a hunter. What am I thinking???? She has half of her Grandpa Bill's guns, she can hunt her own.

Girl Scout Camp...The donuts they give you they say are mighty fine...But, one fell off the table and killed a friend of mine!

Betty and I went into the Adirondacks yesterday to pick Emma up at Girl Scout camp (Camp Trefoil). Here she is with two of her counselors.

And here is the award she won....No surprise!!!

She turned 11 while at camp, so we will be celebrating her birthday tonight at Betty and Frank's.

Mike leaves for his trek across the country and his new home in Oregon.

I aint no angel, BUT....I've been sittin out a few less dances with the devil!

Well, after riding the tail end of a tornado, having the power out for two days and Internet out for 11 days, I am once again playing catch-up with the blog.

During my absence, we had LOTS of company, and lots of fun with the kids. This has been a banner year for Matthew. He has been able to take all the vehicles out by himself. Of course he left each time with threats from Aunt Kitty that would scare the likes of Hitler....

Here he is dancing up a storm at Dodge Hall.

The kids all came to our house and had a bonfire and cooked sandwiches over the fire.
Here Matthew challenges Kaitlin to a wrestling match. Matt says he won, but this picture tells a different story!!!

The kids made a new friend, Ryan Edwards. We have known his grandparents for years, but it was the first time we actually met Ryan....or as the kids call him "Grindstone's Justin Bieber". Emma of course has a HUGE crush on him.

Raising cane at the bonfire.......

Saturday night was the annual Square Dance....the kids of course were not impressed, but participated anyway!

Matthew with his shirt tha he sneaked into his house with the help of his sister who washed it for him so his mom wouldn't see it....teenagers!!!!

Enjoying Potters Beach....the point!

Betty's and my finished project. This is the neighbor's beach (used to be a part of ours). Salt was hired to restore it but with all of his other work he needed a helping hand in order to get it finished before the kids arrived. Salt hired Betty and I worked for the exercise....It was totally overgrown, and a very difficult job, as the roots were SO intertwined they had to be dug by hand, as they would wind around the rototiller every few minutes.

Matt's first cruise totally solo....including docking!

Betty even let Matt take Emma out....huge trust!!!

The Princess sunbathing....

Matthew was having trouble with his ear. We thought it was swimmers ear but nothing helped so I ended up "candeling" it. It was better within hours. Consequently, everyone wanted their ears done so I played ear doctor to the whole family!!!

Matt and Emma having lunch at the Riverside Cafe....pretending they are drinking REAL beer instead of the Root Beer they really have....like I said before...teenagers!!

Janna brought their new puppy Bentley. We all fell instantly in love!

Our poor flagpole....just some of the storm damage!

Janna's home!!

Janna and Emma doing crafts during one of the rainstorms.

Crazy Janna...using her toe for a holder while she makes bracelets.

Hear those drums....they're beating loud.."First Americans" and so proud!

A great afternoon at the Purcell Ranch. My friend Julie, is teaching the island children to ride. Emma has found another passion....in the horses! Here she hugs Julie, and I think the smile and body language tells it all.

Emma's friend Bella Baird spent the weekend with her here on the island, so she too got to enjoy the fun. Here is Emma on Pokey...she is riding on her own now. Betty and I have already decided she is ready for El Rancho De Paz www.elranchodepaz.org/ , a wonderful Christian Horseback Riding camp in Owego, NY. Besides being a wonderful camp, it is only about 10 miles from my family in the area.

Emma leading Bella.....

Kaitlin....we tried to get her to ride Willy, the larger of the ponies, but she was happy to stick with Pokey..... As you can see, if Emma isn't riding, she is leading. Julie is so good with the kids, she also teaches them all the grooming techniques, and makes the kids do it themselves. Not that any of them mind.

Matthew, who has actually attended El Rancho, hopped right on Willy!!

After much coaxing, we even got Yuvone up for a ride....

And here was the best part of the afternoon....This is Helen Brave Eagle-Heart of Eagle and Sohma (The Iroquois Spiritual Leader of Canada) who preformed the closing ceremony, offering praise to Mother Earth, Father Sky and the spiritual leaders of the north, south, east and west.

We also learned a Squaw dance which we did in a circle around the fire and listened to some neat Indian stories. SO cool!!! Helen is coming back in a couple of weeks to teach the kids to make dream catchers from grapevines. Emma is excited about this, as she has had dream catchers since she was a toddler and so believes in the power to keep away bad dreams!!!

The older kids are all at Potter's Beach and then coming back here for a bonfire on our beach...I have such a wonderful family, friends and a very blessed life!!!

We're from Owego and no one could be prouder...If you don't believe us, we'll yell a little louder!

What a wonderful surprise I found in my mailbox today. My friend John Forsythe, who now lives in Washington, DC and I have not seen for 48 years (could that be possible???? Is my math right?????) sent me a copy of the book Indian Pride a history of Owego Free Academy (my Alma Mater) Football.

It documents Owego football from it's inception in 1909 and continues until the publishing date of 1992. How I enjoyed seeing pictures of my dad 1933 (third from left in the picture below), my cousins, brother and all the boys I cheered for the years I was a football cheerleader.

My brother George, 1960, last one in row three....It even tells about the night he continued to play in the Waverly, NY game with a ruptured blood vessel before Coach Lockwood pulled him out.

John was one of our star quarterbacks, and I so thank him for this wonderful walk down memory lane!!!!!

Wide river flow....I'm gonna learn whatever you know...

Matt came out with his towel this morning and said he was going to shower....I didn't hear any water running and so started calling to him to see if he was having trouble. Salt said..."look down on the dock".... Sure enough there he was his towel flung over the sign and him just staring at the water in a most peaceful gaze. He is SUCH a river rat! The kids have loved taking their bar of soap and shampoo down to the river since they were toddlers....

I never pictured every minute without you in it......

July 17, 1970....Happy Anniversary Bill. I miss you!

The gates of hell swing open wide...Invitin you to step inside...

We decided to take Emma to her "first" concert, as a 11th birthday present. We also took Matthew, since he is a huge Alan Jackson fan. The concert was held at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds and of course the fair was in progress. Betty and I took the kids for the afternoon, giving them a chance to attend the fair before the crowds came in. It worked out perfect, as they had wrist bands and could ride all afternoon for one price....there were no lines!!!!! We really got our money's worth out of the wrist bands for the first time ever. Thank God we did it that way because after the concert the lines were out of sight!!!

Emma likes to sit by Pop or go wherever he goes, as he is the one who gives in and buys her all the junk mom and grandma won't buy!!!

What a turnout....8,000 people. I was amazed at how well the city of Watertown planned this event. They had 50 buses shuttling people from two different parking areas. It was a smooth as anything I had ever witnessed.

The opening act was a local singer, who obviously got the break of a lifetime. His name is a TJ Murphy, who is a soldier at Fort Drum. He won a local North Country Idol contest and also was the Afghanastan Idol. I can imagine the thrill when Alan Jackson's people called and asked him to open. For sure, he didn't disappoint.....he was AWESOME! Watertown is the home of the 10th Mountain Division (Army). Needless to say, when he sang Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue the crowd went ballistic! What a great feeling of patriotism ran through every one's veins!!

And here's Alan....what a show he puts on!!!!

Check out the crowds.....thank God we got in early and had good seats... there was standing room only!

Emma with an arrow in her head....she is SO her grandmother! Her mom would never do this kind of thing in a crowd of 8,000! She spent the whole concert on her feet line dancing and shaking her bootie! Needless to say, we will never get to another local concert without her!

Matt with some of his "prizes".....

What's more fun at a fair or concert than "junk food"?????

Emma has never "dared" to go on any rides with height, bumps or speed. This year she finally got talked into several and wanted to repeat all of them....we may have created a monster. She will definitely have more fun at Disney and Universal now!!

Every one's favorite....bumper cars!

Matthew won this basketball early in the day....what a pain to carry around all day. Of course he couldn't complain cuz he didn't want to hear..."I told you so"!

Sometimes the simplest things are the biggest attraction!