Back from Colorado and Sarah's Music Camp.

What a great experience to be able to visit Sarah's

"Music Camp". She has been attending for 9 years.

Most of those years, I would stay home with

Sam and Emma while Lecia would attend camp with Sarah.

But this year Sarah was in "teen" camp.

Lecia wasn't allowed to be at the camp with her.

So we all went together to Grand Rapids, MI. Sarah

got to go to canp by herself and the rest of us stayed

in Grand Haven, MI, about 1/2 an hour away.

These are the beautiful grounds and cabins of the camp.

These kids remember every detail about each other.

They are like wonderful old friends greeting and

hugging as they reunite.

There are fabulous counselors. Three counselors for

every five "Williams" kids.

This is Lecia with two of the other mothers.

Here is Sam and Emma helping to get Sarah's

cabin space and bed ready for the week.

Every day a couple of the couselors get to celebrate

by letting one of the kids "pie" them. Way fun!

Sarah loved her cabin and by the second night

didn't even want Lecia to stay and visit.

She felt very happy and safe at the camp.

Lecia, Sam, Emma and I stayed in the little

resort town of Grand Haven, which is located

on the shore of Lake Michigan.

Each morning, while Sam and Emma slept in,

Lecia and I walked down to the main street

and had a fresh slice of bread and then did

drawings of the quaint store fronts.

You can see me out on the street taking the

photo in the glass reflection.

Here is Lake Michigan....looks just like the Pacific

Ocean to me...the waves were amazing!!

Here's Lecia drawing again. We had such a great time!!

One day we rented bikes and road all around the town

and out on the pier.

This was an amazing experience for me, being able to allow

Sarah to attend her camp and sharing this time

with Lecia and the kids.

It's all about the music!!

So Den and I joined an exercise place. Since I

slipped a disc back in Feb. the great

doc I went to, insisted that exercise is the

only thing that's going to keep me out of

a wheel chair.

Being the supportive husband that he is,

Den offered to join and go with me!

Like HA!! He's gone once. And the only thing

that makes it fun for me is to use an MP3 player

and listen to music while I'm working-out on the

machines. Den said, maybe if I had an MP3 player

I would start going...Like HA! again.

Here he is, using his new MP3 player while

sitting in his chair watching TV. YIKES!!

He thinks he is multi-tasking by listening to his

player and singing, at the same time he is watching

the television!!

Art Day...Yeah!!

Debi came home from her fabulous Hawaiian

honeymoon happy, tan and rested. Way fun!!

We spent the morning painting.

This is from her watercolor sketches.

These next two are just me playing with the paints.

Sometimes it's fun to not have a plan.

A couple of photos of our Domino Group. We have such a good time - great friends!!

Den's hotel is tall enough to see from the Ferndale Bridge.

This shot is looking toward the hills from

the highway going down into Ferndale...

about 6 miles from the hotel site.

Brown Paper Sack Birthday Cards

I got this great idea to make greeting cards from

lunch sacks, when I was visiting Ronna.

Brooke and Lauren had made journals from

brown paper lunch bags and I just took

it a step further and started making

Birthday Cards. I used deckle edge

scissors to cut the bag apart and then

heart shaped brads to bind the pages together.

I printed out photos and added some

pre-cut flowers. Way fun!!

My first Granddaughter turned 20 on July 5th.

Happy Birthday to Rachel!!

Rachel came up with an idea for her Birthday Party.

She made some classy looking vases by spray painting

empty bottles with silver paint. Pretty cute!!

Still trying to do the 10 minute drawings.

This was a speaker at Church on Sunday.

I don't think I'm improving much...oh well, I'll

keep trying.

Lauren Graduates..Collin gets Mission Call..10 Min. Drawings

On June 1, 2011, Lauren graduated form

High School. I got to attend and visit with

the family for a few days. So fun to see

these girls, growing up and lovin' life!!

I still can't believe that all these years have gone by so quickly. But there are great adventures yet to come!! Lauren's two cousins, McCall and Emily... also graduated.

And I got to meet Collin!! Yeah what a great guy.

He plays the piano and is such a good sport.

He even watches sappy old movies....without too

much complaining...thanks! He just got his Mission

Call to Paraguay - WOW!! He'll leave Nov. 9th!

Wishing him every blessing and a safe Mission!

These drawings are awful and it's really hard for me to post them...

but my new goal is a Drawing a Day! Quick and easy.

My OCD demands that I trace and spend hours correcting,

like I did for 20 years when I worked as a graphic artist.

So now, I'm trying to let go and move quick, before my

last days are used up. I captured a little likeness and that

needs to be good enough for now.

Hopefully our little Art Group will

start up again in the fall and we can

all do 10 Minute Drawings.

More Birthdays...Mom and Rachel Atwood

Today our we are celebrating

my Mom's Birthday,

Glora Rosalyn Corder - born 1922

Maralla, Cimarron County, Oklahoma

I love and appreciate her. Her best

attribute is her positive attitude.

She just doesn't let things get

her down. I'm so grateful that

she has been an example to

all of our family.

It is also the birthday of Rachel Atwood.

She and Rob (Dennis's youngest son)

have been married for 11 years.

Den and I love Rachel and are so grateful

she and Rob are having such a terrific life

together! We wish her every happiness!!

Rachel writes a wonderful blog.

The address is posted on the side.

There is always an adventure going

on at their place!

Thanks Rachel for sharing.

Back to Blogging...I miss it!!

Today is the birthdays of some very special

people in my life, my sister, Linda, my granddaughter,

Sarah, and a dear friend of our family, Daphne.

I am finally getting back to blogging. I have figured

out that it's important to do the things that make

you happy, even if life's challenges get in the way!!

Happy Birthday Linda!! My sister likes to draw. And she loves animals.

Today is my sister, Linda's Birthday. She is

my best friend. I really cherish our friendship.

I can never thank her enough for always

being such a lovely example of Christian

charity. I admire and love her.

Today is my granddaughter, Sarah's Birthday.

She loves cows and is going to a rodeo

with her Mom and Sister today.

Happy Birthday Sarah!!

This was taken in Colorado last summer.

There are these goofy cement gorillas

next to Target and Sarah went up and

hugged one of them and then made

the funny "oooh ooh ohh" sound

that gorillas make.