What's new at the Sandusky house?

Camping!
We had never been camping as a family until we went to Albert Pike a couple weeks ago. The campground was beautiful, although Mike, with his Idaho wilderness experience, was offended at the tent pads, picnic tables, metal poles for lamps, and proximity to other campers. But our site stuck out by itself at the end of the road, with a hill on one side and river on the next, so we did have the illusion of solitude.

This river was the Little Missouri, and it was more like a creek, since where we were it was about 1 to 3 feet deep. It was perfect for tubing!! That was a lot of fun.



We only spent one night, which is good since I remembered at bedtime why I don't camp much. Mike had snorted something as we were buying stuff for the trip about air mattresses being for sissies, so I slept on as many piled-up blankets as I could fit in the van, and the ground still felt hard. It didn't seem to bother Mikayla or Rebecca at all; they were asleep 5 minutes after their heads hit their pillows, just like at home. I think I may have slept 5 minutes total. And I'm so spoiled. I missed my fan! Not the coolness of it, the NOISE of it. I could have perhaps slept to the sound of bugs and frogs if they were all making one continuous, white noise. But there was this one show-off, one bull frog who refused to conform, and would belch out this awkward "Bwraaap" at random, unpredictable moments. All.night.long. Trust me. I was happy when the sun woke up the birds and their singing started to drown him out. Then there's my aging body problems...I cannot go a full night without getting up to potty. I tried. I lay there thinking, "You don't have to pee. You'll wake everybody up. Just go to sleep and forget about it." Didn't work. So I got up, ever so quietly, and went to the tent door: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP. Woke up the whole campground. And if I didn't, our tent neighbor's dog barking at me did. It was a short walk to the bathroom, but I didn't bother to find my glasses, and since I'm blind as a bat I have no idea what critters' red eyes were reflecting my flashlight. I had fun again the next day, but I think we need more equipment before we go again.
Fishing!
We had never been fishing as a family before, either, and the campus minister we met there loves to fish, so he offered to take us to a great fishing spot. He said he'd drive us there in his truck (the first time my girls got to ride in the back of one) and we'd walk a little and then fish. When he stopped the truck, he said we'd have to walk about half a mile. We walked, and walked, and walked, and he finally turned around and said, "I'm not a good judge of distance. It's probably more like a mile and a half. Just half a mile more, and we'll be there." Come to think of it, he said that several times...just half a mile more...half a mile more...It was a pretty hike, though, with the river and rope swings and trees and rocks and bluffs.


If I'd been wearing real shoes instead of water shoes, I would have loved it. It was all worth it once we got there, though. Gorgeous view, and everybody caught a fish!





Kindergarten graduates!

Windows! (and a playset!)
Since we decided not to buy a bigger house, we're doing what we can to improve this one. I love my clean windows and unripped screens!
Doors!
Maybe I'll take another picture after we paint...
Bathroom Decor!
And toilet. That's what started it all--the shower door wouldn't open with the new toilet, so we took it off and replaced it with this shower curtain.Then I saw this bath mat and thought it was perfect for the hall bathroom, so I got it, too!