Buckskinners

This year at Fall Trace, Doug and Ryan earned the next advancement step in FCF. They both were awarded their buckskin pins. This has become a very special event for Doug and Ryan to bond with. They have a great time being guys together and spending some quality father son time also.
You'll have to ask Doug how he did throwing the big spear.

Another year at Academy

Another year has come and gone at our Royal Ranger Academy. Ryan graduated from Advanced Junior Training Camp where he was blessed to have Doug, Kyle and Aaron as part of his team of leadership. The weather was perfect and it was a great weekend, not to mention I was able to have some much needed time alone.

Door County 2008

Another year has come and gone for our annual Door County trip with the kids. We opted to rent a condo this year instead of hauling our ridiculously large camping trailer which made us look like the Beverly Hillbillies. It was much more relaxed and comfortable and I think we had a better time with not having the pressure of everything that goes along with camping. With our group getting bigger each year, I'm sure we will have challenges getting everyone and everything just right, but I guess that is how memories are made. We took in a show at the folklore theater which was a hoot. We will definitely do that again next year. We finally made it to the beach this year. The weather was perfect and I think Kaiden had the most fun playing and we enjoyed watching him. We ate enough ice cream to last us a year, had some great food, had to go shopping, took in some of the sites and saw the most spectacular sunset of the season.
The weather was so perfect the whole weekend. We were able to spend our last day enjoying the Cave Point Bluffs and the tower at Peninsula State Park. Kyron was such a trooper in his pilots goggles as Doug would call them. Doug and I are looking forward to going back in October with mom and dad to see the fall colors.
But for now it is back to the grind.

They're starting to look like little boys

We had so much fun over the weekend playing with our little boys at dads birthday party. They don't look too much like babies anymore and soon enough they will be calling us by our rightful names, Grandpa & Grandma. Oh how the time flies.

Celebrating 25 years

Even amidst the busy schedule we have during the summer months, we still managed to get away and spend some time celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary.

It never really seems like it has been 25 years until we see how old the children are and now they are getting married and having children of their own. God has truly blessed us with a wonderful love and a great family. We were able to go on a sunset dinner cruise which turned out to be one of the most spectacular nights of the whole season. Getting away is always refreshing but never seems to be long enough. This time of year doesn't allow for much time off so I am looking forward to our 2 week vacation this coming winter. I pray the Lord blesses us with another 25 years together to love Him and serve Him.

Congratulations KYLE!

June 1st. Kyle graduated from Lincoln High School. We are so proud of him and all of his accomplishments. It was a really nice service and all the kids from church who have grown up with Kyle were there afterwards hanging out and taking pictures.

Kyle has had a little change in plans now that he is graduated. He knows that being a police officer will always be here for him at any given time. He feels that God is leading him to attend Rockford Master's Commission in the fall. I've always felt that Kyle was called to be in the ministry somehow but now that he has changed his plan so late in the year, he is really going to have to step it up to be ready in the fall. If the Lord wants him to be there then who am I to worry about it.

Anyway, Congratulations Kyle, We love you and support you in what ever it is God is leading you to do.

Love, Dad & Mom

Ryan Earns GMA

Last Wednesday night at our Royal Ranger awards ceremony, Ryan was awarded his Gold Medal of Achievement along with 6 other boys in our Outpost. This is the highest award you can earn in the program and a lot of work went into him achieving it. We are so proud of you Ryan for all you have accomplished. May God richly bless you for all your efforts.

Love, Dad & Mom

Happy Mother's Day

Why is it when Mother's Day rolls around, all I want is for everyone to just notice what it is that I really do all the time being a mom. It's not the gifts and the well versed cards that really matter, it's hearing your child say "I wouldn't be where I am today without you mom".

I guess, in their own subtle way, they have already told me so. You see, none of my kids ever felt the need to, or follow through with the thought of, running away from home. They knew I would always be there for them. None of my kids ever had to run with gangs and try to find a purpose for who they were. They knew I always told them that they were somebody special. None of my kids ever had to lose themselves in alcohol and peer pressure because they couldn't handle what was going on at home. They knew they had parents that loved each other and especially loved their kids. I never had kids who ever said they didn't believe in God. Proverbs 22:6 says train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. I know the Lord helped me to do that well. I guess if I sit and really look back over the years, things really take on a new perspective. Was I ever a perfect mother? Not by any means. Were my children always perfect? Not in any sense of the word. Yet through the years I have come to learn from my own mother (who was by far perfect in a lot of ways), of her consistency in being a mother, and her faithfulness at bringing us up to know the Lord. I knew as a very young girl that I wanted to model that for my kids and then go even farther, giving them a reason to want to pass on what they saw in their home to their own children.

Although I get tired from being a mom at times and the enemy is constantly jabbing me to throw in the towel, I know now that I just need to sit back and look at where my children are today and silently hear them say, " I wouldn't be where I am today without you mom".

Thank you Lord.

What a beautiful day

Well, I think it is safe to say now that spring is here. What a gorgeous day today and I think the plants thought so too. So many of mine are trying to find their way out of their skin. I love this time of year. Just replanted my rhubarb in the garden planters we are making. I sure hope

I still get a crop out of them this

year after ripping them out of the

ground

A Step Back In Time

Well my me time has come to an end, the guys came home last night from their great FCF weekend. I got to hear all the stories about everything that happened and also listen to all the complaints. Everything seemed to go pretty well and I guess my pictures will tell the rest of the story. We are getting ready to head back to FCF family camp on Memorial Day weekend. Then I get to have a hand at living in the days of our past. I love it. It's a lot of work, but I doubt as much work as it really was back then now that we have modern ways of getting our equipment to and from places. Well, enjoy this beautiful day.

Kyron is dedicated

Yesterday I went to our grandson's dedication at the Highland Church in Plover. What a blessing is it to see your children walking with the Lord and now bringing up your grandchildren to know Him too.

Free At Last

Well sort of.
I have just spent the last week doing everything imaginable to help get Doug and Ryan ready to go to FCF trace. I put up with my house being a total wreck with leather and feathers and tools and beads and rivets and piles of wood and wax and fabric and well the list goes on. Running from place to place trying to find that all important last minute item or two or three.
Now they are gone, I have cleaned the place up and with the exception of a little bit of sewing for my grandsons dedication outfit, I am FREE! until Sunday night. WooHoo!!! Sometimes it gets a little stressful living in a house with all guys and two out of the three don't really understand where I am ever coming from. So I am going to enjoy my time for the next 3 days and brace myself for the storm that comes home on Sunday night. Don't get me wrong, I love all my guys and love helping them with their Royal Ranger outings. It's nice to have a program where they can all be a part of and do some bonding as father and son.
Well, don't expect me to be on here until my free time is over.
So, ta ta for now.

That's not funny God

OK, I know God has a sense of humor and I know I told everyone to put away your winter coats but this is ridiculous. Enough with the snow, I've had enough for one year. :)

SPRING IS FINALLY HERE!!!

I am so excited. Put the winter coats away, open up your windows, Spring Is Here!!!

But most of all, the plow is off the truck and no more plowing snow until next year. YEAH!!!!

The weather is always a transition on my body and this fibromyalgia. It will be nice when the weather stays warm for awhile.

This last weekend I attended the WM Convention in Appleton. It was a wonderful refreshing time away. I could think of lots of other women I wish would have come that needed the same refreshing in their lives. The speakers were powerfully anointed by God and ministered to so many issues that women deal with. I thank the Lord that He spoke to my mother in law and asked me to join her for this weekend. We were both blessed.

One of the speakers we had was the former child star of the TV cit com FULL HOUSE Candace Cameron known as DJ Tanner. She gave two dynamic testimonies and really was a treat to listen to. I had a picture taken with her. That was really fun. Sometimes you have to do something fun and silly.

Well, I am on a campaign for next year to try and get as many women as I can to go back with me. They are going to feature Kirk Cameron and Amy Rolof from Little people in a Big world. It sounds like another great time.

Having fun making maple syrup

This last weekend we went up north with Aaron and Melissa to help make maple syrup with Aaron's family. I had never seen how maple syrup is made so was really interested in being a part of the project. Doug and I and the boys all pitched in and made some great memories during the whole weekend.

It is a long process and by the end of the first day I was really wiped out. I gave it my all since I love being out in the woods but then it takes me so long to get myself back to a productive state. I didn't mind, I got to do a big portion of it and then was able to watch the rest happen. It really was something I could get into doing, on a smaller scale though. I love maple syrup and use quite a bit of it during the year and now I have a greater appreciation for how much it costs.

Just Me And Grandpa

Just hanging out with grandpa

COULD THEY GET ANY CUITER

I love collecting pictures of my family. Especially the babies. I love to scrapbook and so I always seem to have an abundance of pictures laying around at any given moment. Just thought I would share a few. One of these days I will have some pictures of both the boys. This is me and grandpa enjoying Mark and Katie's little Kyron. Also, Aaron and Melissa at Easter with Kaiden.

My First Decorated Pail!

I'm so excited. I love to scrapbook , and sewing is my passion but I took some time to sit down and create one of these darling paint cans for my neices birthday. I was a little ribbon happy but that's ok, I'm sure she won't mind. I loved how it turned out and what a great gift these things make.

Happy crafting.

KYRON TURNS 1 MONTH

Every day in every way our family is growing bigger and bigger.

Little Kyron turned 1 month and is looking like his daddy more and more. It will sure be fun some day to watch the two grandsons play together.

Oh the JOY! of being a grandma!

CELEBRATING OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY!

This year is our 25Th wedding anniversary and we celebrated by taking another trip back to Mexico.

We went to an all inclusive resort in Puerto Vallarta called the Riu. We stayed a week and really had a very relaxing time. The weather was a bit chilly in the evening but the days were great. Long walks on the beach with the sun in your hair, never having to worry about cooking, cleaning, answering the phone, taking kids to school, running errands, buying groceries, cleaning, putting out fires, doing laundry, did I mention cleaning. I think you get the idea. It is always wonderful to go away and leave the cares of life behind you and let someone else pamper you.
This year on our trip we ventured out to go on an excursion. We traveled high in the remote wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains for an expedition called a canopy tour. Hanging bridges built in the trees set up the back drop for you to swing from tree to tree like the Swiss Family Robinson's. Safety is their number one priority as you fly on zip lines and rappel from tree to tree. I did feel like I was on "Fear Factor" at first because I am not that found of heights, but it turned out to be a good experience for me.
Although it was something I will never forget doing, I think I prefer to stay on the ground for my entertainment.
Since having the two babies this year, I will admit that I had a hard time not thinking about them the whole time I was gone. When we returned, we were greeted by our grandson Kaiden who at first kept looking at us like, "I know these peoples voices but they sure don't look like my grandparents". It took him awhile to realize yes, it really was us even though our skin was a little brown.
Next year we are planning on going to the Caribbean and exploring some other places we have not been.
That's all for now.

WE HAVE A NEW BABY!

A new GRAND baby that is .



Little Kyron Douglas Doerrler made his guest apperance on Sat. Feb. 16.

Both mom and baby are doing just great. Wow our family is sure growing.

Please enjoy the pictures and I will try to keep you updated.





Tina