KANAKUK!!!

Kanakuk has a family "k"amp that we just LOVE and have been three out of the last four years.....it's like living in a bubble and it is simply wonderful. It is located in Branson, Missouri (about 5.5 hours from Memphis). I will not wax poetic about it, but we did have a great time. Savannah jumped off the high dive, went down both water slides and was soooo close to making it off the zipline! Thad worked K-2 as a "wild guy" in 1996 and I was at K-West in 1993 (these are two of the several camps offered for kids). We always wished we could have known each other while at kamp and I just kept praying for the opportunity to share Kanakuk with Thad at some point and lo and behold - God provided their family kamp the summer before Savannah turned two! God's timing is good and we have treasured our time each year (2006, 2007 and 2009).

The Jumping Pillow

Water Slide at Hana Bay

High Dive at Hana Bay

"If It Isn't Bright, It Isn't Right" Night

Silly Pirate Night

Caroline and Robin on the playground!

Savannah playing ball at the Jungle Dome

Caroline playing ball!

Eating Contest that required these guys to go swimming after the fact.....yum.

Savannah and her buddy Cole from Kansas City

Our home sweet home for six days - very nice!

Michigan....Great Lakes, Great Times

The place of my birth (Grosse Pointe - a suburb of Detroit). The place where my parents met. The place where my grandparents on both sides met, married, raised families and for two of the four passed away. The place where one great-grandmother was a doctor and the other one owned her own business and divorced an abusive husband. Bold women for sure! It's that place for me where the comfort of familiarity overrides all other emotion and is a retreat in every sense of the word. Detroit is a rough place - has been for a long time and I'm not delusional about it, I just choose to seek the positive and appreciate what it still is even after so much human abuse over the years. I pray that the city heals itself sooner rather than later without a doubt.
Okay, enough soapbox....we had a great time!

My mom's parents are remembered at the Grosse Pointe Shores Park

It overlooks Lake St. Claire

Downtown Detroit coming into view from the Detroit River

General Motors Headquarters (Ford's HQ is in Dearborn)

The Ambassador Bridge connects Canada with the USA across the river. Bet you didn't know a bridge could be owned by an individual cause it can! The owners are my grandparents former neighbors.

Grosse Pointe Yacht Club - my parent's wedding reception was held here and is across the street from my grandparents home.

Mom and Dad O'Keefe going to a party! Savannah picked out my dad's clothes - it was hilarious!

Poppa and Bug "working" in the study.

Savannah's swimming skills improved dramatically! She was diving and freestyling by the time we left.

Aunt Wendy and the girls.

A little lovin for the big man

KeeKee arrives!!!!

Cutest. Picture. Ever. (Ben and Caroline)

Ben and KeeKee

Savannah having "tea" at the Eleanor Ford Tea Room

Awwwwwww

Lake Ouchita, Arkansas

We spent the 4th of July at the Shepard Lakehouse at Lake Ouchita. GREAT place and we enjoyed ourselves a whole bunch! Swimming, boating, four-wheeling, eating, sleeping, jet-skiing, laughing, sleeping, eating, puttering and more. This was Caroline's first visit to the lake and we see a great future for her and her cousin Brock. They were pretty fascinated with one another to say the least and Savannah got her first taste of what it would be like to be the oldest kiddo going forward. At one point she came running in to the house and said "Momma, where are MY boys?" (referring to her dad, her Uncle Will and her grandpa) hahahahahaha

Brock was very curious about cousin Savannah's artwork

Grandpa Jim, Caroline and Brock

Brock (13 mos) Caroline (9 mos)

Hollywood Savannah

Hollywood Thad

Caroline's first boatride!

Happy Father's Day

T is for TERRIFIC

H is for (pretty much always) HAPPY

A is for AWESOME

D is for DADDY

The Shepard girls are blessed to have a super great dad in the house.  We took our super great dad "camping" and here (as promised) are the pictures....

Savannah got to gather twigs and leaves and help start the fire.  She was thrilled!

The "rustic cabin"....isn't a pretty setting though?  That is Cub Lake behind the cabin.  

The Hobo Dinners going on the fire.  They were yumm-o!

We made it thru the night in our lovely "rustic cabin" and Thad made breakfast on the fire!

Savannah at the "beach" on Cub Lake.  She met a little boy named Bubba.  I'm not kidding.

Awwwww.....Caroline loves her tongue!

Savannah, the green-eyed monster swimming happily in Cub Lake.  She's a better woman than I.....

Aren't I a blessed woman? How cute are they?