• Travel & Vacation: Kansas Family Reunion

    Family Reunion Milford Lake Kansas Irrigation

    Our family at Lake Milford this summer!

    All my immediate family members were able to come to Lake Milford this summer for a long weekend together.  We had a blast!  We went swimming, boating, skiing, kneeboarding, tubing, played games, celebrated birthdays, ate great food, laughed, and had a wonderful time making some new memories together.  Even our family’s soon-to-be newest member was able to join us for the weekend.  My youngest brother Josh will be getting married later this year and his fiance Megan (who we have known for many years) was a part of the fun family weekend!  Grateful for a weekend to catch up and have fun!

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    My parents, siblings, spouses, and kids!

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    We are a wild crew at times, drive each other nuts occasionally, but all-in-all we know how to have a good time together!  Yes, I am blessed to call this crazy bunch my family!

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    Relaxing for a few minutes at Cracker Barrel.

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    Rocking and playing checkers!

  • Travel & Vacation: The Grown Up Kids Having Fun Paddleboarding

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    Megan and Josh did really well on the paddleboard!

    The lake was perfect for paddleboarding.  Not only did the kids have fun trying out their talents on the paddleboard, but the adults had a blast too.  It was great seeing everyone get up and zip (yes some faster than others) across the lake on the paddleboard.  Thankful for some time of fun, laughter, and the chance to try a new activity with family!

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    Amber showing off her paddleboarding skills!

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    Who says the kids have all the fun!  I think the adults had just as much fun on the paddleboard!  At least Amber did!

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    Jake taking Brina with him on the paddleboard.

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    Megan and Josh gliding around the lake on the paddleboard.

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    Dad heading out to the middle of the lake on the paddleboard.

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    Keeping it steady.

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    Becky taking off!

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    Becky and Nicko on the paddleboard.

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    Lee was up and going in no time!

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    Nicko going for a ride with his Dad!

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    Dad teasing Jeremy before take off!

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    Jeremy paddleboarding on Lake Milford.

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    Uncle Lee and the kids!

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    Looking a little crazy!

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    Nathan and Grandma Penny

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    Grandpa Russell and Nathan

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    Lee and Becky going for a ride across the lake.

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    Nathan taking his Mom on the paddleboard.

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    Fun times at the lake.

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    Jake started out kneeling….

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    Once he was out a little ways he decided to stand up….

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    And he was successful!  Jake cruising around Milford Lake on the paddleboard.

  • Travel & Vacation: Tubing on Lake Milford

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    5 kids + 1 tube = loads of fun on the water!

    Tubing was a huge hit with the kids again this year.  I think almost all the kids went on the tube at some point over the weekend.  We had two of the exact same tube in two of the boats so if one boat was water skiing and knee boarding the other boat would be doing the tube or something else.

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    Brina on the tube with her two cousins Nate and Brandon.

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    Nate, Brandon and Sierra went a little faster on the tube!

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    They got some air under that one!

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    The expressions on their faces crack me up!

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     You can’t go as fast with 5 kids on the tube, but they still had a grand time!

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    All smiles!  Who knows what they were laughing about this time around!

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    Waving at the water skiers and knee boarders from the other boat!

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    Ready for a wild ride?!  Bracing themselves for the next bump!

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    Smiling as they zip around the lake!

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    Always a couple of dare devils in every crowd!

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    Lunch time!  Sandwiches and grapes on the tube (makes a good picnic table)!

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    Karlie and Brandon hanging out on the tube!

  • Travel & Vacation: Water Skiing and Knee Boarding

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    Dad and Lee water skiing on the outsides while Megan and Josh knee board on the inside!  All behind the boat at the same time!  Way to go!!!

    Our family enjoys the time on the lake!  Whether it is water skiing, knee boarding, tubing, or whatever there is plenty of fun for everyone including the kids.  It is always impressive to see several people being pulled behind the boat at the same time.  A couple of the days while we were at the lake it was really windy, but the last full day at the lake was the perfect set up for pulling multiple people behind the boat.  It takes a little more skill both for the driver and all the people in the water, but they managed to get up several times.

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    Karlie and Uncle Lee getting up on the knee boards!

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    And there up and going with smiles!

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    Our little water girl.  She would probably live on the water if we let her.  So proud of her doing the knee board several times all by herself this year!!!

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    Lee having fun!

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    Thumbs up!

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    He looks like he is up to something….

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    Having fun, but you can see it in her face she is getting tired.  Just….a….little….bit….longer…..!

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    Cruising around the lake on the knee board!

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    Fun times at the lake!

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    Becky and Lee’s turn now!

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    Way to go Becky!

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    Lee giving us the thumbs up as they pass us by!

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    We were taking pictures of the four on the water from another boat!

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    Here they come!

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    With four people and taking pictures from another boat it’s hard to get a close shot!

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    Zooming on past us!

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    Lee, Josh, Megan, and Dad all going at once!

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    There they go again!

  • Travel & Vacation: Splashing Around at Lake Milford

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    Grandpa’s ready to go swimming!

    We spent the majority of our day in the water at Lake Milford.  On our final full day at the lake we swam near the cabins so everyone could come and go as they wanted.  It was a lot of fun being able to swim and splash around in the water.

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    Nicko having fun at the lake!

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    Karlie using her balancing skills!

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    Brina using Jake’s shoulders as her diving board so she could spring into the water!

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    Karlie preparing for another big splash!

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    Karlie flying through the air!

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    Look out!  There goes Brina!

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    Hanging out with Zachie as  he enjoys his blue Lollipop!

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    First Aid Kit! Yes, Karlie discovered that zebra muscles on the rocks were not her friend (quite painful actually)!  Ouch!  Thanks Aunt Amber and Daddy for coming to her rescue!

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    All the kids (and some of the big kids too) enjoyed digging in the sand on the beach!

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    Becky and Zachie having fun!

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    Karlie hanging out with Grandma and Uncle Lee!

  • Travel & Vacation: Family Reunion at Acorn Resorts on Milford Lake

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    A lively round of golf (the card game) with the kids!

    Our weekend with family in the the Acorn Resorts on Milford Lake was a lot of fun.  We had a blast playing games and splashing around in the lake.  We even were able to celebrate some birthdays during our weekend together!  Thankful for a great weekend with our family!

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    Karlie enjoying her time at the lake!

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    Who wants to play “chicken”?!  Brina and Nathan are ready!  Thankful that the girls had a chance to hang out with their cousins and for the memories they have created!

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    Karlie jumping off the tube!

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    Another serious lake competition!?  🙂  No, just having fun!  Look out for Amber and Sierra!

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    Ouch!  That one looked painful!

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    Sierra’s very proud of her talent!  Hilarious!

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    Brina springing off the tube!

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    Nicko having a grand time swimming around the lake!

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    Oh no, here she goes again.  Look out below!

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    This cool contraption was flying over head as we were swimming around in the lake.  Looks like fun too!

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    Karlie was always ready to go FASTER!

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    Brina, Brandon, and Karlie on the tube!

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    Nate, Meg, and Sierra got some air on this one!

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    Whoa!  Hang on!

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    They are having a blast!

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    Karlie and Brandon going for another spin!

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    Candice and her friends sailing across the lake on the tube!

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    They even let me go a couple times!  Loads of fun on the lake!

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    We had a grand time zipping along on the tube!

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    The kids are all showered after a fun day at the lake.  Passing the time watching TV while the adults get dinner ready!

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    Happy Birthday Nicko!  He had a super cool cake! The trucks on top were a huge hit too!

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    Time to celebrate and eat some delicious cake!

  • Beautiful Kansas Lake Sunset

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    Kansas has some amazing sunsets!  One of the most peaceful and beautiful times on the lake are near sunset!

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    A splash of water as the skier cut across the wake at sunset on Milford Lake.

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    Enjoying the gorgeous sunset on the lake!

  • Travel & Vacation: Tubing, Knee Boarding, and Water Skiing at Milford Lake!

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    Waving as she passes family!

    We spent the weekend at Lake Milford playing in the water!  It was fun to watch everyone go tubing, fishing, knee boarding (or boogy boarding as we grew up calling it), skiing and more.  Thankful for some time together creating memories with our extended family!

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    Grandma and Zachie hanging out on the boat!

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    They are having way too much fun back there on the tube!

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    Karlie tubing with Aunt Megan and Uncle Josh

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    Karlie got up on the knee board again this year! We knew she could do it!

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    Working on getting the rope unlatched so she can hold it on her own!

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    She’s doing it on her own!  Way to go Karlie!

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    Karlie’s first time knee boarding with someone else!  She was so excited to be knee boarding at the same time her Daddy was knee boarding!  A big thanks to my brother for taking these pictures for us of Karlie and Jake because I was on another boat with Brina!

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    Karlie knee boarding with Jake!  She could live in the water she loves everything about it!  So proud of her for doing the knee board by herself.  She said it was a lot of fun, but her arms when her arms got sore she didn’t want to stop she was having so much fun!

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    Megan and Josh on the knee boards!

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    Lee making it look easy!

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    Waving to Nicko and Zachie on the boat!

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    Swinging his way out!

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    Skiing until the sun started to set!  The lake was smooth and beautiful at this time of day!