August 9, 2010 · filed under: Family, Trips by Jill

Summer days seem to drift on by. It hardly seems that it’s already been six weeks since our first summer getaway. However, those weeks have flown by and we are finally getting the photos up from our June adventure.

It’s been said that one of the favorite things the Janes family does is sail. Chartering a sailboat and spending a few days out on the open water is both exciting and relaxing. It had been 3 years since the family had sailed, and six since both Janes boys had been aboard together.

So at the end of June, Gil & Donna, Geoff & Jill, and Greg & Kim set out for three days on Lake Superior. Boarding the Harmony at Port Superior near Bayfield, Wisconsin, our sail brought us three days of good wind for picking up speed. With this speed we were able to beat a thunderstorm into a protected cove, race out to Devil’s Island and the unprotected water, and enjoy a rousing sail back to port. Each day also brought periods of stillness when there seemed to be virtually no wind at all. This meant time for sunbathing on the deck, leisurely enjoying a book, and catching up as a family.  Additionally, our evenings at anchor allowed us time for delicious meals prepared by Donna and adventures to shore for collecting rocks and watching sunsets.

While the others sailed, though, the littlest Janes enjoyed an adventure of her own. Too young and too active to take in the confines of a sailboat, Grace spent four days enjoying the farm with Grandpa Paul, Grandma Darla, Sarah, Hannah, and Jake. With so many willing to partake in the spoiling, it seemed Grace never had a moment to misbehave. During her stay, she enjoyed watching Jake play baseball, splashing at the aquatic center, playing at Grandma Sally’s house, chasing the kitties, and winning the hearts of all her caretakers.

As always, there are a load of additional pictures available in the gallery.

Subscribe No Comments »

April 21, 2010 · filed under: Family, Grace Evelyn, Holidays by Jill

Spring time = busy at the Janes household. There seems to be much to do as the world awakens from winter, and keeping up with Grace has added to that this year. Needless to say, one project that has been neglected has been posting recent pictures. Here are some highlights from the last month:

Top on the list is Grace’s first Easter holiday. This year she spent Easter with Mom’s family, seeing Grandpa Paul & Grandma Darla’s farm first. After visiting the cows and new baby calves, it was on to Guthrie Center for her first Easter egg hunt. Although her bucket wasn’t exactly brimming after the hunt, Grace enjoyed watching the other kids and seeing the Easter Bunny. When the excitement of the hunt died down, Grandma Donna & Grandpa Ron took her for a quick stop at the farm and home store with baby chicks and ducks. Unfortunately, Mom said no to Dad and Grace, and we did not return home with a duck. Finally, Grace practiced hunting eggs again on Easter morning with cousin Landon before church. It was quite a weekend!

And the unfortunate baby chick incident:

Grace & Landon getting into trouble:

Aside from the holiday, its been project time at home again. Grace’s projects including pulling herself up and “helping” with everything. Recently, she has “helped” clean up dinner, she “helped” Dad work on the car, and she “helped” inspect the basement work.  Although it seems her help usually slows the job, it certainly keeps things interesting. And Mom and Dad keep thinking about how fast time goes and how soon she really will be helping with everything as she proves what a big girl she is becoming.

See more pictures of our big girl this spring in the gallery.

Subscribe No Comments »

January 4, 2010 · filed under: Family, Grace Evelyn, Holidays by Geoff

It’s been a great holiday season, and we’ve enjoyed every extra minute that we’ve been able to spend with Grace. It was also our first Christmas as a family of three, and the first time we stayed home for Christmas Eve. Grace has brought a whole new set of wonderful traditions to the holidays, and we enjoyed our first try at a lot of them!

The holidays started with Christmas at Grandpa Paul & Grandma Darla’s house. It was Grace’s first real chance to get into the wrapping paper, and boy did she enjoy it! She also got to say hi to several new cats, and meet King Arthur, her first 8-point buck!

Next came the Benton family Christmas with Grandma Donna & Grandpa Ron. Grace spent the evening getting into trouble with Landon as they helped unwrap presents. It was also a chance for Grace to be a STAR! We took Benton family photos, and Grace was the center of attention as everyone waited for her to smile in the pictures. Fortunately everyone was patient enough that we got some great shots.

Then came Christmas with Great Grandpa Bob & Great Grandma Bea, and a chance for Grace to meet some family she hadn’t met yet.

After a great weekend with family, it was time to return home. This year was our first year to have Christmas at home, and to prepare for Santa’s arrival. That meant preparing our stockings, baking Santa cookies, and getting to bed early so we didn’t hold Santa up.

Then it was time to jump in the car for the long trip to the cabin, Grace’s first visit and a test for a long road trip. Fortunately, Mom & Dad decided to leave close to Grace’s bedtime, so Grace could sleep the majority of the way.

With the holidays behind us and our return to normal life, both Jill and I are already missing the extra time we were able to spend with Grace during the holidays. The few hours we get each night before bed don’t measure up to all of the great time we got over the holidays.

We also look forward to the next surprises from Grace. During our time off with Grace, she got her two upper front teeth, learned to sit up on her own, began feeding herself cheerios, and has started what might be considered crawling. We can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Many more pictures are available in the gallery, so check them out! Happy holidays from our family to yours.

Subscribe No Comments »