Family Vacation

We took a family vacation to Iowa and Minnesota. It was Sam's grandma's birthday and the whole family got together for it. We added time before and after the party in Minnesota with Jon, Kate and Eli.

To make this house a home

We bought a new house last month. It was built in 1978 and is in a great neighborhood with good neighbors. We plan on modernizing it room by room as time and money allows. Our first job....wallpaper.



Here, Kaitlyn is giving her baby (named One More) a tour of the new house in the "bjorn"

The fruits of my labor

No store bought tomato can come close to comparing to one grown in your own garden. My garden is now in full swing and I am picking something new every day. My tomato plants are so overgrown that I have had to add extra high metal gates and even support them with some curling ribbon (I could not find any rope/twine/fishing wire in the house....so you gotta make due with what you do have...right?) I'm also growing zucchini (yellow and green), bell peppers (supposed to be green, but some are coming in yellow too), basil, and tomatoes. It's been fun throwing the veggies from my garden into dinner and finding new ways to eat tomatoes.

Back in May


Now


Everything is out of the garden....except the cheese and pasta

Presenting Beckie Barkley

Beckie got married on July 17. It was a wonderful day yet hectic at times. Having all the little kids running around made pictures interesting. A big change from when we got married and we didn't even have a flower girl or ring barrer!

Me and Kate heading over to the church:


Kaitlyn is a good kisser! Gideon wore the flower girl headband much better than any of the girls!


Just like Mike Tyson. FYI: she got a "time out" after this outbreak.


Family Pic:


Our flowers and shoes:


Beckie with her brothers and sis-in-laws:


Me and Kaitlyn:


Beckie's bouquet:


Deb helping Beckie get tied up:


The reception was at a farm where they also had old firetrucks and cars:


My parents made it for the day. They helped out a ton with Kaitlyn while Sam and I were busy being part of the wedding:


Another family pic:


The girls danced ALL NIGHT LONG!


Beckie and Kevin looking happy:


Sam and me enjoying some time alone:


This pic doesn't show that he got her too:

No more sharing....

....my name that is. Now that Beckie is married and has a new last name, I am now the only Becky Harper (at least that I know of). We spent the week before the wedding getting together with family, planning, decorating, and we even threw in a shower. Here are some pics from the week. More pics from the wedding itself in a later post.

The reason we all got together:


Jon, you're busted....that's mine!


Cupcakes from the shower:


Beckie looks happy to get new underwear:


Sisters:


Beckie and Diane at the rehearsal:


Practice for the Big Day:

Summertime fun with cousins

Gideon, Ashya, Debbie and Paul came up to visit in May for Beckie's wedding shower. We played a lot in the back yard and even made a surprise visit to Chuck E. Cheese.




The girls tried on their flower girl headbands. Gideon wanted in on the fun too!


On our way down to Glendora for Beckie and Kevin's wedding we stopped in L.A. to see Steve, Larissa, and Aaron. Somehow I didn't get a pic of them in the ball house :(


Before the wedding we spent the week together with family. These 2 love to be tossed around.

Great Grandma Frazier surprised the kiddos with clown ice cream cones. Eli didn't get one, but he did get in on the photo op.

Couch time in the 21st centruy