Cherry Festival.....and Traverse Bay

We enjoyed an hour walking around the Cherry Festival on beautiful Traverse Bay this afternoon. It was partly sunny, and just perfect temperature. Coming to the festival was always such fun when our kids were growing up...here are some pictures of the afternoon.

Yea, for the free samples of my favorite Jelly Belly's!

Fun with the Traverse City Fire Department

We enjoyed all those YUMMY samples of cherry jelly, candy, dried cherries......

Food Court

We took a walk around the Marina and saw these HUGE boats!

Beautiful Traverse Bay

Our ALMOST PERFECT date night!

It was a perfect summer day....and after a busy day here at the Lanning's....we decided to go out forfor a "date night" dinner at The Hillcrest restaurant, since we had a gift certificate we needed to finish. After a great buffet, we decided to walk around Lake Cadillac. It was just beautiful! We walked for quite a while, and enjoyed the beautiful weather and view. We were on our way home (just 4 miles from home!) when a warning light came on. We pulled over to stop the car, and when we tried to start it again...it was TOTALLY DEAD! Not a squeak! We called AAA, and they contacted Peterson's Towing to come. We waited by the side of the road for about 30 minutes, and a police car came up, lights flashing and pulled up behind us. He wanted to know if we needed anything. Well, Petersons finally got it started, only to have it stop 1 minute later. We decided to have them tow our car home, and we'll decide what to do with it later. They think it may be the alternator! All in all, we had a wonderful time together on our almost perfect date night!

The logo on this boat has a huge gold M - go Michigan!

I'm 4 months today!

The Three M's

The three M's (Matt, Mommy and Micah) are celebrating their 5th anniversary on July 6th!

After a fairytale romance - which began in Taiwan, Matt and Rachel are celebrating 5 years of beautiful marriage. Rachel took the Biblical words seriously, "Whither you go, I will go...." and off she went to Taiwan with her loving husband! What a great 5 years they have had...and how blessed they are with the arrival of Micah Matthew.

Congratulations on your 5th anniversary! We love you!!!!

Four years ago,.....

Four years ago on July 5th, we gave our beautiful third daughter into the loving care of Ben Godfrey. What a joyous celebration that was! This was truly a marriage made in heaven. How God blessed their marriage when he gave them Brock Benjamin!

Happy, happy 4th anniversay to both of you! You truly are a picture of what a godly, Christian marriage is to be.

"May the Lord increase your love one toward another...."

We love you!!

A GREAT 4th in the North

Jason and Elizabeth were here with us for the 4th of July~

We had a picnic at Edward's home with many folks from church.

Brock at 9 1/2 months......

YUMMY FOOD

Carol Skinner and I had fun putting the food together for Jana Sinkel's shower....we tried to make it as colorful as possible..... Banana Split Trifle

Brownie, chocolate chip trifle

Munchies Strawberry pretzel dessert and pistachio salad

Trip to "The Old Rugged Cross" Museum

The Old Rugged Cross Historical Museum is an outgrowth of a memorial cross erected and dedicated on September 14, 1954, north of Reed City, Michigan, near the Home of Rev. and Mrs. George Bennard. Rev. Bennard was the author of the well-loved hymn, "The Old Rugged Cross, " written in 1913. Some of our group that went to see The Old Rugged Cross museum today

Pictures in the museum.....

PAID IN FULL

This morning at Rollins Church, we had a "mortgage burning" for our new parsonage! It is PAID IN FULL! PTL!

Some fun Vacation Bible School Pictures

Bible lesson time for the older kids......

Pre-schoolers

Some of our winners from the contest!

What a GREAT trip!

Last week, Brock, Ben and Rebekah came to Michigan! What a great few days we had...and what fun to visit everyone!

Brock with Nanny and Papa

Brock at Uncle Jason and Aunt Elizabeth's house

Brock at Uncle Daniel and Aunt Candice's house on his way back home!

Faithful

Happy Father's Day to the wonderful father of my 4 children, my husband, best friend and lover! How I thank the Lord for 30 years of being "one" in heart, soul and spirit. God truly did answer the desires of my heart, when he gave me Robert Brown Lanning.

In our first year of marriage, our Rachel was born...so fatherhood started quickly! And then one right after the other came along...Elizabeth, Rebekah and Daniel!

When I think of you as a father, FAITHFULNESS comes to mind. You have been faithful to our marriage vows, faithful in training up our children EVERY DAY in the way of the Lord and faithful in your own walk with the Lord. You were faithful in helping (hour after hour) our kids with their homework, music, attending ALL of the sports functions (except when an emergency came up at church), and anything else they were in at school and church. Faithful in preaching God's Word every Sunday and Wednesday night at church. Faithful in ministering to those in need - what an example of "selflessness" time and time again we saw. Faithful in showing and loving each one of us in a special way, and being so generous with your time and finances (even when there were things you would have rather done, or gotten, you gave of yourself to us).

Thank you for being such a wonderful father to Rachel, Elizabeth, Rebekah and Daniel. I know it's because of your example, that all of our children have married such wonderful helpmates...and for that I am sooooo thankful!

Happy Father's Day to you! I love you with all of my heart!

My Daddy - Frank Lehmann

1977 picture of Daddy with our new baby Rachel

Sunday is Father's Day - and what a wonderful day to celebrate and give thanks to those that have been such wonderful fathers. My daddy was truly a beautiful example of what all fathers should be. I only had him for 28 years - but those were WONDERFUL years! Life wasn't always easy for Daddy - but what I remember the most is his TOTAL dependance on God through the tough times. When I was five, my Mother passed away and what a difficult time that was for 2 little girls and a now widower. My Daddy gave so much love and care and attention to us, that we were able to "walk through that valley" together. What strength he was given from the Lord!

I'll never forget when we called Daddy that he would be a grandfather. He was so excited and proud when our first daughter, Rachel was born! He always said if he became a grandfather, he would grow a mustache - well he did and looked so distinguished in it! What a joy to present another granddaughter to him a year later....he just loved holding them and "talking" to them when they were first born.

Daddy's true joy was in serving the Lord. He loved directing choirs, and singing and that's how he went home to heaven....it was just after a Sunday Night Service that he directed - the final song he led was "Amazing Grace" - and just minutes later after a heart attack, he was in the presence of Jesus! What a way to go HOME!

I miss my Daddy, but know he is praising the Lord in heaven, and one of these days we'll have a great reunion together!

How thankful I am for a godly father that prayed for me to marry a godly husband...and what a wonderful husband I have and a father to our children!

GOD IS SO GOOD!!

Fun Pictures with Brock