Trip to Southern Illinois - end of August

August 20-23 we visited Dawn's parents in Southern Illinois. On Friday Dawn's brother, Doug, had his send off for his National Guard troop to Afghanistan. Greg Osinga came down from Wisconsin by Amtrak with John. Below we picked them up at the Amtrak station in Carbondale IL.
The send-off ceremony took place in the West Frankfort high school assembly hall. It was a standing room only crowd with the President of Southern Illinois University, a state senator and state congressman in addition to several other officers giving speeches.

The Osingas

The Osinga grandkids (minus Bobby and Jimmy) with Doug and Jody Osinga.

Sunday afternoon with Grandpa and Grandma

Grandpa and Grandma with the Duff grandkids on our porch.

Grandma holding Gracie on our porch.

Sunday Afternoon Picnic

Last Sunday, we took a picnic lunch to one of the city metro parks after the morning service. Here is the family at a table overlooking the Cuyahoga river (yep, the one that caught on fire many years ago, though that was obviously not at this point in the river but in Cleveland). We are in Akron here and yet feel far from any city.