Monday, September 04, 2006

Illinois Beach

It was a beautiful weekend with our friends at Illinois Beach State Park, on Lake Michigan about an hour north of downtown Chicago. Though we expected chilly temps made even "cooler by the lake" (as Chicago weather forecasts always say), God gave us perfect just-warm-enough-for-swimming weather. Our kids had such a great time pairing up:



The 13-year-olds.... (click to enlarge all photos)














The 11-year-olds (with 7-year-old) spent hours digging till they hit sea level.













The 4-year-olds...(rear view)













...and the other way 'round.














Bitty Bantam and his belly at the beach. (The lake really was that blue--isn't it beautiful?)




















Click to enlarge, and you'll see the Chicago skyline behind Papa Rooster. (It appears closer than it really was.) I thought he was probably meditating or praying--and he was--but like me, he was also looking at the rocks.

















Don't they point one to praise the Creator of such infinite variety and detail? (Go ahead--enlarge them!)




And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." (Luke 19:39-40)

3 comments:

Islandsparrow said...

What beautiful pictures! I'm glad you had such lovely weather. It's alwasy interesting for me to see other beaches - the sand is quite grey. My sister lived in Chicago for a few years and enjoyed going that beach.

Islandsparrow said...

oops - I haven't recovered from the weekend's festivities - always not alwasy - and going to that beach!

Randi said...

I love these pictures! They are filled with so much happiness!