The Sweeney

Once upon a time, the McClure family lived in Arizona. And while they were there, they met a wonderful missionary named Sweeney. They became great friends and Sweeney came back to visit them many times.

Every visit included soccer in some form :)

One visit took them from their new home in Illinois to a peaceful cabin in Brown County, Indiana. That trip was full of so much fun that the littlest members of the crew didn't stay awake long enough for their food to come: a sweet memory.

A walk down the creek was a lot more fun for Sweeney than tubing down the Kishwaukee River (even though on the river he had himself a big stick/oar/weapon of self-defense/depth finder :) -- maybe that was because Brigham came too, or because there were lots of rocks to skip, or because he could see the bottom through the clear water... or because Jed wasn't [fake] trying to flip his tube over the whole time.

Above: The cabin (named Two Dogs A Dreamin')

Tagg sure loved being with Sweeney :) When the McClures went back to the cabin as just the four of them (plus Brig), Tagg asked where Sweeney was!

Are fireworks legal in Indiana? Either way, the brave crew enjoyed a stormy night where the trees towering over the cabin swayed so much they looked as though they were made of rubber... And they'll never forget the Will O'the Wisps that haunt these here woods (aka lightening bugs--Sweeney comes from Scotland, and that night in Indiana was the first time he had seen lightening bugs... You can imagine the form they took under Jed's creative mind!)

Sweeney and Jed worked together and played together. It was a good month.

One day when Gabi was there too, they went to the uptown bakery with Grandma and Grandpa. Since there were no seats at the bakery, they took a stroll to the courthouse lawn to devour their treats. And some fabulous picture-taking ensued!

[The one above and below are my favorites!! I don't think these pictures could have been better positioned if I were a professional! Everyone's happy, they're all visible--I Love it!!]

 Sweeney's family; the McClure's feel like he belongs with them :)