Carol - Delavan

Our family became campers when I was in the 4th grade. We camped at the Boat Club on the Rock River, at Erie, IL. "Boat Club" was a fancy name for a plain place! We and other families from our church camped on weekends. We pitched our tents and cooked over the fire. Andy had a speedboat which he had built! We usually got a ride each weekend and some of the adults skied. That was the only entertainment! One weekend, mom got ready to ski. She was a good skier and took off from the dock. When she got ready to quit she intended to ski up to the dock and not even get her shorts wet. However, dad and the other guys in the boat hollered at her that she had ripped her shorts when she took off! Not knowing that they were teasing her, when she got back near the dock, she dropped the ski rope and sank down in the river! Boy, was she mad when she found out that she'd been fooled! Of course, being a good sport, she didn't stay mad. In a few minutes, she was laughing along with everyone else! On Sunday morning, we ate breakfast out there. You know . . . food always tastes better when you're outside, enjoying time with friends. Then we all drove the two miles back to town to Sunday School and church. After church, it was back to the Boat Club for lunch. Later in the afternoon, we all helped fold up the tent and pack all the supplies into the car. Camping was done for another weekend. Those were fun days with great friends and they prepared me to be a camper years later, as a wife and parent. At this point in life, Denzil and I have camped in 48 of our 50 states! And, we've been to Hawaii and Alaska, but haven't camped in those two yet! That's still on my Bucket List! I wish mom was able to go with us! At 103, she's not able, but she'd Love It!!

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Megan - Eureka

My mom always made summers fun, from taking us to the pool, to picnics in our yard, to park dates. I remember having Wonderful summers with her as a child!

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Deborah - Bloomington

Being with my family at Sanibel Island

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Maida - East Peoria

Many years ago, my mother would grow flowers, arrange them in bouquets, and sell them to close friends.  She could really spread the joy!

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Joyce - Washington

My mom was an avid fisherman. Therefore, mom & I spent many a warm, sunny afternoon sitting by our pond or a nearby lake, chatting about life, our concerns, our joys & fears as we soaked in God's beautiful creation! Although fishing wasn't my thing, I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful one on one time with my precious mom, a strong, loving, compassionate woman of the faith!!🥰🙏

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Ashley - Peoria

Swimming with my kids 🥰

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Nancy - Morton

We lived on a farm and there was not a lot of time for recreation. My mom was always busy tending to the needs of her family. She treated us to wonderful meals,desserts and made from scratch,homemade pies. The way she cared for us,and sacrificed for us, showed us how much she loved us.

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Emily - Morton

We often had water fights during the summer and sometimes would join in! When she did she always had the garden hose

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Michele - Washington

When I was 14 years old, i was spending the summer with my dad. He signed me up for summer camp through his church. It was my first time in a summer church camp and i was really nervous.  God met me there and showed me love through the other campers and team leaders. ❤️ I was already a Christian,  but i became spirit filled that week. When i got back to my dads house, i told him what happened and he said that their prayers were answered.  You see, they sent me there out of faith believing that God would show me who He was. I also had to go before the church which was Christian Assembly with Pastor Goode at that time.  I was nervous but I was so filled with joy and i wanted to tell everyone.

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Anna - Tremont

Picking strawberries!

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Bethany - Peoria

My parents have adopted 6 kids. One of the first summers my adopted little brothers came from Zambia, Africa and my mom was patiently teaching them to be able to swim. My mom has also taught one of my daughters and several of her grandkids to swim as well.

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Tammie - Pekin

Swimming with my grandkids and seeing who can jump the farthest into the water!

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Linda - Bloomington

Playing with out of town friends who came to visit their Grandma during the Summer.

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Melissa - Bloomington

Growing up, my family enjoyed an annual Summer Camping Trip to Turkey Run in Indiana. We also took a second trip to another Indiana State Park. One year, our van full of camp food was raided by a raccoon just inches from where I was sleeping, so Day 1 was spent restocking that year. Oh, it also rained, without fail, during every trip.

 

Anna - Brimfield

A few summers ago, my family was outside playing with our dogs(both of which are now deceased). One of the dogs, Daisy, was trying to roll around in the grass. My mom was leaning down to pet our other dog, Dash. Daisy found out she could use her hind legs to push off from my mom, so she would scoot through the grass easier. Mom went one way, and Daisy went the other. It was hilarious!

 

Roberta - Cuba

VBS at Grace Pres Church

 

Daniel - Secor

My mom would always make sun tea on the porch.  At supper we would have sun tea for our dessert .  She always read books about the frog and toad adventures.  While we drank our tea!

 

Trina - Pekin

My mother always had a huge garden in the country green beans come in to be picked in July I worked for a company that had shut down in July so I would disappear for two weeks and come home and mom and my sister had picked beans and canned them for me. Sneaky huh but I was really grateful. I had three little kids love those green beans. My mom was a hard-working woman. She’s been gone for 19 years and I still miss her.

 

Sandy - East Peoria

My mom was 102 years old and just passed on Monday. She was an amazing mom, she & dad always planned a summer vacation for the family. We went to Tomahawk WI to fish on a beautiful lake. Mom was an amazing cook and she made the greatest meals for us. She was a behind the scene mom who made everything come together into an amazing vacation. I will miss her this Mother’s Day, but I know where she is & I will see her one day in Glory Land!

 

Becky - Morton

Going with my Mom to Colorado for my nephew’s wedding. I put in the wrong address for the wedding and we ended up out in the country on big pot hole road. I started laughing because we ended at a lama farm and Mom was almost in tears thinking we came all the way from Illinois and now will miss Joel’s wedding. Thankfully the father of the bride held up the start till we made it there!!

 

Melidy - Tremont

We always picked flowers from our yard and make construction cards for mom.  Unfortunately she battled alz for 18 yrs and lost the battle on 2002

 

Linda - Pekin

Always fun when we got out of school

 

Aretta - Emden

My best summer memories involve swimming!  Whether at the lake or in our back yard we love the water and the sunshine!

 

Gary - Hanna City

Putting up a swimming pool for our grandkids

 

Troy - Danvers

Camping in the rain, with the raccoons.

 

Jelinda - Tremont

My mother MaryAnn Pauley used to love to travel and take us on fun educational trips to different destinations as a family with my Father Dale Pauley. One year we went to Washington D. C. To explore our nation’s capitol. The cherry trees were on full bloom and my mom was an avid gardener and she and is her five girls so too enjoyed the natural beauty that God had prepared for us there.

 

Mary - Metamora

Lot's of gardening!!!And helping and caring for others :)

 

Nichole - Pekin

Camping with my kids!

 

Karen - Tremont

Many years of Memorial Day  family brunches that would turn into a all day event of yard games and lots of laughs😁

 

Dustie - McLeansboro

I remember going fishing every weekend rain or shine with my parents and my mom always made it fun!!! In truth she was better fisher than my dad. My mom never knew a stranger and she loved the lord .

 

Mailee - Morton

Picnics and swimming at Twin Lakes back in the early 80s

 

Patricia - Eureka

I remember gardening with my mom. We made strawberry jam & picked lots of black & red raspberries. We were allowed to eat as many as we wanted that one first picking.

 

Abby - Savoy

Going to Pinky’s in Tremont with my family! The Watson whirlwind is the best!

 

Becky - El Paso

She would take us to Lake Story in Galesburg and we would go to the lake and play all day. We would go with our cousins.

 

Denise - Morton

I remember many summers working with my Mom on the church float for the 4th of July parade in Hopedale.

 

Braden - Tremont

One of my favorite summer memories is my mom‘s homemade mint tea. We always had an abundance of mint growing in our garden (as it always seemed to spread further than expected). She would take that and use hot water to steep it in a specific plastic Tupperware pitcher that always smell like tea and had a little bit of green coloration inside from the leaves. She would serve it iced, and it was the perfect cool refreshing drink on a hot summer day after outdoor activities.

 

Michelle - Washington

My Mom's garden took up about half of our backyard and all of one side yard growing up. I always loved walking through it with her, seeing what flowers we could find and looking for tadpoles and frogs in her fish pond.

 

Lisa - Colfax

Camping with my family and other family members! Boating, Hiking and fishing! Miss those days!

 

Carol - Canton

Spending time with me 1 year old great grandson🤗

 

Evelyn - Morton

Many hot summer days mom would let us play outside and get our clothes soaking wet knowing she would have to do more laundry.

 

Ann - Tremont

The little grandchildren doing their first cannonball of the year into the pool!!

 

Alexandria - Peoria Heights

I loved taking my son (he was 4 months at the time) to the beach for the first time last year!

 

Roselyn - Saint David

Summer is here; smells like hay; enjoy the sun and have a; HAPPY MOTHER’s DAY!

 

Sue - Peoria

Watching & listening to mom record her hymns cd@ a recording studio at age 80. She's currently 92 3/4 still playing piano.

 

Linda - Washington

Playing on my family’s farm! NO more school, just looking for something to do!

 

Holly - Peoria

My fun loving mom passed away 3 years ago just after her 81st birthday. Some of my favorite memories together were during our summer vacations. She & Dad loved taking us kids camping along Lake Michigan in Wisconsin. We would spend hours at the beach sunbathing, making sand castles, rock hunting, eating a picnic lunch, riding the waves on a huge tractor tire tube with our friends, visiting cheese factories and eating fresh lake perch at local diners. In her later years when mom could no longer travel, we would take her out to Lou's hot dog stand, or to Emo's ice cream for a "slick one". My mom was the glue that gathered the family together!

 

Jessica - Peoria

We love to go swimming at my mom’s house with our kids. We go multiple times and grandma always has ice cream before we go home.

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Jennifer - Bloomington

Taking my grandson to Christian concerts We have such a blast and usually get to meet who we go see! We met Unspoken that was amazing!

 

Leah - San Jose

A fun summer memory with my mom is when we would hit up all the garage sales we could. My mom was all about the deals and the time she spent with me going to them is a memory I forever cherish and pass down to my own girls!

 

Cheryl - Mackinaw

The time we took a girls trip to Indiana Beach  Great memories

 

Susan - Elmwood

Always on the Farm with gardening, yard work, summer fun at the local pool....many numerous memories that I can't name them all!

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