Pool Play

Does anything scream "S-U-M-M-E-R" as much as this....

Wet kids floating around in blue refreshing water?!?  Well, I guess if swimming is not your "thang"...you might have gone with BBQ's...watermelon...fireflies...late nights....even later mornings!  Since this is my blog...I'm sticking with some fun in the sun!

We finally got the pool up, filled and cleaned. The girls pretty much spend all afternoon in it...and then back for more in the evening.  I really don't know how to handle this....rejoice with the silence inside the house during these times....or scream out of utter frustration with the 50+ wet towels and suits I find wadded up around the house!  Its a fine balance...and I'm still working on it!

Once Mark joins in on the fun...kids start to fly throughout the air!  He is a rough  pool player...I avoid the water when he is around.  I hate to be dunked and splashed...he relishes this fact and often resorts to an annoying 10 year old boy who likes to cause problems!  It's not cute.

I, on the other had, have only enjoyed the pool long enough to clean it out.  I'm more of a "float and bop around" type of gal.  Kinda like this.....

BUT my most favorite pool time activity is laying in the sun with my favorite book...listening to my skin begin to sizzle...sweating until I think I might just loose my mind...and then roll off the lounger right into the pool!  Splash!  Refreshed for the evening!  The only problem...no where to lay.  Hopefully that won't be the case for much longer....cause this momma got her way!!! (insert big cheesy smile here!)

Even though he lets me know every 10 minutes this was NOT his idea...my dear, dear hubby is building a deck for the pool!  I can't wait to sizzle and take that plunge!!!!

Babe Ruth

That time of year again....time to laugh it up with friends!

Oh...and play some softball, too!

Just because...

.....he melts me!♥

Garden Celebration

If you look closely...you will see a new addition to our family!

Noooo...not the "little guy" that will be here in October and make my little sister a mommy....the other guy standing beside her!

Polly and Adam got married and we celebrated with family and friends at his mothers home! (And boy..was it gorgeous!  I  have never seen such a backyard...I'll have to go back for more pics so I can steal some ideas!)  Julie and I were in charge of decorations....nothing to fancy...just gave the party a little "country chic" feel!

Mom was in charge of the "Candy Bar".  It was full of all sorts of sweets...with her handmade touches!

We had a wonderful time...got to enjoy old family and friends....

and even made some new ones!

Of course, Elijah had to get just as many "Ohhhs and Ahhhs" as the bride and groom did! 

Chrysemys Scripta

Lets get something straight from the get-go!  I am not an animal lover.  I appreciate that God made animals...some are even cute and look to be cuddly.  Just not my thing!  Totally not true for my twins...they live, breath and absolutely adore animals.  I can totally see them being all "sciency, ecosystemy" type of people when they get older! 

As a parent of animal lover children...I often have some sort of critter being shoved into my face for closer viewing. This day was no different.

Abbie runs into the kitchen...grabs my hand and starts tugging me toward the front door.  I knew it wasn't something to urgent (like Syd being strung upside down in a tree!) because she was smiling!  Well, come to think about it...that would have made her smile, too! 

I soon find out the reason for my attention....a turtle!

More specific...a red-eared slider.  Let me backtrack a moment and tell you that Abbie has an amazing sense of  critter tracking.  I think she must have been a blood-hound at one time!  You can find her looking around the ponds first thing in the morning, while the other girls are elbow deep in their Frosted Flakes!

Ok...so...its a turtle...yay!(note the lack of enthusiasm!)  Abbie goes on to tell me that its a "momma turtle".  How does she know this?  Has she been reading science journals behind my back?!?  Then she point to a little hole that the turtle is sitting on....and I understand!

This "momma" must have dug all night long (by the looks of her muddy shell and we all know that turtles are notorious for being slow!)...sit by the hole and laid egg after egg.  She would push her hind legs into the hole after each egg tumbled down the hole...packed her babies nice and tight...and made room for another!

It was COOL!  We stood quietly back and watched something we probably will never see again! 

We know have a big circle on our calendar because we are expecting to see some baby turtles hatch in 60-90 days!   Our little pond already entertains 4 kids, 2 dogs, 500 LOUD CROAKING frogs...whats another 30 turtles?!?!