Last swims of the season

We closed the pool on Labor Day, but man what a great summer to have a pool!

Both the kids learned to swim, we had lots of friends in it, and we opened it clean, kept it clean, and closed it clean! Success!!!

Daddy has taught them to warm up in the sun after a swim.

Clean it up, girl...

and boy.

Grace has no fear (other than that which I have instilled in her) in the water. A favorite pastime is to "splash" daddy until he flings her into the deep end!

Take a picture of me!

The pool may be the most expensive potty training tool, ever, but so worth it!

You may also remember this?

A great year to have a pool. We've already been to the Y to keep up our swimming skills so I"m sure next year will be even better! On the flip side, I'm glad to have it closed, though. The kids can actually play in the back yard!

Makin' Monkeys with Mel

The kids spent their last summer reading points on a monkey craft. Mel was around that day to help us before she headed back to Egypt where she is working to protect us from infectious diseases. (We love that she loves to do that!)

We love our Mel time and our monkeys turned out great! (Rubber cement really has made them last! :) )

More of Grace's Artwork

Candy Canes

A porcupine and a person

Butterflies

I love it! I get about a dozen of these a day!

Up a Tree

A little photo shoot for Grandma Jackie's birthday.

More BC fun

With a hot dog that size, you have to eat it that way!

Quiet time
Oh Deer

Googley Eye creations

Fence sitters.

I'm pretty sure Cooper is telling Ben how to do it. "That way."

Good times.

Brown County AT LAST!

OK! So this Brown County post is what is holding me up on here, but I've finally made time to work on it. I thought I could do it with just a few highlights, but the pictures on Ben and Laura's new camera are awesome, so this will take a couple of posts, I think! The pictures are also HUGE, and though I have just learned to resize, it is taking a while to sort through the 500 pictures to find my favorites, rename them so I can find them, resize them so I can post them, and write about them! Here goes….

For starters, Tim was unable to go with us this year due to teaching and volleyball commitments. :( It made it a bittersweet weekend. And, while we loved hanging out with the family, he was truly missed. But, we tried to have a little bit of fun without him, anyway!

*Side note....Grace sat up that morning when I woke her and said, (all wide eyed!) "It's going to be a long drive. I better go potty!" There was a bit of excitement in the air! And, we didn't leave until after lunch!*

The wink
Getting a hair cut
The water park

Obviously loving it!!!!
Big girl! (A little positive peer pressure from her cousins!)

At the play ground