Something's Fishy

We are heading to the beach today, for a little sand and sun.  I don't think we'll see any of these creatures there, since it's just a little Minnesota lake.  :)  Jadyn is so excited to go.  She already has her bucket and shovel ready.
I'm hoping to get in a little reading time, take a few photos and soak up just a little bit more of summer.

Summer Is Going, Going.....

Ah, the last days of summer are upon us.  Luckily it's still nice and warm outside in the afternoons.  Can you believe that September will start this week?

My lovely summer flowers are beginning to look tired and worn out.  My tomato plant looks tired and worn too, but is still bearing fruit.  I hate to see summer fade, but I do look forward to the beauty of fall.

We hope to fit in a few things before the days get chilly.  The days are becoming shorter already.
Jadyn has asked if we can go to the beach at the lake, so we'll do that this week.  That should be fun.  It's also time to go to the State Fair.  I think the llamas are calling my name....or maybe that was a corn dog??

We've done some shopping for school here and there.  We still need to get a few things.  Our baby girl starts Kindergarten in a little over a week.  She is SO excited about it and is counting the days.  She's going to love it so much and she really needs this.  I am excited for her!

Can you stand two or three last photos of swim lessons?  :)  Seriously, they are some of the only photos I've  taken recently.

What's not to love about this little goggle face?  :)

This is Jadyn with Jon her teacher, and his sister Joie.  Joie is Jadyn's sweet little friend.

Here they are all going under the water together.

Thanks for indulging me.

I promise photos on a different subject next time!  :)

My Girl Moths

Yes, you read that right.  Our daughter knows how to moth.  I was doing some mopping on Monday, and she wanted to help.  I let her help a bit so she could have a little fun.  I know that for her it's all about pushing the little button that squirts the cleaning solution onto the floor.  :)

So after she mopped, she asked me if I was proud of her that she knew how to moth.  It actually took me a minute to realize that she was referring to her mopping skills.  Ha ha. "Mom, aren't you so proud of me that I know how to moth?"

If anyone needs help with the moth-ing at your home, just let us know.  I'm sure Jadyn would love to help you out.

 Here is Bryan, playing with the Wii.  He's been at it quite a bit yesterday and today when he's not at work.  Believe it or not he's playing baseball.  Who plays Wii baseball lying on the couch??  This really cracked me up.  I guess it just means he's really skilled.  There's no way I could do that.

There's big news with Kaitlyn and Chris.  They are moving to Kansas City for new jobs.  Kaitlyn arrived there today and starts her job tomorrow.  Chris will follow in just a few days with all of the household stuff.
I am happy for them and VERY glad that they are 3 hours closer to us.  3 hours closer!  I've already checked Mapquest, and it's 6 hours, 53 minutes to their place. :)   That is WAY better than 10 hours.  Woot!

Swimming, Swimming, and Spicy Salsa

I am really enjoying the slower pace that we have right now.  We have time to relax a bit and just enjoy the days.  Summer's winding down, but that's okay.  We've done some great things this summer.

I did take some more pictures of Jadyn at her swimming lesson this week.  I am just so proud of her.  She has come a long, long way this summer.  Her teacher, Jon, was so patient and good with her.  I appreciate that very much.  

Going under for a ring.

Look at my baby girl!  This is progress!

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When life gives you tomatoes, make salsa!  I've picked all of my ripe tomatoes, and last night I made pico de gallo.  It's already all gone.  I ate a lot of it myself.  I did share with friends too.  :)

This evening, I made salsa.  It's yummy.  I think I could eat salsa at 3 meals each day.  I have a little bit of a burn going on in the tummy right now.  I think maybe I should give it a rest....'til tomorrow anyway.

Yesterday we spent time with our playgroup friends.  It's always so fun to be with this group.  We are blessed to know them and enjoy these special friendships.

The kids played in the pool like crazy, until it was time to go.  So much fun!!

So thankful for friends.

~ True friends are never forgotten, they live within our hearts and souls.... forever and always, dancing on our stage of memories. ~ 

A Little Catch-up

It is a hot and muggy day here in MN.  We go out to do our errands and then we run back to the comfort of air conditioning.  Who knew Minnesota could be so s.t.i.c.k.y?  Each day as I inwardly grumble about the heat and humidity, I remind myself I'll be wishing for this in a few months.  :)

I have tomatoes which are growing and ripening on my deck.  I actually have enough to make some salsa.  Yum!  It's not that I can't get some at the store anytime I want them, but making some salsa with my own tomatoes will be fun.

Jadyn's swimming lessons are going well.  I am SO excited!  Our girl, who was so afraid to even get her face wet is now beginning to swim.  So very cute.  I will take more pictures of this and post them soon.

We recently took a family vacation to Texas.  We were away for 2 weeks.  We had a great trip.  We were able to spend time with many of our family members.  Some, we had not seen in years.  It was really great to reconnect.
We also went to Sea World and the Riverwalk in San Antonio.  Here are a few pictures from our trip.

Jadyn is playing with 2nd cousins at a family reunion.

Here is Jadyn, at the Riverwalk, in San Antonio.

Our next stop in San Antonio was Sea World.  We had a really great time, and Jadyn was so excited about seeing all of the animals.  It was a fun day!

dolphin visit

The Shark Cove.  I was kind of glad these guys were behind glass!  We also saw rays, pretty fish, and creepy eels.  Eels are just not the cuddly sort.  Ick.  You can see some in the next photo.

Seeing the Shamu show with the Orca whales was my favorite part of the day.  How I love these whales.  What was funny to me is that I had read in the literature about the show, and it said these whales are so majestic, that you may get a tear in your eye when you see them.  I was thinking, "Yeah, right."  It happened to me at the show.  Ha ha.  

  

We rode the Rio Loco ride and got soaked to the skin.  It felt good on such a hot day!

Here's a picture we took when we were visiting the alligators.  I enjoyed Jadyn's reaction when she saw them. She thought they looked scary, so did I!

  

Jadyn and Mom, at the end of the day.  Do we look as tired as we felt?

After San Antonio, we traveled to Lubbock.  This is where most of our family lives.  This is a picture of Jadyn and my mom.  My mom made this quilt for Jadyn.  She makes a quilt for each grandchild.  Jadyn's is #10 that she has made. She puts in tons of hours making these quilts.  

Cooling off in Grandma and Grandpa's yard.  

Here is a picture that I took, standing in my parents' garden.  The area of Texas where I was raised is pretty flat.  You can see for miles.  That is a field of cotton in the far background.  My parents don't farm cotton.  My dad was a police officer in the city.  They just wanted to live in the country and raise us out there.  I'm part city girl and part country girl.  :)

Here is Jadyn with my dad, working a puzzle.  

Here is Jadyn at a family meal with some of her cousins.  One cousin did not want to be in the picture.  :)

While in Lubbock, we saw all of our siblings, parents, and quite a few other family members.  We even celebrated a couple of birthdays.  

Good times, and always a blessing to see our family.