A Happy 4th!

We had a great Fourth of July this year and we hope you all did too! We got in a lot of family time since I didn't have to work this Saturday. We searched for a couple of yard sales, but there wasn't much this weekend. We buy a couple of little things.



Saturday afternoon we went swimming at our neighbor's new pool. And by new, I mean they don't even have the retaining wall up yet or the inspection done, but hey, it's hot, so we swam. The water was awesome and their pool is beautiful! I didn't have my camera though.



The older two kids great in the water and were both jumping off the diving board! Chase even was jumping in without any floaties and then swimming to the side. This is a huge improvement!

On Sunday we drove less than 2 hours to Pickwick Lake with a another co-worker of Phil's who just bought a very nice, new boat. The weather was great and the boat had a canopy which provided some much needed shade.

The kids loved swimming in the lake and were jumping off the end of the boat. When we first got in the water Chase asked if a dolphin was going come up and bite us. Then he asked if there were any submarines under us. :) So precious! I love him!

Phil was brave and tried water skiing. I had just stepped on a nail the night before so I had a good excuse to not attempt it, lol. He got up on the first try! I was impressed! It's been years since he's water skied.

We left Parker at home with a sitter, my cousin Molly, while we were at the lake. He would have been miserable, hot and tired. I know that he enjoyed some good one-on-one time with Molly anyway.

Then on Monday, the 4th, we grilled out with Mimi and Pops. Whew! That was a busy weekend.

Backyard Fun

We got the kids a plastic pool from Wal-Mart and it has provided lots of fun for them! It even has a built in slide! I can only put a couple of inches of water in it when Parker is out there though because he keeps falling down and going under.

One day they just stayed in their bathing suits all day. I even fed them the majority of the time on the deck. This picture was taken at sunset, just before we went in for bed. Phil has been working lots of nights, and lots of nights in a row, so we've missed him around here.
This is what I got when I said smile. They didn't even plan that.

Then I got this.

Then this. I'm sure that I must have said something like, " Act right and like you love each other.". Or something along those lines.
My sweet, sweet five year old.

And my precious baby girl.

Chase was really wanting to squirt his water gun, but inappropriately, so I set up a bucket for him to shoot into. I was cracking up watching him squint his eye.

I'm not even sure how he seeing here. And the tongue is out a bit to help him.

Looks like he's really straining to keep that eye closed. I told him I'd go in and get his pirate eye patch but he didn't want that. I think he really wanted to figure out how to do it.

Swimming with The Varelas

My best friend Kate invited us to come swimming Memorial Day weekend. The kids were super excited since they are seeking out all pools, so we went. It was extremely hot that day and the water felt awesome! Not too cold, not too hot.

I got Julianna this Puddle Jumper at the beginning of the season and I love it! For one, she scares me around water, so I can just keep it on her all the time and not worry that she might get in that water without us looking (which she did on this day, but without it on). For two, it keeps her head and face up out of the water, along with keeping her buoyant. I would get one for Parker but I don't think he's quite ready for it.


Kate with Parker. Kate is going to have her first baby the first of August, or maybe the end of July if she's lucky. :)

Kate and Jose with Chase and Julianna. It was a great day and I love spending time with my Kate!

On the Road

We left for a little vacation the last week in May, headed to the mountains of East Tennessee. This is where I went to undergrad, University of Tennessee, and I love taking my family back there.
We only drove halfway the first day and stayed at the Embassy Suites in Nashville. This was such a treat for our kids! We haven't stayed at a hotel since Chase was 2 and Julianna was a newborn. Needless to say, Julianna doesn't remember and we didn't get to swim then.
This was great for Chase to get to practice his newly learned swimming skills. They were able to swim that night when we arrived and then again the next morning before we left.
Julianna loves to swim as well and is pretty fearless in the water. I love this puddle jumper that I got her right before we left. I feel much better with her being around the water with it on.
Parker fights being in his float, but I have to keep him contained somewhere. He doesn't look too miserable does he?


We had an awesome first day of vacation and couldn't wait for the rest!

Interesting Fashion Statement

Chase started outdoor swim lessons at the beginning of May and it was unseasonably cool. The pool was heated, but still some lessons had to be pushed back to a later date because it was only in the 50s! Crazy for us!

Anyway, on his first day I told Chase to get ready for swim lessons, but to wear warm clothes because it was cold.
And this is how he came downstairs.
Isn't that hysterical?! That was so not the swim suit I had in mind for him to wear at all, much less to have his jeans under it! He said that he didn't want to be cold. Love him!

A Lazy Saturday

We are still super busy around here- finishing up each kids' room, decorating our newly painted upstairs bathroom, etc, etc. But we did relax a bit today for the first time since Parker's been born it seems like and hang out by the pool with the kids.

As you can see, Parker is still all smiles! He is at a great age right now and such a happy baby!

The kids had a blast swimming in Texas (which I still haven't shared on here) so they were thrilled to be able to get in the pool today.

The water was too cold for the rest of us, so we hung out on dry land. (By the way, Phil has lost THIRTY pounds since March! Doesn't he look great?!!)

Silly kids!

And more pictures of sweet Parker. I just can't get enough of his blue eyes and his smile!

It was great to just be able to hang out with our kids for a change instead of constantly working around here!

And He Finally Likes It!

Chase has been taking semi-private swim lessons for the last 2 weeks. Needless to say, he wasn't too fond of them at first, but today he was so excited to go! We went from me having to sit on the side of the pool with him at the last lesson to him just heading straight for the pool and not looking back today!

There's just one other little boy in his class and they are also in the same preschool class.

Today they practiced testing out the waters in the deep in. They swam with noodles and jumped in, but without going under. I'm really proud of him! We hope that he'll be swimming on his own by the time we go to the beach in the fall. He really had it down last fall by the time we left the beach, but only with floaties.

Parker thought it was a bit bright by the pool today. But my glasses helped him out tremendously, lol.

Swimming- One Who's Fond and One Who's Not

We are so thrilled that Uncle Korey has a pool at his house. Somehow we never made it there last summer, but we are determined to this year! This was our first trip to the pool, a couple of weeks ago.

Julianna was not thrilled with the pool at all. It also was a bit cold, so that's understandable. But anytime anyone jumped in the pool, she cried! She cried so much when I jumped in that they had to bring her to me in the water!

So here she sat, on the edge of the pool, just as calm and quiet as can be....and maybe a bit worried. (And doesn't she look like Nanny?!)

Chase, on the other hand, had a blast in the water and playing with Uncle Korey. We were surprised by this, since he's our cautious child and Julianna is the thrill-seeker. Maybe she just needs some time to warm up to the idea.