New Addition to our Family!

View into our living room as your walk into the front door.
Our new "baby"!
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No, we didn't have another baby.......not until December anyway. We've loved the couches we had in the past but, they were getting a little too worn in, if ya' know what I mean. I mostly got tired of both the readjusting of the cushions every 5 minutes and sinking into oblivian whenever I or someone else sat on the couch. The single seater couch totally snapped in half, which my amazing husband fixed! So, one day Mike came home and informed me of a couch he really wanted. AS you can see, this thing is pretty big and long. You can seat 8 people on it comfortably. So, we didn't know how we were going to fit it into our weirdly shaped townhome. So, we looked at other couches, etc. but, I could tell that Mike just loved the original couch (seen above). So, we said heck with measurements! Let's just buy it and hope we can make it work. So, we got it home and after rearranging our furniture 3 different times, we finally got it to fit into our house! Wahoo!!!! We have loved it ever since and are so glad we jumped in and bought it! It's super comfortable! In fact, we have all fallen asleep on this couch at one time or another!

Piano Before & Afters

BEFORE (Aug. 2009)
AFTER (May 2010)

BEFORE (Aug. 2009)

AFTER (May 2010)

BEFORE (Aug. 2010)

AFTER (May 2010)

BEFORE (Aug. 2009)
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Finally, 9 months after the fall of my piano, we have a perfect, fixed piano!!!! I cannot even begin to explain the happiness I feel inside! A huge sigh of relief came over me when I saw the fixed piano and when it was moved safely and put back into my home!!!! It looks just like new and like we just bought it, even though I've had it for 13 years!!!! Welcome back old friend!

Bubble, Bubbles Everywhere!!!

One of my favorite summer things to do is blow bubbles. My kids have doing a lot of it this year and they love it! I finally got smart and got the kind that you can't spill. Rylie kept watering my veggies with her bubbles. Who knows? Maybe that's why the veggies are growing so fast! Connor has gotten really good at blowing his bubbles. He tries very hard to get really big ones out. Rylie is doing fine, so cute! She hasn't quite onto the concept that you don't have to put your lips to the wand to get bubbles to come out. She's always spitting out bubble water in disgust.

More Swimming Fun!

Mmmm! Peanut Butter & Jelly!

Going in for the kiss!
Jack and Abby getting some sun!

Too sit or not to sit! That IS the question!

Girl-lounge time!

Baby it's cold outside! I've got to go home!

Connor getting sprayed!

Abby & Jack testing out the water

"What?!?"

Watermelon was a hit with the kids!

Rylie

Jack LOVING the water!

Connor

Instead of being a tree hugger, Connor is a pole hugger!

Awwww! Priceless!
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Since it's getting so hot we are spending a lot of time in the water! On this particular day we met a friend of mine and her kids at a splash pad to play a while. Of course, this day wasn't the warmest of days but, we still had a good time! Rylie wanting nothing to do with the water. I took her through once but, she was done after that. Connor would go in for a minute but, then stay out for a while. Abby would go in and out. She even found a frog that we couldn't decide was dead or one of those rubber ones. Well, she picked it up and it was OBVIOUSLY a dead frog! UGH!!! Now Jack was having a blast in the water! He was soaked but, LOVED it! We really had a good time and can't wait for our next outing at another splash pad!

When Child & Chalk Collide!

Some of you may look at this picture of Rylie and think that maybe I did a really terrible job of turning her into a clown. HA HA....no! Actually, Rylie got a hold of some red sidewalk chalk and decided it'd be fun to color herself, instead of the sidewalk. After 1 bath and washing her shirt and shorts 3 TIMES....we now have cleanliness!

Fun in the Sun!

Rylie's "Cheeeese!" face!
Connor hanging out in the hot tub

Lauren

Rylie

Rylie playing with a boat

Connor is such a ladies man!

Lauren

Rylie chasing her boat

Rylie

Aliyah & Connor
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We've had some definite fun in the sun lately! It started on Friday. One of my best friends was in town. Her husband was helping out with the Ironman. We took advantage of the pool they had at their hotel. Granted, we spent the majority of the time in the warm tub (it was supposed to be a hot tub but, wasn't hot at all) because it was a cooler day but, we still had a great time! Today we met up with a friend of mine and her kids! Our kids play great together! There's a great "river" & splash pad down-town by the library, etc. We spent a couple good hours down there before I had to pack 'em up and head home! They always have such a great time and it's such a safe way for them to enjoy the water! As it becomes hotter and hotter down here we'll be spending even MORE time in the water whenever we can!

Our Little "Garden"!

Chocolate Pepper (purple & sweet), Green-Bell Pepper, and 2 stalks of corn

3 tomato plants (2 full-sized and 1 cherry tomato plant)

Once again I got to plant my in-laws garden this year! It was a blast and I really enjoyed getting outside, digging in the dirt, and making their garden gorgeous! It's growing beautifully, I must say! Ha ha! Anyway, it got me to thinking how much I wish I had a garden of my own! I wanted to buy planter boxes but they are pretty expensive. My mother-in-law gave me the great idea of using good ole'fashioned $3.00 toters! So, I did just that! I bought me 2 toters, 4 large backs of Miracle Grow, 2 pepper plants (1 purple sweet pepper & 1 green pepper), 3 tomato plants (2 full-sized & 1 cherry tomato), and then to be funny I planted corn. I really didn't think they'd come through but, I looked outside and we have 2 stalks of corn coming up and are growing fast! In fact, I think there's a third one that has popped through! So, I'm super excited about my so-called "garden". I treat the plants like children. I move them all over my backyard, all day long, to make sure they get at least 8 hours of sun! That's a great workout! Anyway, I can't wait to see the "fruits" of my labor!