Water Baby

I've really loved the water since I was a tiny baby- even before we had a pool! This picture is particularly priceless because I can remember it being framed and hanging on the wall as I grew up.

For one of my birthdays, I received this little above-ground pool that you set up in the backyard. My mom and dad had been taking me swimming, with water babies, since I was just a few months old.

My early diving form. I went on to join the neighborhood swim team when I was about 6, and I swam every summer for about the next 10 years.

I've got many pictures of Mom and Gram getting in on the swim action with me. I also really liked this picture because it had my beloved swing set in the background.

To this day, I still really enjoy swimming and think it's a great exercise.

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: I'll be doing this again soon, as we signed up for SCUBA certification!

Happy Birthday Gram

Toady is Gram's Birthday! Growing up, it was just the gals- me, mom and Gram for many years. We had a great relationship growing up and continue to share a special bond. This is her birthday 27 years ago, and somehow I still got cake and a hat.

We took our big trip together to Alaska in the summer of 2002.

Our trip was shortly before my college graduation in December of 2002.

All the girls again- even Zoe, in 2004 when we had some family photos taken.



And of course she made the big trek down to Mexico last February to watch her only grand baby get married. She loves her grandson-in-law and is always reminding me how lucky I was to marry such a wonderful man.

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: I'm very blessed that Gram can still live on her own, drive herself and hangs out at mom's house most weekends.

Blogging Funnies

Thought I'd share a family of blogs that have me totally cracked up lately. They are reader submitted photos and reader captioned. There are a few different themed ones to pick from- I like them all!

First off is the I can has a cheezburger website, mostly with funny cats stuff. Not a huge cat fan, but this site cracks me up!

The I has a hotdog is mostly dog funnies and they make me laugh!

Also, don't miss the Pundit Kitchen with political humor and lolz.

And don't forget the ever ironic FAIL Blog.

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: I love when my Google Reader has funny things to share.

Fabulous Father's Day

Father's Day was a mess of food, crazy dogs and lots of heat. Since I'd gone to dinner with my dad on Saturday night, we were free to spend Sunday after church with my step-dad.

Gram even came over and suffered through the heat, without getting in the pool like the rest of us.

The two dogs in the pool were hilarious! I don't have many pics because I was in the middle of all the chaos. Zoe basically refused to get in because Ruby would try to swim on top of her. Ruby would swim for about 30 seconds and then want to get out and chase Zoe, who was barking at her, around the pool.

Right before Zoe snarls at Ruby.

Ruby is in CONSTANT MOTION. Pool. Bushes. Pool. Bushes. Patrol perimeter. Pool. Bushes. This would have been an adorable picture if I"d had my shutter speed right! Boo- the bright sun and then clouds kept throwing off my photo skills.

H and I took turns in the pool playing with the dogs. Zoe loves splashes and catching the water. He tormented poor Ruby with the water gun though.

And by the time late-lunch came around both dogs were passed out beside us at the dinner table.

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Another wonderful weekend, full of fun stuff ahead!

Garden Week 11

It's going to be a big week, so I thought I'd do a mid-week update of weekend stuff. Um- that's a NASTY worm on my basil. No wonder it isn't doing any better, even inside the house. We found some smaller ones and now I'm paranoid. I think we might just have to throw away the whole planter box. :(

Here are the cages I put in on Saturday to allow all the plants to trellis. Since I'm a clueless first time gardener, I planted everything too close and had to put in the cages where ever they would fit. The tomato plants (right 3 rows) don't need them just yet, but the cucumber and watermelon were out of control.


I spent a while wrapping all the little vines around the cages, then H bought me some actual twist-ties that worked much better.

We saw lots of new cucumbers that will be ready later this week.

And quite a few bright flowers- that have been attracting many bees lately.

Saturday afternoon, H built a little shade for the plants. It's been brutally hot here lately, and hopefully this will stem the tide of dying plants and keep them a bit cooler.

Um- and there's something really YUCK in our tree in the front yard. H cleaned it all out with a water hose, and hopefully they won't return and the tree will be fine.

I think we might have our first watermelons!

And look how big this cucumber is!

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: We're having so much fun with our garden. Can't wait for the rest of the fruit to start coming in.

Pretty Fish

I promised you pretty (and not so pretty) fish from our trip to Mote Marine Research Lab on Memorial Day.

I think I'd be really freaked out if I actually encountered these things underwater, instead of behind a piece of glass.

It was *REALLY* tough getting pictures in the super low-light and I had some awful color casts that I could correct in Lightroom.

Yummy Yummy Lobster!

They are nice and all, but I really have zero desire for any type of aquarium of my own.

Brad was telling us the aquarium had to put together a special Nemo exhibit since all the kids kept asking "Where's Nemo?".

One of my favorites of the day!

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Finally made it home from Dallas yestrday, despite the stormy weather.

Dogs Gone Wild

I woke up really early Saturday morning and took Zoe over to my mom's house, where she was puppy-sitting Ruby.

I let the dogs out in the retention pond behind her house for some morning exercise.

Ruby WENT NUTS! She raced at full speed from one end to the other, chasing up birds.

Zoe ran a bit, but did her usual of just standing there and watching Ruby be a real dog. ;)

The thing that really cracked me up was that Ruby barks (more of a yip) when she's chasing birds.

And she's got the longest tongue that just hangs out of her mouth after all that running.

Zoe found a ball on the baseball field and was perfectly content to just lay down with it.

Ruby still at super high speed!

I caught some hysterical stuff with my 200mm lens, high ISO, low light and shutter speed that was barely fast enough to keep up with the red lightening dog.

She literally ran, without stopping, for 10 straight minutes.

She didn't wander too far, but she certainly wasn't coming when called.

Finally got her attention and Zoe & I headed back to the house to cool off in the pool.

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: We've got cucumbers growing everywhere!