Swim Lessons

We just finished two weeks of swim lessons today.  While it was a hectic schedule getting to lessons each day and then getting bathed after each lesson, we certainly had a fun two weeks.  Last year the girls took swim lessons in early May right before their first trip to the beach.  Those lessons were the "Mommy and Me" version with Bill and I in the water with both girls.

This year I was thrilled to get to watch the girls from the side of the pool.  Both girls were in the Preschool Class together, along with Sam.  Madison was in the Preschool class right beside ours (with her favorite instructor).  Will, Caleb and Taylor were in higher level classes.  I just have to say, having friends around certainly makes everything nicer.  The girls loved being with their friends each day, and I enjoyed visiting with my friends, too!

Some of the skills the girls worked on during the lessons were front floating, back floating, retrieving rings under water, holding their breath (without holding their noses), blasting off from the side of the pool, and jumping in the water......including jumping off the diving board!!

        Lauren practicing her back float                             

Allison practicing the back float

My serious little Allison on the kickboard

Sweet smiling Lauren

Lauren and her buddy Sam with Allison in the background

Sam, Allison and Lauren practicing with life jackets

Lauren going off the diving board

Allison going off the diving board.  I was so proud of her doing this.  She really did not want to jump, but agreed to go off after her instructors asked her to.  Even though she is being "lowered" down, I was still very proud of her!!  After all, she just turned 3 in May!  Yea Allison!!

Mr. Zack, Allison, Lauren & Megan....the instructors

Here are a couple of videos of the girls jumping off the diving board.

4th of July Weekend

We spent the weekend at my parents' house.  We enjoyed great food, good company and even the hot house.  My parents have been experiencing air conditioning problems.  The air has gone out a couple of times over the past few weeks.  Their unit is under warranty, and they have had several service calls, but they have not been able to correct the problem.  They replaced some "board" on Wednesday before we arrived on Friday, and Mom thought they were set.  We went on a picnic Saturday afternoon and when we got back to their house Saturday evening, all hot and sweaty from being outside all afternoon, it was hot in their house!  Fortunately the house cooled off after the sun set and with the windows open and the ceiling fans blowing, it was not too bad.  The air came back on Sunday afternoon when I was napping with Allison, only to go out again later that night.  The service guy was going to take Monday off, but decided to come on over to Mom and Dad's with a little gentle persuasion from Mom's message she left him. :)  I just feel bad for my folks to be going through this terrible heat wave with out air conditioning.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend. 

This is Lauren holding Zack with Luke standing beside them.  This was our first time to see Zack.  He was such a happy, sweet baby!  He loved the girls.  Luke did, too!

Allison's turn to hold Zack

Instead of going to the weir for our picnic this year, we went to Warrior's Path State Park in Kingsport.  It has a wonderful playground for the girls.  Bill's Mom and step-dad came and brought Parker (the girls' cousin). We  got to take the kids on paddle boats.  They loved it!  Lauren really wanted to get in the water though.  Grandma had to keep a close eye (and hand) on her

while they were pedaling.

                                       Lauren and Grandma on the paddle boats

                                     

Allison and I on the paddle boats.  Notice how Allison was sitting so she could reach the pedals.

                                    

                                                    Parker was riding with Bill

                                      

                                                       Allison on the playground

                                    

The playground had a little beach area connecting the sand box to the stream.  The girls loved it in there.

                                   

                                                   Allison playing in the sand

                                   

We had a great weekend and even got back to Knoxville Sunday evening and took the girls to see the fireworks downtown. 

World's Fair Sprinkler Park

What better way to usher in the month of July than to spend it in the sprinklers with good friends!  The day could not have been any more beautiful.  The sky was so blue and the air was just as pleasant as could be.  It was actually a little cold for the girls when they were in the shade but that had a great time, none the less.
                                               Lauren and Allison in the sprinklers

Allison

Lauren

Allison, Brooke and Lauren

Allison, Brooke and Lauren

Look how high those sprinklers rise spray....Lauren looks so little!

Lindsay, Allison, Brooklyn, Brooke, and Lauren

Sweet little Allison as we were getting ready to leave.  Look at those tired eyes.

Looking forward to the 4th of July weekend with my parents.  I think Bill's Mom and Step-dad will join us for a picnic on Saturday.  It's going to be a great holiday weekend!

VBS

My girls had a blast at VBS this year.  We will be singing the Fruit of the Spirit song and He Will Come and Save for days to come.  I love hearing the girls singing through out the house .  Allison loves to just sing and makes up half of the words to her songs.  Lauren amazes me with her ability to carry the tune and sing so sweetly. 

Last year Allison was in the nursery for VBS and didn't really get to enjoy all the fun of Vacation Bible School, but this year, she had a wonderful time being in the class with her sister and all her friends.  Lauren's friend from preschool came to VBS along with her little sister who is Allison's age.  The girls loved having visitors with them at "their" church!   

Here are a few pictures I got from the week.

Allison with Lauren to her left

Allison singing

Brooke, Lauren, Allison and Lindsay singing

All the kids at VBS posing for a group shot

Mackenzie and Lauren enjoying watermelon one night

This shot was taken during the BIG SHOW on Sunday

Sweet Dreams

We are in the middle of Vacation Bible School at our church and the girls are getting to bed late!!!  Nothing like sleeping angels.

Lauren, always a thinker, even in her sleep

Allison falls asleep with both of her arms up under her pillow.  Through out the night, she sits up and falls forward on her legs and sleeps in that position.

Hilton Head Beach Trip

We had another wonderful week at the beach this year.  I am so thankful for my parents for sharing their time share with us.  We have really fallen in love with Hilton Head these past two years.  It is such a wonderful family atmosphere and the girls absolutely love the beach and the pool.  The girls had really improved in their water skills this year.  Both girls would go all the way under water.  They would jump off the side of the pool without someone there to catch them. Lauren loved her goggles.  We need to get her some nose plugs.  She loves to hold her nose!  Allison just plugs her nose by sticking her fingers inside her nose.  We all tried to tell her that it works better if you squeeze your nose closed instead of plugging it with your fingers.  But she just wouldn't listen.  Wish I had gotten a picture of her nose "plugged"!

The beach was great.  The girls stayed in the ocean quite a bit.  A guy found a starfish that had washed up on the beach and we got to hold it before returning it to the water.  Another guy was fishing and caught a sting ray that the girls got to see.  We saw quite a few dolphins.  I actually got to "swim" with them, for free.  There were about 10-12 swimming within 10-15 feet of me one afternoon.  Bill got a great video of it, but the video is too long to post.  I don't know how to edit it to post just part of it. 

We saw alligators this year swimming in the ponds throughout the property.  Last year we didn't get to see any, so we were thrilled to see them this year.  I didn't have my camera for any of those sightings, though.  We also saw a snake outside our deck.  And the frogs croaking at night were quite entertaining.

The girls enjoyed making donuts at a place called Flamingos.  We went there for breakfast one morning and they got to decorate their own donut. 

Here are a few (OK a lot of) pictures we took.

               Dad, Mom, Me, Bill, Lauren and Allison on our deck

Lauren, Daddy and Allison enjoying the pool

Lauren enjoying swimming

                             

                This was one of the girls' favorite things to do, have Daddy throw them up in the air

                                     

                                Uncle Bill and Allison building sand castles

Allison lying in a hole they dug in the sand and then filled with water

The starfish we got to hold

                    

Sweet smile from Lauren

                                              Another sweet smile from Lauren

Lauren playing in the ocean

Lauren and Allison sitting in the ocean....wish I could have heard their conversation

Uncle Bill and Allison lying in the ocean.  Daddy and Lauren on out in the water

Sweet smile from Allison

Allison and Uncle Bill.  I love this picture.  A wave had just crashed around them.

Daddy and Allison in the ocean.  The waves were kind of rough this day.

Allison, Daddy and Lauren......where's the rest of Daddy???

Allison buried in the sand.  If you look closely, she's a mermaid!

Allison decorating her donut at Flamingos

Lauren with her donut at Flamingos

OK,  this drives me crazy!!!!  The pictures are all centered on my screen, but when I preview the post they are all out of line.  I don't know how to fix that, so I'm just going to push publish!!!  Sorry for the alignment!:)