Swim Show

Abby and Emily performed in what was (hopefully!) their first swim show with Ms. Betsie last week. It was quite the spectacle - all of the students did their best dive and swam the length of the pool to receive their medal. Two teams of synchronized swimmers performed, as well, which was really cool to watch. Emily and Abby both did a great job, although Emily had a bit of stage fright. One of my friends mentioned later, "Boy, she looked terrified!" They both learned so much this season and are really good swimmers now. They were so proud of their medals! We went out for Chinese afterward and our favorite waitress brought them each ice cream with candles. They felt pretty special!

Getting ready to head out for the show

Waiting around (and sweating!) with all of the swimmers

It was super bright and super hot, so everyone is squinting in all of my pictures!

Well, you can't see me squinting behind my super enormous shades.

Checking out the scene

Again, I love the straps on her goggles. Yoda wins a medal!

Take the picture and find me some air conditioning!

Rock Star!

Most of you know that Emily is going through a rock star phase. I snapped this photo of her while she was all tricked out in her best rocker gear before we headed out to do some errands. A funny story to go along with her rocker fixation - tonight I was shopping for a Bible for Abby to take to school this year. I happened to mention to Emily that I saw a "God's Little Princess Devotional Bible" at the store. She told me that she hoped that I didn't buy that for her because she was God's little rock star. Nice!

Fun with the Zoellers

Our good friends, the Zoellers, recently came to visit and we all had a great time watching the kids play together. Maren, Gavin, and Emily had loads of fun playing store, sliding, drawing, blowing bubbles in their fruit punch, and running around naked (well...that was just Maren). Can't wait to get together again soon!

Gavin and Emily took these pictures of each other. Aren't they sweet? Gavin's picture of Emily made my heart squeeze a little bit because it's so beautiful.

Two Cheese Doodles

"Cheese Doodles" are what we sometimes call our new boys. Here are some new pictures of their latest antics - and there are LOADS of antics involved with two teenaged cats! My ficus tree is in permanent danger. It's like having a baby in the house again - don't leave anything lying around on the floor or the counter because it might get eaten!

Can you spot the cat in this picture?

They all had the afternoon lazies!

A little friendly fighting - this could go on all night.

Snoozing together

John is a major cuddler - Emily loves this!

Rock Stars

Emily has gotten really in anything that she considers "rock starish" lately. This could include anything tie-dyed, chains, stars, etc. but most especially anything with peace signs or guitars - rock star guitars (electric) and not round guitars (acoustic). Be sure to make the distinction! I came across these mesh fingerless gloves at Target this week and decided they were just her style. She created an ensemble of a twirly skirt, rocker t-shirt, gloves, and silly bands for an excursion with Abby this week. Look out Madonna!

She's even got the fashionista crossed-leg pose down. Crazy.

Beach Trip!

Donald and I took the girls on two quickie beach trips last week to the Callaway Gardens beach. What a great time! Callaway Gardens is close enough to be easily accessible and far enough to feel like you've really taken a trip somewhere. I love that there are no waves (unless a speed boat goes by!) so that the girls were really able to get in and swim. They were like little fishes the whole time! Swimming lessons are really paying off. I liberally coated all of us in sunblock but even so, Emily has managed to do something that I've tried to do most of my life - tan! She's got the sweetest tan lines around her bathing suit. Can't say the same for me, but then I hid underneath a huge hat all afternoon!

Getting ready to head out - I love the way Emily's hat is on sideways. She looks kind of like a beach pirate.

Check out the lady all bent over in the background. An odd addition to our family photo.

No strange background folks on this one!

Happy Fourth!

We spent our customary evening with the Blounts on the square in Newnan for fireworks this year. It was such a great time - wonderful desserts, wonderful friends, and wonderful people watching. Emily enjoyed the fireworks and attached herself to the older girls all evening. It was funny to see her follow the teenagers around all night! At the very least, I think we got a few leads on new babysitters! Hope your Fourth was excellent!

A special dessert just for Emily. Just as well - that meant more blueberry-peach cobbler for me!

Abby surveys the fireworks

Trying out some sparklers

Emily watched the fireworks with her fingers firmly in her ears the whole time.

Cheese with Rachel!

Lunch with Betty

I always look forward to seeing Aunt Betty and we were fortunate to be able to have lunch with her recently at one of my all-time favorite restaurants - Houston's. Yum! The food was great and the company, as always, was wonderful. Emily loves Betty. They spent the entire meal playing with stickers and coloring together. So sweet! This was the only picture that I took of our excursion, but it was a good one!

Circus Days

This week we made our yearly summer trek to see the FSU Flying High Circus perform at Callaway Gardens. Donald and I took the girls down and had a pre-circus picnic on the beach before heading up to the big top to the see the performance. If you've never been, it's such a fun time for the kids - and free, which is always nice! You can check out the FSU program online at http://circus.fsu.edu/

I think it's hilarious that students can sign up for circus classes as elective credit. Just think - if West Georgia offered such a program, we could all have been learning trapeze skills instead of line dancing or appreciating art ( I dropped that class, anyway). The weather was wonderful and the show was excellent. We're thinking we might go again next week!KFC from the corner gas station. We're living dangerously!
Looking serious

So many mosquito bites! And now, probably sand fleas, as well!

They really wanted to stay to play in the sand more than they wanted to see the circus at this point.

Practicing her tightrope walking

All the ladies!

The ladies and the lone gentleman

They were excited to get to sit on the top of the bleachers. So much to see!

I like this - who knows what they're whispering?

Curls!

Circus tradition - after the show, the girls have to practice what they saw. Donald had to give them both some help trying out their cartwheels.

And now for the ride home!