Swim meet

Now that we have been home, the kids got to make another swim meet, we had missed 2 in row. For being out for 10 days of practice/meets they actually did great. It was a small meet that only had 1 other team, but our club has a lot of swimmers so we make it a big meet just by ourselves. Some of the adults have been swimming too so they had asked Todd and I if we could swim at this meet. Now I have never in my life swam for competition and Todd has only 1 other time, which was 1 meet last year. We both survived and even did well and had a great time too. This year JT has been swimming the 100 IM, which is a very hard thing to do as it is 4 laps, one of each stroke. He has never done the butterfly until he started doing the IM and he has done great every meet. Here he is on the butterfly:

Then he hits the wall in goes into the backstroke:

Comes back doing the breaststroke:

And finishes up with the freestyle:

He also usually does the 25 breaststroke and then swims on the medley relay team and one of the freestyle relay teams.


Emily is in her second year this year and has worked really hard. Here she is pushing off on the 25 backstroke:

Then in her 25 freestyle:

For the first time she swam the 2nd leg of one of the freestyle relay teams, here she is diving in:

Dylan also swims, here he is after his flip turn on the 50 free:

Coming to the wall on the freestyle relay where he swims the 3rd leg of it:

Here he is finishing strong on the 25 free:

He also swims on the medley relay team.

It is hard to believe that we only have 1 regular meet left and then champs, after that will be the decision if we will do regional to qualify for state, which I am pretty sure we will. Man has the summer flown by so far.

Garden

We planted another garden this spring and have enjoyed eating some of the yummy stuff that has grown. Last year the hard rains we got wiped out most of our garden, but not this year. JT wanted to grow his own strawberries and bought one of those topsy turvy things to grow them in. He planted the plants and he did get a few nice sized ones, but most of them were small so he fed them to his rabbit:

I also planted strawberries in my strawberry pot, I was able to get a few edible sized ones to grow:

Here is the gardens at the beginning of the spring and also a bed of flowers that I planted from seed like sunflowers:

Here is a picture of some of our yellow squash:

some peppers:

Roma tomato:

bell peppers:

tomato:

sunflowers:

and some squash, pickling cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes picked washed and ready to eat:

We planted a lot of other stuff like, watermelon (it's not ready yet), carrots (not ready yet), onions (not ready yet), okra, and corn. The kids love having a garden and so does Todd glad it survived this year and they are already planning out our fall garden. Will see if we have time come this fall!

Summer!

Summer is here are we are off and running already! The kids have swim practice everyday and meets on Saturdays so that keeps us very busy. Won't be long and soccer will be starting back up, but for now we are trying to take it easy.

We had our 4th annual trip to Jellystone last weekend. We moved it back a weekend later than we normally do because we had to be in town for my niece and nephew's graduation, that meant some people who normally go didn't get to make it, but the 6 of us families who did had fun as always!

We had sold our camping trailer so we rented a cabin with a loft. Emily and Dylan said they were going to sleep in the loft, but when it came time to go to sleep, they came down:

The pool/waterpark area was of course the favorite of the kids, here Emily and one of her friends get soaked:

Emily and another friend get ready to go squirt some boys with the water gun:

Last summer when we were there, they were working on a new slide, well it was ready this year and was a favorite for most, maybe the adults more than the kids, but that is a close call. Emily on her first time down the slide:

Dylan, JT and one of their friends at the top getting ready to slide:

Dylan (far left blue lane), their friend and JT (second blue lane from left):

4 of the dads on their way down the slide (Todd is the second blue lane from the left):

Around lunch time some of the kids wanted a break from the pool and the heat so some of us went to do arts and crafts:

Emily with her finished skateboard:

Dylan with his finished helmet:

After arts and crafts Dylan and two friends went to play mini golf when they were ambushed by Emily and 2 other girls with water guns:

JT and some of his friends didn't leave the pool until time to get ready for dinner:

As dinner was being prepared JT and some of the others went out to the pond to fish for a little while:

After dinner we watched some karaoke (no not me this year, missed you Heather) and then we went back to make smores:

Sunday morning while we were checking out Emily and the Donaho kids decided to slide while they waited:

It was another great weekend and can't wait to do it all again next year!

We came home late Sunday afternoon unpacked and washed and repacked so that Monday morning we could head out to Corpus Christi:

A view of the boat Todd was working on from our hotel room:

Tuesday while Todd was working the kids and I just relaxed and did some shopping and walking around by the hotel:

Of course we had to go out by the rocks to look for hermit crabs, it is one of JT's favorite things to do every year:

JT and Dylan on the rocks looking for hermit crabs, Emily wouldn't go out on them even for a picture:

That afternoon when Todd got off we went to a Hook's game. We went early so the kids could go to the back out to the kid zone and play. JT made it to the top of the rock wall:

Dylan tried:

Emily tried, but didn't make it either:

The game started and the Hooks were playing the San Antonio Mission:

The kids with the mascot, Rusty:

After the victory in a great game that started off in the first inning with a Hook's grand slam, the kids went out on the field and ran to first base:

Wednesday was Emily's actual birthday so while Todd worked I took the kids to the Texas State Aquarium:

Us waiting on the dolphin show to start:

JT petting the stingrays:

We saw everything pretty quick, not much has changed over the last few years so the kids go through pretty fast, so we left and let Emily pick where she wanted for lunch and of course she wanted Olive Garden. After lunch we headed back to the hotel to get ready to go out to Padre Island and go to the beach.

As soon as we got out of the car at Padre Island beach I looked down and a butterfly had landed on my shirt:

3 of the guys that was out training here with Todd also went out to the beach with us.

JT skimboarding:

Dylan and Emily and one of the guys daughters built a small fort/castle:

Out in the water they found a lot of live sand dollars, Todd brought some in to show Emily and I ( as we didn't go out in the water):

Dylan bodysurfing:

After a few hours on the beach us and 1 of the guys and his family stopped to eat at Panjo's pizza, yummy:

The kids watching the pizza's being made:

After pizza there was a Krispy Kreme Donuts, and the hot sign was on so you know we have to stop:

After all that, when we got back to the hotel the kids still wanted to go swimming and Emily had made me stop earlier that afternoon to buy cupcakes to share for her birthday so about 6 of the guys and their families met us at the pool to swim and eat cupcakes:

Thursday Todd had a half day of class left and then we came home only to unpack, rewash and repack to leave Friday morning to head out to Austin. Todd had to work so it was just the kids and I and I asked my mom to come along too. I was going there to bowl in a tournament. We go there early Friday evening and the kids couldn't wait to swim, again:

I bowled early Saturday afternoon and after I finished we went out to the capital:

The kids had fun feeding the squirrels:

Dylan's future home, UT football stadium, he was excited to see it, we didn't drive to it, but could see it from where we had parked our car:

Saturday evening we went back to the hotel and the kids and I swam. Sunday I bowled again and after I finished we headed home. It feels great to finally be at home after being gone for 10 days! Now time for a vacation from all that vacationing!