Travel Swim...

So another two swim weekends have come and gone.  The Huntington Mile was one of them.  It was to be held at a lake where the kids would swim a mile.  We have had so much rain this summer is was canceled because the lake level had raised 6ft.  That weekend we decieded to go to an amusement park instead.  It was a great time, except it rained on and off all day at the park and we got pretty wet.  (it's a whole other post for another day)

This weekend was the team travel meet.  We drove over 3 hours for this weekend.  We do this maybe 3 times a year.  This was our familes first year traveling that far.  It was a fun time.  We as parents are starting to build good friendship with other swim parents.  They are our mini vacations.

Which leads me to....

A friend of mine recommended this app for my camera on the iphone4.  Wow, is all I have to say.  It was 99 cents and usually I am only a free app girl, but this app lets your changed your pictures to make them very professional.  I spent the whole two days taking pictures at the pool and editing them with the app.

Check them out....
"G" as the team now calls her.  She is now 4 yrs old and truly is the teams #1 fan!


Gabby and her pre swim face.


View of the pool while Gabby walks past.


Bella and her pre swim face.



Gabby and Brooklyn.  Her swimming best friend.  These two have become the best of friends.  They push each other in practice.  ♥ this picture, because it was taken thru a glass wall, and the lines that make them look checkered are just a reflections off the title onto the glass.  So neat and cool.


Bella, enjoys the social aspect of swimming almost more then the swimming.  She allowed her friends to tattoo her back.   I was not over joyed by this, but surprisingly sharpies and cholrine do not like each other, so in the end it was fade pretty well.


Team mates cheering on a swimmer.  Warms my heart.

Now for a moment to brag...
Bella dropped 12 seconds in a race!  It makes her time 6 seconds away from a divisional cut.  She is 6years old and the time is for girls 10yr and younger.  Gabby was 9 when she made her 1st divisional cut, and Bella will have one by time she is 7!  WOW is all I can say.



Gabby, swam on two relay teams this weekend that made state cuts.  My baby made it to state!  This is where the top swimmers are invited to swim!  I can't even grasp how awesome this is yet!  She is 9 and swimming against those 10 year olds and made it to state!

After a full day of swimming, it is time for dinner.

Can anyone say reservations for 45?


It was a great way to celebrate a super day of swimming.

All the 8 and unders plus the number one fan.


11 year old Maddison and 3 of the 10 and unders.



Yes, swimming is a time sucker, and yes it a money sucker, but gosh...

I
Do
Love
IT!



Courtney

Plymouth Sharkfest 2011

Outside swim meets are one of my favorite summer events.  You get a chance to enjoy the outdoors and watch your children compete.  Sharkfest is one of my all time favorite meets because it is the chance to be on deck.  You get great pictures and videos.  Last year this was Bella's first swim meet ever.  Only 5years old at the time.  Wow amazing how she and Gabby have improved in a years time.

Come along for my picture journey of the weekend.....

Here is Miss Gia, the number 1 Fan of all time.


Bella after a third place finish in the 8 and unders.


My favorite picture of the weekend...

Gabby after the 100M Fly.
I just ♥ this pictures.  H2O dripping off the body, Fast button on the arm, impressions of the googles are still around her eye socket, a slight smile after dropping time.

This 6yr old makes me so proud.  She has to compete with the 8 and unders because there is not an age group under 8&unders.  She is such a competitor.  Hating to lose trying to fall into her sisters footsteps.  She is going to make a name for her self one of these days.


Bella and her freestyle.

The all important flip turn.

Heading back to the blocks.

An awesome 3rd place finish!

Miss Gabby has become quite a backstroker.

Partly due to the amazing flip turn she has learned.



When she pushes off the wall, watch out, she's bound to catch you.

Proud of her swim.


Here the swim team is getting a pep talk from coach Shelley.

Friendships are built among these girls. All 3 are team mates.

I really do love swimming, even if it is a time sucker, It teaches these kids, so may life skills.

It really was a great swim weekend.

Three friends, three high point winners!  All were top of their age groups!

Soooo Soooo Proud!


Courtney

what we've been up to...

I can't believe a whole month has come and gone.  The days fly by way to quickly.  I could almost have a panic attack if I truly stopped and analyzed just how fast the days move from one to another.

The month of May has brought:
*a trip to California for my sisters graduation
*teacher appreciation week
*mother's day
*swim meets
* jared's birthday
*last day of school

As I write, June is 2 days away from being half over!  It has brought:
*more swim meets
*my birthday
*Gia's soon to be 4th birthday ( 3more days)

I freak out when I think what has been filling my days and then when I look at the calendar I feel like crying.  When did summer become filled with taxing children from event to event?  Summer is suppose to be lazy days filled with outside play, picnic's, bike rides, fires and smores!  I need a clone.  The  carpooling and laundry consumes my days.  I am readjusting to 3 kids home all day.  The bicker and fighting are enough to make a person crazy.

It must be a bad day, because I made waffles for breakfast, only to get the kitchen all cleaned, to hear, when's lunch?  For Real????  I am on my third load of laundry and have begun making lunch.  A swim meet all weekend long, didn't allow for me to get the house cleaned.  How does a house get so dirty when you aren't even home to mess it up???

I spent a good hour last night uploading video's and pictures to the computer.  Tonight I plan to blog about my trip to California and swim meets.  Check in later this week for some pictures updates.  Till then a preview of the soon to be 4 year old.



Courtney

Spring Randomness

In honor of the royal wedding, D2's kindergarten class had a "Fancy Nancy" Day.  High tea was served and all the students were asked to really dress up.  All four of the kids had so much fun.

Speaking of being fancy, D3, got a new hat the other day.

She is a lucky, ducky.  I am taking her to California to visit my sister for a few days.  Her aunt is getting her master's degree, and we are going to the graduation.  I thought she needed this hat, so that the agents will come knocking on the door!  :) Ha

So glad to be leaving town, I can hardly wait to hit some warmer weather.  It is cold, and wet and not very "May" like here.

On a positive note, all the rain, sure has caused the trees to bloom.

This happened to be a rare occasion, a day with a blue sky.
I felt the urge to snap a picture so I can look at it and remind myself of the good weather that is going to one day find it's way here.

Some days, it really is the little things that make me happy!

Thank a Teacher.....

It is teacher appreciation week and as a former educator who grew up in a home with a teacher, I can't stress enough the importance of this week!  If you know a teacher thank them.

Our PTO gave our teachers these yummy treats to start the week out.

We also redecorated the teachers lounge.  Using our budget wisely, we were able to buy 2 new chairs, and frame about 6 pieces of art work to spruce up the place.

We have a full week of awesome treats, gifts and surprises for them.

 "A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others. "
-- Author Unknown

By weeks end they will have been treated to coffee and donuts, a spaghetti lunch, given $20 each to buy books for their classrooms. And most importantly, each and every person who works in our building will also receive some type of raffle gift valued at $5 all the way up to $50; and a chocolate candy bar that has one special golden ticket with a chance to win a flat screen 32" LCD TV!

YAH it's staff/teacher appreciation week and that is how we roll!

Oh and we love our bus drivers too.

I work very hard as president of the PTO, this is my favorite week of the school year.  It is so much fun to give back to all the staff and teachers.  They are the heart and soul of our school and Thank You just doesn't seem like enough.  


"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops."
-- Henry Brooks Adams




Now go thank a teacher (and a solider!)

Courtney

Photo Overload

A perfect Easter Day.  The weather was not raining, which is all it has done since we returned from Florida.  It was a partly sunny day that was almost 60 degrees.  It has been a very cold, wet, grey Spring.  It reminds me of the summer two years ago that we only swam 6 times total because it was so cold and rainy.  We are praying that doesn't happen again.

The trees are just starting to show signs of Spring.

Look at my big girl, she is getting so old.  Just the other day we went to buy her shoes for Easter and I had to by a 10 womens!  Her foot is officially bigger than mine!

Bella and her headbands.  She is a true modern day punky brewster.  A true tomboy with a twist, she loves to dress up.

Gigi,  and her "mile", she hasn't master the "s" sound yet.  If she smiles then she closes her eyes!

After church we went to my parents for a super yummy ham lunch.  The girls decided they were going to raid the basement closet and play dress up.

Gabby went first.  She is wearing my senior prom dress.  The funniest part of this is that I wore that dress on my second date with the man in Orange.  I'm not sure what surprised me more, the fact that Jared recognized the dress or that it fit Gabby!

Bella went next.  She found a peach sherbet dress that I wore as a flower girl.  It fit her perfectly.  I am in shock that my mom kept that dress all these years, and that it was in perfect condition!

After our lunch, we headed back home for a Easter Egg Hunt.

Yes, a perfect Easter Day.

Jared's parents then came over for round #2.  They hide a whole new set of eggs.  So hunt number two produced quite a lot of cash and chocolate.


Notice the tulips in the background.  Each girl got a color, we are going to plant them after mothers day and hope they reappear next year.

Yellow, Red and Bright Pink tulips and one Easter Lily, hopefully the garden will be very colorful next spring.


Our perfect day ended in the backyard with a friendly game of freeze tag with all the neighbor kids.

He has risen, be joyful and glad in it!

"Hoppy" Easter friends! ......

Miss you SW FL....

Highlights from Spring Break ...

A day of boating on the Gulf of Mexico!

We saw a pirate ship.  

And lots of bridges and sailboats.

I didn't take pictures on the beach, there was no way I was going to chance my boyfriend(iphone4) to get all sandy.

One tired 3 year old...after a full day of playing on the beach.  She couldn't stay awake for the boat ride home.

A day of reading.  D2, D1 and Grandma.  D1 read for almost a full hour, so into her book, she wanted to finish it.  D2 was tired of the "baby" books I packed for her, so we bought her a chapter book the night before.  She was so excited to read like the big people.

D3 showing off her tan while playing in the condo.

We have been home for 5 days and the temp has not broke 55 degrees!  As a matter of fact yesterday, it snowed in the morning.  It didn't stick, but non the less, it fell from the cold, blueless sky.  Today the high is going to be 43!  Wow, so tired of this.

Saw this on facebook last night before I went to bed, made me laugh!
INSTALLING SPRING...
███████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 44% DONE.
Install delayed....please wait.
Installation failed. Please try again. 404 error: Season not found. Season "Spring" cannot be located. The season you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable in Indiana. Please try again . .

Of course I put away all the winter stuff on Sunday.  When it was 50.  I thought that maybe if I packed it away for the summer, the warmer weather would surface, I guess that was wishful thinking. ...