Yeah, that's a.m. . . .

I made it!

It REALLY helped that it was so warm outside and that the pool ended up being somewhere comfortably above 70 degrees. You never quite know what you'll be jumping into on the first day (my first day). I heard yesterday (the official first day) the pool was just at 70, that's not fun. I've been known to curse underwater on days like that. Anyway, great work out, felt strong, think I'm going to move up a lane (have to swim faster intervals) since I seemed on par with the folks in the next lane. And, most importantly, I BETTER lose some of this baby fat hanging around my mid-section. I've had just about ENOUGH of it!!!!

Felt like doing a Master's Swim retrospective:

May 2008

May 2009

May 2010

And, if that's not enough excitement for one day...

Our lake opened this weekend too!

The approach...

Who do you think makes it in first?

Yep, you're right.

I think it might very well be him every single year!

Remember when you were little and you tried so hard to walk into a cold lake keeping your arms out of the water? That still goes on...

You're just not quite as cold somehow with the arms up.

(-:

They were approaching the platform for their first jump of the year (I botched those pics).

Let's see how cool and refreshing that was, shall we?

That says it all!

We had high 80's on Memorial Day, but the water sure hasn't seen temps like that since last August. It was a bit brisk let's just say! Here's to a great summer to come.

No time . . .

To download Memorial Day pics.

My alarm is set for 5:36a.m. (my clock is five minutes fast, I know, I know...but it works for me). Tomorrow begins summer Masters in the outdoor pool. Last year at this time I believe I blogged about the start (I'll find the link later, it's 10:14p.m. and I'm in a panic to get to sleep). I went to the first practice, paid, and N.E.V.E.R. made it back again. The ENTIRE summer! I thought about it A LOT. But never went. I blamed it on the baby that wouldn't sleep. But whatever...I went one day last year. Anyway, this year I'm doing it. All summer. Two days each week. My third day will either be at our lake or with my Fall/Winter team at their lake practice. Just so you know!

O.K., off to bed!

Oh, boy...gonna be a looooong day tomorrow....

Today the menu almost changed . . .

From lamb to fish!

This is the 33" (maybe 34/35, little discrepancy (-:) "one cast wonder" caught by Uncle J. today in the folk's pond! Caught that baby on his first and only cast of the day.

I mean, c'mon. THIS is the pond! We're not talking very big here folks. The kids usually pull in 4" bluegill or something along those lines, not giant pike!

I'm pretty sure J's Phish shirt and official fishing vest gave him the edge!!

(-:

Then we got down to the business of eating.

Not the fish, he was let go.

We enjoyed a great meal that was topped off with...

Annamarie's lusciously lemony wedding cake with blackberry sauce!

Lara got together with Grandma Kat yesterday to make this most amazing cake for today's meal. It was absolutely divine with raves all around.

I didn't even plan . . .

For this post to land on today.

But how appropriate.

This is what SP has been working on for his bride this last month.

Happy Anniversary to Us.

17 years today!

I've been lamenting the need for a new door to get into my garden.

Now I've got the door and so much more!

I've got a third 4x5 raised box and space for hanging tools at the other end.

And, lo and behold, turns out this corner would be absolutely perfect for...

A chicken coup!

Don't you think?

(one detail I'm working on...that's our bedroom window directly above, hmmmm)

Last step, get the fencing on and gravel for the ground.

Thanks for all the hard work, SP.

It's perfect!!!

Did you hear? . . .

We've been getting a bit of rain lately!

Well, we know which side of the gutter needs to get cleaned out!

It's been making it look like a jungle around here that's for sure.

AND...

Did you know?

We're going to build a sauna,

someday!

And when that day comes...

I'm ready!

(-:

I threw each and every one of these logs (oh, and a cement block or two!) from the fence below and to the right, up onto the gazebo path. Why's that you ask? Because I have this sick need to avoid cleaning the bathrooms at all cost. I can.not.stand. cleaning bathrooms!!!

(These ones aren't stacked yet, I'm actually going to have the boys finish this job)

We had some tree cutters come out last fall and take down rotten trees that might fall on houses/gazebos/sheds. But they left the cuttings all over the woods and the yard to save on cost. Works for me, more work to do outside in order to avoid the inside.

Soon to come, as hinted at earlier, the post that explains why the gutters are clogged and Christmas basketball hoops are just getting installed now. You'll be impressed, I know!

(-:

I'm on a (blog) roll . . .

Please pass the butter!

The other day Lara came running in saying she needed a camera, quick. I'm a bit hesitant to give up my new camera, but SP's (my old one) is now broken as far as we can tell, so I finally succumbed. She was quite rilled by the need.

This is what she came back inside with:

Tulip in our "woods pond."

Absolutely Love It!!!

Been a while since I talked . . .

Food!

Needed to make a breakfast dish for my MOPS meeting last week.

Dug this cookbook out for one of our family favorites.

Finnish Pancakes!

Yumm!!!

(Double click if you want to see it bigger)

Took a minute to look for something new to make for dinner.

Was intrigued by this title and hoped I could get this meal by the kids even with the boiled cabbage. No luck. SP and I liked it though.

Then, low and behold, right below Spring Flood Casserole was this:

Anyone want to come for dinner, say 12 weeks from now???

Sunny Sunday . . .

Lot's of activity at the house today.

SP's project of the day was getting the base pole of the Christmas basketball system in the ground. (He's been busy working on another project as of late which has prohibited getting the Christmas basketball pole/net in the ground, post on that to come).

Here's what went on while we did stuff around the house.

Harrison and Ben went snake catching.

(This actually happened before church if you can imagine!)

Here he is with Sammy.

Sally slithered off and Hank lives on the other side of the house.

Hank showed up later that afternoon.

With all the snake business, only one child (you guess) was bitten only once.

We're all hoping these are simply garters we're dealing with.

Though the bitten child claims he saw his hand turning purple soon after he was bitten...yeah, alright, it was Harrison! (-:

"Uh, Houston...we have a problem."

I think we need a family meeting on kick stands!!!

After Ben cut the grass he broke out the sprinkler.

Great fun was had by all five (thank goodness!).

I can NOT believe we're finally to the stage of bathing suits and sprinklers.

Long, hard winter and spring this year in Michigan.

Livia, soaking wet, after looking for Hank in the bushes.

Aw, c'mon, don't you be grabin' snakes too!!!

(p.s. I did NOT let her!!!)

Track Regionals . . .

All day affair in Monroe (hour south) on Saturday.

Thank goodness for great weather.

(I'm not going to complain that it was a wee bit hot!)

Due to a snowed out meet, being away for a weekend and a previously scheduled hockey game, the track regional was both Ben's first meet and his last!

Here he is warming up for shot put.

I had a lot to learn, never having had a shot putter.

I really hoped he eventually got to throwing the shot put like I had imagined in my mind, I'm like "Ben, I don't think that's how you throw the thing." He was like, "Uh, I'm warming up mom, go away!" (-:

"Now we're talking" I thought to myself.

My boy knows how to throw a shot put!

(-:

Final of three throws during the meet.

He felt great with his farthest throw all season.

18 feet 5.5 inches!!

We also have a high jumper.

She has cleared this first height of the meet many times during practice over the season and even at the meet during warm ups.

See. Cleared it, no problem.

Just...it didn't work out that way when the meet started.

Disappointing for her, but she moved on well.

Field events over, next comes the running.

Here Ben is stretching his arms for his 100 meter dash.

(-:

There's our fierce competitor now taking off full steam ahead.

Let's just say, track is a fabulous way for him to stay in shape for hockey!

This gal's favorite run is the 800 meter.

This gal is going to states with the 800 meter.

She had the lead of the pack for most of the first 400, and ended up second at the end.

Great run, that she appears to do with little effort.

Kensington Farm, year two . . .

Last year we took an "End of the Year field trip" to Kensington.

(Oh, check that link, 'nother year gone!)

This year we went with Grandma Kat, just because we finally had a beautiful day after yet another string of gray and rainy.

One of William's favorite part of the farm is down the hill by the wooden tractor.

This year we added rock jumping (just the thing for one year old girls, eh?) and

still no luck getting water from the pump, even with an assistant.

(Not sure if this happens on your computer but when I hit that big arrow in the middle of the slideshow screen it jumps me over to my Picasa page. But, if I put my cursor down near the bottom of the slideshow screen another arrow pops up to play the show right on the blog page. I prefer that one. If that middle arrow moves you over to my picasa page try hovering your cursor at the bottom of the pictures screen and click there.)

Just because . . .

It's late and I'm tired.

My discretion could thus be compromised.

So:

Harrison: "Mom, did you know there is a whole bunch of farting that goes on in my classroom?"

Mom: "Oh, uh, c'mon, really?"

Harrison: "Yeah, so...could I get some fart-proof underwear?"

!!!!!

Oh, let's add one more shall we . . .

Setting, fourth grade boys having some sex ed with the principal

(things start a lot earlier these days and remember, he goes to a Christian school too):

Ben: "Um, mom...today we saw things that were VERY INAPPROPRIATE!!!"

(-;

Remember the Big, Brown Chair? . . .

I was fond of taking pics of our new babe in it for a while.

Stumbled upon the opportunity again the other day...

One week and one day old.

Oh my goodness, I think I'm going to cry!!!

April 2010

Six months old

May 2010

Yep, Seven months old! (-:

May 2011

Just about 18 months old

(Can you even stand it??!!)

Livia with Bearsy, Blankie and Baby

(I'm not sure Aunt Jen is going to be getting the borrowed baby back)

It's a whole new world these days in the big, brown chair.

A. Whole. New. World!

(-:

A girl, some shoes . . .

And a camera!

Livia is quite fond of trying on everyone's shoes. From big ol' SP's all the way down to William's and everyone else's in between. This fine day she found an impulse-buy pair of flip flops of mine (and since I really don't have but one or two of those a year, can you believe one of those impulsive moments was for flip flops like those??!! (-:). I found her clomping out of my bedroom in them and immediately thought...NEED VIDEO...!

Let me explain a couple things though. First, when I take a picture of her she always wants to come back to the camera screen to see herself. She was expecting the same thing this time, though with video of course, if you're not in front of it, nothing's there. That didn't register. Second, her clothes. Yeah, that outfit. I dressed her in the blue skirt and blue shirt that morning. When I took her off the changing table she saw the pink ensemble on her shelf, grabbed it and INSISTED we change to that. I wasn't in the mood for changing so I just put it on and under what I'd already planned. Then, everyone's happy! (-: And, yes, I took her out in public like that. Played at the park and everything.

Oh, and one more thing. You see how William is very interested in when Livia's nap is? The very last thing he says, hoping to inspire nap time is, "Livie, blankie-boo." All morning I get peppered with this question, "When is Livia's nap?" No, he is not interested in her well-being, getting enough rest and all. Since her nap time is his computer time (yeah, I've learned a few things about timing over the years), he is always VERY interested in that part of the day.

(-:

Some people . . .

Like an uncluttered counter.

I'm not one of them!

I mean, I do have spaces that aren't cluttered too.

Where else are you going to make all those pb&j's?

But, off to the side I love having kid-made clay bowls filled with marbles, Lake Superior rocks in a vase with flowers from the yard, one of mom's paintings, an antique "Sip N' Whistle" mug (with, big "SIGH", the bird broken off the handle), baby food jars covered in tissue paper from one art class or another, a giant rock painted with melted crayons by Ben when he was pre-school age and this or that pretty glass filled with sundry coins and jewelry.

(I hope I used "sundry right. I thought the word was asundry, then I looked it up and it turns out there's no "a" and I sure feel like I need the word "various" in there, but I'm pretty sure I got that "sundry" means "various." O.K., so that's that!)

My Counter!

I didn't take one single picture . . .

But I did have a great Mother's Day none the less!

So,

I'll post some pics I've had hanging around my desktop for a couple weeks.

One day I was out working in the yard and Lara decided to make a pizza.

From Scratch.

Crust and all (the crust was a Jiffy box mix, but still!).

It was great!!!

How can you not take pictures of such an enthusiastic smiler?!!

This boy is all about participating with picture taking, his oldest brother however will literally dive under a table to avoid his picture being taken.

Here's a gal getting ready to run the naked mile!

(It was a sacred late night tradition held annually

at The University of Michigan from 1985 - 2000.)

(Katie, don't post this on FB!!! (-:)