Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

After several years without a pool membership, we finally splurged again this summer and joined Turner Farms. The past two summers I'd taken the kids out to Lake Johnson Pool in Cary, which is fabulous but far away so we only made it out there several times the entire summer. By the end of last summer the girls were no more at ease in the "big pool" and in the "deep water" (that was all of 3 1/2 feet deep) than they were at the beginning...I had even stooped to buying them water wings...and I have always hated those things! And then come to find out we weren't allowed to wear them at Lake Johnson Pool...talk about adding insult to injury. After the fiasco that was last summer's swim season, I was determined that THIS was the summer that they would FINALLY learn to swim. I had it all mapped out in my head...my mom and I leading morning swim lessons for the younger two while Cassidy was in school and then private afternoon lessons for Cassidy with mommy or Mema. We bought goggles, and a kickboard, and diving rings and I searched online to refresh my memory of how and what I used to teach during my swim instructor days. I was ready.

Turns out I didn't need to prepare. I didn't need to worry. All I needed to do was sign up for a pool membership, pay my money, and then bring them to the pool everyday...or at least a lot. By the second day the two girls who didn't like to go underwater were proudly showing off their submersion skills. Submersion quickly morphed into making cups with their hands and the beginnings of kicking and paddling...two months later my girls are jumping into water that is over their heads and swimming to the ladder unassisted. Janet Evans they are not...not yet anyway...but Lily's got a beautiful little freestyle in the works, both have a mean backstroke start, and Cassidy's backstroke is really starting to take off...I think she may be a backstroker! Most importantly, they are confident in and around the water and a whole new world of fun has been opened up to them!

Finn, too, has become quite the little water bug. He loves running around in the shallow end, practicing kicking and paddling, blowing bubbles, and climbing the ladder. With his sisters as wonderful examples I am certain he'll be swimming with them next summer!

I had to capture some footage of their swimming feats so that we'd always remember the summer that they took to the water! :)

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Works of Art

Lately, our family's been exploring its artistic side. Last weekend while Joey cut the grass I was playing with the kids outside. They asked if I would trace their bodies on the sidewalk with chalk. We've done this before and usually they'll just scribble a face on the figure and then ask me to trace them again...however, that night their inner artist emerged and we ended up with these masterpieces: 

Cassidy's self-portrait in winter clothing...toboggan, gloves, scarf, snowsuit, and shoes. NEVER have I seen her incorporate so much detail and take so much time and care with her coloring. I was beyond impressed...coloring typically doesn't interest her. :)

Lily's self-portrait...she drew her face, hair, shoes (she's apparently naked except for shoes...if you know Lily this is actually pretty accurate!), and the pink squiggly line is a snake. I don't understand the snake, but perhaps that's what gives this piece its artistic flair. :)

As for me, besides my embroidery I took on the challenge of designing a 3D pirate ship cake for a friend's son's 5th birthday. I modeled the ship after the one from Jake and the Neverland Pirates...the birthday boy is a fan of the show.

When I was finished, the cake weighed about 900 pounds and was slightly larger than the cake box I had purchased for it, even though I had carefully measured.

I was pretty proud of the finished piece...and exhausted!...but very happy to make a special boy's birthday memorable! :)

At the party with the two masts I'd made for the cake.

The kids had a blast at the party.

Lily was all smiles...

...because all the monkeys love to bowl!

Lily insisted on bowling "all by myself!"

Finn bowled the highest score of the 3...not bad for his first time!  Check out the neon shoes!!! :)

Cassidy insisted on wearing her princess crown...she has this whole hair style schedule now...something different for each day of the week...apparently Saturday is brushed with her princess crown. :)

The Rest of the Story...

At Mema's graveside service last month, I was commenting to my cousins that I had forgotten to include so many things in the tribute I wrote for her. Like how she and Gran had grapevines growing in their backyard...how she would stand in their tiny kitchen for hours canning homemade grape jam. We used to stand under the hanging vines with her, biting into the dark grape skins until the sweet insides burst into our mouths. The bees loved the grapes as well and sometimes one would mistake Mema's lips for a grape. She wouldn't scream and run or even shoo it away. "It's just kissing my lips," she'd say gently as the bee danced around her mouth drinking the sweet grape juice on it. This memory seared clearly into my mind...probably because I was terrified that the bees were going to think it was open season on my lips too! :)

But the story I wanted to share most of all was one about the beach. It's my last memory of being at the beach with Mema...I think maybe I was in high school so perhaps she was in her 70s. Anyway, at least one day while we were there Mema decided that she wanted to go in the water. We were at Nags Head where the water is always cold and the current and waves are often rough. Mema was always up for an adventure, so despite the rough seas and with my Mom and Uncle Monk's help she joined us past the breakers. I don't remember exactly how it happened, whether the undertow got too strong or whether a rogue wave broke too close to us, but all of a sudden there was a bunch of whooping and hollering as they almost lost her in the surf. And by "they" I mean Uncle Monk...my mother was too busy laughing hysterically to be of any help! There were probably a few calls for assistance, a bit of a struggle, and LOTS of howling laughter, but they finally managed to get her to shore again. I love this story because it completely sums up the beauty and the heart of our family...always sticking together, always finding joy, humor, and fun even in the most harrowing of life's moments. That humid July morning as we stood by Mema's grave I remarked that I wished we had a picture of that day.

A couple of days later as I was preparing for our Sunset Beach trip, I was in Finn's closet looking for something when I spied a stack of photos in a basket on his dresser. I picked up the stack and there it was...

Do you see her?

There she is...jumping the waves with us...probably letting out the occasional "Woooooooo!" as she is lifted over an especially tall one.

I stood in the closet and smiled through my tears and thanked God for the unexpected blessing of this perfectly captured moment with my Mema. Then I ran outside as fast as I could to show Joey. We looked through the rest of the photos and some were just too good not to share...some of Mema and some of some kids with awful hair 'dos and bell bottoms. :)

All dressed up for Mema and Gran's 45th Wedding Anniversary Party

(Allison, Becky, ME, Heather, and Jennifer)

Mema and Gran with all their grandchildren

Me and Mema at Thanksgiving

Mema and Gran sharing a good laugh

Mema and Gran at Mema's infamous "Best Christmas Ever!" Those of you who were there know what I mean. :)

One of my favorite dress-up outfits (age 5)

Me in front of our Charlie Brown Christmas tree with Raggedy Ann and Leslie...check out the pants!

Christmas at Mema and Gran's...the year I got my Pound Puppy! The blue robe behind me is Mema...she wore that robe all the time...probably till it fell apart or Mom and Aunt Sue threw it away. :)

Christmas 1985 at Mema and Gran's

Me and Cousin Ashley...I thought I was the coolest in my new sweater vest thing!

Me, Aunt Brenda, and Jennifer at Ashley's ECU Cheerleading tryouts...Brenda looks like she's 15!

Me and Leslie with my dollhouse

My 5th birthday

This was the only year my mother didn't make my birthday cake...I wanted Smurfette so our next-door neighbor, Jean Jean the Dancin' Machine as my dad called her, made it for me. As cute as this one was, I still liked my mom's cakes better...homemade cakes for birthdays are VERY important to me...just ask Joey. :)

I have NO idea where I am, but I am wearing my most favorite outfit made by my Aunt Brenda! It was Hawaiian print, had one button on the back of the shirt, and I thought it was the best thing EVER! I think I wore it till it fell apart!

Thanksgiving Dinner in Farmville

(I think this was the year we all went and rode horses and go-carts at Trey Peaden's house!)

My 1st Born is a 1st Grader!

Today Cassidy became a first grader...life is moving too fast and I can't seem to locate the pause button. :)

A card from Mommy hidden in her lunchbox...it's our tradition. And since our printer is out of ink, I had to get creative...and by creative I mean find a picture on the computer, put my paper up to the monitor, and trace away! :)

We're all about Jake and the Neverland Pirates these days...yo ho, let's go! :)

All ready for her first day and sporting a new shirt (designed by her)...

...and a new bookbag since her old one fell apart. :)

She's looking so mature these days.

Finny and Sissy

The Monkeys

Silly Faces!

Mrs. Webb, her new teacher, is young and cute and energetic. The Kindergarten and 1st grade hallway was damaged in a fire a couple of weeks ago, but crews worked round the clock to make sure the students could be in their classrooms this morning. Mrs. Webb's room, 211, is right next door to Cassidy's Kindergarten classroom.

After giving our mountains of school supplies to her teacher and assistant, Cassidy gave us hugs and kisses, found her seat, and got right to work. She only has one friend from Mrs. Jones' class with her this year, but she's totally at ease in new situations and I'm sure she'll have made a passle of new friends by the time we pick her up this afternoon.