My sweet Jake.  He finished the summer swim team even though he would prefer to be doing just about anything else!  He was a trooper.

Danielle was the high point winner for her age group and broke 3 records, one of which was set in 1999 by a swimmer who went on to the Olympic trials. 

Luke at the swim team banquet.  He thinks he can do the strokes and dive, too!

Danielle at Invitationals over the weekend.  A good start can make all the difference.

Danielle poolside where we spend a LOT of time.

The pool in Danielle's eye...















We finally finished up summer swim team and started Danielle's new year round team today.  The coaches have their eye on her and a plan in place.  Pretty exciting and a good challenge for her.  Jake and Allie are supportive of their big sister and the time swimming takes.  Sweet siblings!

As for me, trying to keep my running on the radar so I can attempt the marathon again and working on school prep for the year.  Danielle is in high school, Jake is starting middle school, Allie is starting 1st grade, and Luke is doing his therapy and soaking up anything he can.

4th of July

We got to spend the day with our friends, the Jordans, on Friday and were thrilled.  They came back for a visit from Arizona and we miss them so much!  It was so great to see them and catch up.  We didn't even let a little rain from the tropical depression keep us from playing in the pool.  All of the kids were so cute together.  Luke, who is much more observant than I even give him credit for, was so funny.  He kept trying to get on the top step of the pool and bend over and I couldn't figure out what in the world he was doing.  Because he still chokes easily and is not completely stable on his feet, Janet and I were sitting on either side of him.  He would climb to the top step just out of the water, turn and face the water, bend over at the waist, tuck his head down, put his hands up to his temples, and then jump (with us holding on to him).  We finally realized he was copying Danielle's swim team dives off the block.  It was adorable.  He was pretending to be adjusting his goggles (which were themselves pretend).  When we asked him what he was doing, he responded "wimming" (which is always accompanied by his arms moving like freestyle stroke arms)  Wish I had a picture of it.  It was so adorable.

Danielle had another swim meet at UT Saturday and Sunday where she shaved more time off in every event and qualified in one more for Senior Champs.  She's even closer to TAGS and is fractions of a second away...She's got senior champs next weekend and that's her last shot at long course TAGS. 

Sunday we watched the fireworks with friends and then played cards until late.  It was fun and much needed.  I finally figured out how to do the longer exposures on my camera and got the kind of firework pictures I tried to take last year.  Yay!

Jubilee and Allie having a real life tea party.

4th of July with friends and glow sticks!

Jake and Brandon playing chess.

Luke trying to eat pizza like his daddy.

 Allie being Allie!

The beautiful sky on 4th of July.

This one is blurry because I was too stubborn to use flash.  Thought jacking the ISO up would be enough, but alas...fuzzy picture. 

Putting on his own glow stick.

I just love fireworks!

The finale begins.Love the stream of light.

Allie and Luke July 5th. 

miscellaneous update

Time is speeding by.  I can hardly believe it's July 1st already. 

We've been incredibly busy with swim team and swim lessons this summer.  Danielle swims twice per day plus dry land plus she assists with swim lessons.  Jake is on summer league swim team and swims daily with meets on Saturdays.  Allie is taking swim lessons while Danielle teaches every day.  Luke gets to "wim" (as he says it) in the plastic baby pool they set up on the side during lessons.  He's so cute.  He moves his hands like the free style stroke when he says "wim" so that we'll know what he means. 

Danielle has assisted with lessons last summer and this summer and will do her official training next summer to get to be a senior instructor and get paid to teach as well as training to be a lifeguard.  She has another meet at UT this weekend and is hoping to qualify for TAGS.  She's .3 seconds (yes, that's a decimal before the 3) away in the 50 free!!  She's been working hard, so we'll see what happens.  Then Senior Champs is next weekend in San Antonio.

Luke is making huge progress with his speech.  It's still not clear to someone who doesn't listen to him talk often, but he makes more and more sounds, is putting more and more words and sentences together, and is incredibly ingenious in describing what he's trying to say in non-verbal ways.  He's actually running now, not just walking, though both can be kind of shaky especially on uneven ground.  He took a really big tumble in our driveway a couple of days ago which left him kind of stunned--poor baby. 

John is really liking his new job and that's a huge blessing. 

I've been trying to get a few runs in here and there in the hopes of training again for the Austin marathon.  I would love to run for a time goal.  Not sure my ankle and knee are up for it just yet.  Wednesday I'm going to get my orthotic adjusted because I don't think I have enough correction.  In between running kids back and forth to and from the pool, I'm working hard to plan the upcoming school year.  Danielle will be in 10th grade, Jake in 6th, Allie in 1st, and Luke thinks he'd doing school, too.  Whew.  Thankfully, there should be no surgeries, procedures, or, hopefully, even dr appointments. 

We're taking Jake off of his asthma meds again to see if he has outgrown his asthma.  I'm sure praying he has.  We'll see...

We get to spend the day tomorrow with our good friends, the Jordans, who are visiting from Arizona.  We miss them so much!!

God has sure blessed us with the things and opportunities in our lives and we are thankful!

Palo Alto meet in San Antonio.  It was a tough meet without a coach.  I was proud of Danielle for making the best of it and still shaving time off.

Luke's first little piano lesson with our music teacher, Mr. Kevin.  A little later he was climbing in and out of the toy basket and this is what I got!  Light is so beautiful, not to mention the kid himself.  No bias there!

Allie's skype playdate with her friend, Jubilee, who moved to Arizona.  It was a virutal tea party.  Pretty wild, huh?  Allie is showing Jubilee pizza and Jubilee is pretending to take bites. 

My baby girl is 14 today.  She's turning into such a strong, beautiful young lady.  We went and got her hair trimmed and flat ironed.  It looks great straightened. 

Jake

Jake's 11 year old picture (12/09):  in his element.  He is my animal, bug, nature loving boy.

Surprises

Some like surprises and some just don't.  I'd say, generally, I don't.  Just don't usually like 'em.  BUT...after coming home from a long, tiring,  HOT swim meet all weekend I was very pleasantly surprised.  My wonderful husband was putting the finishing touches on a newly washed, vacuumed, waxed, armor-alled, fully gassed up, and freshly changed oil in my van.  I didn't know my  husband had ever even considered waxing my vehicle (this is definitely a first)...AND he had gone through his things to get them organized and put away.  AND he had even gotten me a card telling me how much he appreciates me.  Wow.  I could learn to like surprises!

Swim meet went well, but we were in a natatorium with no air conditioning and no air flow.  Miserable.  I took pictures of many a grandparent in that miserably un-dehumidified, HOT room in long pants cheering and taking pictures of their grandchildren.  Very sweet. 

Mom is here this week to entertain children so I can make school plans.  Mothers are wonderful!

Swim practices pick up this week.  Swim team decisions have to be made this week.  Argh.

My friend Mary showed me how to make a pattern out of a skirt to make another skirt and I can't wait to break out my sewing machine.  The problem is I can't wait to edit photos, run and swim, do my school prep, etc etc...

Should be a good week.

Today was a fun day.  Friends came over for lunch and the mom taught me how to "knock off" a pattern from a skirt so I can make another like it.  Very fun!  Now, finding the time to actually do it is whole nother story.

Danielle has another swim meet this weekend and for summer will be practicing a whole lot more. 

Luke is attemping words without prompting.  Very cute.  I'm so proud of my boy.  I love how he points to himself and says "I" when he wants to do something himself or is answering a question by the rest of us.  We have a long way to go, but progress is progress.  Just thankful. 

Allie is about to lose her 2nd tooth. 

Jake is enjoying a little break from school, reading a lot, and avoiding swim team and piano practice anywhere he can! 

As for me, I woke up with a "crick in the neck" even after my chiropractic adjustment last week.  It's nearly impossible to keep my head upright straight and definitely impossible to look down or to that one side.  Fun.  Hoping tomorrow is better.