We enjoyed swimming and a BBQ at Ryan and Angie's house last night. The kids were happy for a chance to swim again! Zachary has always been a daredevil in the pool and loves to be thrown into the deep end. (You can see Zachary up above). Nathan is getting braver all the time. Last night he wanted to do a trick with Uncle Ryan as well. You can see them just as Ryan is jumping off the edge. Nathan came up smiling and was so proud of himself! (Just click on the picture to see it more clearly).
The kids were up early today - all excited about starting school! Personally, I think they were more excited than I was. I just love having them at home during the summer! Today we eased into a new routine with just a half day of school. Everyone had a great day - and had plenty of stories to tell at lunchtime! It should be a good year!
Elizabeth - 4th grade!
Allison - 2nd grade
Nathan - kindergarten
Yesterday Phil and I celebrated eleven years of marriage. I am so thankful that God brought Phil into my life. He is such a wonderful husband. And he's an awesome daddy for our kids! I think we make a great team! I'm so grateful to have such a great husband to journey through life with. God has blessed us so richly!
Beth
Allie
Nathan
Jack
Our kids LOVE to swim! It's so much fun to watch them. All three of them have become little "fish" this summer. Nathan gets braver and stronger every time we go swimming. He loves to do cannonballs in the deep end and to dive down to get things on the bottom of the pool. Beth and Allie love to dive and work on their different strokes. We are blessed to get to use our neighbor's pool whenever they go on vacation. It's a great way to cool off and have fun as a family!
It's been nearly five months since Spinner joined our family. I think it's safe to say that this dog is extremely spoiled! He sleeps in our room every night (but NOT on our bed - we do have some boundaries!) and gets lots of loving from the kids (especially the girls). He is usually a patient dog, too, and even allows himself to be carried around like a baby. He is a good fit for our family!
Nathan's favorite part of the visit? Wrestling with Grandpa! It was hilarious to watch them playing together. 
Phil recently had to replace our weed-eater, since it would cost more to replace than it was worth in the first place. Nathan loves to play with it and pretend to help Daddy. He makes sure to wear his "safety glasses" too! Phil is excited to see Nathan's interest in yard work. They'll make a good team in a few years!
so Phil and I could enjoy our own little vacation! 
We headed to the Santa Barbara area and had a wonderful time! We walked on the beach, explored Carpinteria, visited Reagan's Presidential Library (loved it!), went to a movie, ate dinner on the wharf, totally relaxed and slept in both mornings. What a treat! (Thanks, Mom and Dad!)
