Lazy Summer Day

Today was a great summer day.

D&E had tennis lessons this morning.

Then we fished with our friends after lessons.

This afternoon was spent with those same friends, plus a few others, at a local lake.

The weather was perfect.

Looking forward to another lake day soon.

W aka Hot Ketchup, Ks' youngest, had the catch of the day.

It was a bass.  And it was a lively one.  E helped him get it off the hook.

I love this picture.  D & M are ready with their smiles for a camera.  Even W is looking toward the camera, with a small smile on his face.  With a little hand on the fish.

E is watching him.  Love that.

And I love how J is watching the fish.  Too funny.

I think this picture is sweet.

E was encouraging W to hold the bass that he caught.  And throw it back into the pond.

He did it.  And tossed the fish almost like a football back into the pond.

It was so funny.  And the fish went swimming happily(that's what I am going to think) away.

Had this little visitor on my foot today at the lake.

I love the shadow.

potd #218.  Ahhhh, summer memories.  Love it.

A Few Favorites

Nice day today.

Met Sissy out today.  She had picked up our Nana and was running a couple of errands.

So, the girls and I met up with them.

We did a few errands and then went out to lunch.

It was a wonderful way to spend the day.

D took this picture of Nana with her Ipod Touch.

I just love Nanas' smile.  Happy to be smiling for one of her great-grandchildren.

She will be 96 in September.  And she is amazing.

She is heading down to the Cape with us this weekend.

I can't wait to spend a few days at the beach with her.

She is going to teach me to crochet.

And I bet she will play some card games with the D&E.

Nana is a great card game player.  The best.  Always willing to play.

I have wonderful memories of being a kid and playing cards with her when we went to visit.

And D&E will have memories of playing with Nana too.  I love that.

E took this picture with her Ipod Touch.

I love it.

potd #216.  This is one of my favorite flowers.  It is called Tithonia aka Mexican Sunflower.  It is such a pretty, happy flower.  And now is when it is at it's best.  It has grown large and is filled with blooms.  Beautiful.

Summer Snapshots

A quick trip to the garden yielded some grape tomatoes.

And a zucchini.

The plants continue to look good.

Quite a few of the green tomatoes are starting to turn red.

Yay!

Fresh off the vine and oh so tasty.

Late this afternoon we had a pretty good thunderstorm.

Thunder, lightning, and lots of rain.

Much needed rain for the garden.

potd #215.  Summer storm.

Snapshots

The girls are loving their new Ipod Touches.

Hubby got them all set up this morning.

D&E are so cute.

They are emailing Hubby and I.

And we are emailing them back.

It's very funny.

And their limits are set.

No Youtube.  No texting.  

They can email each other, Hubby, and me.

We may set them up for Facetime with a couple of people.  Maybe.

And they are good with the limits.

It may seem strict.  I am ok with that.

The girls are just thrilled right now to even have the Touches.

potd #214.  My little Ipod Touch addicts.

New Electronics

I had 2 happy girls in my house today.

With their birthday at the end of June, they received money from my dad & uncle.

D&E have been wanting an Ipod Touch in the worse way.

As July started to pass, they(esp D) started to ask more and more if they could use their birthday money to buy themselves an Ipod Touch.

I thought about it for awhile.  Not sure that I wanted to enter this new age of electronics.

And the more I thought about it, the more I started to think it was ok.

So, I talked to Hubby about it.  And he was ok with them buying the Ipod Touch.

Finally on Wednesday night I ordered them.

D wanted a white one.  E wanted a black one.

Yesterday I received an email from Amazon letting me know they would be delivered today.

And the girls waited all day.

I am glad that we were busy.  It would have been terrible to not have any plans today.

And of course, we are at the end of the UPS route.

At 5:45 tonight, they were finally delivered.

And I had 2 very happy girls.

potd #213.  Terrible lighting, but 2 very happy girls with their new Ipod Touches.  They are very excited.

Mid Summer

Well, it's not quite mid summer anymore.

We are just passed it.

Six weeks of summer have gone by.

Four more weeks to go.

Yikes.

Not quite ready for summer to be over.

I better not blink or it may just go even quicker.

Planning to enjoy every last drop of summer.

Going to pack lots of fun into the next few weeks.

 White cosmos in the garden.

Grape tomatoes starting to ripen.  Girls loved picking these 5.  Hubby at them at dinner.

Am thrilled my zucchini and squash are growing so well.  Yum.

Happy summer dog.

This flower just showed up at the edge of the garden.  Thinking a bird helped.  I just love it.

Unbelievable to me that it is August 2nd already.

Hoping that August doesn't go by as quickly as I am thinking it will.

August rushes by like desert rainfall,
A flood of frenzied upheaval,
Expected,
But still catching me unprepared.
Like a matchflame
Bursting on the scene,
Heat and haze of crimson sunsets.
Like a dream
Of moon and dark barely recalled,
A moment,
Shadows caught in a blink.
Like a quick kiss;
One wishes for more
But it suddenly turns to leave,
Dragging summer away.
~Elizabeth Maua Taylor

potd #212.  Grape tomatoes just getting ready to ripen.  Happy tomatoes.

Presents

Who doesn't like presents?

I don't think I've come across a single person who doesn't like getting a present.

Today was present day around our house.

D&E had a shopping day with Sissy.

For their birthday, Sissy told the girls that she would take each of them out to shop for their birthday presents from her & my brother-in-law.

After a very busy July, today was the day.

Sissy picked up E at the house and off they went.

D & I hung out at home a bit and then headed out to run a couple errands.

The plan was to meet E & Sissy at the mall for lunch at Bertuccis.

All 4 of us enjoyed a nice lunch together.

And E got to tell D all about the things she picked out.

A skateboard, a nerf gun, a yo yo set-including a how-to book, some earrings, and a few other things.

She had a great morning.  Just bubbling with excitement.  Not only from the shopping, but getting time with Auntie.

After lunch, off D & Sissy went for their couple hours of shopping together.

I had a couple more errands to do, so E & I went off to do those.

And before we knew it, it was time to meet D & Sissy.

And just like E, D couldn't wait to tell her sister what she bought with Auntie.

Mousetrap-the board game, a t-shirt from Gap Kids, a magic/card trick book, a necklace, she stuffed a Kermit at Build-A-Bear, and a few other things.

She too was beyond thrilled not just from the shopping, but with the time spent with Auntie.

Sissy gave me a little gift too.  Time spent alone with each of the girls.

Don't get it too often, but it's wonderful when it happens.

It was a fantastic day all around.  Thanks Sissy!

potd #212.  I even got a present today.  Tonight at knitting I saw a fellow knitter, The Queen(that really is her nickname!), who I have not seen since her trip to England at the end of June.  She brought presents back for everyone-bracelets with the British flag.  While I am rooting for the USA, how appropriate to get a bracelet like this when the Olympics are in England this year?  Love it!  And we love getting presents at knitting.