Swimming Lessons

Both Jayme and Brady took swimming lessons in the pool again this summer.  Jayme was in level 4 and Brady in level 3.  They both worked really hard and tried a lot of things that they haven't before.  These were tricky levels and even though they both will need to repeat their level, I am proud of how hard they tried.  Jayme was learning front crawl and treading water and diving from the side of the pool and Brady was also learning front crawl and "shredding" water.  The instructors are great down there and it's really important for us for the kids to learn to swim well.

Summer Fun

We had some beautiful days at the lake already this summer (we had some miserably cold ones too, but we wont talk about those!)  My little Colie loves to wear her summer dresses and she looks SOOO cute in them!  I spent a lot of one on one time with her this last week while we were at the lake with out Mark.  The kids had their Chapel services in the morning and evening and there was a staffed nursery if babies were so inclined to let their mommies listen to a service, but unfortunately this cute little baby was not so inclined, she developed a dislike towards the nursery worker and would have nothing of it!  Who would have thought that a 2 year old could be so convinced of something!  Oh well, they are only little once and forcing an issue like that makes for a miserable time. The kids enjoyed their ministry time though and there was no forcing them to go to Chapel.  They had so many friends and each summer at the lake they are allowed more and more freedom to be away from us.  They love that.  I guess as parents that's the whole deal right?  We start from when they are little basically teaching them and training them to be able to live without us.  Hmmm, good for them, bad for me I think.  But we had lots of learning experiences and "teaching moments"  (aka discipline)  when they (ok just Brady)  took advantage of his newfound freedom.   Biking into the lake while fully dressed is not "going for a little bike ride" and disapeariing for 10 minutes looking for minnows WAAAAY down the beach without telling anyone can cause quite the stir. 

Kody was still a highlight of lake time. Mark could not leave the yard on the quad without Nicole riding with him!


Brady and Abbey enjoying the Sea Doo.  One day last weekend, while Mark was down, we borrowed a 3 seater tube and Mark took our kids and their friends for rides ALL afternoon long.  What a blast!

We're excited, because even though the kids and I were at the lake for 2 weeks already, Mark is taking his holidays in another week and we will go back for another 2 weeks!  It's so much more fun with Daddy and Mommy there!

My Soccer Star

Here's one of the soccer pics from our busy soccer season.  I just love Brady's hair in this picture, he had it in his favourite style for school that day and it kinda got mussed a bit before soccer... it's his take on the "faux-hawk".