Byrnes Pool

Just waiting for the adult swim to end.
Ian doing back floats with his teacher.
Ms. Libby was very patient with both of the boys.
Carley just loved having pool time during the lessons.
Billy doing his back floats all on his own.

We are just loving our pool pass and the lessons this summer. It wasn't cheap- but worth it! The boys have had their first lessons in Swabbies and are waiting for their report cards. They each have a second session scheduled for mid-to-late July. Ian will do Swabbies again and Billy will be in Deck Hands. Carley will take her first lessons then in the Preschool class. She just loved hanging out in the baby pool while the big boys took their lessons. It was a good experience and one we hope to repeat many times over the coming summers.

7 months!

Our little Cassandra Joan is 7 months old now! Wow, how time flies. Cassie is so curious and into everything she can get her hands (and mouth) on. She loves the crinkly sounds of paper and plastic. We have to keep things picked up around here, because she eats anything and everything. I love how she rolls around to get what she wants. She is wonderful. She has been sitting up pretty well over the last week or so. She also loves mirrors. She will sit on the changing table in front of the mirror and just babble at herself and try to connect with that pretty baby staring back. It's adorable!

The Beach...

I was thinking last night that it was a shame I hadn't put any beach pictures up... so, here are a few... I'll try to find time to post more- with Autumn soon. This was our second Florida trip- for a funeral. We tried to make the best of it- Papa would have appreciated that.

School's Out

My monsters at the park- after a bike ride.
My little Cassie's first time in the grass.
Carley's first big girl bike.
Ian- a PreK graduate!
Billy with no front teeth- we're up to 5 now.

School's Out
School's Out
Teacher let the monkies out!

And here we are... we've been bowling, swimming, riding bikes, outside on the SlipNSlide and much more. So far, our summer's shaping up nicely. Just wanted to post some new pics (especially for the parents).
Love you guys!

Miss me?

Yes, it's true... for a short while I had fallen off the face of blogger.
Nov. 9- Dec. 6: My mom came to visit. What a blessing! I needed her help.
Nov. 19: Cassandra Joan was born. She's healthy and beautiful.
Nov. 26: Thanksgiving with my mom and in-laws.
Dec. 6: Cassandra's blessing.
Dec. 25: Christmas with my brother, sister-in-law and in-laws.
Dec. 31: New Year's Eve with friends. So fun!
Jan. 5: Termination hearing for our foster child's mother.

It's been a busy two months. We celebrated the holidays with family and we are now preparing to say goodbye to our foster child. Autumn should be moving to live with her aunt and uncle in Florida within the next couple of months. It's crazy around here- as always. I'll do my best to update again soon.

Worthwhile Weekend

Well, we finally got a weekend where there wasn't something going on... so what do we do... work! Carl was the driving force behind it all. We got a 220 installed in the basement- with the help of an awesome friend with the know-how. Then Carl went on a cleaning rampage down there. He cleaned out the garage, so he can park there again. Dropped off a bunch of boxes at Goodwill. We went through several more boxes to start on another drop-off. We returned bottles and cans- with the kids' help. Returned a few things we've been meaning to get back. We also caught up laundry and rearranged our bedroom. The bassinet is now set-up, along with a small plastic dresser and a laundry basket for baby clothes. It was nice to see it all accomplished, but man am I tired (from watching him do it all-ha).
Can you believe it's almost November! This little babe will be here soon enough. Right now, though, the focus is Halloween. I still have Trunk or Treat preparations and my kids costumes to finish!

The Endless Battle

There is a great rumbling occuring all of the time under my feet in our home- threatening to open the floor and swallow me up. This animosity between the two 6 year olds in our home is unnerving. It makes little sense why this competitiveness creeps in each day. Their interests are not the same. The aren't even the same sex. So, why can they not just coexist without the frustration and tension? How do I manage to get them to? I have tried not allowing them to play together- they're just fine with that. And it doesn't teach them anything- except to avoid things that cause them irritation and frustration. Is that really the right lesson here? HELP!