Texas Spring Soccer
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Will Katie make it around her?
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Oh, yeah!
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Katie got better this season at using her body!
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Making the pass.
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Do you want it? I don't think so!
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Shoot!
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It looks like it's going in, right? No, she just missed!
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Katie breaks through the pack!
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A team mom took this picture and added the effects. I love it!
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Abby goes for the goal! The goalie ended up turning around and getting the ball before it went in! So close!
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Go, Abby, Go!
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Run, Abby, Run!
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Fight for the ball!
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Size does not matter in soccer! (That's what we tell Abby, anyway!)
Texas May
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Abby has worked all year on a GT (gifted and talented project). She did research on the Freedom Riders (she called her project "Freedom Fighters"), wrote a story about that time period, and made a quilt about her story. This expo was for all of the grades to show off their hard work!
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Abby discusses her quilt and story.
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Abby answers a parent's question.
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Abby and some of her classmates.
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Katie looks at the projects.
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Abby and her teacher, Mrs. Vangroll.
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More viewers come by . . .
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A dad stops to look at Abby's quilt.
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Explaining her story to a parent.
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Abby talking to one of her friends and classmates, Bennett.
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This is hard work!
Texas April
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The girls found their Easter baskets!
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Katie liked the zebra striped eggs!
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Abby liked the chocolate inside!
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Bob built us 3 planter boxes for our garden. Abby is growing radishes and strawberries. Katie has basil, parsley, and cilantro. Tara is growing grape tomatoes and red and green bell peppers.
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A lizard sunning himself by our garden.
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Abby's first radishes.
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She and Bob eat them by themselves - they are so good and juicy.
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Abby next to the giant grape tomato plant.
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We had about 12 cubic yards of compost delivered!
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We have to move all of that where?
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We got half of it done on the first day - some was taken to the back and some to the front. Bob finished moving the rest of it the second day while Tara started working the smaller piles into the grass.
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This is what the back yard looked like after all of the compost was distributed.
Virginia May 2012
Tressa and Puppies
Zu and Tress
I just LOVE this picture of Tressa!
Yes, she still thinks the chaise is hers
She tried to sit on top of me on it last night while Jim and I were relaxing. We don't fit on it together very well anymore!
We lit the candles
We had some company over, so figured we should light them. They were pretty!
Weird Dogs
I came out of my bedroom to see them hanging out here. I hope no one needs to go up or down the stairs anytime soon.
Meghan Webb on Bars
We only caught this routine of the level 9 Easter National meet. It was her worst bar routine of the season! Coach Jo said we're not allowed to come to any more. :)
By the way, this pic was taken through a window, with a phone, no flash. Am I amazing, or what?
Katie and Tressa, I do NOT want to see "Or What?" as the only comments below this picture!!!
Bugaboo Creek for Dinner
Darby, Erin McCane (16 yrs, level 9, WCGA), Kendra Bushart (13 yrs, lvl 9, WCGA), Meghan Webb (14 yrs, lvl 9, WCGA), Hannah Smith (used to be at WCGA, now a lvl 9 at a DC or Maryland gym, her dad is Navy. We knew her when she competed for a Saratoga gym, prior to her move to WCGA)
Tons of Tressa Lacrosse
I got a ton of good pictures at Tressa's game on Sunday. I missed the Saturday game, which was their first loss. They won this one by a lot. Tressa didn't score, but she played incredibly well. She has finally learned how to use her "assets", as Jane Jollotta used to say. (Hip check)
Outta my way, I'm comin' through!
Told ya!
She passed to the player who immediately scored
And THAT, folks, is how you play Center. Draw, win the draw, run the ball, pass it once to a scorer! (It has to be passed at least once, so she can't run it directly in.)
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Pondering Life's Mysteries
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Daddy's gives some after game feedback
And helps carry the bowl-o-oranges.
Tressa and Maddie
Best buddies, Algebra classmates, Shad Fish rescuers, lax teammates
Maddie's first year at lacrosse
Tressa talked her into trying it out and she's awesome! She is so fast and handles the ball as well as the kids that have played for years! Maddie's dad is retired Army.
Rice Crispy Treat at Starbucks
The pharmacy at FT Belvoir takes a while. It's a great excuse to head up to the Starbucks on the 3rd floor!
No more manly
Not only do we make him wear a diaper, he now plays with soft pink toys! And this is still before he's had his surgery that should occur in June sometime!
Pretty Boy
Relaxing in the back yard.
EW! The dogs killed the mole
Jim wanted to kill it, but Tressa and I wouldn't let him. The dogs didn't listen and left it on the back patio for me. I have to admit, it's certainly not the cutest furry mammal I have ever seen.
Clean Garage
Jim got rid of more shelves and the extra wood left behind, bought some more wall hanging units, and now he is happy!
Nap Time
Hey, you can't get this comfortable with little dogs!
Darby and Emalie
Out in California on Friday morning at MVHS. She got to go to her old Dance Spectrum class.
Darby and Maggie
at Dance Spectrum
Parker and Darby
The REAL reason for the long trip!
Sleepy Zee
He likes the tile on my bathroom floor.
In n Out
Fries - animal style (with everything!). So yummy!!!! I miss it.
Leah and Darby
Her bestie from California
Koshka on the porch
Wait....I didn't know there were DOGS!!!!
Wrist Corsage
And her pretty fingernails
Friends
Parker, Darby, Jamie, Clark (her old dance partner from Dance Spectrum), Leah, Grant (another lax bro)
Darby and Parker all ready for Prom
These were taken in Leah's back yard
The ladies
Yes, all three are dancers
'Sup!
The backs
I like the styles this year a lot
Pretty smiles
And more TRESSA!!!
Hi Five for Maddie
Maddie scored a goal
Maddie, Ali, Tress, and ??
Maddie and Ali are two of Tressa's best buds here.
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Haha! It's gonna hit her in the head!
Low check
That's totally legal
Knocked it out of blue girl's stick
Now go get it!
Outta my way, long hair!
I want that ball more than you do!
Mine!
Tress knocked her out of bounds and she got the ball.
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Mother's Day
The girls gave each of their moms a rose. :)
Home at Last!
We had a butterfly balloon for her, so it wouldn't be so sad. It did make her smile!
Virginia April 2012
Watching Flowers being planted.
Washing windows
then seeing the brand new puppy nose prints on the windows just washed!
Zee's 1st night
There was a tussle over water, so they were separated.
Darby consoling Zee
He actually likes his little kitchen area. That's what he's used to at home.
Sunday Morning
Brave Jim, taking them for a walk at the same time. They did great!
Play time before church
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Dogzilla
Tressa and Shayla outside of St. Raymond's
Shayla came to DC from Mountain View for Spring break, so she got to spend the night with us!
They don't have Friendly's in MV
so we just HAD to go there for breakfast!
Darby and Nana at Friendly's
Sharing a chocolate malt
yes, at breakfast. Why not?
Heading to Lacrosse
They found the shade
Tressa played a great game!
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Catching the Draw
Yeah, Tress!
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And the Colts win!
The dogs greeting Tressa
Just before they tussled over the pringles in her right hand. They really don't like to share, and Zuzu starts it every time.
Out for a walk
Heading to Lake Mercer
Nana didn't like the first hill that we took as a short cut.
At Lake Mercer
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Zee and Zu
Checking out the creek
Zuzu trying to knock Jim over!
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Zee liked the water, Zu did not
Heading home
Like father, like daughter?
Sunset over Lake Mercer
A visit from neighbors
Baby Eric and Tonche-puppy
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Yeah - Bad Dog!
This is what I saw from the kitchen window. He got yelled at, but kind of looked at me like, "What?"
Hanging out in the TV room learning to share treats
Zee is an "intact male" so he will mark on anything. I bought him a belly band, because I am not okay with anything being marked.
Hanging on the porch
Most of the time they pace. Here they finally laid down for a few minutes.
Yay! Zu let him sniff.
This is a good sign that she's allowing him to establish dominance. Once she admits that she's not in charge, there will be fewer, if any, fights.
Play?
They played with her soccer ball for a bit, and even wrestled some, but all of those pictures came out super blurry.
They loved running towards me
then splitting up just before they hit me. It was funny, but would have been a big painful lump-of-Penny-knocked-over if they had ever misjudged!
My Azaleas in the sun
These are in my backyard. They make me happy.
Teaching Zee how to guard the neighborhood
You can see ALL from the front door. No need to go out in the rain!
Teaching Zee bad habits
I kicked them off, but not before I got the picture. They were just too darn cute!
Kisses
Heading out to dinner
ADM Stanley's retirement dinner. I have Andrea's scarf on! :)
Pretty Zuzu
Two's Company
Handsome Boy
Look at that face!
Zu again
My house has gone to the dogs!
Pink Azaleas
Purple Azaleas
More Bubbles!!!
Zee is curious
but unimpressed!
What's going on over there?
Darby has bubbles over there, but she's saying, "Stay!"
Zee's frisbee
Get it! Get it!
C'mon! Get it!
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Oh! Got it!
Zuzu wants to play too!
Distracted by scratches
Dog play-fight
Rawr!!
Grrrrowwwlll!!!
Waiting for the bus
Yes. That's me and my dogs. Can you see Darby's reflection?
More Lake Mercer pics
I was asked to get some more as potential EMDAA calendar photos, but with no people. It's harder to get dogs to hold still than toddlers!
Being sweet
The sniffing is normally immediately followed by nibbling, then biting, then wrestling, then tag, but it sure looks sweet in the beginning, doesn't it?
My favorite shot
Masquerade Ball
Darby went to a birthday party on Saturday night down in Occoquan where they had to wear masks.
Kisses from Alvin the Tibbie
One of the Tibetan Spaniel owners wanted to show Alvin, but didn't have a handler to do it, so he asked me. Alvin was ten years old, which is really old for a show dog, but he did great. When I got him onto the platform though (and thank goodness we don't have to do that with Estrelas), he started licking me. It tickled a lot and was a little embarrassing!
Alvin and the Judge
He wanted to give the judge kisses too!
Alvin says, "Back to you, then!"
If the judge won't let me kiss him, I'll just kiss you more!
Doggy Playground
Hotel rooms are fun, especially jumping from bed to bed!
The Russells came to the show
I took this one of Anne and me to send to Mom.
Winner!
There were three shows, and they were each the only dog in their respective classes.....so it's not as impressive as it looks. It was fun though!
Darby Scotch
It was actually white grape juice, but she thought it looked like scotch, so she drank it "in honor of Pop Pop".
Dress Rehearsal for Swan Lake
They're at a ball. They're "acting" here.
At the ball at the Saturday night performance
I had a better angle for shots here, and I wasn't as far away or up in the balcony. Cameras at the real performances however, were against the rules, so I didn't take many shots.
Flowers for the prince
The Waltz
Again, from the main level
Darn those people heads!
Bow to the prince
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A little blurry, but I liked it anyway
Still Waltzing
Even the lighting was better down here
Why, oh why, do people prohibit cameras at "kid performances"? I can understand REAL shows, but parents should always have the opportunity to take photos of their kids. (With no flash, of course)
LEAP!!!
I love that Darby can actually fly!
Prince and Swan Queen
Darby's friend, Christine. We got to drive her home once. She lives just off Hooes. I REALLY need to meet her mother and start carpooling if Darby ends up in the advanced classes next year!
Mazerka
The costumes aren't finished. I was glad to hear that, because, EW! They're still making the corsets. I sure hope they finished them last night.
Nice Toe Point
And that's not easy to do in character shoes!
In the background
Mazerka with costumes
They looked A LOT better on Saturday night!
One more Mazerka
This was the last photo that I took last night. No swan pictures. Darby's Russian ballet teacher was sitting next to Tressa and my camera doesn't hide well at all. It's HUGE, and the picture click is obnoxious, so everyone around knows you're taking pictures. I just really wanted a shot of the completed costume.
Pretty Swans
Darby's arm is in front of her face, but I still liked the picture.
Sad Russian Ballerina
Doesn't that look like a Russian Prima Pout?
Read the following with a Russian accent:
"I SHOULD BE THE SWAN QUEEN!!!! I vill pout until they recognize my talent and beauty!"
Your Queen is not here
Your Queen is that way!
Sad Swans
The Prince and Swan Queen are no more. (Darby's over at the left of the pic, 2nd row)
United in Death
A happy ending?
Full Cast
Bravo! Bravo!
Score!!!
Yes, that is actually Tressa scoring a goal! Some day I'll get a pic from the other side too. :)
Center
She borrowed Darby's knee brace because her knees have been hurting lately. :(
Run Run, Tressa!
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Dogs at the game
They love all of the attention they get!
April 10th, 2012
Sarah's Oragami
At the Hotel on Sunday Night
Gaming Girls
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Hawkeye Colors
from the Glackin Clan
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This is just an example for Nana
She liked the wording.
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Virginia Spring Break
The Hirshhorn Museum
In the green room. The color blurred the corners and walls and floor.
Moving to the red room
Blue Plastic Strings?
Where'd they go?
A blue room with funny lit railings
DC in the background
Pondering the Art
Some of it was a little strange!
Lights over the escalator
with a blurry Jim and Alice. Oh well, it's with a phone, after all. Darby had the good camera!
Mommy and Daddy
in front of the Washington Monument
WWII Memorial
Fountains
My photographer
Mini-Me!
WWII & Washington
Duck!!
and a big pointy rock
Vietnam Memorial
The little girl placed down the flower and continued to stare at the wall.
Washington..
..again
Lincoln Memorial
Where's Waldo? (mommy)
Darby taking pictures of the construction
Can you see her?
I couldn't figure out what she was doing
so I finally asked. She said, "OH! THERE you are! I thought you left me!" (I had taken my coat off, so I was in red, not black, and I walked right up to her without her being able to find me!
Everyone in front of the Lincoln memorial from the other direction
on the bridge.
My new front plate
I like it. :)
The ladies
After Easter Mass
Tressa, Alice, Darby
Jim and Penny
Jim, Penny, and Koshka
She snuck into the picture. Zu's down the street. :(
New carpets?
Three of our rooms (living room, study & white back bedroom) look like this.
This is what the house looked like when I got home from my nail appointment. The new pad has to be at least twice as dense as the stuff they pulled up.
Dining room full of everything.
We have to find a new path to get around the house. At 11 AM the crew went back to the store to cut the carpet there.
Family room / storage room.
10 minutes later we got a call that our carpet came damaged and would have to be re-ordered from the factory. So now we get to live with the house this way till they can get back to us. Probably not till Monday. At least they came back to the house and moved the mattress & box spring out of the kitchen so that we can walk through there!
Okefenokee Swamp Park
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Starting our visit to Okefenokee
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What a good looking bunch! (the people aren't bad, either...)
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Turtle (one of many...)
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Gator (also one of many!)
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Tara first noticed this owl in the woods, although it was so far away we didn't know it was an owl until I looked thru the lens.
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Same picture, just slightly closer. We got really lucky to capture a picture of him this time of day.
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Starting our boat ride. I love the effect of the mirrored water.
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Depending on your view, this could either look magical or creepy. It's cool either way!
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Tara with her new best friend!
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She's measuring it to see if she can make a purse out of the hide! He was very soft.
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Abby didn't want to hold him, but consented to pet the baby gator.
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Katie had no qualms about holding the baby gator!
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Abby doesn't look so sure about having a gator in the boat, no matter how small!
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The sign says it all!
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Turtle along our boat ride.
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Gator along our boat ride.
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Another gator along our boat ride (sense a theme, here?).
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Water Lilly
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This was "Crazy", who was introduced earlier in one of Mom's photos.
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Twin gators. Katie pointed out how they were positioned exactly the same - even the tails.
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Cute otter
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The otter was barking at us - the girls loved him!
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Showing off...
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Another turtle
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A lot of the gators were smaller than those at St. Augustine - this one was probably 4-5 years old.
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Another turtle (the gators have to eat something!)
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There were tons and tons of butterflies on all the flowering bushes - it was really cool!
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Two butterflies
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There were some pretty good-sized bees to go along with all the butterflies. If you zoom in you can see the details on his back and wings.
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Crawling for more pollen.
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Another butterfly.
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One more butterfly.
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Bob proving he's stronger than even the biggest gator!
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Ooops - maybe not!
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Katie decided this looked like fun and decided to join in.
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Abby had a good time also!
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Gator on the move.
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Nice family shot (thanks Tara!). Too bad the train ride stunk. :(
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A really young gator - about 2-3 years old.
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Bob's giant gator!
The swamp was about 1 1/2 hrs from our house.
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Vulture hanging out on the fence.
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Dad kept asking what I was taking a picture of. The Spanish Moss of course!
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For some reason all the alligators looked cleaner here.
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More pretty Spanish Moss.
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The high content of tanic acid in the water makes it very reflective.
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What else would you do in a swamp?
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Yes it is my coat. Silly girl, alligators EAT small dogs.
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Baby alligators only have one (very sharp) front tooth. They use it to break out of their egg.
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Our tour guy. He was a good one.
He asked the girls if they ever saw a swamp monkey? Just look over the side of the boat!
Katie was not too sure about holding him!
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They had to be held lightly so as not to strangle them.
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This is an alligator nest and an old turtle shell.
If you look closely you can see all the broken shells from the baby alligators.
Top center, on the shore line... A baby alligator entering the water.
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No, we would not try to find our way around the swamp by ourselves.
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The "MIRROR LAKE" sign. Hopefully Bob got a better shot than this.
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The story goes that, their was an old swamp lady that owned a large part of the swamp & she marked her land by hanging these cattle skeletons.
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The swamp fire tower.
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You can't tell if it is just spring blooming or left over burned trees from up here.
The water in the swamp was only waist deep. This is the first time that they have been able to offer the boat rides since all the fires last year.
The walking path through the swamp.
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This is where the fire burnt down a portion of the walking path.
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Soft shelled turtle on the log.
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Most of the alligators that we saw were sunning themselves on the shore.
Of course that does not mean that there weren't more swimming around us!
More alligators.
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They had built a pioneer village for all the tourists to walk around.
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Love the smiles on their faces!
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Lilly pads of all varieties.
These had pretty yellow flowers.
His name was "CRAZY"
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The boats and boat dock that we took off from.
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Otter out of the water. Funny to watch, but we kept wondering where his (or hers) partner was.
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The azalias were in full bloom.
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Hello there!
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A bee doing it's pollen thing.
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Butterflies every where you looked.
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The ladies outside the serpentarium.
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Another natural species.
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More pretty reflections.
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Just a pretty shot.
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Another tour boat taking in the sights.
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Yes, a train ride, but as Bob said, very boring!
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Log cart that they used to pull out logs in the early part of the 19th century.
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The Seminole Indians inhabited a large portion of the swamp.
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They made turpentine from the logs and used it as fuel and in making all kinds of products.
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Good Bye Swamp!
Thanks for a nice visit!
TX March
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Katie and her new fish tank!
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Two new fish
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Close up of fish
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Abby showing off her new stylish "feather" outfit.
VA March 2012
Hugs
And Kisses
New Bed
and nightstand and Jim's dresser
My dressers
and another night stand that the TV is on. That way Jim will eventually have a nightstand too.
New Ottoman
More cuddling
and belly rubs
Tressa after two hours of lacrosse
playing on her iPod, watching TV, and eating her pummela
Jim's next project
the screen door and doggy door
Plexiglass gone
The plexiglass didn't hold Zu in our out, she just broke it off in pieces with her nose. The screen pops out now and she uses it as a doggy door.
Who did this?
The doggy door was installed by a previous, not-so-bright resident. It is meant to slide up to open. Apparently they didn't notice the big board in the way when the put it in. Instead of taking it out when they realized it didn't work, they put screen over the other side of it. Brilliant!
New door
With the sturdy extra metal on the bottom. More to follow....
Darby and Koo
Kitty Kisses
Enough kisses!
Darby bought herself a new phone
It's an iPhone 4S. Very exciting!
Staining the door
Running!!!!!!
She wasn't allowed on the deck while Jim was painting.
Go go goooo!
First Blooms of Spring
And today, it's below freezing. Lovely.
Zu
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Adding the door
Hardware was added too. The dog door is still being researched/planned, but Jim might be able to get the existing one to work after he moves some screen, etc. The red is not as bright as it looks, but we're still hoping that it weathers some more. The spot on the can from the paint store looks like the same color as the rest of the deck, so it might match someday.
Darby and Anna
Babysitting. Anna didn't want her picture taken.
No Running on the Stairs!!!
And the wrestling begins
Puppy Hugs
Home from School
This is the look I get when I ask, "How was your day, Dear?"
Tressa's after school snack
I'm glad that she's having a healthy snack, but what does it mean when my children prefer to drink out of wine glasses?
What is this?
Bubble?
Bubbles!!!!
Mommy's blowing bubbles!!!
Om Nom Nom Bubbles
I will eat them ALL!
Bubbles are tiring
My tongue is way too heavy.
Can you send me a picture?
Sure! Oh, you didn't want me to take one of you to send? Oops.
Darby stretching as she watches TV
Zuzu trying to wrestle with Joe
Riding on the Metro
on the way to the interview
I front of the office building in Silver Springs
He said the interview went well. He'll hear back in a couple of weeks.
We had Mongolian BBQ
while Joe was in the interview.
Darby in her new high/low skirt
Yes, it was really that warm out.
Hanging out on the porch
Zu's on the porch too
With her St. Paddy's day scarf.
Fairfax County Parkway
eek!
Out for a walk
We found a creek trailing off from Lake Mercer.
Zuzu wasn't sure, but she did get her feet wet.
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Me and my dog
Lake Mercer
with a cell phone, no editing. It was just that pretty!
the girls are home!
Zu waits all day for this moment
She loves the love
The playing is to gentle for Tressa
Now this is more like it!
Ear Nibbles
Who's Next?
My Flowers
Even the tulips are blooming in the back yard.
Caught in the act
Yes, Tressa has Zuzu's stick AND her ball. No fair, no fair!!!
More pretty tulips
Now if I could just convince Zuzu that I didn't plant them as a bed for her!
Colts C 7-8
South County Colts Lacrosse C Team
The First Game of the Season
I couldn't resist!
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Go Tressa!
They played really well against McLean and won 11-4
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Zuzu's new veterinarian
Dr. Medici was awesome! (And it was so great to see her again....after 29 years. Goodness! I cannot be that old!!!!)
A Whelk Shell
We found it on the beach Thursday morning
CCL Flowers
Very Pretty!
My Cow
It helps me sleep at night.
North Beach Pier
I had never been this far north on the island before.
The Pier again
It was a long walk there and beyond!
Bob, Tara, Katie & Abby at Fernandina Beach
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Abby, Nana and Katie
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Abby running through the water - too cold to go much deeper!
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Not sure what this face was for, but it's cute!
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Having a grand time.
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Katie stretching her legs.
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Nana, Pop-Pop and Bob
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Don't let the water touch you!
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She-Girl Katie!!!
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A flock of seagulls (and I don't mean the group from the 80s!)
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Pretty seagull
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More seagulls
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I don't know the correct name for this bird
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Same as the last pic, just closer crop
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Another cool beach bird!
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We all had a good time taking our walk, but didn't find many shells even with the high tide.
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Bob and Katie - someone forgot to tell Bob to look up!
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Pop-Pop and Nana enjoying the walk...
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Ah, Daniel San, you no balance in life!
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Abby is ready to kick butt!
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Katie decided this was fun until she couldn't figure out how to get unstuck from this position!
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Nana with her foam socks!
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Katie loved running through the foam. Abby had fun running away from it. Are they really related?
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Bob decided he didn't need a shower after walking through all these suds!
Bob could not figure out the chair.
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Now he's got it!
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Breakfast at the "Do Wop Diner" after church.
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Welcome to our Beach Party!
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Pop Pop getting some serious air?
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Oops.....
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A perfect 10 landing!
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The Lenz Family at Sadler Beach.
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O - H - I - O
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Not quite as brave as the Glackin Family at Christmas.
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Pop Pop & Tara in the warm sand.
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The waves were CRAZY!
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Concentration!
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Foam boots!
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Yes, it was like someone over did the soap in the washing machine ocean!
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Abby called it, "The OOEY Foam".
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Yes, I did go to the beach too. The next wave got my shorts all wet.
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Pemicans in flight.
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Oh, That is so sweet.
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Great shot of Tara & Bob!
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Just look how tall Katie is!
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From the beach to the pool volleyball.
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Pool temp was 84 degrees.
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Wild shot into the palm tree.
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Pop Pop's splash!
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Katie getting ready for her jump.
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Caught in mid air!!!!!
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Bob getting ready......
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OWWWWWWW!!!!!!
The ultimate belly flop!
Abby getting ready...
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Getting some real air!
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Does she catch it or not?
We will never know.
Volleyball time in the back yard
Can you spot the ball?
Abby's serve...
Great but backwards.
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Abby's rainbow float
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The boys trying to rest.
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Ring toss game
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We all went down to Jax on Wednesday
First stop, the Budweiser tour.
Katie with "Larry".
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Next stop the Jacksonville Landing
Lunch by the green fountain. We went to the Museum of Science & History also. It was just O.K.
Lunch at Sandy Bottoms.
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Miniature Golf is always a must.
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The family
It was not crowded for a change, so we were not rushed.
Abby, the score keeper.
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Tara beat us all!
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Bob came in second.
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Fashionable Katie played well also!
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Dad & I tied.
He was NOT happy!
TX Feb
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(2/1) Cosmo wants to read the nook, too!
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The pantry before - It drove me (Tara) crazy! I hated putting groceries away because there was never any room for anything. My OCD took over . . .
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I drew up a plan (on graph paper) and "sold" it to Bob.
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And the I ordered 18 plastic bins from Amazon.com!
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Pantry after!
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Close up - so neat!
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Katie's birthday fell on a Thursday this year-she had soccer practice and Bob was out of town. So we celebrated with dinner at Panda Express and Katie took cookies to her soccer team. She opened a few presents before practice . . .
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. . . Happy Birthday to You! . . .
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And blew out a candle on a chocolate chip cookie after practice.
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Abby sits near Katie while she opens her presents on Feb. 10th once Bob was home.
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A book from Abby.
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Smile! A new Scene It game from Grammie.
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Katie had a few friends over on Saturday night (2/11) for her "cooking" party. Like the aprons?
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Everyone got cookie dough and then got to add their own goodies.
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Everyone made their own pizzas and then Bob grilled them. They smelled delicious.
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A game of Twister quickly became a "Plank War". What silly girls!
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Time to eat!
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Opening presents!
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More presents.
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Happy Birthday to You . . . again!
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Hope your wish comes true!
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It snowed on Feb. 12th! Katie couldn't resist running out in it.
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Bob and his presents before the opening begins!
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Mmmmmmm, coffee smell good!
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Coffee, coffee, coffee! And it's all mine! Tara bought Bob 4, 1/2 lbs. bags of specialty coffee from a nearby town.
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Katie likes the coffee, too. Too bad it will be made at Bob's office!
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Bob is crazy (about his presents)!
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Bob's new razor - it even cleans itself!
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Bob had to catch this photo on the evening of his birthday!
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Bob captured another beautiful sunset (2/23).
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Cosmo is officially a Texan. He saw his new vet and received a Texas shaped Rabbies tag. I had to buy him a new collar, so a red bandanna printed one was just perfect. (No comments on my spelling!)
VA February 2010
Yes she IS driving
Darby got her permit on Saturday. Learning to drive in NOVA will be a challenge. All prayers are appreciated!!!
Zuzu's new bed
She still wants the couch. Hopefully this will be an okay substitute!
Family Room 'Before' picture
This one was taken late summer/early fall 2011.
Family Room 'After' Picture
Taken today (Feb 20, 2012).
Looking into the kitchen
Just for a different perspective. You can't really see the color change on the walls in this picture, but it went from a pale yellow to a light tan. It goes A LOT better with the furniture and the granite in the kitchen.
Daddy's shirt
Darby wore Daddy's shirt to school and got more compliments on it than any of her other dresses. No one knew it was a shirt until she explained how she did it.
Without the jacket
You can see it better this way. And yes, she has on shorts underneath.
TX January
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Demo is done, measuring is done, now Bob is drilling for the support rail.
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Checking the level on the first cabinet.
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Where should the shelves go? Tall enough to fit the liquor bottles, of course!
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Doors and hardware on!
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Washer and dryer back in place.
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Liquor ready to be served! The other side is stocked with cleaning supplies and other household misc. stuff. Not as exciting.
VA January 2012
Tressa got cookie cutters for Christmas
So she had to try them out when we got home.
Cool designs
Jim and Joe chose to watch some football
and/or nap on the couch.
Aren't they pretty?
They tasted awesome too!
My favorite
Snowflake
Jambalaya
It was AMAZING! Jim is a good cook.
Slaving in the kitchen
I love when he's on leave. :)
Ping Pong tournament
If you can't find the ball, just follow Darby's and Zuzu's noses.
Zuzu wanted to play too
No clue as to what Darby's doing in the picture.
I have no idea who won
I'm not sure if they do either.
Darby was a great cheerleader
The iPod was hooked up to the surround
sound speakers while they played.
Go Tressa!
Darby dancing to Aaron Carter
an "oldie" on their list.
A little Rock Band on the Wii
Don't you just love portable furniture?
I won't win any decorating awards, but it works great in the basement.
Jim's morning project (yes, it's so early it's dark out)
Those are herbs on my window sill. A little basil and oregano and parsley and cilantro (I think). I'll need to label them.
Jim took leave to be with Joe, but Joe sleeps until noon
So, he organized my pantry! We did take Joe to the Pentagon yesterday and get him a new ID card and walk him around. No pictures in there though.
Yes, that IS steak soup in the crock
Last night we had chicken noodle soup. We're not too spoiled, or anything!
Angry Dog
It's 16 degrees out this morning. She is gonna have to wait until this afternoon to walk. She is NOT happy with me.
Silly Kitty
She likes to "climb" up the crate, then walk across it carefully, then jump up on the entertainment center. Most cats would just go straight from the floor to the top of the bookshelf.
What's this white stuff?
Zuzu does not remember playing in the snow when she was only a few weeks old in North Carolina.
Zu spots the girls
Tressa walking with her tongue out
It's been a while since we've seen snow.
It's not even that cold out
Big Smiles
Tressa would like a few feet of snow on the ground.
Darby likes snow too
but would love if it would stay warm more.
It's warmer inside
Our bushes
The snow was thick and fluffy and stuck on the grass, but mostly stayed off the road and sidewalk.
Diaper Time
Yes, that is a pink cloth diaper on my giant dog.
Tail hole
I love her tail. Now, however, I wish it was a little shorter and less fluffy. Have you ever tried to put the tail of an unwilling beast through a diaper hole? Not fun.
What diaper?
She has forgotten about the diaper already.
I have a purple one too!
When, oh when, will this heat CRAP end?!! 10 days and counting....
Waiting at the airport
I had to occasionally remind Darby to breath.
Waiting IS the hardest part!
PARKER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, she actually ran and jumped into his arms.
Big smiles
Of course, after that greeting, the poor boy turned completely red.
Heading to baggage claim
The first bag that came out
I'm not sure I would have paid $25 to check this one.
Ready to head home
Parker and Darby
Indoor Lacrosse
Played in "The Box" in Chantilly
and yes, it's cold inside.
Ambushing a Dog
She likes to wait for Zu to walk by and then swat at her. It works better than from the cat door, where Zuzu just uses her head to play whack-a-mole.
My foot warmer
I sat down to knit, and she joined me.
She hears the camera click
and she sits up and looks pretty. How does she know?
Koo prefers to hide in the shadows
My new deep fryer
Frying Chicken!
My plate
It makes me hungry again, just looking at it!
We love fried chicken
It was so good! Darby had some after dance too, and said it was better than most fried chicken (she's not too into fried anything).
Every time I come out of my bathroom
this is where she is. Since when did MY bed become her favorite spot upstairs? She even tried to stay in bed after Jim and I got into the bed last night. You can see by this picture how well that would NOT work. She is one BIG puppy!
Jim with secdef
Jim's day at work today.
Texas Christmas
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Abby starts the countdown by opening the first window of her Advent Calendar. Thanks Aunt Claire!
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Outdoor decorations!
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Reindeer under the tree.
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Close up at dusk.
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Outdoor lights at night
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These are mine, MINE I tell you!
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Ready to open presents . . .
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Daddy helps Cosmo open his present. What did he get?
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A Christmas bird on a string (shown here), a fuzzy crinkly toy, and . . .
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He also got a spool of "thread."
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Katie has asked for a Christmas tin full of goodies for a couple of years now. Mommy was finally able to make it work!
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Yum! It was worth the wait!
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Daddy loves boxes!
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Cosmo got into the spirit!
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Now Abby can catch up on her reading.
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Katie's cute new Aero hat!
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And a vest to match!
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Pretty ornament. Thanks Nana & Pop-Pop.
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Abby likes her ornament. Thanks Nana & Pop-Pop!
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Tara got a new Santa ornament. Thanks, Katie.
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Mommy found "dog tongues" for Daddy!
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Abby likes her new umbrella from Katie.
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Tara loves her new pink water bottle. Thanks Nana & Pop-Pop.
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Purple Bow Heads!
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Abby likes her new OSU jersey!
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Love - the best gift of all!
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Katie's new OSU jersey.
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Abby got a Ginny Weasley wand!
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Watch out!
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Abby and Daddy like Olive Garden! Thanks Nana & Pop-Pop!
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The girls start work on their gingerbread houses.
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Abby hard at work . . .
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Katie concentrates on the details . . .
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Abby's finished project!
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TaDa!
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The girls all dressed up for Christmas!
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All spiffy for Christmas.
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Setting out goodies for Santa and the reindeer.
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Candy from the stocking.
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A present from Abby's stocking - it was a solid milk chocolate Santa. Yum!
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Katie has wanted a nerf gun for a couple of years now. Santa finally came through!
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Santa thought Abby needed a nerf gun, too. Good for self defense!
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Santa brought a super-duper nerf gun for daddy! He couldn't be left out of the fun!
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The grandkids help Grammie open a present from all of them.
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It's a silver cross necklace with all of their birthstones in it. We love you, Grammie!
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Cosmo liked having room to lay down under the tree once the presents were opened and gone.
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Three happy cousins.
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Whatever he's doing, it's cute and it's making Abby laugh!
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Goofiness runs in the family!
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Finally, all four of the kids together. Should have done it earlier . . .
Texas Army v. Navy
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All dressed up and nowhere to go . . . .
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Cute Army fans!
Texas Thanksgiving
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Grammie having tea with her grand-daughters.
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Playing hide and go seek. Where is Grammie?
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There she is!
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What fun!
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Tara's poster - thanks to Grammie, Bob and the girls.
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Sammie wanted to be in the picture, too!
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The girls before Tara opens her presents.
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Michael and Sammie
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Cosmo watching the present opening.
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Tara's new necklace.
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Sammie watching the present opening.
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Will Cosmo let Sammie get close to him?
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Sammie helps Tara open her presents.
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Tara shows Sammie her new nook.
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All of the girls.
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Grammie and Sammie.
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Sammie has quiet time with Auntie Tara.
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Happy Birthday to you . . .
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Cosmo liked having Katie's air mattress in the loft to curl up on.
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Breaking the wishbone.
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On Tara's birthday, we went to a wildlife safari park. We got to throw food out of the windows at all of the animals. We all had fun!
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Scary horns!
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We got to feed the goats.
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Pretty peacock!
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Tara enjoying her nook.
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Florida Christmas 2011
What 'cha makin', Nana? Can I have some?
Come on in, Zu! The water's nice!
I'm a whale! Or a mermaid....
....both?!!
Dolphin
Feed me!
Darby found somewhere to be on the computer
and get sun at the same time!
Nana's camera
The next photo was taken with my phone. I think Nana needs a new camera....you judge.....
Jacksonville National Cemetary
Before we drove to the airport on Saturday, we stopped at Gma and Gpa's cemetary. All of the headstones were decorated with wreaths, and Nana added some pointesettias on Gma and Gpa's.
Pool Time
The boys flew into JAX on Saturday afternoon. There was plenty of time to play in the pool before dinner and church. Zuzu wanted that ball, but not badly enough to get wet for it!
Nana's pretty Christmas tree
The cat only tried to climb it the first night, and luckily, the dog only barked at the cat. We still have several more days for mayhem to take over though.......
Christmas Snowman greets everyone at the door
Why is it
that EVERY year we use a tripod and the timer, but EVERY year we struggle, trying to remember how to do it?!
The smart ones
standing off to the side, watching the confusion.
Nana and Pop Pop before midnight Mass
Everyone before Mass
The Glackin Six plus one
Koshka chose not to be in the picture
Joseph
after mass waiting to open presents.
Matthew
Tressa
She changed into jammies to open presents
Jim
He tolerates my picture taking so well!
Darby and Nana
Zuzu got the first present
We figured it would keep her occupied.
Darby's ornament
Nana got a digital keychain!
Pop Pop with his card
and soon with a brand, to brand everything that he grills!
Joe with some American Eagle Attire
Zu working on her bone
It kind of got stuck on her nose!
I got an herb chopper!
Which is good, because I struggle with fresh herbs sometimes.
Attack!
She sort of liked the candy cane bone.
Matt with some Abercrombie
Tressa and Darby open their presents from Joe and Matt
Slippers and jewelry!
Matt got his XBox game
Too bad Nana and Pop Pop don't have an XBox for him to try it out on.
Nana with a pretty reindeer necklace
Koshka's turn
She got a mouse in a ball.
Zuzu wanted to share
Koshka said, "No FREAKIN' way, Dog! Back off!"
Darby made the birthday cake
Tressa helped her bake it, but she decorated it herself on Sunday.
Joe took a nap
Good thing too, because he had to wake up at 12:30 that afternoon. Life is rough.
The cake
Happy Birthday, Jesus! It was yummy.
Matt and Tress playing near the pool
waiting for Christmas dinner
Pop Pop carving and amazing turkey
He grilled it, of course. Nana helped in the kitchen some too. ;)
Christmas dinner
It was sooo good! And way too much food. Nana did herself proud. If only we had had some green bean casserole too. Oh yeah, we found that in the microwave that night!
More pool time
Darby is the last one in.
Matt trying to convince Zuzu to play
She played, but not in the water. No deal. Joe is in the background using the force to levitate the ball.
What Darby? I just want to chat. I won't push you in.
uh huh
I'll go in, if you go in, Zuzu!
Geronimo!
Zuzu remembered the beach
and ran ran ran with joy!
The kids did too
puddles first, the ocean later
Run faster, Darby!
Joe Cool
Puddle Jumper
She loved the water this time!
I don't think she even remembers being afraid of the waves when she was a puppy.
Good thing we had a leash!
Okay, this is pretty fast!
Everyone Smile!
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Pop Pop's straddle jump
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Let's wrestle!
Jim tries a handstand
Epic Fail
A boy and his wolf
No Zuzu, you can't EAT the sand!
Sand isn't for eating.
♥
To Bluff........or maybe.......True Love
Fly, Darby, Fly!
Split Jump
Everyone Jump!
C'mon and jump JUMP!
Darby loves Parker
Ta Da!
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Four Kids and a Dog
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Six Glackins and a Zuzu
The Girls
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Arabesque
Darby got a picture of everyone
walking on the beach.
Darby's shadow
Even her shadow points its toes.
Matt's toes prefer warm sand
Nana and Pop Pop
I love the smiles!
Jim does a beautiful arabesque too
New Pose
Let's get it together, folks!
All smiles
I don't remember what made us laugh, but as you can see, we were laughing!
Really, it's not that cold
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And Joe heads in!
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Hey, it was 62 degrees out
When you live up near Canada most of the year, that feels hot enough to go in the water.
And Tressa follows
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And Zu tries to follow
Again, thank goodness for the leash
Anyone else coming?
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But why not?
I can't protect them from the shore. PLEEEASE can I go too?
I'm coming, Tressa!
Never fear! Zuzu is hear!
Fine. If I can't play, I'll bury my shell.
Or maybe I'll just play ostrich!
Ostriches ain't got nuttin' on me!
The real hero
Towels were way more help than the dog was.
How is he not cold?
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And a big smile on Tressa too
Zuzu jumping after the shell that was tossed in the air
The shell is hard to see, so the blue line is heading towards it.
Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting
those kids were fast as lightning!
Darby said if cheerleaders can do it on someone's hands
she could do it on a post.
Darby Matt and Nana at the Crab Trap
The iPhone camera doesn't do quite as well inside, in the dark.
Nana and Pop Pop
Jim and Penny
Joe and Tressa
Tressa working on the ballast
Matt's going to build a house
Zuzu is watching
Darby gets instructions on grass
The little men are still trying to fix the blue car
She did a good job on the ballast!
And Darby did a good job on the grass
It was raining. Zuzu was bored.
Pop Pop wouldn't let her work on the train.
You guys can work if you want to,
but I'm laying right here!
Clouds!
Tressa tried her hand at a cloud
Joe painted the rest of the clouds.
People are still fishing in the river
even with all of the strange new giants working around them.
Tressa stole my camera
The ballast is done
At least in that section
The house walls are up
and the glue is drying
More clouds
Pop Pop chose not to supervise
the wall painting. Instead he and Zuzu took a break by the pool.
Glueing the roof on the house
The clouds are finished
and Pop Pop promised to not paint over them until we leave, as he was saying that he liked them. ??
Christmas trip to the Jacksonville Zoo
We met the Wallaces there and enjoyed the day together.
Birds out enjoying the sun.
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Taking pictures with all of us together was quite a challenge.
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Early in the day, Matt was not too warm in short sleeves & shorts.
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Darby found a strange, giant frog
This was the weirdest lizard that I've ever seen
It was flat, it looked like an alligator, and it stuck to the wall.
These monkeys were BFFs
Best friends forever. They were cute!
Penny, the giraffe & Jim.
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Those were Nana's giraffe pictures
now these are mine. A little bit repetitive, but we liked them all.
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Joe is making the same face
as the giraffe!
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Yes, Darby is a monkey climbing on the big metal elephant.
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Step II
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Step III
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Step IV
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TA DA!!!!!
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Again, Nana's pictures first
then mine.
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We saw this guy the first time in the Green Mamba's cage
(assuming the mamba wasn't there at the time, but we're not sure). Then here, in a different part of the zoo, he was feeding dead mice to this giant lizard thing.
This tiny deer was full grown
and walked onto the sidewalk at Jim's feet, letting Jim pet it!
The otters were cute swimming around
but when they stopped to eat fish, they sort of looked evil!
Hello Bird!
Well, hello, Mr. Glackin!
Tressa got the camera again
She thought it would be funny to take a picture of everyone as they left the bathroom. Slightly weird, but sort of funny!
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And she got a picture of the pretty pink flamingos
Doing the Tango
Tressa captured this moment in time as well.
The snake did it first!
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One more time...Nana's pictures...now mine!
Feeding the Lorikeets is always a highlight!
The birds were shy today at first
or maybe they were just cold. They warmed up quickly though!
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Joe didn't want this one on his shoulder
and he started walking behind Joe's neck. Joe got him off pretty quickly!
Matt didn't mind at all
This little one looked like he was molting.
Tressa loved them!
She would have been happy staying there all day, with twenty or thirty birds climbing all over her.
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Climbing up Darby's arm
Feet, then beak, then pull, then feet, then beak...
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It made it all the way up to her shoulder
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This little lorikeet wanted Tressa's hair
Tressa wanted to keep her hair!
Fine. I'll eat this hair over here then.
Even Jim had a visitor
Birdie! No biting!
Wanna hear a secret?
"Dude! You need to shave! Here, I'll help you!"
MY birdie was well-behaved!
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That tickles!
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Don and Kat Wallace and the kids
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Nana was bouncing up and down, playing with the dog
Zu got excited and did a playbow, but still wouldn't go in
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Koshka considering the patio
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Koshka was happier and warmer, inside with Darby
The Outpost
in North Hampton
The end of the pier
at the Outpost. We didn't see any gators.
Joe and Matt
at Sandy Bottoms. I made them try to smile into the sun. It didn't work!
Tressa and Nana
at Sandy Bottoms. We didn't see any dolphins in the water like the day that we ate there with Bob last April.
Penny and Jim
aka me and my sweetie!
Darby and Me
Me, not I, because it's Us, not We. :) Your grammar lesson for the day.
Nana and Pop Pop
aka the Queen and King of the Island
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Back at the beach and Zuzu is ready to run!
Come on, Pop Pop! This way!
Again, it was only about 62 degrees out
So why not boogie board?
Can you see Matt?
Joe's easy to find. Matt, not so much!
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Tressa was out in the water too
of course!
Matt catches a wave
Tressa happily floats to the shore
after a nice wave.
Darby's auditioning for Baywatch
Jim doesn't look quite as cute when he jogs
but I bet he'd be better at rescuing a drowning swimmer. Zuzu just wants to run, run, run.
Darby found a sandbar to dance on
And more dancing
It was warmer than boogie boarding, I suppose.
And apparently she has her own music in her head
It was probably some Indie Girl Rock thing
All done!
Yay! Clap clap clap clap.
I found a shell!
Nana shows what the temperature actually felt like
My children were all insane. ARE all insane.
Pop Pop found more shells than Zuzu
And Matt's still out in the waves
A whole, live, conch!
It was really pretty. He found five on the beach, with the animals still in them. He brought them all home.
It looks like a giant snail
but with a prettier shell.
Boogie boards can also be used to splash your brother
Joe got a wave
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I love the big smiles on all of the kids!
Joe and one of the new skim boards
They looked like a lot of fun, but I would have busted my butt!
Looking for the best place to skim
Joe's running for a ride
Zuzu is off the leash and chasing Matt!
Zuzu says, "Now THIS is fun!"
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Just because Matt stops running
does not mean that the dog does!
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Tressa! Hi!
Pop Pop tells her to stay in the water
She didn't listen
but Darby caught her. She was really good for a little bit, then she turned crazy and had to be grounded to the leash again. (Zuzu, not Darby)
Tressa didn't quite get the skim thing down
Joe's moving out!
I got videos of this too, that I'll work on next week some time.
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Matt running to his board
Matt's skimming!
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Whoa!
When the arms flail, you know they're coming down.
Joe topples over
Good thing the sand is soft-ish!
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Pretty Darby hanging out up on the blanket
with Nana's straw hat
And Nana is still bundled up, like a smart person!
Joe and his war wound
Check out his left knee. Now his knee matches the scars and scabs on his arms from diving for soccer balls!
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Galapagos!
I like tortoises!
We're HUNGRY!
Feeeeed us, NOW!
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Alligator Island
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Darby with her baby Ball Python
and baby alligator. The snake was her favorite. She would have taken her home if she could have!
Matt's graduation present
We got it for him a little early. He was happy!
Puzzle time
They got it put together before bed (their bed, not mine, I didn't make it up that late). Only two pieces were missing. One was found pretty chewed up on the floor the next morning. I think Jim did it.
Nana's pretty Christmas lights
I should have used a tripod. And had Darby take the picture, not me.
With the flash was more clear
but less dramatic.
That's the van exhaust over to the right
We made Jim pull it away to take the picture. I didn't notice the exhaust in the dark!
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Matt having New Year's breakfast @ Barbara Jeans
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Yes, it is a "Thumbs-up" to cheese grits.
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Home to our BIG present
Oh yeah!
THE #! griller at work.
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Can you see the "Branding Iron" heating up in the coals?
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SIZZLE>>>>>>>
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Perfection!
Thanks to the Lenz's for our new grilling toy.
Ham Steaks for dinner.
Now, RJL knows which one is his!