More Summer Fun

One of our favorite things this summer has been that Brooklin has been here to visit quite a bit. Yea!

We spent one morning at a park with fountains (referred to as "the water park" by Brooklin.) Coincidentally, we ran into some of our best friends that same day. Yea, again!

Many games of tag were played. And all these many months later, Clara, the Mouse King, and the Nutcracker are still favorites. Clara tended to get sleepier and sleepier as the game continued :).

 

Happy cousins

 

Different Swimming

In addition to swim team, the girls have gotten to swim a few times at Aunt Lisa's house with the favorite cousin, Brooklin!

Some duplicate pictures from Facebook, but I liked them enough to post twice :).

Caitlyn looking pretty (in the bathing suit we shopped hard and long for.)

Love this picture of Brooklin and Kelse. They have such fun together.

 

Yeah, Brooklin didn't look at the camera, but, oh, well :).

 

Speaking of having fun...

Keegan, Kelsey, and Brooklin have had more fun doing this

they all pile on to a float,

then tip!

And laugh :).

As I have been known to do when watching :).

Very thankful that this cutie has been here visiting so much this summer.

Hope you're having just as much fun as we are!

Bye for now!

(with a final picture of a too grown-up looking Keegan!)



Another New Experience

The girls have had awesome coaches at swim team this year. The head coach, especially seems to really enjoy the kids and goes out of his way to offer them learning opportunities. Along those lines, Coach Joe invited the swim team kids to attend a kids' triathlon workshop. Keegan and Kelsey went and decided to try the triathlon a couple of weeks later!

 So, last month, off we headed to a triathlon! Kelsey was in the younger group, who went first. Their distances were 100 meter swim, 2 mile bike, and 1 mile run.

They got to start the swim by going down this slide. Fun!

 Kelsey (and I) were a bit concerned that she would have a hard time with the swim. Instead, she (in the yellow cap) did great and actually passed a couple of people!

 

 The swim was first, then the bike ride, and finally the run. She has just parked her bike and is taking off running.

 Yea! She did it! She completed the entire course!

Then found a spot of shade on a hot, hot day.

(And waited for Keegan's race to start. :))

 Although it was explained the younger kids were going first, we didn't exactly understand how it would work. Therefore, Keegan stood out in the sun for over an hour, while the younger group ran the entire course.  Neat because she got to cheer for Kelsey, who ran right past her, but a better plan would have been for her to wait it the shade. Then an additional half hour waiting for her turn to start. Keegan, like her momma, is not a fan of the heat, so she started this race tired. In spite of that, and the fact that we realized too late that her bike's seat was low, she did a great job and completed the entire course - 200 meter swim, 4 mile bike ride, and a 2 mile run.

 Wow! I was so impressed with these girls. To be brave enough to attempt such a challenge and to power through it even when they were tired and hot was a real accomplishment. All of the participants did a great job.

 And I have to give a shout out to the race organizers, RaceDayEvents. Everything was very well-organized; the course was clearly marked, there were adults biking along the route to provide security and assistance, if needed. (I am all about things being safe.) Very well run, all around.

 

Thank you to all the adults who gave their time so these kids could have this race. Thanks to Coach Joe for inviting us to be a part of it. And huge congratulations to Keegan, Kelsey, and all the kids who participated. Kudos all round!

Swim Meet!

A few weeks of swim team practice and this brave girl was trying her first swim meet ever!

Being fairly intimidated myself about trying things in front of other, I thought that took a lot of courage.

Warm-ups

 

She swam freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.

Best. Cheering section. Ever.

 

Diving off the blocks is a new trick

 

Love these girls! 

Wordless Wednesday - Brooklin



Summer

Now that fall is in the air, I am finally getting around to posting some leftover summer pictures. There are a lot of swimming pictures, but then again, we did a lot of swimming this year :).



Happy fall, y'all!

Wordless Wednesday - Swimming!

Doesn't it look like fun?

How NOT to spend your day at the pool

I am starting to feel that pools are a bit hazardous for Kelsey.  Last year she clonked her head and needed stitches.  This year, well, see for yourself - This is Kelsey's toe.  And no, that is not a bit of chipped nail polish.  It is instead, concrete pool lining that somehow went under how toenail as she was playing.  Ugh.

Toenail clippers and tweezers removed most of it, but there is still a piece broken off, too deep for me to reach.  Ugh. Again.  I think (hope!) it is slowly working its way out. Thankfully, no signs of infection.  Hopefully this whole episode will soon be a (faint, fading, never to be remembered) memory!