Teaching an old dog new tricks....

Hayden has been a 'swimmer' since the age of 2 (holding her breath, going in the deep end, diving for sticks) but she has never been a swimmer (as in knowing any stokes)! She has always been just happy with her way of swimming (under water like a mermaid) for the last 9 years. After many years of swim lessons and just as many years of her stubbornness, we are attempting it yet again! We got lucky this year and she has one on one instruction (I guess that is because most 11 year olds know how to swim)! Can she actually learn to do some real strokes? Is there hope? I doubt she will be swim team material but maybe in 3 more days she will actually know the 'art' of swimming! :-)

Wow...my computer skills are growing! :-)

Do you see what I see?

Everyday when I sit on the front steps I look at one of the large oaks in my yard and it just strikes me as funny! Do you see the face? The top two knots are the eyes...the one that sticks out is the nose and the one with the black mark looks like he has his mouth cocked sideways whistling or side smiling?!?!?!?! See it?

My favorite day of the week....

Grocery Day! :-)

Friday night swim....

Hayden and her friend wanted to go to the pool tonight. The nice part was they had the whole pool to themselves!

Passing another milestone...

Hayden is completing her last year of Vacation Bible School. It's hard to believe that she is now to 'old' to attend! :(
Picture 1 - Working on a necklace...
Picture 2 - Having snack....always my favorite part! :-)
Picture 3 - A beach theme this year....

Just some pictures of random things....

Any guesses?

Ever seen a spider like this? Anyone know what kind it is?

March 10...forever carved in my head (literally)!

Most everyone 'knows' about the night my head met the softball but a brief summary...
First game of the season
My glove and ball make contact on a pop fly
Ball falls out....
hits my head!
I'm taken to hospital via ambulance and below is the result and update!

Picture 1 - Morning after...nice knot and 11 stitches!

Picture 2 - 3 days later in New York...you might need to enlarge this to really appreciate the detail! :-)
Picture 3 - Three months later...a small dent and a long scar but not bad.....considering!

You know your home from vacation....

when have to mow because the deer won't be by for dinner!

Yesterday's Trip Home...

Sorry I didn't post the final vacation pics last night! We got home around 6pm and I was hungry, tired and had a headache! I went to bed early and recovered from our awesome vacation. :-)
I hope you all have enjoyed our family vacation as much as we did! I did not get a picture of everyone because we were really never in the same place at the same time. I also meant for Brent to take a picture of me "blogging" so you could "see" my view! :-) Hopefully, next year!

Picture 1 - After everyone else in the family left at the 10am check out time, we stayed and rented mopeds! We had a blast cruising around the 3 mile island.
Picture 2 - On our cycle journey, we found a turtle. He was fast and very different looking from the snapping turtles inland.
Picture 3 - Another friend along our journey...
Picture 4 - After the moped rides, we left Fripp and went to Hunting Island State Park to see the lighthouse! Hayden and Brent went to the top and let's just say that were lucky Hayden came back down. Apparently, she was letting her fear get the best of her!
Picture 5 - A view from the top via Brent!

More Day 6...Critter style

Picture 1 - A fiddler crab - you MUST double click him! :-)

Picture 2 - A seagull!
Picture 3 - Our collection of hermit crabs! (double click them)
Picture 4 - He was trying to lick the camera...I'm serious!
Picture 5 - The friend above and his friend at the pool in the marsh!

Day 6...Last full day of pics! (people first)

Picture 1 - Henry swimming!
Picture 2 - Cal's curls!
Picture 3 - Great pic of Hayden and Pete!
Picture 4 - Pops and Pete attempting to crab!
Picture 5 - My "cruise ship commercial" child! (I hope everyone gets that...)

Day 5 pictures...

Picture 1 - Molly and Cal at the beach!
Picture 2 - Shrimp boats!
Picture 3 - Hayden , James and Henry

End of day 4 pic....

Ahhhh....what a sunset over the marsh!

More Day 4...

Picture 1 - Another picture of a friend....again, he's the "Real McCoy"!
Picture 2 - Another (better picture) of a Blue Heron...
Picture 3 - Fun water fountain with a golf green in the background.
Picture 4 - A Snowy Egret!

Day 4....

This morning we went on a nature cruise out to an uninhabited island and went shelling!
Picture 1 - Cal (youngest nephew)!Picture 2 - A horseshoe crab...these are all over the beaches here! They have been around since prehistoric times!
Picture 3 - A fun shot of a shell bed with Hayden and the naturalist in the background.
Picture 4 - Hayden and Brent walking along with their bags of shells.
Picture 5 - Hayden and Mom!
Picture 6 - Up close and personal with one of the many hermit crabs! (cool clicked large)

Day 3...

Picture 1 - This is Pat Conroy's year round home. Very unpretentious... Picture 2 - These are some form of Myrtle trees (wax, I believe)...they have beautiful flowers!
Picture 3 - Hayden swimming (duh!)...she had her first bout with Swimmers Ear when we left for the beach on Friday so she is wearing ear plugs this week while it is still healing.
Hint..you can click on the picture and it will blow up and you can see then why I pick the pictures I do (like the one of Hayden swimming above) They usually have fun detail. :-)

More day 2....

Picture 1 - My nephew Pete going down the water slide at one of the pools.
Picture 2 - Hayden's turn!
Picture 3 - Me! :-)
Picture 4 - Hayden and Pete ready to go back to the house on golf cart #1.
Picture 5 - James and Henry (brothers and my nephews) riding on golf cart #2!