Just keep swimming

While at the beach, Libba generously offered to let me borrow her underwater camera until my return visit to Birmingham at the end of September. Her exact words were something like, Hey! Take some pictures of my niece and nephew at the pool so I can see them swimming.

Thanks, Lib! 

A fabulous Fourth

We didn’t have any big plans leading into the Fourth of July holiday this year. With it being smack dab in the middle of the week, and as busy as we’ve been with company, the upcoming move and Chris with work, we were planning on keeping a low profile and just having fun as the four of us. And we pretty much did, other than spending three hot hours at our pool, which was boasting free snowcones and cotton candy for the kiddos. 

And after dinner that night, we spent some time outside lighting our sparklers and using our last bits of energy to remark upon how lucky we are to have the two best kids in the world.

And that’s all she wrote. Nothing fancy. No fantastic firework pictures to share. But it was a truly wonderful day.

Trying to beat the summer heat

Yeah, we have an amazing pool a few minutes away from us. But sometimes you just go to take matters into your own hands...

Slow down, Summer!

Between teaching Taylor to swim, hosting family houseguests, playing in golf tournaments, preparing to move and playing with all our friends, June was a whirlwind. We’ve been so busy, that any time we stop moving we risk falling asleep. See:

Yep. SO tired, but SO hungry. I see a few slow days coming up this week to get y’all up to speed. Check back soon.

Channeling her inner-Ariel

Last summer, just as the season was winding down, Taylor felt confident enough in her swimming skills to shed the water wings. And we were so proud of her. And she would kick her legs and swing her arms and come up for breaths and swim from ledge to ledge. It was pretty impressive for a little person. And because we didn’t take lessons or have much water-time during the off-season, I wasn’t surprised when she opted to put her floaties on for the first few pool visits this summer. But. Now she is back in the groove. And thanks to my friend Jen’s underwater camera, I can share her water prowess with the world.

How awesome is that? And adorable. That little girl captures my heart everyday, and watching her grow before my eyes is pretty spectacular. And I am so, so proud of her. 

It’s adventure time

So Memorial Day came and our pool opened for the season, but then the mountain weather got the best of us over the weekend and our temperatures barely reached into the 70s. And while I enjoy swimming as much as anyone, not to mention the guaranteed kiddie-exhaustion and early bedtimes that come with it, the fact is that both of my children require me to be in the pool with them while they swim. And I'm a big wimp, and I don’t like being cold and wet at the same time.


So we had to look elsewhere for our outdoor fun this weekend, and that landed us at the Botanical Gardens for a easy hike with Paige and her girls. And all of these adorable pictures made carrying my giant son in a backpack for over an hour well worth it:

My little mermaid

Last summer there was a little girl at our pool who always wore a Little Mermaid swimsuit, and Taylor was OBSESSED with it. Every time the other kid would walk or swim past her, Miss T would scream out, ARIEL! And when I asked the little girl's mom where she got the suit, she said it was a handmedown from some cousins. Which is typical of any amazing outfit or accessory that you spy on someone else and immediately want for yourself. Oh, THESE earrings? These are just a little something I picked up in Paris. Well, a lot of good that does me.

But this weekend, in my first post-sickness attempt to get both kids out of the house solo, we were browsing through a store in the mall and Taylor started squealing, Mom, Ariel! MOM, ARIEL! MAH-AHM! AIR-EEE-ELL! And there it was. A Little Mermaid swimsuit. And for as much grief as I gave Chris for caving and getting her the Happy Nappy Unicorn earlier in the week, there was no way I couldn't get her that swimsuit.

And she was so excited about her new suit, that we just had to break it in at the pool yesterday.

And she is just getting so brave at the pool, and each time we go she jumps a little further and stays off the steps for longer stretches. And because Luke is always with us, sometimes in his bag and sometimes in my arms, I can't always be in the water for her to jump to. And she has adjusted beautifully.

I am so proud of her. And so is her little brother, who was cheering from the sidelines.

Summer loving

I know we’re only a week in, but I love summer. No wait, I LOVE summer. L-O-V-E. And as you can gather from last weekend’s pictorial, adding a newborn to our brood hasn’t slowed us down at all. Isn’t it funny how protective and cautious you are with your firstborn? I don’t think we left the house but five times for the first six weeks that Taylor was alive. And in comparison, last Sunday we met up with friends at an outdoor bar, and Luke spent about five hours attached to my chest in the Bjorn as we grilled tasty treats, played beanbags and watched Taylor dig in the dirt. He didn’t really have a choice... If he’s gonna survive in this family, he’s gotta know how to party.

And he’s also doing great at the pool. We’re lucky in that we have a lot of covered, shaded areas surrounding the pool, so he’s able to chill in his basket while Taylor jumps in and out of the water for three to four straight hours. My daughter has turned into quite the fish after a mere week of the pool being open. Her summer makeover is already underway, with her skin turning bronze and her hair getting blonder. She’s a bathing beauty, and instead of blowing the whistle and making her get out to go home and rest, we’ve been forgoing naptime to swim as much as she wants. Yes, that’s right. This strict schedule-following Mama is throwing out the routine this summer. Believe it or not.

And after a few hours of nonstop-swimming action, we pile our exhausted, sunned-selves into the car and make the ten minute drive back home. And it’s a miracle if Taylor’s still awake by the time we leave the parking lot.

And generally Luke is also sleeping or close to it, and so I turn off the radio and any other distractions and drive home in silence. And in that rare, coveted quietness, I thank God for all my blessings. A loving husband, two healthy children, a strong body, a roof over my head and all of our caring and supportive family and friends. I am grateful for this everyday, and sometimes I just need to take a moment of silence, a few deep, uninterrupted breaths and crack a big smile to reflect on how lucky I am. This is going to be our most fantastic summer yet.

Happy summer to you and Happy birthday to my husband

Pool bunnies

Sorry for the lack of posts, bloggers, but the Famous Amys crew has transitioned from our nationwide wedding-tour into our summertime routine pretty comfortably. Meaning the majority of our time is being spent outside soaking up the sun, and not downloading pictures of Taylor’s cheeks to share with all of you. Please forgive me. I promise I will make up for it once the temperature drops.

A few months ago we joined the Country Club, which up until a few weeks ago just meant my husband would go missing for four-hour stretches at least twice a week. But now that summer is here and the pool is open, Taylor and I have been spending almost every afternoon at the Club. And even some mornings. Because you would not believe how good my little peanut sleeps after a few hours of treading water. And, in the process, Momma’s getting a fabulous tan. Win-win!

And because I don’t trust having any of my electronic belongings within a ten foot radius of the pool, I am for lack of cute pictures of T in her swimmies. But last week, we hosted Paige and Elliot at the pool one morning and Miss Elly-Bean showed up in the exact same swimsuit at Taylor. So I just had to dig out my camera and take a snapshot of the cuteness.