Summer tidbits.

 Summer time for us involves swimming!!!  I'm not sure why it seems like we've not been at the pool a whole lot this summer but when we do go, it's warm and sunny and fun!!!

These two love to swim!  Ashlyn has mastered swimming without a puddle jumper!  Austin doesn't mind wearing a puddle jumper and loves the water!!!

I'm no book worm by any means but the other week when we were at the Lapp Vacation, Mom Lapp had one of these books along.  I sat down to read a bit and got all into it!!!  I love, love books like these because there are true facts mixed in with some every day real life happenings that may have happened!!!  If anyone knows of any other books like these, please let me know!!!  I couldn't put them down and enjoyed them very, very much!!!

It was a year that Dad Lapp passed on into heaven and the whole King Clan met at Mom Lapps for a reunion last week.  These two have the best of times together!!!  And that sky was amazing!!!

We went out yesterday as with Mom and my sisters to celebrate Mom's birthday!!!  Mom is a busy lady and because she was at the cabin all last week serving their employees with Dad, I decided to send my her birthday card.  (Smile)  We got a date to suit everyone and we went to Terrain Garden Cafe to eat again.  We love the food there!!!  I had a big heap of healthy greens and a thick slab of salmon grilled on top!!!  So good!!!

Here's something I looked up on Pinterest but still created my own recipe.

Mango Salsa:
Cut up fresh mango's.  Shred a cucumber. Dice an avocado.  Snip in some fresh basil.  Squeeze a fresh lime on top.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Stir and eat it alone or as a side dish or even as a topper for chicken, fish and salad!!!  It's so refreshing!!!

Ashlyn is in the final sessions of her summer gymnastics!!!  She has enjoyed and loved every single class!  The class always starts out with about 15 minutes of warm ups.  Then they split the class in half and each group goes with an instructor.  This week Ashlyn was put in the upper class.  It was exciting to see her flip and bounce around with the little more advanced kids!!!

This is her and my happy place!!!  The garden is doing well with most of the vegetables but I feel it could do a whole lot better.  The soil here is hard and kinda a red, clay soil.  When we made these raised beds, Mike filled them each up with the top soil that was not used with the house project.  It's not the greatest soil for a garden and I'm finding that out.  If you would look at my garden you would probably think it looks pretty good.  But when I look at neighboring gardens, it's lacking!!!  I really hope to get better dirt in these this fall and then top each one with lush mushroom mulch!!!  Maybe then I won't have to buy four different watermelon plants because they just die.  Or maybe then the cucumber plant and zucchini will survive a lot longer!  The herbs and lettuce, tomatoes and green beans are still doing great!!!

After my day out yesterday with my Mom and sisters, it was fun to watch Ashlyn glean in the garden!  She loves to walk around in it and pick a food here and there.  Austin eats my chives!  :))) 

We are both super excited to see the first sunflower bloom!  This is a flower that I would grow a whole field full if I could because I just love them!!!  I plant packs every spring but so many of them don't grow!!!???  The few that shot up, I enjoy!!!

 

Ashlyn has a small raised bed for herself.  This year we planted zinnias in it.  It dries out really quick and so to always remember to water it is a challenge.  But the flowers are finally in bloom!!!

Mike is out of town this week and she wanted to pick some flowers for him.  She watered them in the sprinkler!  With her kitties in the back ground and the sun going down, its the perfect little world for her out there!

 

And this was us today!!!  Enjoying those pool days while the summer is still here!!!

Water ducks!!!  Shakia and Ashlyn!

It's the middle of the week and Mike will be back home by the weekend!  We miss him like crazy when he's not here with us but we've been kept busy!  It's a good chance to do some "extras" with the kids while he's not home.  It makes the time go by faster!!!

It's time to go move the sprinkler!!!  The crunchy grass would love to be watered from heaven but today, it's the sprinklers job!!!

Have a great night!