Orange Beach

We went on our annual trip to Orange Beach with Papa Doc, K'K', Uncle Brad, and his family last weekend!  Every year we have so much fun playing on the beach, swimming in the pool, and crabbing.  This year also included a dolphin tour in the swamp for most of our group (I stayed at condo with a napping Janey).  Mary Varner was so excited about the dolphin tour because it was her first time on a boat, and she was hoping to see a gator(she watches crocodile hunter every morning before breakfast now).  She did not see any gators, but Jim saw a water moccasin and MV got a turn at driving the boat!!  She told Jim and Papa Doc on the way back that "this might just be the best day I have ever had."   We love being with our family, and making sweet memories that will last a lifetime!!

Upon arrival MV, Allie, and Janey are excited to be together

Everyone is working to dig a big hole

Janey is going to dig her own hole

MV and Janey love Papa Doc

Janey mid- jump and Allie waiting to catch her

Jim and MV playing with the rocket toy

 a picture under the waterfall

Uncle Brad and Hayden goofing around in the pool

Uncle Brad and his little girl

MV riding on the boat for the dolphin tour

Papa Doc and Allie on the Dolphin Tour

Dolphins everywhere

Addie's turn to drive the boat

Captain Hayden

MV is very serious as she takes a turn at driving the boat

Huntsville

The girls and I went to Huntsville to visit our close friends the Meisenheimer's.  We followed them back to Huntsville after their visit with family over the 4th of July in Niceville.  One day we drove up to Chattanooga(about an hour away) to go the the amazing Children's museum.  We spent the entire day there, and still did not do everything in the museum.  We had a great time on our trip, and hope to go back again in the future! These are pictures that I took at the museum, and I hope to get copies of the rest of the pictures from Aja soon!

Janey and Chase playing on the glowing lego table

Janey and Madison checking people in at the doctor's office

Mary Varner was super interested in the electricity exhibit

"Digging" for  bones

Busy building

Mary Varner and Madison are all smiles in front of the honey bees



Group picture under the Dinosaur skeleton



Goal

Mary Varner got her first goal in soccer during her last game on July 14.  She was about half court when she kicked it hard, and straight past many players and the goal keeper.  She was so excited (and surprised) that she went to sidelines and gave Jim a high five, and then turned around and gave me this big grin!! We were so glad that she was finally able to get the goal that she had prayed so hard to make!! 





3 year pics

I finally received my picture disc with Janey's 3 year pictures.  A photographer friend took these back in May, but she moved soon after (military) so it took a while for her to get them finished.  She just gave me a really great deal on  the disc so that I can get as many and any size we (or anyone else) would like.  These are the ones I picked from numerous shots(Janey was easily distracted that day) to go on the disc.  Of course, we had to also get a sister picture of both girls too!  I think that overall they turned out beautiful!!

 

Fans

Grandaddy and Nana came last weekend to see one of Mary Varner's soccer games.  She was very proud to have them in the stands.  She would look at them every time she did something to see if they saw her.  She prays every Friday night that she will get a goal at the game the next morning. She has gotten very close a few times, but has not gotten one passed the goal keeper.  Grandaddy asked her if she liked soccer or ballet better, and she said ballet.  She has two more games left of soccer, and has enjoyed playing this summer.



Swim Lessons- Week Two

The girls finished up their swim lessons last week. I was very impressed with all they learned, and am certain to say that they both can swim.  Of course, Janey can only swim a very short distance,jump in and turn around to grab the wall.  This is the most important technique that the swim coaches teach the students because it trains them to turn and grab the wall if they accidently fell into a swimming pool.  Mary Varner really took off with her swimming this year, and loved every minute of lessons.  She wants to finish the shark level in swimming (6-8 yrs old), and then she says she wants to try out for the Jr. Lifeguard team when she turns 9.



Janey finally giving me a smile




Janey swimming to the wall after jumping off the platform




Janey jumping through the hoola hoop




Janey and Coach Mary




These are a couple of videos from the relay that MV's group did on the last day of lessons. She is the one right in the middle of the screen.  Sorry for me yelling, but they asked the parents to cheer each student on.



As you see in this one, she is tagged late by her team mate and as soon as she jumps in I start cheering her on.  She actually caught up to some of the others that were ahead of her.  They are doing the butterfly stroke in this relay



I was impressed with MV's form while doing flips off the floating platform




We all love Coach Mary





Friends???

Janey has really started liking Oscar in the last few weeks.  She wants to go outside with him, and even will bring him in the house for a little "bisit"(visit) at least once a day!  I took these pictures the other day while she was running him around on a leash in the backyard.   When he gets excited and starts jumping around then she will get upset and not want to be around him.  I am just thankful that she is adjusting (finally) to him being with her!!



Swim Lessons

Mary Varner and Janey started swim lessons last week!  This is Janey's first real deal lessons without me in the pool with her.  She screamed the entire first day, but each day after has gotten much better.  She still cries right when I drop her off (I have to watch from the observation deck), but it is not screaming and she stops after about 10 minutes.  She is doing really good with her techniques, and especially enjoys the floating on the back part. 





Waiting her turn



Floating on her back

Coach Mary is about to let go and Janey can swim to the steps

Mary Varner is in the sharks group (6-8 year olds) this year. She knows how to swim , but still needed to polish up on some techniques and build endurance in the water.  Her class is very entertaining to watch because they do lots of different relay type activities.  It is more like a swim team atmosphere than swim lessons.  She is having a blast!!

Mary Varner, (second child closes to us),  the youngest in her group, is hanging right in there with the rest of the kids during the relay

Trying to dive through the hoop

MV is the one going towards the coach in the middle of the pool....they swam all the way to the other side of the pool where they would tag another child.  She did this over and over without any assistance!!

35

My 35th birthday was on Tuesday. The girls started swim lessons this week in Destin so Jim and I decided to meet up after their swim lessons to go out for a birthday lunch.  That evening, Jim and the girls gave me some flowers,cards, and a new pair of  polarized sunglasses!  It was a great birthday!!

The only candle we had was a three so we used it to represent thirty something!

My new sunglasses

My pretty flowers from my sweet girls