Celebrating Memorial Day and Grandma's 60th Birthday

Wow, are we really halfway into June already and almost halfway through with 2014?  And I am just now writing about Memorial Day at the end of May?  Oh well, that's life here now.  Maybe I will get caught up sometime, but to tell you the truth, being on the computer just isn't a top priority for me right now, and I have actually been using my limited computer time for another big project that has been put off for a couple of years.  I still love to get these memories documented though and prefer to do them before I forget any details.  Memorial Day is an American holiday where we recognize and honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to their country.  It honors all of our military heroes, past and present.  We definitely appreciate all they have done for us to help our country remain free and to spread that freedom around the world.  I know other countries may often view our nation as "intruding" on others' affairs, but it is hard to deny that when a nation is facing serious trouble, we are there to help!  So here is our sincerest thank you to all those men and women who sacrificed so much for our country!  We appreciate each and every one of you!

For the day, we actually just spent a nice, relaxing weekend enjoying the beautiful weather outdoors, going to the pool for the first time, and celebrating Grandma's 60th birthday.  While she isn't big on celebrations, I think she enjoyed this special time with all of her children and grandchildren.  On Saturday, the kids all enjoyed playing in the yard while Daddy cooked a very yummy feast of homemade baby back ribs on the grill.  It was our first time making these at home, but they were seriously the best we have ever eaten.  The ribs were on sale at our grocery store and were the thickest and meatiest I have ever seen.  Like seriously over an inch of meat on top!  Sorry to write so much about meat, but I promise I really didn't take many pictures of the food.  Haha!  On Sunday, we enjoyed lunch together at Mellow Mushroom and a little more time together before Grandma had to leave.  On Monday, we spent all day from about 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the pool.  We packed lunch and snacks and a ton of supplies that are necessary when taking two young children to an outdoor pool for the day.  Sunscreen was definitely a must.  Next time, we will also bring our own umbrella because when the pool is crowded like on this day, umbrellas are scarce!  Not to worry, Brody and I found a lovely shady spot for our afternoon nap.

Brody, Evan and Grady enjoyed playing together. 

Brody enjoyed sharing his pool with cousin Grady.

This cutie was a little skeptical of the cold water, but he loved the pool toys!

Taking that first cautious step into the pool.

Getting his toes wet.

But he preferred riding to swimming, and Brody didn't mind giving him a push.

And Grandma took over when Brody got tired.

Brody doesn't mind the cold water too much.  He just loves water.

He loves going down head first!

Cute little bike rider.  

I just love this picture of Grady reaching out to Brody for help getting out of the pool.  Just pure sweetness!

They are going to be best buds for sure!

Little stunt rider likes standing on the trike!

Brody just wanted to shoot someone.

Sweet Daddy makes sure we all have a yummy feast after our playtime. 

Then, we all sing happy birthday to Grandma and enjoy dessert.

Aunt Naomi's friend made a very yummy carrot cake.

Grandma had good help blowing out her candles.

What did she wish for?  Probably more time with her grandbabies.

I love this picture of the kids all hugging night night. 

I tried to get a decent picture of Grandma with her kids and grandkids together during lunch, but this was the best I could get on my camera phone.  Outdoor pictures are usually pretty good, but I can't seem to get inside pictures to focus.  It seems like about the time I get the phone's camera figured out, we upgrade to newer ones.  Haha!

This cute picture of Daddy and Brody did turn out pretty good. 

Brody enjoying his first day at the pool. 

Getting warmed up after a little swim. 

Pool snacks are a must because swimming makes them so hungry!  Brody wanted chips with his strawberries.

Evan was happy with just strawberries.

Evan preparing to take his first jump of the season off the diving board. 

I can't believe I caught him.  I forgot the camera at home and was stuck with the phone camera again. 

He jumped right back into swimming with no problems. Now, we just want him to take lessons to learn some more swim strokes and maybe diving lessons so he can join the swim team.

He does well swimming underwater. 

I love having one independent swimmer now!

Another good jump.  He gets braver the more he jumps. 

We wanted Brody to start the summer off swimming freely with just his arm floats, and he did so well. 

Daddy and his boys

Swimming like a big boy!

Big brother Evan helped show him what to do.

Mommy really got him swimming freely although he fussed a little at first.

Swimming with Mommy is fun.

He loves being "thrown" up in the air.

And coming down to make a big splash.

Mommy and her boys

After lunch, it was time for an ice cream snack.  We let the boys get ice cream from the snack stand. 

Evan loved his chocolate cone.

Yes, Brody ate the whole thing!

Messy face!

Someone's getting tired!

A 2 hour nap in the shade was a must!

So as you can see, nothing quite says summer like ice cream and naps by the pool.  We had a great start to our summer!