June Recap

Just a picture post tonight of some my favorite snapshots from June...

It's no surprise that we've spent a ton of time outside this month. Playing, swimming, snacking and just hanging out!

We discovered that Ross can stay afloat with swimmies on, which is making our pool days so much easier. Not easy though is deciding which one gets to wear the orange ones. The other blue monkey ones we have just won't do. They both want the orange ones and I can't find an identical pair anywhere! Bridget has her first swim lesson later this week, so hopefully she won't be wearing them for much longer anyway!

Old, stretchy t-shirts are my new favorite PJ's for the kids!

Every morning, usually just as I'm pouring my coffee I hear a, "Boo!" from the top of the stairs. Good morning, B!

Father's Day Love!

Sweetest faces I know...and I really need these pictures as a reminder tonight of just how sweet they are. It's been a loooooong day!

Being silly!

Had a great outing at the park yesterday with friends. Didn't think we'd last long with the heat and I thought for sure Ross would either eat or throw the pebbles in this giant digging pit. I was proved wrong. It was a great morning and I loved seeing Ross run around with the big kids for the first time. He did eat a few pebbles, but for the most part he was perfect!

Another game of hide and seek...

This might be my favorite picture I've taken in awhile. I know you can't even see their faces, but this really says it all...a sister and a brother growing up together, playing together, hiding from mommy together!

Little Plans, Big Fun

Swimming in the pool everyday, even if it's only for an hour or so, is wiping the kids out. Late afternoon naps are becoming longer and longer and many evenings I am waking them up just before dinnertime. Later naps, later bedtimes...but that's what summer is all about!

Last Thursday both kids were konked out all afternoon. Todd had a business dinner that night and wouldn't be home until late. At 5:00 Ross had just woken up and Bridget was still sound asleep. I didn't feel like making dinner for just the 3 of us and with them napping so late I'd knew they'd be up late. A little trip out seemed more than appropriate! Bridget was thrilled when I woke her up from her nap and told her we were going to McDonald's for dinner and then to the park!

I guess not everything from the past is long forgotten because a trip to McDonald's is still just as exciting as I remember it being as a kid. She was talking notstop about the McNuggets, the chocolate milk, her little ketchup cup and the toy she would get in her happy meal. I know some people would rather croak than feed their kids fast food, but I'm okay with it. Every once in awhile a surprise fast food meal is just what you need. And...it was GOOD!

Mmm, mmm, good!

Just a few pictures from the park and mostly of Ross since I can't over the fact that he is FINALLY walking! The heat at 7:00 at night was only slightly more bearable than the middle of the day heat. We weren't there long...

Where is my baby and who is this little boy??

It makes me happy to know that a little trip to McDonald's can mean so much to the kids. It was fun and yummy and for all of us!

Last Day, First Dip

It couldn't have been more fitting that on Bridget's last day of school our pool was ready for swimming! Last Thursday we celebrated both events and officially got our summer off to a great start!

What I can say about Bridget's first year of preschool? It was simply perfect from all aspects...amazing school, wonderful teachers and the sweetest group of classmates for Bridget. We cannot wait to spend the next couple of years being a part of the school! I couldn't help but shed a few tears saying goodbye to Bridget's teacher, Mrs. Wolff. What a job she had and what a great job she did. In the beginning of the year, Bridget had some tearful mornings and it wasn't easy leaving her. Mrs. Wolff made it easier and I never worried that Bridget wasn't getting the love and attention she needed even when it wasn't coming from me. Bridget just loved her and we will miss her!

Some Last Day Pictures...

Which look a lot like our First Day Pictures...

She was also happy to be sporting her first braid! (Mommy can't french braid, so a pony braid is as fancy as it's going to get!)

Bridget & Sydney...My sister and Sydney's mommy are childhood friends. Another reason why I love living where I grew up-old friends are everywhere!

Bridget & Mrs. Wolff

Gal Pals-Gracie, Bridget, Zoe & Sydney!

And now for that first dip...it was literally just a dip on Thursday evening after dinner, but it was so exciting!

By the weekend we were swimming morning, noon and night. Bathing suits, towels, pool toys and sunscreen and now scattered all over the house. Not only is the pool so great, but the lanai area as well. Even when we're not swimming we have plenty of room outside to hang out and play. I think that we all love the extra outdoor space just as much as the pool! Bridget instantly got braver while swimming in her own pool than she ever has been in the past. She's getting used to getting her face wet and jumping in from the side. We'll be starting swim lessons in a couple of weeks and we hope she'll be swimming on her own very soon.

Ross is handful in the water, plain and simple. I don't even know what else to say about it. Just a handful...

Summer Fun Bucket!

Gotta lather up!

Oh Ross...

All Together Now

Last weekend the whole family was together for my little brother's high school graduation. Drew is the baby of the family and the only boy...let me tell ya, he's got it good! We love teasing Drew for many reasons, but mostly because that's just what big sisters do! I was 13 when Drew was born so I remember him being a baby, a toddler, a big boy and now he's all grown up. One of the first times Todd came to my house to pick me up when we first met, he pulled up and a 7 year old blond kid was staked out behind a tree ready to hurl a football at him. My how Drewy has grown...

Drew will be attending Todd's alma mater, FGCU, next fall which means we'll practically be neighbors! We hope to see lots of him for dinner, swimming and maybe even a little babysitting! And if nothing else, I know he'll show up at least every couple of weeks so I can do his laundry...but I'll warn him now-Mom is WAY better at doing laundry than I am!

The Garner Kids, all grown up!

Neither kid could get enough of Jody, although you probably can't tell from Bridget's scary face in this picture....

We got to meet Caroline's boyfriend, Nick, for the first time too. As if a "friendly" game Catchphrase with the Garner family wasn't enough for him, now he's being exploited on my blog. It's only because we REALLY like him:)

Kisses for Caroline

We were sad to see the weekend end, but ready to start a new and exciting week...The Johnston Family pool is almost open for business!

Just Getting Started

Summer has officially been kicked off with the long Memorial Day weekend. We dabbled in a few fun summer things to give us just a taste of the next few months. We can no doubt enjoy summer things just about all year long down here in Florida, but some are just way more fun to do from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

My Aunt Dodie came down from Indiana for the long weekend and I think we all felt like we were on vacation with her as we spent days by the pool, eating out at fun restaurants and enjoying seconds...and maybe thirds...of our favorite cocktails! We missed her boys on this trip, but we will be up in their neck of the woods later this summer to see them all!

Bridget was way into this photo op..."One more!" she kept yelling out!

Dodie and Mom

Love this restaurant, The Fish House in Bonita Springs...Thanks Nicole for introducing it to us a couple of year ago!

Our new pool is not ready yet, but it's getting oh-so close! We'll be swimming by next weekend and we can't wait! Until then, it's the Bella Terra pool which isn't too shabby! We went up there on Monday for their annual Memorial Day BBQ. Swimming, burgers and dogs, a DJ and hula hooping contest which Little Miss B just had to be a part of!

Our pool!

The fine art of eating a Cheetoh...sucking all the "cheese" off.

Hope this video of Bridget in the hula hooping contest works! She was adorable and held her own considering she was by far the youngest hula hooper!

Looking forward to the next few months of summer fun!