::water babies::

These kids love to swim.  

This year we have been lucky enough that Auntie Rachel and Uncle Jake bought a great place near us that happens to have a pool for us to play in.  We have used the hell out of our invite to swim.    

::work, onions, lake, thrift shop, back to school, spay, weekday dates, emma::

Work... I could go on and on about work.  Honestly, I try hard to not talk about it as much as I really want to.  I don't want to wear people out with my joy.  I LOVE my job.  It's so amazing.  It's spiritually fulfilling.  It's hard and stressful, but it's the greatest.  I get to preach the gospel of helping pregnant opioid addicts in a holistic way.  Really, ask me about this job... I will not stop till you scream, "Enough".  I'll write a full update soon, but one of the things I didn't know was going to be part of my work was all the meetings.  At first I thought that they might be mindless and boring.  But, I only go to the ones that I want to go to.  If it doesn't appeal to me, I don't go.  Recently, the whole group and some of our friends from our sister hospitals went to leadership meeting and we presented on our program.  We've done this before, but this one felt big because I was going back the city hospital I started my nursing career at.  I love getting to share my passion about our program.  I feel like such a grown up.  I feel like everything in my personal and professional life has come together to put me in the right state of mind to get to be my best self in the job.  I'm so blessed to get to be paid to love other people as hard as I can, and I get all the support and resources I need to make it happen.  One last thing about work, I just got hired to come and present in Disney World at a conference!  Paid and all expenses paid to go to Disney!!!  Happening!  I'll be speaking about making emotional connections with opioid addicts.  I'm so excited.     

While making dinner the other night Josh felt that he couldn't take the stinging eyes anymore and he put on Lily's pink swim goggles.  He's still hot even with his bad accessory choices.  

Emma and I have discovered a new kind of favorite pen and we are obsessed.  She was annoyed that I found a bigger pack for me than she has.  Of course I ordered her the matching set to mine.  

Emma is going to be living with us the semester.  We needed to find a desk for her bedroom (which was Quinn's, the boys are now bunking together).  Of course we went right to my favorite thrift store.  I found this lovely tape.  

The boys bought these helmets to use on their go-cart.  

Lily started out her record collection.  

I love the way Emma did up her room.  I'm so glad to have her home for the semester.  

We went to visit my parents at their lake house.  We don't get to go enough and I was glade to sneak in a trip before school started.  

Lily and my mother had some good swim time.  

This lovely Lily started highschool.  My freshman daughter is 5ft 8in.  She made varsity choir.  She's friendly and lovely and everything I ever hoped for.  I just adore her.  

These rotten babies got on their new shoes and started first and fifth grade.  Just for the record they weigh exactly the same amount.  They are feral, fun, inventive, and a true joy to my heart.  

We got to get back to date day!  Our schedules works that we get one day off a week together while the kids are at school.  I love those days!  We try hard to not make them work days, and this week was for sure not a work day.  I got out my little antique book and we went on an adventure.  

I found this wonderful huge folkart painting that was painted on plywood.  It's got some pretty rough edges and has not been stored well, but I feel that adds to the charm.  I was hard to get out of the shop and I talked the seller down on the price.  It's perfect and I adore it.  Please note too, that I have lost over 30 pounds in the last few months.  I've been working hard and eating right.  It's been a wonderful journey.  

Rough edges add character.   

Josh got it hung up on the wall today.  The more I look at it the more I love it.  It's a family of six too, which makes me feel even more bonded.  

This little pretty girl had to come home with me too.  

Poor little Poppy got spayed this week.  She had a nice big puke in my care after I picked her up and has been looking pretty high for the last 24 hours.  She's starting to perk back up again.  

I don't know how I got so lucky but this year I had several different people give me seeds.  In all my years of gardening I tried seed starting my very first year and they all died.  I start seeds directly in the soil for certain plants but seed starting is not my gig.  But with all these little seeds, I am going to give it another try next year.  

::guinea pigs can swim::

NO GUINEA PIGS WERE HARMED!!!

We have been letting the pigs out in a pen in the shady spots of the yard to graze.  They love it.  Today we where letting the baby ducks swim in a tote of water and one of the boys was playing near by with the pigs.  We had seen a video years ago about swimming guinea pigs, and they asked me if they could let the pigs try to swim.  I very carefully held my hands around the pigs and let them try one at a time.  I was so careful with them.  You know I love these little guys and would not hurt them.  They swam like them were pros!  Later that same day we decided to let them try again in the tub.  

I promise we will not make them do this very often, but it was just so fun and cute. 

::family vacation to Asheville::

We rounded up the crew and headed out for a big family vacation, first we had to drop off this rotten little dog at dog camp.  She was less than pleased.  

Lily played many songs on the way there and even learned some new ones.  Mr Q tried hard to pick up some cords.  

As usually we had to make a stop at the closeest area Bass Pro Shop.  

Lily got the bum end of the deal and ended up on a mattress in the living room.  

Always love hanging out with Sheila and Jay, my inlaws.  

Neither boy is looking at the camera, but this is still a win.  

Family camera selfie.  

Tour of the Biltmore was awesome.  The indoor pool was amazing.  

The gardens were so fun.  

Look at that little Lily, taller than her mom and Aunties.  

I found the book I should have written.  

And Josh got a handmade axe that has started a new landslide of axe collecting.  What can I say?  The man has some weird hobbies.  

Please note that my boys are flashing hand signs.  What is wrong with them?  So cute.  

Here we are on top of Chimney Rock.  See the lake in the background?  That is were they filmed Dirty Dancing!  We did not try "the lift".