Family Fun

My sister Lindy and her kids, Natalie and Jeffrey, came to visit a few weeks ago.  It was such a nice week for all of us, except when the boredom of shopping set in and Jeff missed his video games. 

Lindy has been asking for family photos for YEARS.  We’ve been willing but it’s never worked out.  We either ran out of time or it was a bad hair day or half the family was doing something else or… or… or…. well this time Dean (her husband) was missing but we were going to get some photos before another decade passed us by.  We took some at my mom’s house and some out and about.  We have so many photos this will have to span a few posts.  Here are a few favorites at mom’s house that we forced them into just in case they found a laundry list of excuses not to do any during their visit.  I’m so glad that’s not the case but also glad we got these as well.

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Jeff is a funny kid.  He loves to wear long sleeves in the summer and shorts in the winter.  It makes my sister crazy.  Well, he also loves this hat, which makes me crazy.  I can’t imagine how hot it is under there, especially with our 90 degree+ weather but he never wanted to part with it.  We shot him in it because it is very Jeff but not really my cup of tea.

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Growing up at home we always had pool parties.  Labor day, St. Paddy’s Day, your birthday, it was always a pool party.  Even now that no one lives at home and home isn’t where it used to be we still manage to end up in the pool, for every occasion. 

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Kate sporting her sunscreen mohawk…

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The one person not interested in a pool party was Julia.  There was a big misunderstanding and we accidentally left her at my parents’ house when we left for the pool.  Keep in mind it’s like a 3 minute walk but her feelings were hurt and she was not going to go swimming…. or so she thought.  She was being super stubborn and showed up at the pool in her clothes.  That didn’t matter to Scott.  She was going in, even if he had to put her there – and he did.

Here’s Julia flying into the pool with a death grip on the patio chair.  I love that you can see Scott’s accomplished hand in the corner of the photo and Nikki laughing hysterically in the pool.

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Poor Julia.  She got out of the pool and sat back on the patio furniture.  That wasn’t going to work for Scott.  Back in they went.  Both of them.

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If I remember correctly, she eventually gave in and stayed in the pool.  It beat getting tossed in every time she left.

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And then the boys flipped.  Scott taught Jeff how to flip into the pool.  Lindy was so nervous she couldn’t watch. 

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Jeff always went in sideways holding his nose.  Maybe that’s what threw off his center of gravity.

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Walter and I forgot our suits so we just watched from the sidelines.

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Unfortunately we also forgot Noah’s suit.  He still wanted to go in so I put him in a swim diaper and deemed it good enough.  Walter wanted to die.  Not because Noah went swimming in only a swim diaper but because of the actual swim diaper.  When Noah was Kate’s age I found a gigantic pack of them at Costco.  It was my second time ever purchasing them.  I didn’t know they came in different styles.  Well, I bought Little Mermaid swim diapers because of it.  Pink Little Mermaid swim diapers.  I told Walter to stop freaking out because the diapers go under the bathing suit and no one would ever see it.  Ever.

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Well at least Kate has a million more to go through because it will have to be over Walter’s dead body that the boy ever don the girly swim diapers again.  Maybe that’s why Noah has perfected potty training.  Oh, his poor future therapy bill.

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More flipping…

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We had a blast that afternoon and will always laugh at everything that happened and went wrong.  It’s memories like these that sustain us until the next visit.  I miss my sister and her family so much.  Someday I hope we’ll all be closer.  More from the trip next time…

2 Responses to “Family Fun”

  1. Lindy Says:

    I love the pics. The top two are some of my faves. I love, love, love the one of Natalie at the end! It makes me smile! :o )

  2. lauren Says:

    Awww, such beautiful pictures! I cant believe how big Noah is getting!

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