Awesome*

Guess who can now reach the cereal shelf in the pantry??
*At the office Christmas party, Dave's boss told me that whenever he hears Dave say "awesome," it's the equivalent of someone else in the office saying a four-letter word. So imagine this post with a good dose of sarcasm.

Friends of Scouting Fundraiser

Among the things Dave has in common with his boss is a love of fishing and the fact that they are both Eagle Scouts. Because of this distinction, Dave has been invited to the big Friends of Scouting fundraiser held in Dallas every year. Dave feels lucky to be invited (the price of a table is significantly out of our price range, though we do make a contribution). The guest list if often distinguished. This year he was able to see George W. Bush (see the screen in the right-hand part of the picture):

President Bush introduced the keynote speaker, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (again, see the screen on the right of the picture):

Gates shared a nice story about how, though he was often in the public eye and surrounded by security, he could go camping with his son to fulfill scouting requirements and thus be a little more "normal." A nice event to fundraise and commemorate a program we believe in.

Summer Flashback: Cousins at Breakfast

This picture cracks me up!

Summer Flashback: Sunset Park

When my siblings and I were little, we loved going to visit our grandparents because they had such fun playgrounds in their community. When we visited Chicago last August, we made sure to bring our kids to Sunset Park, a favorite stomping ground in the '80s.


Emma waves from the top of the rocket.

I love Madeline's expression as Papa helps her down the roller slide.

Whoosh!

Cousin Jordan.

Emma swings with Aunt Brittany.

Summer Flashback: Hanging with Papa

Sometimes playing with Papa is so tiring that you just have to snuggle...

Our Big Backyard

I know I shouldn't brag, but our back yard is pretty big by suburban Texas standards. And we've been hard at work improving it over the last few weekends. Let me show you the different areas:

The Orchard: We have a peach, plum, pear, and pecan tree. We also have two apple trees that are not pictured because they are on the side of the house. The trees look pretty bare at this distance, but they are starting to bud and I even spotted a couple of flowers on the peach tree.


Yesterday I showed you the garden:


This past weekend we added our newest addition, a swing set:




Of course, it's quite a big hit already.

And last but not least, the pool and spa:

What?? You don't see it???? Well, give us another 5 years. Or 20. Probably closer to 20. :)