Summer Swimming

Since it's raining today, I guess I'll post some swimming pictures. We've had to stay closer to home this summer with 2 new businesses that need running, so we haven't had as many trips out to the beach. Instead, we've found a few favorite "beach" spots inland.

One of our favorites is out on the canal. What is it about Hood Canal?

 

And although you didn't see any "swimming" pictures, there was indeed swimming. I just couldn't move from my spot because I was nursing a sprained ankle. Another story, another time.\

Another favorite spot is right by our house. Let me rephrase that. It's a favorite spot of the kids'. Black Lake has a public swimming dock that I personally don't like going to. It is too small of a park and everyone under the sun that doesn't live on the lake goes there. Brendan and Wyatt have been begging and begging and I keep putting them off. Well, one boring Saturday we woke to cooler temps and gray skies, relatively late in the summer and Rand just happened to be home. I seized the moment and took a gamble that not too many people would be there. I was right! We had the place to ourselves! My introvert self prefers it that way!

 

Easton getting brave! (he doesn't remember his Phoenix swimming pool days)

 

These guys remember. Born to swim!

 

Just us

Summer Has Arrived

The weather has switched (I'm pretty sure). No more lovely 75 degree days and 50 degree nights. No more sleeping with the windows open bringing in a lovely cool breeze. No more air conditioning free days (or nights). No more long sleeves, even at midnight. No more cooking, inside or out. :)  *sigh*

BUT, there is A LOT of swimming. There are tank tops and summer dresses and letting wet hair dry all crazy. There is lots of playing on the grass in the dark and soon there will even be midnight swimming. There are consistent hot days and warm nights. I'm already counting down the days until monsoon season and hoping for a lot of great summer storms...it's the only thing that breaks up those crazy hot afternoons. Last year, monsoon season was totally lame. Hoping for better this year!

I'm just trying to come to terms with it all. It is summer. And summer here is nothing short of a scorcher. It is HOT. Dry, but hot.

I really, really love my pool!

First Swim 2011

I don't know why I always think it is so important to capture the "first swim" in photos, but yesterday when the boys suggested they jump in the pool I yelled, "Wait! I have to take pictures!" Then I went back over the past blogged years and looked at the previous swims.

There was a January swim in 2008.

First swim in our yard in March 2008.

Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean in May 2009.

Back to Phoenix swimming in February 2010.

And yesterday was the boys' 2011 first swim of the year...in our new house!
It was getting close to 80 degrees yesterday and the air was warm enough for sure, but the pool. is. freezing! After a lot of screaming, they got numb and swam a couple times yesterday. It's just the beginning! Let the swimming begin! Oh, and Easton got in too. I had to hold him from the edge and he could hardly breathe, but everytime I pulled him out he just flung his body back over the edge. He is so one of them. I have a feeling I will be joining them in the pool long before I think it is warm enough!

 

 

Just Like Fish

These two love swimming! This year at the lake was a big one! They both tried water skiing (post to come) and they passed the "swim test" which is to swim out to the buoy and back without a life jacket. This grants them permission to be on the dock without their life jackets. Lake swimming is a whole other ball of wax compared to pool swimming. There are waves, docks, boats, etc. They look so little in it!
So this year, most of the trip, the kiddos were swimming without flotation devices. Sometimes there was even spur of the moment swims in their shorts!

Super High for Super Wy

...and Super Brendan.
This is what the boys have been doing after dinner the last few days.