Pool time....

Beth was up and at church by 8am. I got up and got dressed and when she got home, we had breakfast and read the paper. We then went outside and Beth sprayed the grass under the deck with kill. I painted one of the window wells and moved some bricks. DJ and the kids came over for a swim around 11:30am. We cooked hamburgers on the grill for lunch. We had a few sprinkles, but nothing to stop the fun. We are going to the Kutztown festival tomorrow and it should be fun.

Snorkel..

Beth was up around 6:30 am and I got up around 7:30 am. DJ, Maggie, and Payton came by around 9am to pick up the wheel barrow for some job was doing. After they left, Dawn, Jo, and Rylee came down and Beth, Dawn, and Jo went to go help a friend move and Rylee and I went to Wal-Mart. We had a great time shopping and stopped at McDonald's on the way home for lunch. We then played awhile and Rylee took a 2 hour nap. We hit the pool around 3:30pm and Beth joined us about 30 minute later. Dawn and Jo joined us about a hour later. As you can see from the pictures, Rylee learned to snorkel today and loves it. She will stay under for up to 10 minutes. Who would of thought at 3 1/2 she could be so good and not afraid. Caitlin and Chrissy joined us around 6:30 and Dawn and Jo fixed steak for dinner. What a great time we had today.

Muddy mess...

It rained really hard yesterday and did a number on the holes. The guys did a great job of cleaning them out and moving forward. We now have the support beams on the deck and boy is it going to be really big. I did make it to the gym today and it felt good. I was able to get the laundry done, clean the bathroom, and get the kitchen cleaned. We left around 4pm to go drop off the baby toys and Beth's sister-in-laws house and then went out to dinner.

Gopher holes...

We got up around 7am this morning and took showers. The guy to service the air conditior  arrived around 7:45 am. He found we had a leak in one of the pipes and fixed it. The deck guys around 8am and began digging lots of holes. I left around 10:30 pm to go pick up Kyle and go to the movies. We saw World War Z and it was a really good movie. It just reinforces my thought on zombies. I dropped Kyle off around 2:30pm and came home. We head a strange notice and saw the guys were drilling into the side of the house. Beth wen tout to talk to them as we thought we were getting a freestanding deck. After talking awhile, they quit for the day. I called John to see if we had a misunderstanding and we did. we now understand that some holes will have to be made to keep the deck from going back and forth. So after talking to him we went back outside and found another issue. The gutter downspout that was buried, was broken and if not fixed the hole would have water. So on the phone again I went. He said it would be fixed by his guys as it was just part of the job with drilling the holes that are buried, they sometimes clip them. I felt like one of those homeowner's that always complaints, but he understood and told me to call anytime. So Dawn picked up Rylee and came over for dinner of chicken, rice, and corn. It started to rain really hard and afterwards, we found an issue with the landscaping. I think it is more a gutter issues, but will have to be fixed tomorrow. It is also something.

Gym time...

Beth was up and out the door by 7am and back home by 8am. We both went to the gym for our first work out in a couple of weeks. It felt nice to be back and working again. We came home and were looking at the back when DJ called and said they locked themselves out and could be bring over a key. So we headed over them and them came back home. Beth stared working on the downstairs and I worked on the upstairs. The new glass came for the lamp post, so it got installed and looks nice. We decided to grill and boy what a difference then grill being in front of the garage makes. I can no looking just pop out an back in while grilling, but it is only for 3 weeks. We did notice that under the steps of the back door will need to be repaired before the deck building can begin. We will let John know in the morning. I expect them will begin at 8am and we were both excited for the process to begin.

Delomation day...

Beth was up and out the door by 7am. I got up and got dressed and picked up a couple things outside. The guy with the excavator was here around 8am. we walked in the backyard and I gave him a quick tour of what I thought was leaving and then John arrived and took over. So he rolled the excavator onto the deck and backed his dump truck in the yard and away he went tearing the deck apart. He had to make 3 or 4 load with all the concrete he hauled away. He pulled out all the bushes and landscape timers and pied them to the side for John's people to get rid of. He was finished around 2pm and boy does it look different. They will start the building part on Thursday.

Deck is ready....

Beth was up and out the door y 7am. She is helping Gayle with their dog this week. She was back home by 8am and I just finished my shower. We had an appointment to see Dr. Bill for much needed adjustments. We then came home and Beth began gutting the grass. I moved a plant from out back to the front and then we cleared everything off the deck. They will be here tomorrow at 8am to start ripping all the concrete out. Stay tune for more up dates.

A great day....

We were up around 8am this morning. I changed and went to the store for a few things. Beth had to clean the pool, weed whack, and mow. I came home and went downstairs to pick up the Legos on the floor and Liz, Beth's niece, came over upset. Beth came in and they talked and pretty so CJ, Beth's nephew, came over. They left around 2pm and Beth only got the backyard cut. Dawn, Jo, and Rylee came over for a swim and hotdogs on the grill for dinner. The water was really warm, 88 degrees, and was nice for swimming. We had a great day of swimming and visiting.

Outside work...

We got up around 8am this morning. I got dressed and headed to the track. I had to take DJ the chips she left here the other day and I stopped to pay the landscaping bill. They have a program where they give you Colonial bucks that can be used like money the first 2 weeks of July. So I was kidding when I asked if I go the colonial buck for the plants and sure enough I did. So we have $350 dollars to use by the middle of July. Beth had gone over to Kim and Lynne's house to water again. I started power washing the driveway to see if I could get the dirt off that the landscapers left. It is a little better than what it was, but the best I could do. we had lunch and then Beth started cleaning the right side of the garage. I planted the hen and chicks that e had before and gave some to the neighbor across the street. We are getting the glass for the light post Wednesday, sot it came be completed. I want to get a half scoop of the mulch and fix some of the oops I made when power washing the sidewalk, so that might be a project for some of the free money. I came inside and took a shower and finished putting the laundry away, and washed the sheets on the guest bed. Beth went to mass tonight and we had more leftovers for dinner. We then went to Lowe's for a few things and came home. My foot is still sore, so I will see if it is not better by next week-end, I will go have it looked at.

Payton's last day of vacation...

I got up around 7:30 am this morning and Beth was up around 8am. Payton finally got up around 8:45 am. we left to go to the 10 am showing of Monster U. It was a really good movie and Payton enjoyed it. We were going to KOP, but the traffic was backed up again because of the bridge inspection. So we headed home. We stopped by Kim and Lynne's house and watered their plant and found there was a bad accident at our exit that had traffic stopped on 422. So we took the long way around and then stopped at Friendly's or lunch. We finally got home and Payton took a nap as he was really tired. He finally got up around 4:40 and him and Beth went to swim. I fixed dinner around 6:30pm and we then took Payton home. The landscape guy came back over today to spray the weeds and grass coming up through the mulch. I would have to say I was not too impressed with the guys he used to do the work. So Payton had a great week and Beth and I are really for a kid free few days.

Payton's 4th day of vacation...

Beth and Payton were up around 7:30 am and I got to sleep until 8:15am./ I made donuts and put icing on them. Payton ate one, but did not really like them. Bath took a shower and her and Payton headed to the mall to pickup something her bought on the yard sale post. Then they went and got bird seed and came home. I took a shower, started laundry, and lean the house a little. Beth and Payton filled all the bird feeders and then they went to play mini golf. My foot was still sore, so I stayed home and did house work. The were home around 1pm and were then in the pool for about a hour and a half. They came in to inform me that they were going to the pool store. Our pool sweeper died and the manual one broke, so they needed to go look at them and see if they had any other toys. Dawn had text to say she was not going to play ball tonight and that she would pick up Rylee and come over. So I went with Beth and Payton. Payton's last words while getting into the car was that he did not need a nap. Well we were 5 minutes done the rode and he was asleep. We asked him if she wanted to go into the pool store or sleep and he said sleep. So he slept until we got home. I fixed tacos for dinner and then Rylee, Payton, Beth, and I got into the pool. The water was nice, but the air temp was kinda cold. Jo got there around 7:30pm and Dawn had to leave for an appointment. Jo told Rylee she had 5 more minutes, and Beth said Let's go to the deep end, cause mama J can't get us there. So when it was really time to get out, Rylee said "Beth to the deep end' and off they went. Payton is doing really good with going under water and is not afraid this year. So after Rylee and Jo left, I got out and took a warm shower and Beth and Payton swam until it was dark and they could see the light on at the pool. They both came in around 9:15am and both of them took a warm shower and bath. Payton was in bed and fast asleep and Beth is not far behind. t was another great day. The pictures are of our new landscaping.

Late night of racing...

Beth was up early as she had to go to Gayle and Angie's house to help with their dog. She got me up to say Payton was up. So I got up and went to the bathroom, just in time for her to tell me Payton was still sleeping. Just Great. So Payton got up around 8:30am We all had breakfast and then we did several science experiments. So some worked good, some not so good. we then went to see Epic at the movie theater 10:30 am. It was a good movie and we were back hoe around 1pm. We did a very more experiments and then Payton and Beth took a nap. We had stopped at Costco on the way home as we were having chicken nachos for dinner. I took all the white meat off the bone and shredded it and cut the tomatoes. Around 4pm, I got everyone up and we had dinner. We headed to the track around 5ish. Payton won 2nd place in his race and Kyle took 5th in his. So it was another great day and we look forward to tomorrow.

Payton's second day of vacation...

 We got up around 7 am this morning. We took showers and then got ready to leave. We headed to Adventure Aquarium in NJ. We ran into some major traffic around KOP and cause a 45 minute delay. I can finally saw I crossed the Ben Franklin Bridge. We made it to the aquarium around 11 am. We saw a lot of animals, but Payton's favorite was the sharks. We even got to pet them and you see in picture 2. We had some lunch and then finished walking around. Our last stop was the gift shop and Payton got an light up octopus and a shark. As we were leaving it was a down pour. So we made it to the car a little soaked, but on our way home. It rained  most of the way home, but was a little drizzle at home. I fixed steak for dinner and then we went done to watch an movie and had popcorn. Now it is bath time and then bed. In the last picture, you were able to walk in a tunnel with sharks swimming all around you. Payton was trying to see under the shark.

Payton's first day of vacation...

We were all up around 6:15 am this morning. Beth took a shower and I got breakfast for Payton. I then took a shower and Beth left to go to Dawn and Jo's house. They were installing a new screen door between 8 and 10 am. Payton and I played with the new Lego we got until 9:30am and then we went to the store. Beth was home around 11:45am and we had lunch. Beth went out to cut the yard and Payton and I went to get my hair cut and colored. We were back home around 3pm and Beth still had to do the back yard. She took a break and her and Payton went swimming. They were out there about 30 minutes and thunder kicked up and drop started to fall. So we covered the pool and came inside. Just as they finished dressing the sun came out. What a bummer. I fixed individual pizzas for dinner and after dinner, Payton got back in the pool for a couple hours and Beth cut the yard. So I would say the first day of vacation was a success.

Happy Father's Day...

We got up and were outside by 9am. I began digging up the old light post, re-wired the new on, and installed the new light post. After that, I had to patch all the little holes in the yard and the power washed the sidewalk. While I was doing that, Beth cleaned out one side of the garage and got rid of a lot of stuff. We will work on the other side this week-end. We finally stopped around 4:45 pm and took showers. Beth went to 6pm mass and Maggie brought Payton over around 6:15pm. It is his vacation to stay with us this week. He is so excited and has been talking about it since April. We have a lot planned and I think he will have a good time. My hands are so sore tonight as I finally got to use the power chisel on the old light post. It was fun, but my hands are paying for it. Happy Father's day to the man who has treated me as his own, Ken Ogle. I hope you had a great day and know that we love you so very much.

Travel day...

We got up around 9 am this morning. We had every intention of going out to work on the yard. I made the mistake of looking on the yard sale site and found a kitchen set for the kids and a cheap price. We got dressed and picked it up at 11 am. We then went to Lowe's to get a new window ac for the bedroom and some grass seed. We came home and saw that Dawn and Jo's development were have a yard sale, so we stopped at a couple of places.  We finally made it home and had some lunch. We took showers and decided to go look t outdoor furniture for the ne deck, which is not even built yet. We went to the Lazy boy gallery on the other side of Reading, but they do not carry the outdoor furniture. They said Sear's did, so it was off to KOP mall. As we were leaving , we saw a place that sold Adirondack chairs. We stopped to look and we will going back to get some AFTER the deck is built. We made it to Sear' and looked at what they had. They had one wet that we liked the chairs, but it only had a loveseat and not a couch. So we got the brochure they had and went to the food court to talk about it. We decided that it was a great deal and they we could live with a loveseat and we would also get the chase lounge chair, recliner, and 2 ottomans. So we went back and the 4 piece set and the recliner today, and had to order the chase and ottomans. We left there and went to Dawn and Jo's for dinner. It was a great time as Julie and Bethany were there also. So now tomorrow Beth has to clean out the garage, as we have no place to put this set for the next 5 weeks.

Landscaping done...

We both were up early this morning. Beth headed to Dawn and Jo's house around 7 am and I was off to the gym. I got home around 7:50 am and the crew was here working on the landscape out front. There were about 10 guys and 5 trucks. I talked to Eric about a few things and then came in the house. I headed up to watch Rylee and Beth came home to do some things. Rylee was up around 9 am and got her self dressed. we came down to the house. There were only 3 guys working now and only one truck. The had all the landscaping done by noon. It makes the front of the house look different. I will take pictures tomorrow as I want to get the new lamp post up first. We watched a movie and Rylee went down for a nap. I had to run to Wal-Mart for a couple things, then back home. We went to AD Moyer to order some replacement items for all the windows in the house. Rylee was up around 3 pm and she had an accident in the bed. We do not get on her about those, cause she was sleeping. But other than that, no other issues. Dawn picked her up around 5 pm and I fixed dinner. We then went to the outlet mall looking for new bras. The Champion store does not carry the ones we like, so we will have to start all over looking for new ones.

Weather not much so far...

Beth was up and at Dawn and Jo's house by 7 am. I slept until 7:30am and they got dressed and went to the gym. It was just sprinkling a little when I left, but it was really dark out. I watched the weather while I was working out and it was going to get bad soon. So I came home and Rylee was still sleeping. I took a shower and headed up there. Rylee was just getting up when I got there, so I got her dressed. She decided to wear panties and not a pull up. But then she wanted to wear leggings and a long sleeve shirt. So I said Ok, get dressed. So the rain started but only lasted an hour and was done. So Rylee changed clothes and we went to BJ's wholesale club. She was really good and we went to the potty once. We came home and had lunch. Beth went to take a nap and Rylee went down around 1:30pm. I started laundry and relaxed. Rylee was up first and was dry, so no potty in her sleep. The phone rang and the landscaper will we here again tomorrow. Yea, right. We have heard this 3 times now, so we will see. We went down to watch a movie and I fixed dinner around 5:15pm. We had chicken, rice, and green beans. Rylee had one little accident, but it was only a couple of dribbles, so are calling it a great day and she was so happy. Jo picked up Rylee around 7:30pm and we will see her again tomorrow. I picked up all the hoses out front in hope they will be here tomorrow.

Race day...

We were up and at he gym by 8:30 am this morning. Afterwards, we went to the pool store to get some part for the pool and then home. Beth mowed the backyard and I had to weed the flower beds. Beth went to pick up Jojo from school at noon and I had lunch waiting when they got home.  After lunch, Beth started mowing the front yard and Jojo and I got in the pool. It was nice and refreshing. Beth finished around 3:15 pm and had to then load up the slushy and popcorn machines and take them to the track. She was back home by 4:15 and swam with Jojo until 5:30pm when Kim came to pick her up. we had a sandwich and headed to the track. Both boys did really well tonight and both got second place in their race. It was starting to rain and we are suppose to have bad weather most of the day tomorrow. We are watching Rylee  tomorrow and Friday as she school will not be open again until Monday.

Girl's day...

Beth left with DJ around 7:45 am this morning to go to the Restaurant store. Jo dropped off Rylee around 8:30 am and Lynne dropped of Jojo around 9:45 am. Beth was home around 10am. We left and went to Best Buy, the grocery store, and Five below and were back home around 11:30. I made ham and cheese sandwiches for all and we went done to watch a movie. After the movie, Rylee went down for a nap and Beth and Jojo got in the pool. Kim came to pick up Jojo around 3 pm and Rylee got up from her nap around 5pm and got in the pool with Beth. I made sloppy joe's for dinner and Dawn came over around 6:30pm. We took ice cream cup's up to their house and ate them and visited with Dawn. We left there and went to NAMCO, the pool store going out of business, and got a fire pit for the back deck. They did send am email stating that they would start on our deck the 25th of this month. we may have the deck done before the landscape is done out front, which was to be done by the end of May.

2 kids today...

Dawn called at 7:30 am this morning and asked if we could watch Rylee. Her school had flooded and Jo took her to her mom's house and her mom had to go to work at 11 am. We said sure and got up and took showers. It had rained about an inch last night and was still raining. We picked up Rylee and came home around 11 am. We then had to leave around 11:45 am to go pick up Jojo from school. We stopped at McDonalds and got lunch. We ate it at home and then went downstairs to play. DJ and Kyle came by around 1pm and Kim came to pick up Jojo around 3pm. Dawn came to get Rylee around 5:30pm and I fixed dinner around 6pm. It rained most of the afternoon and we now have a tornado watch out. Rylee's school is closed the next 3 or 4 day as the storm drain backed up in the school. So we will have Rylee again tomorrow and will be getting Jojo around 10 am.

Pride....

We al got up around 6:45 am this morning. I took a shower and went and got donuts for breakfast. Beth hen took a shower while I got Rylee dressed. Dawn, Jo, Julie, and Bethany got to our house around 10 am and we left for Philly. We found a place to park at the end of the parade route and then walked the 12 blocks up to the start of the parade. We waited about 30 minutes for the parade to begin. Here is a picture of us waiting to get in line for the parade. It was faster pace than what I wanted, but I did a good job keeping up. The gym work really paid off. Rylee had a good time handing out beads, but we soon fell behind and she got in the stroller. We made it to the end and I was a little tired. We went to the car and dropped off our bags and then headed inside for the festivities. It was really hot by not and w all had to pee.  We found the Pot-A-Potties and then found a place to set. Beth, Rylee, and I all sat and watched the very interesting people and the rest walked around. We finally left around 3:30pm and made the long traffic filled ride home. Dawn dropped us off and we fed Buster and then headed back to their house for pizza. Beth and I left around 7pm as we had t go pickup a item we purchase off the yard sale post. So now we are home and so ready for bed. It was a really great day celebrating gay pride with our friends.

Rylee over night...

We did not get up until 9:30 am this morning, but it was really late before we went to bed. I got dressed and went outside. I had to trim the weeping cherry tree and walking stick tree. I them pulled up al the termite bate traps out front and was done with my agenda. I came in a took a shower. We then left and went to Lowe's and Wal-Mart. I hate shopping on the week-end. We came home and had some lunch. I then booked all the excursion for the cruise. Dawn and Jo brought Rylee over around 5:30 pm. We had dinner and Rylee ate 3 pieces of corn on the cob and loved it. Except it gets stuck in her teeth. She took a bath and we watched a short movie and read one book. She was out like a light. we will be getting up early tomorrow and all 5 of us will be walking in the Philly Gay Pride Parade. It should be fun.

Wine and more...

I got up at 7:30 am and got dressed for the gym. It was raining and had been most of the night. The landscape guy was suppose to come, but we knew the rain would keep him away. So I went to the gym and Beth slept in as she had a headache. Just as I left, the termite guy was just getting started, so I knew Beth would not be sleeping long. I stopped by Dunkin Donuts since it was National Doughnut day. I got home and gale was right behind me. We were going to Wine and more after Dawn got done with her appointment. So we had breakfast and I took a shower. Dawn and called to said we should go without her. she had the time wrong on her appointment and she did not want us to wait. So we left and headed to Delaware. We found the place and went inside. It was alot smaller than the one in Phoenix and did not have all the things we saw there either. But we did find plenty to buy and are going to try the other store to see if it is bigger. By now it was raining hard outside and we went to Buffalo wild wings for lunch. It was just ok and we don't have to go back. We left there for out trip home and made it around 4:30pm. I emptied the rain gauge and it had 2 and 1/2 inches of rain already and was still raining. I went to wal-mart to get some paint I needed for a project I am working on. we had leftovers for dinner as we were not all that hungry since we had a very late lunch. We went downstairs and Beth began hanging pictures and I looked at excursions for our February cruise.

Rain again...

We were up and at the gym by 8:30 am. I started laundry and Beth vacuumed when we got home. I took a shower and headed to Costco and the grocery store. Rylee wanted chicken salad, brown brans (baked beans), and red apple slices for dinner. I was pretty sure she would not eat the chicken salad cause she is not found of mayo yet, but made it anyway with some left over chicken for her just in case. Beth left with DJ and my truck to go get some trees in Delaware. Beth made it home in time to go with me to pick up Rylee. It was just starting to rain and we figured Dawn's game would be cancelled. Rylee looked very tired when we picked her up and when I read her note for the day, it said no nap. Oh boy, not a good sign. She fell asleep on the way home and Beth even got her to the couch and she was still sleeping. Dawn came by around 5:45 pm. We talked her about eating dinner or just going home for bed. Of course anyone who know her, know it is not a good thing to wake her up from a nap. So Dawn decided to just take her home and as Beth picked her up, the Screaming and crying began. We got her loaded and she never got to taste the chicken salad. But Dawn did say she was up very early this morning, so that explains her being tired. Poor baby....

Cruise time...

We were up and at the gym by 8:30 am this morning. We then headed to Beth's bank and then home. The mailman had already been here and Beth got a check she was expecting, so off to the bank she went again. She stopped by AAA to get a new Holland American Cruise book. After looking at several trip, we settled on a 21 day Western/Southern Caribbean cruise. We talked to out AAA girl and got everything set up for a Feb. 9 2014 trip. Now it is on the excursion we want to do. We had dinner and then went to Lowe's. We then set the lamp post in cement and will get it hooked up and installed tomorrow. They will be her Friday to start the landscaping. It was a very exciting day.

Cleen windows...

We were up and at the gym by 8:30 am this morning. After we got home, we both had several phone calls to make. Beth got us all set up for Disney for our Dec. trip and I had to call about the landscape. They say they are shooting for Friday, but I have that song and dance to many time to believe them right now. So Beth finished putting all the screens in and cleaned all the windows. They sure look nice, until a bird try to fly through the house. I back filled the trench along the house, just in case they come Friday and tomorrow we get the lamp post up. Well most of it. With all the crap in the garage, I tripped and broke the glass insert for the lamp post, so I spent a couple hours on the internet trying find a replacement and ordering a new one. So Beth has 2 weeks to get the garage in sharp or I will take care of it. After lunch, Beth went out to cut the lawn and I finished power washing the cedar seat by the pool. I need to sand and water poof it tomorrow. It was not bad here today, on 78 degrees today.

Baby shower...

Beth was up and at church by 8am. I was awake, but just did not want to get out of bed. I finally got up and took a shower, right before Beth got home. We had breakfast and read the paper. we left around 11:30am to go the NJ for baby Grayson's  shower. We had a hard time finding a place to park and there was no AC in the firehouse and it was 88 degrees outside. We got to hold the baby and Beth fed him around 2pm. We left around 3:15 pm and stopped at Olive Garden for dinner on the way home. We both had soup, salad, and breadsticks. We are not have rain and thunderstorms and it should cool off the next 5 day, which will be a relief.

Lots of work outside...

Beth had a hair appointment at 9:30am and was out the door by 9am. The pool guys came to check the pool and Gayle was here to pick up the car for a car show. It was a busy morning and not even 9 am. After the pools guys left I started cleaning the rest of the gutters. They were really dirt and the stuff I got really cleans them. Beth took all the screens off and cleaned the outside of the windows with some Windex stuff we got at Lowe's. It really worked good. After the gutters, I power washed the wall in front of the pool and cleaned off the chairs and tables. I then helped Beth clean all the screens. We had finished just in time for Dawn, Jo, and Rylee to arrive for a swim. The water felt so nice and refreshing. We cooked hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill and had a great time. The sun was hot and I am sure we both will have sun burns tomorrow and very tired bodies.