Amazingly Brave!

As if going off the high dive is not brave enough.  This video is right after she almost fell from 3/4 of the way up the steps.  One of the most terrifying events of my (Elise) life.  Dan thankfully didn't see it.  While I was messing with the camera I saw her starting to fall and then she caught herself on the rail and was dangling with no feet touching off to the side of the ladder.  I started running towards her and she regained her footing and marched all the way up.  I regained myself enough to video in case we could never talk her into doing it again.  She then swam to the ladder and climbed out.  We both started crying but she would have nothing to do with me.  Already my 5 year old is too cool to be comforted by her mom.  I asked her what was wrong and she said she was mad because I was running to her to help and "she did not need help".  Already she wants to be so big.  And she did go off again with her daddy standing at the bottom of the ladder holding his breath.


Brianna and high dive from Elise Deeble on Vimeo.

Bri's Splash Bash! (5th Birthday Party!)

my beautiful girl, ready for her 5th birthday party called "Bri's Splash Bash!"

Today we celebrated Bri's 5th Birthday and it was a huge hit.  But it didn't start out that way...We were worried about extreme heat but never dreamed that we would need to worry about RAIN!  Sure enough, it poured buckets just minutes before the doorbell rang.  Bri was sad but she took it like a champ.  Elise and I (daddy) were so proud of how she handled the disappointment.  So we quickly scrambled up a Plan B (or, to be exact, Elise did).  We moved everything inside and played games:  Freeze Dance, darts, charades, and the classic limbo.  It was a non-stop frenzy and then we gulped down some of the best chocolate cake this side of Butde's Mississippi Mud Pie and then - wouldn't you know it - the rain stopped and we ran outside and had an EPIC water fight.  Water balloons, guns, bazooka blasters (kind of), kiddie pools, you name it.  The drenching went on for at least a good hour.  

Showing off a gift!

Mom made a family favorite!

freeze dance!

Daddy was the happy "fall guy" for the festivities!

The girls treated these buckets like little Jacuzzi's..

Brianna,  your Mommy and Daddy love you so much and we could NOT be prouder to have you as our daughter.  Happy Birthday sweet girl.  We pray that God will continue to nurture that sparkle in you.

First 4th of July Celebration

The girls celebrated their 1st 4th of July with a late, late night of friends, fireworks, bounce houses and ice cream. Here are some of the quotes from the night:

• "This is the best day EV-VER!" - Bri
• "Can we have fireworks everyday?" - Mia
• "I wish my birthday was on the 4th of July so I could have fireworks on my birthday!"  - Bri
• "Well, I was kind of scared but not really scared."  - Hadley

I Did It!

I got my husband to eat cucumbers and raw zucchini and like it.  Butde, can you believe it?  How did I do this you might ask.  Home grown veggies and pickling.  If you love food, love to cook or just love to read about cooking and recipes (that is me) you should subscribe to Cuisine at Home:  http://www.cuisineathome.com/  


It is an Amazing Magazine and everything I have ever made out of it tastes AWESOME.   My amazing mother occasionally gets the whim to give me subscriptions.  Thank you, Mom.  Their pickling recipe is fast and delicious.  And they suggest pickling cucumbers, zucchini, squash, corn and more.  Who would have thought all five of us have loved the cucumbers and zucchini.  And on top of it they just look pretty.

On a sad note.  I lost one of my gorgeous zucchini plants to Squash vine borers.  I have done minor surgery on two others hoping to save them but I am afraid this might be the last of my zucchini.  But I am on alert to try to keep them from getting my yellow squash and cucumber.

Our Future Basketball Team

On Tuesday nights we do Home "School" Sports with the neighbors.  We first started with tennis last fall.  It was a little tennis with Coach Kurt, followed by a lot of playtime at the park.  Last month was T-Ball with Coach Josh and Assistant Coach Deeble.

Coach Josh is awesome at teaching the fundamentals and is great at running drills.  This month is basketball on the Deeble court with Coach Josh.  We missed team members Nora and Owen last week.  Wasn't the same without them.  But they should be back next week just in time to run some suicide drills.  Coach Deeble needs to *start stretching and getting ready for that one.

My Big Swimmers!!!

I am such a proud mama today.  Mia and Brianna passed the deep end test today by swimming the entire length of the pool at swimming lessons (aprox 40- 50 ft).  So they got to have free time without a bubble.  Woo Hoo.  A big goal of theirs.  So, so excited for them. Mia's first question was "can I do the climbing wall at the pool now".

Hadley, of course, is not to be outdone.  She is doing awesome and can take about 2 breaths and can float all by herself on her back.  I am going to have three little fish by the end of the summer.

Brianna's Dance Recital 2012

Brianna in her "Animal Crackers" dance recital costume.   We are so proud of you baby.  You did an amazing job.  We love how you put so much heart and animation into it.  Your sisters asked after almost every routine if you were coming up yet.  We were all so excited and couldn't have been prouder.