Looks like a pool!

Today was gunite day. That's the concrete shell of the pool and they spray it on with a hose. It was again, fascinating to watch, and it really looks like a pool now! They actually create the steps out of the gunite by molding them to the right shape. It took them about 7 hours to do the whole pool and it looks awesome. I have to spray it down with a hose three times a day for 7 days I think to help it cure properly. Anyway, once it's dry it's hard as a rock and you can even skateboard in it. Hmmmm..... I think I know what James and Jackson might be doing next week! Next up will be the tile work around the water line and all the rock work, including the waterfall. I can't wait!! Notice the first step down into the pool in this picture. The guy standing in the pool "created" it with his hands! Amazing!

Doesn't it look awesome? It really looks like a real pool and everything! :-)

Steel

That's the next step in the pool building process, steel. I am becoming quite educated with this whole pool thing, learning great new words and phrases like, steel schedule, gunite, and bond beam. I don't necessarily know what they mean, but I pretend I do! So the steel, that's where they climb into the big, muddy hole they dug a few days ago and place a bunch of re- bar (I think that what it is?) to make a grid like thing. It's pretty cool looking and fun to watch them hang from the side of the pool in the deep end trying to twist this stuff together without falling in! I found myself staring at them working again, and taking probably way too many pictures, but hey - when am I going to build another pool? Really? So, I figure what better way to put those pictures and hours of gawking to good use then to blog them for all to enjoy! Well, here you go - ENJOY!

Notice the big mud pit here in the deep end. They had to vacuum it out and then pour some concrete powder over it to soak up the water.

See the guy on the little ladder? He was quite talented at pulling that ladder around the side of the pool with his legs. The only time I saw him actually go down the ladder was when he was done!

Miss. Mischief!

That would be Miss. Hailey's new name. I caught her in my bathroom the other day, the contents of the cupboard spread out on the floor, and the majority of a tube of lotion on her face and hands! When I came in and found her she had the biggest smile you've ever seen plastered on her face, behind all the lotion! Of course the tears started falling when she tried to wipe it away, fast, and got it in her eyes! I got her cleaned up, but not before I took some pictures of her accomplishment! (I took them BEFORE the lotion got in her eyes, so don't go thinking I'm a horrible Mom and all!) Hope you get a good laugh out of it, I know I did!

Kid Pic's...

I took the kids to the park the other day and brought along my digital camera and thought I 'd play around with some of the settings. They turned out pretty neat, for a first time effort, I think anyway. It sure helps to have such cute kids to photograph, though! What? I'm not biased or anything. I'm speaking from a photographers point of view and what they... blah, blah, blah - yep, I'm biased!
Ry-guy being, well, Ry-guy!

Jackson was actually in motion in this pic, jumping from the swing!

Probably my favorite new pic of Hailey. It is SO her!

Okay so this one's not from the park, but it's pretty cool, don't you think?

I love my in-laws!

Yep, you heard me right, I love 'em! James' parents were here for a short visit last week and it was so fun just hanging out with them, staying up late with them, and playing games with them! We enjoyed good food together, watched a good movie, and got to go to our new Church building, the first time for all of us, with them. We also got to play some of our favorite games with them, although since we won most of them, they may not play with us again! Just kidding! I'm so blessed to have such wonderful in-laws and the kids just love playing with them. The day they left Hailey was walking around the house saying "Bappy", which I think is her word for Grammy or Grampy, and looking all sad! They also got to see our pool dug and we can't wait to have them come visit again and go for a swim! Thanks, Mom and Dad, for a great visit, we love you!

Playing at the park.

Late night game playing!

Grammy showed Hailey a toy from her Grandma. Hailey loved it!

CANNON BALL!!

Our pool has officially been started! It's so exciting to watch the whole process unfold before my eyes, I probably sound like a dork, but I could sit and watch them work all day! It's amazing to me how an outline spray painted on the ground can turn into a huge, yet still the same shape, hole. How do they do it?!? Anyway, I thought I'd share my experiences with a few pic's, and of course when it's all done you better believe we'll be having a big pool party and everyone can run and do cannon balls into the deep end! Yipppeee!

This first picture is the outline, the shallow end is front and center and the deep end is back and to the right.

This is a little better perspective of the whole thing. Where the guy is standing is where a large rock waterfall will be, back and to the right is the deep end - 8 feet, and right up front is going to be an 18 inch Carribean shelf which then transitions to 3 ft and on.




This last picture was taken from our upstairs bathroom window, so there's a glare. It shows how big and how deep this thing is!

Mini-Break!

Last week I got to go on a little mini-break up to Washington to visit my family and friends! It was completely James' idea and I am soooo lucky to have such a wonderful, thoughtful husband! Thanks, Mr.! I started out at my Mom's house, which is the picture with the snow! I was treated to freezing cold weather and snow almost everyday I was there! My Mom and I spent most of our time going through all of our old photos from my childhood and hers too! It was so much fun laughing and spending time with my Mom. We actually got through most of the pictures, too! We did take some time out for a movie and got to have dinner with some of my Mom's friends, too. It was a great visit! I also got to see my Dad, brother, and his family. I met my nephew, Duncan, for the first time and he is just adorable! He and his sister, Lorelei were so much fun and I'm so glad I got to see them. We had a yummy dinner at my Dad's house and got to catch up with each other.
I managed to squeeze in some time with friends, too, and I'm so glad I did! I got to have dinner with 7 of my old friends, most from high school, and meet one new friend. We had a blast catching up with each other and being nice and loud for the whole resturant to hear! The new friend I met was my friend Marie's boyfriend, Steve! It just happened to be Marie's birthday the night we went out, so we celebrated with cake and candles! I think that everyone in the resturant knew it was Marie's birthday AND how old she is!! Thanks to all my friends for making it out to see me!
Lastly, I got to spend some time with my dear, wonderful friends Renee, Stefanie, and Nick for the first time in about 4 years! I love these dear people and am so happy I got to see them and talk to them, but sad it had been so long and sad that our time was so short! I got to see Renee's children, whom I remember as babies, now teenagers or close to it! And I got to meet Stefanie and Nick's kids for the first time! They are adorable, just like their parents! Thank you for taking the time to see me. I just regret that I didn't get any pictures!!! Next time! Thanks to everyone for making it a great little break for me! I love you all!

Sickies!

We've been hit with a case of the "sickies" the past few weeks and I'm tired of it! I started out the year with a bad case of strep throat and I'll find out tomorrow if I indeed have it AGAIN! James, Jackson, Ryan and Hailey have all had fevers, coughs and or runny noses throughout the past two weeks also. I am done with being sick or my family being sick. Please pray for us, if you think of it, that we would all be healed from whatever it is that's got us down. I can't wait to get past all this and actually start thinking ahead and planning my days and enjoying my life again! Thanks for listening to me complain!