Friends & Fun in the Sun

I have been friends with Tammy now for about five or six years. We met scrapbooking. She started coming to a monthly get together I used to host at the church we used to go to. She worked with some of the ladies who attended & heard them talking about it one day so she asked if she could join us. Of course! The more the merrier. We sat next to each other on the first day she came & hit it off rather well. I even found out they are also a homeschooling family but her hubby is the one who stays home & teaches the kids.

In the years that we've known each other, the immediate families have never really met. Our kids have met a time or two on field trips. I have spent a night at Tammy's & met her husband & children then, but all the hubbies have never met. So we planned a get together - of course! Unfortunately, my BIL has been ill again so my sister & her family couldn't join us. She encouraged us to continue with the get together due to our crazy schedules.

The kids instantly hit it off & ran off to play. My boys were welcomed with all the new toys. They even had the train bins out for them to play with & they certainly did that!

N is working on getting a track set-up. He was quick. I think I took this in the first 15 minutes of us arriving!

J is playing with K's remote control (purple!!) car. He did great with it & loved it!

N & J boxing each other on the Wii.

Tammy & her family have a really fun gaming system (the Wii) & it was SO much fun! The kids started playing with it shortly after we arrived. The adults got to play shortly before we left. We tried tennis (way fun & the best I will ever be having never picked up a racket!) & bowling. Way too much fun!

It has been rather chilly - fall-liked even - weather-wise in Maine lately. We were actually thinking the pool party part of the party wouldn't happen as it would be too cold. We were wrong! It was a very hot & humid day. We all ended up in the pool for about an hour after lunch. I don't even think we waited the requisite 30 minutes!

You can tell Phil is married to a photo-nut/scrapbooker. While we were all in the pool (everyone was playing Marco Polo except me & J & Tammy), Phil grabbed my camera that was on the deck & snapped all of the following photos for me. I'm even in them - imagine!

Everyone - minus Phil - hanging out in the pool - some of them literally!

J is wearing a swimsuit with floatation built in that Tammy actually gave us as it was too small for her kids. What a blessing! He wasn't too sure of it, but ended up having a great time once we got in the water. He is sitting in a noodle chair while I walk around the pool with him. When I handed him off to Daddy though, he was actually swimming himself around. Got to love those dads!

My hubby - one cool dude. :-) I was certainly wishing I had my sunglasses!!!

N is also wearing a life vest that Tammy passed on to us that no longer works for her kids. A double blessing to be sure! N was not sure about this pool thing AT ALL! It took A LOT of convincing to get him in to the pool. He kept assuring me he would just stand on the stairs. Um, nope - they were not made for that & I was afraid he'd fall. I finally managed (with help from, Tammy - thanks!) to get him in the water. This is what he did for the first 20 minutes or so. Then K, Tammy's daughter, headed over & coaxed him in to another noodle chair (with some help from Tammy & Phil). That was all he needed. He was one of the last ones out of the pool & had a wonderful time.

And B had a great time as well. He & J, Tammy's son, are about the same age & always have a good time when they get together. Unfortunately, we do live about 2 hours apart so it's hard to get everyone together. He loved playing in the pool & I could see a new confidence around water since having his swimming lessons this past year.

It was definitely a really fun day. We were there for over six hours & laughed & talked the whole time. Definitely a fun filled day in the sun with friends.