Back to School

I am ready for the school year to begin.  All was accomplished during the summer that needed to be done.  So with a weekend open with not much to do in the scorching humid heat, Clif and I decided to tackle a Peek Season Puzzle.  These are challenging as the colors are so similar, but we finished it in just 4 days.



I was excited that I had work everyday this week, Pre-K kids Mo-We and 2nd graders Th/Fr.  It's great to be able to dive right in the first week of school.  The honeymoon period for the students is still in session!   Now I have to adjust to my school schedule because I no longer have the luxury of doing housework during the in-between times throughout the day.  Not only that, visitations and chatting with friends are adjusted to accommodate our work schedules.

Thursday night was a busy night for us.  Stephen decided to come to visit as well as Valerie and Chloe.  I seized the moment to get a picture of Uncle Stephen with his niece as that has yet to be done.



I don't know about you, but I see a striking family resemblance.   As a matter of fact, when Valerie and I took out Stephen's 3 month baby picture, Chloe looks like him!



Then of course Grandpa had to have his turn.



And Grandma gets her when she's all worn out.



 She took a short fiesta while we played Thurns and Taxis.



Just an added picture on her "3 month" birthday, Aug 14.  Valerie brought her over so we could lavish her with hugs and kisses. :)

Family Time

Many of you have been wondering when I will post more pictures of Chloe.  Surprise!  Here are a few.

Today I was pleasantly surprised that Michael, Valerie, and Chloe decided to come over after lunch.  We had a fun afternoon playing Ticket to Ride and interacting with Chloe.  It's always a treat to kick back and enjoy family fun.



Chloe's eyes just pierced into the camera.  She'll be 3 months old next week...already!



She's smiling more and more everyday.  We're waiting for the laughter to come out!



Haven't had a picture of myself taken with her in a while.



Spent some time talking to her while waiting my turn.



She'd rather look at my Wi-Fi picture frame.

What a wonderful timeless day.  We need more of these. :)

Pinellas County Bike Trail

Saturday, Clif and I got an early start so we could be on the Pinellas Bike Trail before the heat set in.  Well, we didn't quite get there as early as anticipated, but close enough.  We started in Dunedin and traveled the northern section of the trail to Tarpon Springs.  What a ride.  We started at 9:00 and finished at 11:30.  By the time we finished, we had biked 24.5 miles round trip.  I was famished!



A gorgeous view of the bay from atop the bike overpass above Alt 19.



We rode through the town of Palm Harbor.  I thought it was neat how each city is labeled with a railroad sign.  After all, this is a rails to trails.  I have to agree with the comments on the webpage that the north end of the trail is the better end to travel.  We didn't have so many overpasses to go over.
http://www.pinellascounty.org/trailgd/



Then, an unexpected Primate Sanctuary.  http://suncoastprimate.homestead.com/index.html
I was surprised because being born and raised in Clearwater, and traveling Alt 19 to the Sponge Docks several times, we would have passed this.  I didn't even know this existed!  This was a welcomed break to get off the bikes and watch as the primates entertained us!



Let me out, let me out!  Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!



The trail is shady before 10:30, but as the sun comes up, the shade disappears.  My 1 1/2 quarts of water wasn't enough.  I needed an additional 1/2 quart to have stayed properly hydrated.  I was glad to have had Gatorade and watermelon in the truck.  I chugged and consumed once back!

When we were finished, we went to my dad's for lunch.  Clif finished the patchwork on his porch he started a few weeks ago.  I was lazy and enjoyed relaxing on the couch until Clif was finished.  It was a wonderful day. :)

Fun Time

The past couple days, I spent visiting my sister Diane, nieces, great nieces and nephews in Winter Haven.  We played games, socialized, put together a puzzle, swam, kayaked, and the kids put on fashion/dance show during a rain delay at Julie's pool.



Originally swimming in Diane's pool was a bit cool for me, but not for the young ins.  The screen keeps out a lot of the Florida warmth and sunshine.



Aiden enjoyed squirting water from the bottle.



Our show during the rain delay at Julie's.  Her pool is not screened in and is a lot warmer.  From the left, Ashley, Averi, and Aiden.  Once the lightning passed, we played water basketball.  Jacob beat us 3 girls by 1 point.  It was a close game.  We had a wonderful time bonding and making memories. :)

Improvise

It's Sunday, and once again, we had a wonderful visit with Chloe.  Only this time, Michael brought her so Valerie could enjoy special time with a friend.  It's important to keep up with relationships even while raising your family. :)  Not only that, usually Michael works on Sundays.  It was nice he was able to come, but we did miss seeing Valerie.  In any event, Michael enjoys playing games, and while he was here we decided to play the expanded version of Ticket to Ride.  Our dilemma... where could we put Chloe so we could keep a close eye on her, and keep her comfortable.  Well, we improvised.



I put pillows and comforters on the floor by the table.  She was content and watched us as we played.  She was close to Michael so he could tend to her when she let him know she needed attention.  It worked like a charm!

Day Trip

Today Valerie and I decided to take Chloe to visit her great grandpa...Grandpa Miller in Clearwater.   She did very well, sleeping almost the whole way of the 2 hour ride.  We enjoyed lunch and dinner, and even snuck in a couple of games of Skippo while Chloe dozed.  It was a wonderful day. :)



Chloe is Grandpa Miller's 20th great grandchild.

Sleepover

Another first for us...last night was our first night having Chloe to ourselves.  She spent the night with us so Mommy and Daddy could have quality time alone.  She did very well, and didn't disturb Grandpa in the middle of the night.  That meant he got a good night sleep for work!




We read books.  I am thankful I saved the kids books from when they were little.



And after her feedings, we sat in the chair next to the window so she could take in the scenery.
We had a delightful time with her.  Chloe is now 7 weeks old and 10 pounds.