Ouch!

We all have a sunburn--ouch! I guess it just didn't dawn on us after being so sheltered for so long that we should think about sunscreen. We have been working outside all weekend and today was so great that we were out for hours. The girls had a great time playing and I feel really bad that they got burned.

Jason and I rented a truck yesterday and got 6 scoops of mulch for all the beds. We also brought home some trees from Lowe's that we are using to make a kind of screen on the side of the patio. We finally purchased the plants for around the patio and got them in the ground too. We planted some more flowers in the front and by the mailbox and edged the gravel/yard so that it would be harder for the grass to take over the drive. See below--we want the pictures before the plants die :)

Olivia had a little trouble at first--she wanted us to be with her all the time and play, but finally (after about 3 hours of trying various ways to get our attention), she settled down and played. We still have a few projects on our list (the front bed on the right, the walkway, a pergola, finish the steps in the woods . . . to name a few. Well, the pergola is a dream, the others we have most of the supplies for but just need to get them completed.

Jocelyn started gymnastics this week at FLIPZ gym. She is in the Level 1, ages 7-11. They say that the Level 1 is for beginners, but these girls are much more advanced. I was so proud of Jocelyn though because she didn't give up once and she was certainly the most inexperienced (and youngest). What a trooper! She really enjoyed it and so we signed up for some private lessons for a little while so that she could get a little bit caught up. She definitely won't learn to do a cartwheel and the splits from her mom! I never have been able to do that stuff. We picked gymnastics because it is very active. We tried ballet a year or two ago and Jocelyn would rather be jumping around than practicing sedate and reserved. So, gymnastics seemed like a good fit. I wish that it weren't so important to start them so early--I didn't think it would be a problem to start her at 7, but apparently you are supposed to start at age 18 months or so. Oops.

Olivia is still riding Scotty on Thursday nights. Her first session of horseback riding is almost over. She has really been playing hard this weekend and has crashed on the couch both Saturday and Sunday from sheer exhaustion. Poor baby--I really think it's good for her. We need to increase her endurance if we're ever going to make it on a vacation.

Well, that's about all I know for this week--it's time to put the little ones to bed!