We enjoyed a couple of hours in our neighborhood pool yesterday. My car registered at 110 degrees! It was a scorcher!!!

Alex and Avery were playing on the steps...

Avery was tooling around the shallow end!!

As usual, Dan became the playground for all the children within a 100 foot radius! I took pictures of my kids being thrown, but not everyone else's! :)

Courtney's turn... She got some serious air!!

... and Avery's turn. Not to be outdone, she had to be thrown too!

The kids took turns on a neighbor's battery-operated pool sea-doo! They never got over about .5 miles per hour, but they had fun! Alex just about maxed out the 80 pound weight limit!!

Dan waited in line at the water slide with Avery and Courtney...
Here are Dan and Avery coming out of the slide!!
Here's Courtney coming out... It's always a party with her!!!

Alex's slide... All legs and elbows here!!


Avery thought she was ready to go by herself this time... But she changed her mind!!!
Then, towards the end of the day, Dan was able to just push Avery at the top, and she would go alone!!!

I love this one!!! She must have been booking it!!!

Here she is swimming to Dan at the edge of the catch pool...

Dan was reaching for her at the edge. She was so proud of herself!!! ;)

Vaagens in the Great Outdoors!

We had an awesome weekend! We celebrated Dan's 33rd Birthday with about 60 friends on Friday (unfortunatey, I didn't get any pictures of the party!)! Then Saturday morning, we hiked along the Chattahoochee, Alex and Dan went fishing, and we played baseball with the neighbors in our cul-de-sac. Then Sunday, we hiked to the top of Stone Mountain, then enjoyed the park the rest of the day! Here are some pictures I took...

We're so fortunate to have a gorgeous view like this! It is a two minute walk down the golf course path behind our house, then about 3 more minutes into the woods, and there is the Chattahoochee River!

We all had to climb up a steep, muddy bank after the boys fished. Courtney made it to the top!

Our little hiking guide...

We came upon a little surprise along they way... A huge black snake eating a squirrel!!!! You should have seen me climbing up Dan's back when I first spotted this big guy.


___________________________

We woke up Sunday morning, went to Church, then got ready to hike straight up Stone Mountain! First we rode the train to the drop off site...

Then we walked and walked and walked!!!

Dan and I were crazy enough to each wear a baby in a backpack while we hiked. I was reminded how out of shape I am! The kids reminded us all the way to the top that it was, in fact a mile and a half STRAIGHT UP! They all got frisbees that say "I hiked up Stone Mountain," but I pointed out to Dan that they should have said, "I complained all the way up Stone Mountain!" :)

We really did have a blast though!!

The trees are so cool! They are growing straight out of granite, so the roots just grow right along on top of the rock! This is the "bubble gum pole..." or so we called it. There must have been a thousand pieces of bubble gum in all different colors, stuck to this pole! Being a Mom, all I see is a cesspool of germs...
My Superheros...

Courtney's familiar flamingo stance. Every time we go to the zoo, she stands like the pink flamingos while she is watching them.

I love this picture! Dan is the one hauling her up the mountain, but it is Avery who looks exhausted!! She fell asleep right after this picture, and snoozed all the way to the top!

Mommy and AshiAshlyn Belle knows how to hike! What a way to ride up a mountain!

Still asleep...

Alex was the first one to the top!!

Once inside the building at the top, we confiscated the water fountains for quite a while!

Still asleep...

Once back down to the bottom, we listened to the "town folk" play some banjo!!

Everyone loved the 4D Theatre! We have season passes to Stone Mountain, and we've seen this movie a thousand times, but it never gets old! We all still jump when the snake "spits" water at us!

We also enjoyed a few shows outside in the park!

What a great time!!!

My Favorites!!

These are four of my favorite people...

Karate SUPERSTARS!

Alex and Courtney have only been in Karate since March, and they have already advanced to the Black Belt Club! I really like this DoJo, because they are faith-based, and they do not promote easily!
These are some pictures of them at Karate, and also holding their trophies from the Ultimate DoJo Championship! I didn't have my camera at the UDC, so we had to come back and take pictures at the studio later!
Both Alex and Courtney received 2nd place in their divisions!!!!!