Summer Haircut

Both of our dogs have A LOT of hair; Cinder probably has the most. So, for the past few years my mom has shaved Cinder when my parents come to visit in March. This year, she didn't shave him in March; instead she helped me order a new blade for a set of old clippers she gave me so that I could shave him myself. So, Memorial Day weekend I decided I was going to shave him. Well, after an hour of fighting with the clippers, I only got his back shaved and then gave up. I figured I would get Robert to help me later and wasn't really worried about what he looked like b/c most of Cinder's outings consist of walks in the neighborhood. Well, just so happened, later that day I decided to take the dogs to the park to throw the ball for Spade. Cinder got some funny looks while Spade enjoyed fetching the ball in the lake. This was her first experience at the lake, so she had to learn how to swim. She did a lot of doggy-paddling, but near the end she got the hang of it.

Half-shaved Cinder:

A few days later Robert grabbed the clippers and he finished up what I started. All in all, Cinder looks pretty good (not as good as Mom can do, of course) and I think he is a lot cooler with the heat that is on us already.

Robert shaving Cinder:

Spade & Cinder (w/ his summer cut):

A Sunday Afternoon with Friends

Today we had some of our old neighbors over - Matt & Megan with 3-yr-old twins Mason & Madison and Wade & Tammy with 3-yr-old Trey & 9-mo-old Audrey. Every so often we try to get together to catch up; this was our 3rd gathering since January. Last year at this time we all lived on the same street, but late last year Matt and Megan moved to another nearby development and currently Wade and Tammy have moved in with her parents as they are trying to see their house. We enjoy spending the time with the kiddos!

Audrey, Madison, and Trey:

Golfing Fools

Robert and I are really enjoying our golf membership. He plays about 4 times a week and I play about 2 times. It is such a great way for us to spend time together. It is so peaceful to be out on the greens. I most enjoy going after work because there is hardly anyone on the course with us. The weekends are much more crowded; yesterday we played and the course was packed. We nearly got pegged with a ball from the group behind us.
Last weekend we had a blast golfing with our friends Kevin and Misty. They brought their 6-month old little boy, Josh, who was so good through all 18 holes.

Golfer in Training

Robert absolutely loves to golf and while I was not all that keen about the sport in the beginning, I've grown to really enjoy it! So, this past weekend we bought me my first set of clubs (been using my dad's set for a few years) and we also joined a nearby golf club. Robert played twice yesterday and already has 2 more tee times set up for this week. I played yesterday evening for the first time with my new clubs. The kind of drive I hit off the 1st tee box will have me coming back for more!

Spring is in the air!

Last weekend we planted our garden. Each year we improve our garden spot a little more. This year we changed out the 2x4s for railroad ties. It has a more rustic look now.

This weekend Robert put a gate in the back of our fence so we can access the rest of our lot that is behind our fence. We plan to extend our fence to encompass our whole lot later this year. The dogs enjoyed exploring their new space.

Officially Yuppies!

Check out our new car. Well, new to us. We sold the F-250 to Robert's brother and then picked up this sweet ride from Robert's cousin. We are enjoying it and feeling like true yuppies!

Fun while in IL

While in IL, I spent a good amount of time with Nicole. here she is with Tommy, my mom's aunt's Pomeranian. Isn't she growing up?