My New Toy

So...Eric has developed quite an addiction to photography and buying big, bulky camera equipment. He has this ridiculously large backpack in which to carry his numerous ridiculously large (and expensive) lenses and miscellaneous equipment. While I greatly appreciate the amazing pictures he is able to take, I can't stand the thought of lugging the backpack everywhere I go just so that I can document my life. I have been {not so subtly} dropping hints for some time now that what I really wanted and needed was a pocket sized camera that takes decent pictures. When my request continued to fall on deaf ears, I took matters into my own hands and picked up just what I wanted. Let the blogging/picture sharing begin....

Happy Birthday Angie!

Last night we had a fun birthday party at my parent's house for my sister Angie who is now 29 years old. We had a potluck feast where we got to sample each other's favorite recipes. Eric and I came home feeling like we do after Thanksgiving dinner. The food was good and plentiful!

The best part of the night was playing games with everyone. We played bocce, wii, and dominoes. Because I would hate to gloat, I won't dwell on the fact that I totally owned Paul when I challenged him to a round of boxing. It was pretty awesome.

We also had the chance to meet Mom & Dad's new pets. They sure are cute. Watching Paul and Eric work together to capture a picture of these little guys was also pretty entertaining.

Happy Birthday Angie! Thanks for the fun!

Dear Paul

Check this out:

whif·fle(hwif-uhl, wif-)

1.	to blow in light or shifting gusts or puffs, as the wind; veer or toss about irregularly.

2.	to shift about; vacillate; be fickle.

–verb (used with object)

3.	to blow with light, shifting gusts.

And, if you go to this link and click on the audio sign, you can hear the correct pronunciation. You can leave me a comment to apologize for misleading my child (as well as the rest of us who attended the father's day breakfast) on the proper pronunciation of whiffle. Your welcome.

Why I Love Summer

1. I slept in until 8 am today. It gets better...the kids slept until I woke them up at 9:30!
2. Even though I still make a schedule, it doesn't really matter if I stick to it.
   
3. Time with cousins. We had our first Grandma day this week and I think there are plans in the works for the Toone cousins to start getting together more frequently this summer. Yay!
4. The best big sister in the world is home all day to entertain her enamored younger brother.
   
5. The promise of garden fresh produce.
6. Warm summer nights spent outside lounging in the cool grass (I think that we'll experience this eventually).
7. Meals outside on the patio.
   
8. Children who get bathed in the morning and at night because they are filthy from a day of fun outside.
9. Camping, 4-wheeling, hiking, biking, swimming, and exploring the great outdoors.
10. It always comes to an end--and by the time it does, I am ready for it.
    

Here's the Answer

I don't think anyone even got close to guessing this! Thanks for playing along!
AND...
Watching this clip gave me an idea. Maybe our next guessing game should be to determine how much our orthodontic bill is going to be. I can't wait to get those teeth straightened out!

Do you think like Allie?

Hi everyone. I thought we'd play a little game. Here's how it works: I'm going to post pictures of what Allie has requested for her birthday gift this year. If you can figure out why she wants these 3 items you're the winner! If you figure it out, you can claim the title of "someone who thinks like Allie", an honor not bestowed on many. Good luck!

Does anyone else need help sorting out their identity?

I managed to get "permission" for Dad to post on Mom's blog. I must say, it makes things in blogging land easier when everyone posts and comments with their own names and not under an assumed identity. So...with that, I would like to officially welcome Poppy to blogging. LOL, Dad. (For those who are less techno babble savvy, LOL means "Lots of Love"!)

Jennilee has her own identity!

Yay! I'm so excited about this that I decided to dedicate this post to you.

Everyone deserves their own identity.

For some reason

I just can't NOT do one of these when I see them on a friend's blog. The internet/blogging sucks up way too much of my free time. Oh, well.

You Are a Colon

You are very orderly and fact driven. You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue. You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched. You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. You aren't subject to whim or emotions. Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice. (But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!) You excel in: Leadership positions You get along best with: The Semi-Colon

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

Now, who are my semi-colon friends?

How Many People Have Your Name?

Stacie Swain

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 5 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Eric Swain

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 99 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Allison Swain

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 17 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Landon Swain

HowManyOfMe.com

There is 1 person with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Looks Landon is one of a kind!