This Is How They Do It

Yesterday when we were at the pool, the landscaping guys were trimming the palm trees. The trees where we live are super tall. It amazes me that they can use a chainsaw so high up. The buildings behind the trees are three stories tall. The picture to the left is a zoomed in version of the one below (top of third tree from the left).

Here is a video clip of how quickly this guy can trim a tree:

Anyway, the kids and I had a good time watching this from the pool! Maya was completely amazed at how quickly and how high he climbed.

Refuge Up North

Yesterday we returned from a short camping trip to the Mogollon Rim. The outside temperature dropped from 114 in Mesa to 84 two hours later on edge of the Colorado Plateau (as measured by the car thermometer). We had a great time hiking around in beautiful weather and beautiful country. Here are a few photos:

Like a Fish

Maya has been a strong swimmer since she was two years old. Last summer in North Carolina, she would swim in the ocean with a life vest on and kick herself in with the waves, virtually body surfing. She seems at home in the water. We took off her life vest this summer and she just started swimming under water right away. We go swimming almost every day at some point and one of her favorite things to do when she first gets to the pool, is to see how far away she can get from the steps and still swim all the way to them without coming up for breath. She goes a little farther each time until she is exhausted, then she'll swim on the surface for awhile. It is fun to watch her compete with herself this way. Here is a short video clip I took this afternoon. It was a pleasant 108 outside.

A Few Favorites

I hope everyone had a nice Father's Day yesterday. Here are a few of my favorite photos of Rick and the kids.

Summertime

We are having a great time at home now that school is out. Shayne has always had a very vivid imagination and loves anything that involves pretending and/or being "in character" These pictures were taken a few days after school got out.

Is There Anybody Out There?

To all of my readers: (Are there any?)
I am on summer break right now, so a blog seems like a good idea for the time being. I have had fun reading about friends and family members on their blogs, so I thought I would give it a try. I'll probably start off strong and then have a sharp drop off at the end of the summer when work kicks into high gear!