You gotta see it to believe it!

We have been going swimming to the community outdoor pool as a family now for several weeks. Maren hasn't liked to wear a life jacket or float in the baby float, so we have just been holding her or watching her very closely while she plays on the edge. She screams and throws a tantrum when we try to put a life jacket on her. On Thursday evening I saw a friend whose daughter was about a year older than Maren. The daughter was wearing water wings. (We see water wings on kids all the time but would I put them on my kids….well I hadn’t thought about it.) I asked the mom when they started with the wings and she told me that her daughter was just like Maren. I thought that maybe Maren would like them too. We tried the little girls’ water wings on briefly and thought that if Maren had pair of her own, it wouldn't take long to figure out how to transfer her weight in the water and then she could swim on her own. So we borrowed a pair of water wings from Mom Hardy for swimming on Friday and now...........................Maren swims just like the big kids.
It is fun to watch her as she moves all by herself in the water. I take her out into the middle of the pool and she will kick her little legs and get herself over to the edge and out onto the deck. She often takes in mouthfuls of water as the water splashes and swells around her, but she loves her new found freedom in the water.
You don't believe it? Well, it’s true! So if you want find us, try the pool. We will be spending a whole lot more time there now that it will be fun for all of us!

Swimming Lessons

The kids finished their summer swimming lessons this morning. They were so excited for their lessons. All four kids had 9 lessons Monday - Friday from 10- 10:30 am each morning. They started on July 3.

Cassandra and Aaren were in the same lesson and passed the SEA TURTLE level of the Red Cross Swim Preschool Program. Both are enjoying jumping off the lower diving board by themselves and being able to move about in the water by themselves (OK- with a life jacket on!) Cassandra loves to wear goggles and has quite the look when she places them on her head. Just picture the goggles suctioned crookedly to her eyes and her hair poking out wildly from under the band. Yikes!!!!!!!

Devin and Brandon passed LEVEL 3 of the Red Cross Swim Kids Program. Both boys are becoming super swimmers although Devin is still cautious in the water. Brandon loves to dive to the "vent" at the bottom of the deep end and then pop up again. Devin loves to explore under water with the goggles in the shallow end.

It has been so fun to watch the lessons and see the progress of the kids as they learn new skills in the water. ( I think that I may place Brandon in level 4 at the end of August to catch him up to the kids his age. I think that he could be ready to pass level 4.)

HAPPY CANADA DAY

We have attended the Raymond Parade on July 1st, every year since I was little. I don't think that I have missed one. Each year the pictures look somewhat the same. Years change, we grow older, people come and go but the event remains the same. This year, instead of the annual parade pictures, I thought that I would post just the one of Jeff and I. During the weekend, my cousin Amanda told of the numbers of pictures that she has of her parents together. I realized that Jeff and I have very few of us together since the kids have come into our lives. Most of our pictures include the kids with one of us. When our kids get older and look back at the many family pictures, I want them to see lots of pictures of their parents together.

We aim to do better. How about you? Thanks Amanda for the reminder to strengthen the family ties!

Family Fun in Stirling

Grandpa Lyman Hardy


Grandma Mildred Hardy




Grandma Hardy in front of all of the leftover Chinese food

These are some of the pictures from the Hardy Reunion held in Stirling on Saturday, June 30. We went swimming at the Stirling pool at 11:00 am. We thought that we would have a cold swim but after we were there for a little while the sun broke from behind the clouds and it turned warmer. Our van arrived first to the pool (The kids to miss any time swimming!) and Brandon was excited to be the first one in the pool. At noon, after the swim was over, we went to the church and had all-we-could-eat Chinese food. The food multiplied faster than the Hardy family itself!!!!!!!!! Later, after the cleanup at the church, any remaining family went over to Grandpa & Grandpa Hardy's house for a few games and a rope making event. They also had a hot dog roast at supper time. ( We missed the rope making -which really disappointed us all- and the hot dog roast due to a baptism.) Despite the busy schedule, it was so fun to meet up with many of Jeff's cousins and see their growing families. I used to know who everyone was but..........now is a different story. It was good to reconnect those family ties!

School's out!

The school year has officially ended and classes are done. Devin is sad to see it end. He wishes school could keep going. Brandon on the other hand is happy to be on summer holidays and glad to be done with Math! Both are glad to spend all day playing with their siblings. This is a picture of them with their teacher.


Devin and Mrs. Janay Smith (Grade 1)


Brandon and Mr. Darcy Ralph (Grade 3)

The kids were able to meet their next year teacher at the orientation that was held the day after school was out. They are excited to be going to the next grade. As Devin, Brandon and I walked up the sidewalk to the orientation, Devin kept chanting, "I'm going to grade 2, I'm going to grade 2, I'm going to grade 2." Devin's new teacher will be Mrs. Sue Fowler and Brandon will be taught by Mrs. Lil Turner. I am happy with the placement of both of the boys and look forward to another exciting school year in the fall. We are still waiting to hear who Aaren's teacher will be. We won't find out until the end of August.