A Pool Party in Clare

Good evening, fans.

So remember when Abby turned seven?  Star Wars, sleepovers, that whole thing?  Well, Dad and Cindy weren't available that weekend to wish her a Happy Birthday, so they invited us up to Clare this weekend to swim in their pool, enjoy the sun and some grilled food, and give Abby a birthday with the Hough/White branch of the family.

(We're not ones to turn down free food and a sunny day in a pool, folks.)

Check it out. . .

Snapped this on our way out the door to Clare.  I know this doesn't have anything to do with Abby's birthday, but this is what our place looks like these days.  In every room of the house.

The (observed) Birthday Girl

They keep asking us for a pool in their new house. Maybe when they're off to college and Kris and I can hang out and enjoy ourselves that can be arranged. . .

BFFs

Taking a break

Alexa and Dad

Nana and the girls in the hot tub

The girls are doing a LOT better with swimming now, and regularly swim in the deep end.  They're actually going to start taking swim lessons at Plymouth Pool in June - Kris and I are both looking forward to that (we put off swim lessons for years, so it was overdue).

I usually just sit in the sun when I'm in the pool, but after awhile - despite being in water - one kinda just needs to seek shade.

Dad starts scrubbing the sides of the pool. . .

Alayna, not really helping.

The Whites arrive.  We generally drive up to these weekend, parent-hosted pool parties a couple hours early so that the girls can get free range of the pool before my rowdy nephews show up and the place becomes an impromptu Splash Zone.

Cousins

Parent sanctuary

An hour or so after the Whites showed up, Jeff and his family rolled in, including the weeks-old new addition, Levi.

Being a baby and all, he kinda stole the show until dinner was ready. . .

Sorry Owen, you're old news now, too. . .

Another Hough boy to carry on the family name.

Abby, Blake, and Scarlett at the Kid's Table

Owen and the Cannonball

After Cindy treated us to a free grilled dinner, she went a step further and presented Abby with her own birthday cake. . .

Much to Abby's delight, it was even Star Wars-themed.

Bradley caught himself a turtle in the pond out back behind my parents' house.  Probably with his bare heads.

Hanging out with Levi again

It's not very often Dad and Cindy get all the grandkids together at the same time.  Moments like these demand a picture.

Sadly, this is about the best picture you can get of Alayna. . . she's a pain in the ass.

Grandkids suck.

Reading some stories on the couch

Bailey and the Birthday Girl

- Brian