Niece Day 2

Day 2 with Bryndee is going to be awesome!

While I mowed the front lawn the girls rode bikes around the neighborhood. They went a few times around and than got to hot.

2015-06-29 001_edited-1

Getting ready to hit the open road.

2015-06-29 003_edited-1

There they go!

After bike riding and lunch, we stayed indoors playing cards together. Bryndee loves to play cards and I will gladly fulfill her request to play.

In the early afternoon it was time to head back outside to set up the pool.

2015-06-29 004_edited-1

It didn’t take us long to get the pool set up, we just had to find the right air pump.

The canopy is to keep the bug “problem” in the tree out of the clean pool. It shades it nicely but keeps the water from heating up.

2015-06-29 007_edited-1

Beautiful Bryndee.
I could hug her and squeeze her and call her my own.

2015-06-29 015_edited-1

Trying to get back at Daddy since he got her soaked, but it’s not working.

Daddy got her again…

2015-06-29 017_edited-1

Waiting pool side for it to fill.

2015-06-29 021_edited-1

Pools full but the water is cold.

2015-06-29 025_edited-1

Who dares to get wet first?
Bryndee will take that dare!

2015-06-29 050_edited-1

What’s a little splash with cousins?

2015-06-29 059_edited-1

That waters starting to fly!

2015-06-29 062_edited-1

Take cover!
The giggles can be heard echoing off the houses in the neighborhood!

2015-06-29 082_edited-1

Isabel is taking BIG risks today. First with Daddy and now Bryndee!
Bryndee’s got “Don’t you dare!” written all over her face!

Let’s have a bit of fun with these girls…

Isabel’s first.

2015-06-29 083_edited-1

They aren’t even close.

2015-06-29 084_edited-1

Closer but Isabel is still a bit off.

2015-06-29 085_edited-1

She’s trying.
Love her face.

2015-06-29 095_edited-1

Bryndee get’s her.
What a shot!

Bryndee’s turn…

2015-06-29 109_edited-1

That’s it?

2015-06-29 110_edited-1

Is that shock or laughter?

2015-06-29 111_edited-1

She’s getting it.
Love her face.

2015-06-29 113_edited-1

Isabel’s got her.
What a shot!

Niece Day 1 – Part 2

After this morning fun activities, we wanted to get out of the house and see animals. So we headed toward the zoo and the beach.

At the zoo, we were some of the first people to see the new jellyfish displays, which opened today. Those were cool to see.

2015-06-28 011_edited-1

These, Blue Blubber Jellyfish, were hard to photograph, they kept moving.

2015-06-28 014_edited-1

Crystal Jellyfish.

2015-06-28 016_edited-1

Japanese Sea Nettles.

2015-06-28 021_edited-1

Egg Yolk Jellyfish.

2015-06-28 023_edited-1

Uncle Gino feeding a female Budgie bird.
We could only get 1 or 2 to come to our sticks. They were being very shy.

2015-06-28 048_edited-1

We stayed until just before closing.

Now it’s time to hit the beach! We headed over to Fox Island and the Fox Island Sand Spit.

2015-06-28 050_edited-1

Collecting some treasures to take home.

2015-06-28 052_edited-1

Cousins.

2015-06-28 053_edited-1

They are just strange, but I love them both.

2015-06-28 062_edited-1

She’s queen of the driftwood.

2015-06-28 066_edited-1

I found a crab claw and the girls were debating on who was going to take it home.

2015-06-28 058_edited-1

After combing the beach for shells, sand dollars and such it’s time to take a break and enjoy the view.

Niece Day 1

Today is our first full day with Bryndee here! What are we going to do?!?

This morning we’ll spend it doing body art with glitter.

2015-06-28 002_edited-1

Bryndee helping Isabel with a star on her hand.

2015-06-28 003_edited-1

The completed glitter star.

2015-06-28 010_edited-1

Bryndee did a glitter dolphin with a gold tipped tail on her wrist.

2015-06-28 009_edited-1

While Isabel did a flower on her leg.
She free-styled the green stem.

Unfortunately, the glue in the kit was starting to dry out and the glitter art didn’t last long. Now it’s time to head to the zoo and the beach.

Our Niece Arrives

Today our niece, Bryndee arrived!

It was a bit later than planned, due to her flight being delayed but otherwise she arrived safe and sound. We have been looking forward to her arrival since we knew she was coming. It’s going to be a great two weeks.

Welcome to Washington, Bryndee. We hope you have a great time and will think about coming again, soon! We so glad your here!

2015-06-27 006_edited-1

Isabel is super excited that Bryndee is here!
(We all are!!)

Backyard Insects

In the backyard today, Isabel was out catching bugs with her net when she came running into the house asking me to come and see something she wasn’t sure what it was. After slipping my shoes on, I headed out the door to see what all the fuss was about.

Luckily I had my phone with me to take some pictures because I had no idea what it was. After some deep research on the web, I found her mystery insects. I told her to leave them alone and she agreed that they were just to scary to catch in her net.

 

2015-06-24 009_edited-1

Black and Yellow Mud Dauber’s mating.

It looks nasty but after looking them up, they are “harmless” (unless protecting it’s home) to humans but let’s still leave them alone.

2015-06-24 021_edited-1

Golden Northern Bumblebee.

An big honey maker that makes it’s home in the ground.

Grout

Grout is on our to-do-list today.

After the natural stone setter, we let the tiles rest for a day before beginning the “biscuit colored” grout.

2015-06-22 002_edited-1

Beginning this task takes some practice and muscle.

2015-06-22 004_edited-1

I gave it a try but wasn’t able to push the grout deep enough into the holes. So Gino did this project by himself. I followed and did clean up.

A few hours later we arrive here…

2015-06-22 007_edited-1

This is a close-up of the area that was first applied with grout.
The grout starts to harden after 30 minutes so I had to move fast in order to keep up.

2015-06-22 010_edited-1

Polishing the glass tiles.

The grout comes easily off the glass tiles with just a scrap of your finger nail. The natural stone, the grout sticks to. So in order to see the stones you have to wipe it off rather quickly. That natural stone setter stuff Gino applied, doesn’t work. Oh, well, you learn and move on.

He finished this one wall behind the stove and then we stopped to eat dinner.

2015-06-22 014_edited-1

After dinner, Gino started on the sink wall but at the other end since I
was still working on cleaning the stove wall.

2015-06-22 020_edited-1

The stove wall is complete.
We need to wait 48 hours to do the caulk along the bottom and along the sides.

New Faucet

The new faucet get’s installed today!

2015-06-21 002_edited-1

Getting all the connects connected.

I did the back work since Gino couldn’t get down into the cabinet to connect the water lines to the new faucet. I was proud of myself that I was able to get the fittings tightened since I’m such a wimp.

2015-06-21 003_edited-1

New garbage disposal, hoses and pipes.

2015-06-21 005_edited-1

Leak test!

2015-06-21 006_edited-1

No leaks now time to connect the disposer and give a whirl!
I’ve been waiting for a month and a half. So glad to have the sink complete.