Life at a "Swell's" pace

The summer is blazing hot here in the Valley and we are loving the pool time we've spent in the backyard. Wildfires are bit out of hand here at times, but they seem to get under control as fast as they break out. Hopefully some rain will head out way soon. Here are the things that made my week awesome!

1. This Strawberry.

Because it was grown organically and grown right in my own backyard.

2. This Snake.

Because Skylar found it and thought it was pretty darn cool. It was a garter snake.

3. This Pool.

Because we have had so much fun in it the last few days. All three of us have had a chance to swim in it and enjoy the cool water.

4. This Rain Shower.

Because it came all of a sudden and Meia and I enjoyed hearing it fall and also hearing some thunder in the distance. I miss thunderstorms here in the Valley. I used to hear them a lot when we lived in Arkansas and it's one of the rare occurrences that happen here and I welcome them.

5. This Summer Flower.

Because Skylar brought it to me and even though some people think of them as weeds, I enjoy getting them from my boy. They are English daisies (Bellis perennis).

What happened this time last year?

Summer is rolling on here in Oregon and we have been enjoying the sunshine like never before. We have had a blast splashing around in our pool and enjoying some nighttime marshmallow roasts on the fire pit too. Here are the things that made my week awesome!

1. These Eyes

Because they belong to the sweetest kitty, but look oh-so-scary looking out from the stairs.

2. This Iris.

Because it seems to be the first to show this season and I can't wait until they all make an appearance.

3. This Night.

Because sometimes food is fun to cook over a campfire. These is actually our fire pit in the backyard, but it's fun to imagine you're camping.

Skylar and tried to duplicate the fun the following day on the stove, but it wasn't the same. We had fun though, so that's all that mattered.

4. This Sweet Kitty.

Because she makes the list a lot. She's the sweetest and I love catching her on the bed when I get out of the shower in the morning. She helps with making the bed more fun.

5. This Road Trip.

Because we took a quick trip over to Bend to look at some property we are interested in buying and visited an Army Surplus store while we were there. We only ended up buying a mat that goes in the back of the car for the dogs, but it was fun to check out the items, nonetheless. The Mr. enjoyed the large, over sized canteens.

Extras:

• This Ice Cream.