Froggy Taj Swims!

IMG 3544 from jana grover on Vimeo.

IMG 3546 from jana grover on Vimeo.

Taji swims!!!  After pulling back last year due to his anxiety over the "deep end", this Summer Taj learned to swim!  He had private lessons 2x week usually, and with my encouragement and him seeing his friends swim without puddle jumpers, he was super motivated!  He learned quick!  These videos were shot the same day he learned to swim, started floating, and holding his breath underwater.  With goggles, he can swim for a whole 10 seconds underwater using his "big arms" (breast stroke) versus doggie paddle.  He also dives for his swim toys, jumps into the shallow part of the pool, and knows how to bounce himself off of the pool floor if he finds himself in deep area.  We are so impressed! The day "it clicked" for him was the day he spotted a frog swimming at the Moonbrook pool.  He was so excited observing the frog swimming with its arms and legs that we kind of made it a saying "swim like the froggy!"   And Taj instantly swam like the froggy!  YEAH!

He successfully learned to swim this summer, and with regular consistent practice he became a stronger swimmer…. swimming in various pools, spas, even the lake.  The challenge will be for him to continue practicing his swimming in the Fall and Winter, once it gets cold.  It looks like lots of vacations near a pool or beach are in order! :-)

Summer Boating & Concerts 2014

Summer is…..

Going on a sunset boat ride in our pajamas just before bed, because we feel like it...

its about brotherly bonding and goofing around...

its riding on daddy's paddle board...

and blowing bubbles!

Summer is….

chowing down on salt water taffy on a humid sticky day,
and chillin' on the inter tube with friends.

watching summer thunderstorms….

Summer is...

when the adults get to have fun too, on adult boating days!!

 It's about dressing up, pre-partying with friends, and heading down to the Fish (either by foot, bike, or boat) to see some great concerts and have a fun dinner!

Sunset boat ride to Chautauqua Institution for cocktails and dinner….

Summer is…..
all about Spiritualism.
Connecting with my spirit guides, reflecting on life, getting readings done by mediums, going to Lily Dale for some soul spa time, and Psychic Teas.

celebrating with friends….. every weekend!

and lets not forget, dancing at the Casino, and staying up waaaay past our bedtime!

Our New Playground (and Shed!)

Meet our brand new additions!  Our new Amish built playground AND custom shed to store the John Deere tractor lawnmower, yard stuff, and boys' golf cart.  The shed was built by our contractor friend, and painted to match the house trim and color exactly.  I did a crazy amount of research on playgrounds and finally went with the Lancaster PA Amish made play ground structure….. by next summer we hope to stain it using a few of the same house colors as well!  It has a place for a sandbox and I also hope to install a chalkboard in the fort part so the boys can draw away!

The boys play on it EVERY DAY.  No joke!  They really enjoy themselves, we will get a lot of use out of this playground, that's for sure!  

Father's Day & Fishing

Wonderful Father's Day celebrating 3 generations of Grover men!

Daddy taught the boys how to fish this summer!  Taj is very good at it, he turns the reel, casts the pole, and has caught many fish….. always throwing back into the lake after daddy helps to unhook them, that's actually his favorite part, seeing them swim back into the water!  He tells me this and it reminds him of Nemo!

So now, it's mostly Taji and daddy that go fishing, anywhere from 1-3 times a week during the summer.  Taji even got his own pole and tackle box!

IMG 2415 from jana grover on Vimeo.

Taj's Last Day of School at Hillcrest Preschool, Summer Kick-Off, and Mama's FIRST 5K!!

Bye bye Hillcrest Preschool!  Great 3-year-old preschool year completed…. now in the Fall, Taj will attend pre-Kindergarten!  It will be a nice change not to have to schlep it to Jamestown 2x/ week, and to just stay within our village of Bemus.  We can't wait!

When the school year ends, that can mean only one thing….. it is officially SUMMER!  I feel like right when we got back from our Mexico vacation, we stepped off the plane into the land of summer, heat, and sunshine.  Ever since the 1st of June its been hot hot hot!

Boys enjoying their golf cart!  Too fast and furious on this thing! Taj is a great driver though, and they have plenty of space to cruise around.

IMG 3225 from jana grover on Vimeo.

Bike rides into the village to get ice cream

Those pink sunsets Bemus is known for…

celebrating the kick-off of summer with our friends, and of course dining at the best place on the lake during the summer: Italian Fisherman (or The Fish, as we call it!)

as well as cocktails on the porch of the Lenhart Hotel…. another summer staple.  Did someone say Rocker or Dark & Stormy? One of each please, ha!

The second weekend of June, I ran my first 5k right here in the Bemus Village!  Check that off my bucket list!  It was an exhilarating experience, one I will definitely do again… maybe a couple times a year! I trained and ran with my sidekick Melanie 1-2x a week, and a week before I pinched a nerve in my neck.  :-(  I was not going to say no to this planned race, so with a little muscle relaxers I ran 5 kilometers (3.2 miles) with a pinched nerve, in 29 minutes and 22 seconds (29:22)!! Go ME!

celebrating the race with the girls later that evening!