Moonlighting

moon•light•ing –verb (used without object)
5) to work at an additional job after one's regular, full-time employment, as at night.



So we bought a swing set/playhouse for the kids. The directions say that it should take two "moderately skill" adults 24 to 36 hours to install. I should have expected that it would be like a second job for a week. My dad came over and spend some time working on it with me for two days. The second night we where trying to take advantage of all the time we had. After the sun went down and the moonlight wasn't enough I brought out the new LED light that I picked up at a family Christmas Chinese auction. After my dad left I was on my own the rest of the week and progress slowed down. We went from 2 "moderately skilled" persons to one almost sorta skilled. My dad was just evening us out to become "moderately skilled." I think we are ahead of the pace, I don't think we have 24 hours in yet. It's not quiet done yet though...

Barrel of Laughs

I don't think I have laughed as much as I did as during game night last Friday at the Rauchert's. Here is a compilation, basically this is my view of all the folks enjoying the night. There is something about watching people laugh that makes you feel good. (Just for full disclosure, there was only one Kristy there. Thank goodness, one is all any of us could have handled.)

Final few from Florida...

We made it back safely from our vacation. After spending a week in temperatures over 80 degrees we drove home through a rain shower that turned to sloppy snow near Saginaw. Our plane landed in Detroit around 8 p.m. and by the time we loaded up our car and headed out of town we got home around midnight. The lady in the drive-thru must have thought we were deadbeat parents for taking out kids to McDonalds at 11:30 at night. The girls, all three of them, slept all the way from Detroit to Auburn when I had to stop and get gas. Below are a few pictures from out final day in Florida. We drove an hour to get to a beach where the kids could play in the sand and waves. Bahia Honda State Park was voted the best in the nation in the '90s, although we ended up having a great time we are still wondering why.

Glass Bottom Blues

We took a tour of the Molasses Reef today about four miles off shore at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo today. The guide told us that the reef got it's name from a legend of a barge carrying barrels of molasses that grounded on the reef years ago. The beautiful colors seem to get washed out by the blue ocean and never look as good in photographs as they do in person. Anyway, here are a few frames from our trip. Parrotfish, Grunts, Yellow Snappers and even a Nurse Shark were among the reef life that we saw beneath our boat.

More from the Keys ...

While watching a storm miles out in the ocean last night I made this frame. This is looking out from the pool area of the house we are staying at.


Layla started walking around the edge of the pool.


It looks like Jim was almost swept away while deep sea fishing, it really was pretty safe though. He did eventually bring in the black-fin tuna, we ate him tonight seared with lemon pepper.


This was one of the few times that you could see Ella not in the pool today. She swam for about 3 hours before taking her second nap of the day she was so tired.

Stormy & Sleepy

Today we spend a good portion of the day at the Theater of the Sea in Islamorada. Because of the limited spots available all the girls got to go except the two babies. Stormy, our dolphin treated the girls to his array of tricks. Dancing, singing, splash fights, fetch, hugs and kisses. Below, Stormy plants a big one on Angie's cheek. Ella isn't pictured because she didn't think too much of swimming with the dolphins. She got out and was happy to sit in a plastic chair next to Papa. It was a long, hot day and all the girls were pooped at the end of the day. In the car ride home Ella and Layla were both exhibiting their sleepy signs. BTW, the photo of Angie and Stormy is courtesy of the "professional" photographer at Theater of the Sea. They have the monopoly on the good photo spots. Sure you can shoot pictures, but they limit where you can stand. Then they do the tricks facing their photographer. They make every effort to make you purchase their photos. I guess it worked, I got nothing and we ended up buying a CD.

Poolmate

So we made it down to our vacation spot in the Florida Keys. We spend the whole first day soaking up the sun and enjoying the hot weather. After coming from Michigan 80 degrees feels like 100. This morning we were not the only ones basking in the sun. Looks like this rental house has a wild iguana living in the neighborhood. In the second photo papa protects the girls from the mean ol' nasty (harmless) reptile. I think our green friend spend more time today poolside than we did.