The second week of July, we had a visitor! Diona's cousin Wyndham came for dinner after traveling to Cuba. Wyndham is a world traveler so we had a fun time asking him questions and listening to his stories.
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We celebrated Todd's birthday with friends... we ordered a HUGE Tres Leche cake from Sweetbay, a local grocery store.
Todd's huge tres leche cake. It has 40 regular candles and a number 9 for his 49th birthday!
Todd had to hurry and blow his candles out quick.. the candles started falling over and melting it was so hot!
We still try and do breakfast in bed as a special treat for the birthday person. But with dad working, and daycare, we either have to get up extra early or wait until the weekend. Poor Todd didn't get his breakfast in bed until a few weeks later... we kept forgetting! So we surprised him with a Napolean and his morning gift after dinner one night.
Todd and his strawberry Napoleon with one candle in it
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After sweet Glenn made a full recovery and went back to Southeastern Guide Dogs, a few days later, we got a call for another dog needing a recovery home. We welcomed sweet Alli, a goldadore, into our home for about a month. Alli was having some skin and eye issues, but also needed a root canal! Poor little girl cracked her tooth while romping and running with some of her kennel mates and exposed the root of her large canine tooth. Meagan took her up to New Tampa a few days after we got her to have the procedure done by specialists who work with Southeastern Guide Dogs. Alli was a very sweet girl who loved to cuddle! She reminded us of our sweet Clarke. We really miss her. Even the daycare babies miss her! Alli loved laying in the playroom and letting the babies climb all over her.
Alli on Collin's lap while Smokey our cat comes over to investigate.
Meagan and Alli were tired so they cuddled up on Alli's dog bed and fell asleep.
Alli and Collin laying on her dog bed while Collin does school.
Alli ready to go to work in her royal blue working coat and pink collar!
Alli sleeping on her bed. She managed to curl up and lay on all her feet!
Meagan went to the Southeastern Guide Dogs Graduating class luncheon in July and took Alli with her. Trainer Karen and Karen's assistant trainers had to come and say hi to Alli... Alli was so excited to see them!
Alli and her trainers
We were sad to say goodbye to sweet Alli in the middle of August, but we know she'll do great in her career.
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July 31st was Meagan's 20th birthday. Her friend Ashlyn surprised her by coming down a couple weeks early for a long weekend. Here's the video of Ashlyn surprising Meagan! Diona had Meagan run and errand. When Meagan came back, Ashlyn was standing in her bathroom doorway!
They went to the beach, to the mall for some shopping and ear piercing, and hung out at Mrs. Pruitts house :)
Meagan and Ashlyn in the car
At the beach, making goofy faces
Meagan waiting to get her ear pierced!
Meagan's thinking "breath in, breath out"
Meagan's face is all scrunched up while the guy did the poking... she said it hurt. A lot.
Meagan with her upper ear piercing.
Thanks Ashlyn for surprising Meagan! It was fun!!
While Meagan was partying with Ashlyn Todd, Diona, Collin and Kaitlyn were hard at work... after all this...
Our back yard was totally flooded from all the rain we had. It looks like a swamp!
Our yard finally dried out and we were able to get back to work on the pool. The rain made all the sand/dirt pack really nicely though.
Once the foundation of the pool area was ready, we called our "atlas man", Peter, to come and help unroll the 200+ pound roll of pool wall. Matthew, Peter's son was a good pair of extra hands too.
Peter, Todd, Collin and Matthew all unrolling the wall. It was hard, hot work.
The wall is up and the guys are connecting the beams to the metal wall.
Todd worked on building the cove around the bottom of the pool. This helps keep the bottom in place.
Once Meagan was back home, we pulled out the "Gorilla Pad". This is a large piece of felt that goes between the dirt and the liner of the pool. It helps with anything that could puncture the liner, which would cause a leak.
Collin and Meagan making sure the Gorilla Pad is nice and straight with no wrinkles.
All done!
Next came the liner!
Collin and Kaitlyn pulling the liner out of the box... it was very heavy!
Lots of work making sure the liner is straight and is wrinkle free. Thankfully, the sun helps with wrinkles and so does filling.
Can it be?!?! Water?!?!
The first few ounces of water... out of the 14,645 gallons... literally!
We were SO happy it was done. It took 3 - eight hour days to fill the pool (you're not supposed to fill an above ground pool at night). And it even rained some! After months of working on the ground work, fixing the deck so it would fit, being rained out, tracking dirt in the house, heat exhaustion, waiting on orders to come in for pieces, it is finally DONE! Just in time for fall! :)
Meagan's actual birthday was celebrated with the Millets and Mrs. Pruitt at our house. Diona made her a three-layer, German chocolate cake working very hard at it, making sure it was level, with lots of German frosting! Meagan was at gym (being sung happy birthday to by the gym girls whom she teaches) and Diona was saying goodbye to a daycare baby. Just as she closed the front door, Alli, our current recovery dog, ran out of the kitchen licking her chocolaty lips... yes, Alli got into the cake.
Diona managed to save most of the cake, but had to cut a good portion off of where Alli had helped herself.
Diona's three-layer master piece... cut short by a certain dog...
Diona was not happy with Alli but we couldn't help but laugh. Such a goofy dog. Meagan came home to a yummy dinner of grilled chicken and pasta salad. Then she opened some very silly cards and some awesome gifts...
Meagan opening her card from Kaitlyn... something about how only sisters know the difference between a hug and a strangle!
Meagan opened a camera box to find an iPhone inside!
If you know the Boyles, they can pull some pretty funny pranks... this time the Mendez' were in on it! They let the Boyle's borrow a camera box to put an iPhone inside. Meagan's old camera died after accidentally being hosed down with flowers, and she's been eying iPhones. We got her good!
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