A quick post before the "big vacation" post is uploaded...

Isabella is a FIRECRACKER.  She is adventuresome.  She is fearless.  She is determined to accomplish things.  Wow! what a kid~   After twenty-three (23) 10-minute lessons... less than 2 hours in total... she was able to do all of this:

Her swim instructor tips her over upside down in her clothes in a pool.  Isabella came up to the top / rolled over/ and floated so she can breathe.  The instructor pushed her down to the bottom of the pool another way (feet first) and she was to do the same thing.  This first series of photos was taken from class # 24 - the first "test." 

The next day (class # 25), she did the second "test."  She had to do it again but with big, bulky winter clothes on.  It was pretty incredible.  She passed her two tests, as she clearly demonstrated during the lessons that she can swim, roll over to breathe, roll back to swim, roll over to breathe, then swim again.

She was "rewarded" with being able to jump off the diving board at the end of each lesson the last couple of weeks of her instruction.  Did I already mention that she's fearless??!! (The instructor said she was one of her best students & that she "gets it" really well for her age.  Next summer, she may only need 1 week as refresher on how to react if falling into the water.)  

The instructor also says that after having gone through this program, the children are not "drown-proof" but at least they have a fighting chance should they fall into a pool.  This is a little comforting to us, as Isabella seems to LOVE the water.  She wants to go go go... swim swim swim.   

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Part of the "big vacation" post is about Mercer spending time in Florida after our week at the beach.  But - I mention it here because early last week, my college room-mate, Cindy, and her family stopped by for a brief visit / eat dinner together.  They are living in Germany right now while her husband works overseas.  They are back in the US and in Atlanta for some specialist doctor's appointments for her kids.  Mercer SO ENJOYS hanging out with these boys when they all get together.  He would be crushed to know that there were boys his age here playing with a few of his toys and entertaining Isabella.  It's too bad that he couldn't hang out with Daniel & Trevor, but... we're really grateful for the short amount of time that we did get with them!

Except for the medical issues they're having making them unsure, Cindy and her husband love it there and are considering staying over another year -- extending her husband's work contract.  

We miss seeing them a few times a year (they normally live about 2 1/2 hours from us), but if they stay longer... somehow... we need to sneak in a trip over there to visit!!

One day.  (~maybe~)