I have been woefully behind on the blog. I decided that to catch up I would just do a few posts that cover entire months. Here comes May. . .
The rest of May
Pool Sand and Wall
Today we made some major progress on the pool. The sand was delivered and moved to the pool area. Then, this evening we had some friends and family over to help us put up the pool wall.
Sand pile 
Unrolling 
Holding up the wall 
Finishing touches
Pool Digging
Dirt Dumpster
This morning we had the dirt dumpster delivered for our pool and by the end of the evening we had our first few wheelbarrows loaded.
Pool Fence
Over this long Easter weekend we replaced our back fence, to be up to code for the pool. Our whole family and the Reagen kids came over to help with all the work that needed to be done.
Pruning the Hedge
The Pool Arrived
New Above Ground Pool
Susan and I have been talking about getting a new, bigger pool. Last year we had a small, seasonal pool and we have been looking at something bigger. We have visited a few local stores, but weren’t happy with the pricing. Susan was undeterred and found a good deal from Home Depot. We measured the backyard at 12:30am and ordered a new pool! It is supposed to come in a couple of weeks and then we need to get to work getting the backyard ready.
Labor Day Weekend
We had a fun, busy Labor Day Weekend. The Mary and Casey were in town and it was the last weekend to have our pool up. On Friday we had everyone over for pizza and to watch the Valley vs Dowling football game. On Saturday we did our own thing during the day and then Mary and Casey hosted dinner at the Rafferty’s (their friends’ house). Sunday was the closing party for the pool.
TikTok
The TikTok craze has definitely taken over our house. Andrew spends a fair amount of time watching videos, Mari and Hope like learning the dances, and teaching Lucia and Rose, and Elliot watches videos, but has a self-imposed daily limit. Not wanting to miss out on the fun, Susan and Erin made their own TikTok account and video.
4th of July Festivities
This year we hosted a 4th of July pool party! Gary, Kathie, and the Reagens (sans Nate) came over in the afternoon to hang out, eat dinner, and then enjoy a fireworks display presented by Ian. Having the pool available was fun because it reminded me of 4th of July in Cincinnati, where there was always a pool. Sadly, there was no Chex mix.
House with a pool
When we moved back to Des M0ines after our trip, we were hoping to find a house with a pool. That didn’t work out. Now, with the prospect that pools won’t be open this summer, we decided to get a relatively cheap above ground pool to enjoy.
