Jason and I have wanted to build a pergola over our back deck since we moved into this house - 5 years ago. Well, we finally have our pergola - but it isn't over the deck. We found a great little kit at SAMS Club for a great little price - 1/5 the cost of a custom built one. How could we pass it up? Our friend, Tim, who is stationed in Germany but back here for a few weeks came over to help Jason put it together.

The boys were all smiles.

I sure do love men doing manly things - like building me a pretty little pergola.

Once everything was done I grabbed the girls, stuffed them in their matching bathing suits, put them in front of the trusty ole' water table and made Jason pose for this studly picture.

We have BIG plans for this little space. We're headed to Lowes tomorrow morning to pick out pavers and a few more climbing jasmine to plant around the bases. We're even going to check out patio furniture...I tell you - it's going to be a luxury resort back there when we're through! I'm thrilled because the girls and I need a space to escape to when it's unbelievably hot outside and we just can't stand being inside anymore.

I left for a minute and when I came back this is how I found my family:

Uh-huh...Jason is sitting in a chair...spraying his children down with a garden hose.

He loves it.

I know Aurelia...I know.

I don't know what's more funny about this picture: Evelyn SITTING in the water table or Aurelia's incredibly large, grass-covered ham hocks.

Aurelia is not one to be left out. She too had her turn in the table.

For all you single ladies out there - this is our SINGLE friend, Blake. He's a pilot. He's funny. He's smart. He's an all around incredible guy. AND he's single. Contact me for further information.

She'll want to seriously hurt me when she's older for posting this...but I can't help it! It's so gross and cute and really gross at the same time! She's forgive me - right?

I can't leave you with that last image - so here is some sweetness to warm your heart. While I was in the kitchen cooking dinner I suddenly noticed the absence of high-pitched screeching from my youngest and immediately thought she was choking on something or had fallen and knocked herself out.

I dropped what I was doing and ran around the corner to find this sweet scene.

I love it.