12 August 2012

We repainted our house this week.  After 8 years, the color had faded, especially on the south side.

Here's the finished house.  We're so pleased-- it looks just like new.  We love our dark blue house.

Helen, Abe and Gibson entertained themselves this week by spying on the painters.  They wore sunglasses and wrote everything the painters did in little notebooks.  They called themselves the SSSS: Super Summer Spy Society.

Sofi has been gone again this week-- this time to Wyoming with a friend's family.  Abe, Helen and Gibson make a good threesome.  Here they are at the park.

Our next door neighbor used his connections to invite Jabari Parker to his local basketball camp.  Jabari was called the best high school basketball player since LeBron James in this Sports Illustrated article.  Abe attended the basketball camp and had a great time.  Besides the celebrity attraction, the camp was very well run with excellent drills and skill building activities.  Jabari showed amazing patience for the many, many kids who wanted photos and autographs.

We've been super thankful this summer for the use of a neighbor's pool.  Their house was empty for a couple of months and they were very generous in letting neighbors swim in the pool.  It's one thing to have an invitation to come use a pool.  It's another thing to know you aren't interrupting anyone or invading their space.  Our kids have swum nearly every day.  Abe is jumping in to the pool in the photo.

Here's a photo of some neighbor kids building a pyramid with Christian Parker, Jabari's older brother.  Abe is the blondie second from the left on the second row.  New neighbors moved in on Saturday, so free pool days are over.