Hair

A hair-cut post is loooong overdue.  In my early days of blogging (the first two years)  all of internet land got a haircut pic every 6 weeks.  And then a year and a half ago I decided to grow it out so I could donate to locks of love.  Which means I only get a trim every 12 weeks or so and it always looks the same.  Very boring.  But I can put up with the boring since it's for a good cause.  


I do, on occasion, complain about it though.  Mostly because I feel more like me, with short hair.  But another couple of inches and I will have enough to donate.  Yay!


This picture is right after I had gotten it cut.  My stylist and I like to "fight" over bangs or no bangs.  I always want bangs.  Then she tries to talk me out of it, and I pretend to say "ok" and then she pulls the bobby pin out of my bangs (that I have swept to the side) and she sees that I ALREADY TRIED to cut them myself....and then she just shakes her head and fixes them for me.  


I can't help it. I love bangs.

My super lovely stylist, also named Sarah (because half the people in my life have the same name as me) always flat irons it super straight.  She's all patient like that.  I have no arm muscles, so I never do that.  Too much work. She also put some red lipstick on me.  Which is funny, because I'm way too boring for red lipstick.  


And this pic....

Is me.  Chapstick and hair that is semi under-control.  Ignore the ironing board in the background.  

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Butt-Load

My kids have a butt-load of cousins.  What?  You say boat-load?  You must be classy.  Or not from Iowa.  Or both.  I actually probably can't blame it on all Iowans, this may be just my own improperness.  

We're land locked, we barely have the need for boats.  But butts...

Anyways.  We did a lot of hanging out with cousins this summer, because frankly:  Cousins are the best.  They're friends AND family and they have the same mutual understanding that no one else anywhere in any other family is as awesome as you are together.  

Seriously, my cousins and I still hold to this sacred truth.  And so do my kids.

They owned the slip and slide like no one's business.

This is one set of cousins.

And who can conspire together better than cousins?  No one.

And who can torment each other better than cousins?

Why, even sweet little Lucy knows the answer to that.  No one.  


She kept standing right in the way, giving them her best blank stare, while they yelled "Lucy, MOVE!!!"  


Sister knows.

She knows that there's no one better to sit with in the pool and snack on soggy cheese puffs than...a cousin.


We love cousins.

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Bet Ya Didn't Know...

This summer was quite possibly the fastest summer ever.  My kids go back to school in 12 days.  


Yeah.


I'm a little bi-polar about that.  Happy, sad, happy, sad.  Ultimately though...it's gotta happen.


We have sucked the life out of summer this year.  Ate it up, completely and entirely.  I think we can thank The Summer List for that.


I documented it all; in my head.  And with pictures.  But somehow, it never managed to make it to the blog.  #kickmyself.  But it's stuff I don't want to forget, so I'm going to attempt to go back through the last month (or so) and catch up.  


But just for kicks, let's start with today.

• We have a drought going on.  Four years ago we had a flood, and now we have a drought.  It gives us something to talk to each other about at the post office, gas station, and any other awkward opportunity for conversation.  
• Julie is BACK.  I picked her up from the airport the other night.  But that is gonna get it's own blog post...
• I think I have hermit tendencies.  It's more fun and friendly to say I'm a "home-body"  but really I think I could live as a hermit...if people would just leave me alone.  *wink*   Now don't get me wrong.  I said hermit, and not hoarder.  I thoroughly enjoy throwing things away.  
• Next week we are taking Lucy's pacifier away.  God help us all. 
• I'm utterly addicted to the Olympics.  Gabby Douglas, she trained in Iowa.  That's right, for two Olympic's in a row, Iowa has produced two gold medalists.  Take that Russia.  

Now for the playing catch-up posts to begin...


And, if you would like, you can leave me a comment and we can discuss ever-so-awkwardly how the weather has been in real life...and it will be just like you saw me in person.  At the gas station...where I frequent often for fountain pop and fried cheese curds.  


Oh, one last thing:  I'm cooking with the convection mode on my oven tonight.    This is the exciting information you've missed out on for the past month.  Exciting.  

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Today I...

Today I...

• Before I even opened my eyes this morning, I was already praying for God's help in areas I knew I was destined to fail at as soon as my feet hit the floor.  I need His help turning opportunities and conversations and   pretty much EVERYTHING into spiritual opportunities.  Because I am missing them.  Missing them as is in:  Doing it myself and can't seem to locate them, kind of deal.    
• Can't shake this book I'm reading.  I'm half way through it, and then I'll let ya in on it so you can read it and let it mess with you too.  Good stuff.  It's got me thinking about how even as a believer in Christ, I often live as though this life on earth is the real deal and Heaven is real, but not "real, real."  Clear as mud?  I say that spiritual life is eternal, that Jesus is really the only thing that matters...and then I get distracted by some shiny object and pretend that all this stuff on earth actually matters.  Someone kick me.  Oh wait, that book just did.
• Ran hills this morning, even though I just ran hills on Sunday night and my butt still hurts.  But lately, the pain of running feels good...and it's been awhile since it felt good.  I'll take it.
• Fed Lucy three sticks of string cheese.  I'll likely need to follow that up with feeding her three glasses of prune juice tomorrow.  You do what ya gotta do.
• I'm watching the puppy chew on my shoe.   Normally I'd get up...but my backside hurts too much.  I don't really like the shoe that much anyways.  It's your lucky day, puppy.
• On Facebook there are these For Sale Groups, you all have these?  Anyways, in the past two days I've scored a sweet retro-ish sectional couch ($75)  and little brown UGG boots for Lucy for $20.  I will show you them soon.  Yay me!  Side note:  Do you see how that is in the SAME POST as bullet point #2? Ironic is my middle name.  
• I am so uber excited about The Olympics that I can hardly stand it.  July 27th.  Yippee!  I should have a party, since I'm gonna have a sectional couch now.  And then there's that new big addition.   But I'll have to have them promise to be quiet so I can watch every.single.minute.  The bios, the commercials, the background sad sob stories.  Oh I love it all.  I'm a terribly un-fun hostess.  Not even Pinterest can help me.
• I just stopped writing because I realized I hadn't checked on Lucy for a bit.  Bad idea.  I found her dumping water out of the kitchen sink and onto the floor.  Seriously, she's a destructive force.  I can't take my eyes off her for a minute.  You'd think I would learn...
• Also, I'm pretty sure I've declared that it's grilled cheese for supper.  "Make your own"  grilled cheese for supper.  And yes, I say supper and not dinner, because I'm all Midwestern like that.

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That's Just Who He Is

We are low-key kinda people.  Me especially.  Father's Day has come and gone, without any tribute (on said blog)  to my dear husband and father of our four kids.  But that's okay, because I have pictures instead.  

No need for flowery word pictures by me.  Instead, I have the pictures he took himself, while the boys and I were out shopping for Fathers Day presents.

We left Lucy and Daddy home alone.  No one purposely shops with Lucy.  You know those screaming kids who throw a fit when they don't get what they want?  That. is. her. right. now.  Ugh.  It will pass...hopefully sooner rather than later.

Anyways, while we were away, they made BLT's together and then sat at her new little table and chairs.  Together.  And then Ben took pictures because he knew I would want that moment captured, had I actually been home.


He probably didn't think I'd blog them.  ha.

Real life, real daddy.  Makes my heart smile.  

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Awwww

Cousins are so much fun.

Logan & Lucy

Ridiculously cute together.  But wait...there's more...

There's a new baby cousin...Halle.  

I know, don't worry...I just died from the cuteness too.  

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Summer Lovin'

It was just one of those picture perfect days in June.  In Iowa.  


One of those days that I dream of in January.  And February.  And March...

We played at the farm.  Ben and I both grew up about 20 minutes from where we currently live:  Tiny Town.  Ben's dad farms beef cattle and crops and we all love hanging out there...especially the kiddos.

I love you Summer.

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