Are you country enough for this?

In the big city, there's tons of entertainment.
*Target at every corner.
*Yummy restaurants at your fingertips.
*Tons of sports/activities for your kids.


But, here in the country, we have:
*the pasture
*riding in Papa's truck WITHOUT SEATBELTS!

 These are called cows.  
We stayed IN the truck.

 *the pond

 *Cowpies!

 *visits up to the truck from cows.  She kept scolding us for being in the pasture. 

 *curiousity, amazement, and his Papa

You can have your big city.
I'll take country anytime.

My Grandpa doesn't know me.

But, I know him.

I know him as my grandpa who used to always have peppermints in his pockets, and he'd give me one during church.


I don't know him as the man who, in his early stages of dimentia, mistook my husband for my brother.


I DO know him as my grandpa who loved to talk about the farm and what he did there as a young boy/man.


I don't know him as the man who repeated conversations.


I DO know him as my grandpa who could put the sparkle in the existing light in my mom's eyes.  


I don't know him as the man with Alzheimer's who used his glasses as silverware.


I DO know him as my grandpa who used to laugh and laugh- especially when his daughters would tell stories!


I know him.
And I can't wait to see him again in Heaven without Alzheimer's.  Just as my Grandpa Hanchett.
 

 

This is what happens...

when you have two older sisters who play "HOUSE" with you.  

First, they put a girl's shirt on you for a dress.  Then, they put a wig on your head.  Next, they call you "Princess Tracy."  Finally, they make you a comfy (?) bed and read you a story.  But, you fall asleep because you haven't had a nap yet, and it's almost 5:00 p.m. 

 

Luckily the Rapunzel wig came off by this point!

Here's my sleepy Childs.

Confession:  I had the girls close their eyes to match Trey's.  But, it's still a cute picture.

Good friends come in many forms.

While the boys were in Best Buy...

the girls had a photo shoot in the car!

The heat...

is killing me.
I'm not sure I've sweated this much in my LIFE!

However, this morning we woke up to wet sidewalks, and yard.  And the garden was wet.  Which means..... IT RAINED!!!  

If you knew this Kansas summer, you'd know that we NEED the rain so badly.  I'm not sure the dog's yard will survive much longer if we don't get rain soon.

I was in such a good mood from the rain, that I agreed to take my children to a pool.  Shock, I know!

We headed to another town's pool- waaaayyyy cooler than our's- and spent two hours playing and eating junk.  

And I can say that I honestly loved it, and am planning to take them again sometime.  With a money limit this time.  I'm only taking a few dollars, and when it's gone, it's gone.  I'm such a softy sometimes!  


Anyway, this is the ONE picture I got from it.  I didn't want to be THAT mom- taking pictures at the pool.  And then 15 minutes before we left, this one mom pulls out her expensive camera and walks into the pool and starts taking pictures.  


Oh well.

It's July, which means it's almost time for me to start worrying about my day job- 9 months out of the year.  This is also the time I usually start wondering why I rush everywhere, trying to get everything done on time, at the right time, and lugging my kids with me.  But, that's what the first part of summer is for.

swimming lessons.
taking trips.
refusing to take my kids to the local pool. (it's dirty)
playdates.

And now, it's July. 
How did that happen?
Not sure I'm ready for July.

Last night I was reminded it's summer.
I usually hate summer.
I'm a winter girl.
long sleeves, snow, blankets...
But, last night I laid a blanket on our lawn and just lied down on it and watched the sky, my kids, my husband.
It was so relaxing, and that's what I need to be doing.
Relaxing, having fun, enjoying my kids.

Right now my oldest daughter is at a friend's house.
My other two are in the girls' room with a friend of Jada's.
I'm listening to their 2 year old, 5 year old, and 6 year old conversations, song, and giggles.  (These girls are so patient with T-Rex!) 

I'm also watching our puppy chase a fly around the living room.  Puppies are so dumb and yet helpful at times!

We have been so blessed this summer with a new job, a new car, a puppy, and now our house is on the market.  Either we're crazy, or we're extremely blessed by God.  (I'm betting on the latter.)


So, what does the rest of the summer- what little we have left- have in store for us?  According to our summer list, we still have horses to feed, pools to go to (ugh), picnics with family and friends, sleepovers (scary!), losing three more pounds (for me- I live in a house of high metabolisms... not cool for a woman trying to lose weight!).  


The pictures on this post are of Gracie and I making pretzels the other day.  She was sooo excited about making them that she offered to pay for the yeast when we got to the store!  Such a sweet girl.

July 4th, 2011

Let me give you some parenting advice.
When your daughters tell you they DON'T
want to see fireworks outside...
take them to a baseball game!

Where no one gets to watch a full inning because
of the kids park!  Playground, moonwalks, carousel...

Then, when the game is over, you all
are "tricked" into staying for the fireworks
show because they start it 10 minutes after 
the real baseball game is over!


It's ok.  You can HOLD your children in your
lap if they are crying hysterically like this...

or, if the children are scared the fireworks
are getting to close, you can hold them like this..

Who knows... it might cure them from 
hating fireworks.  
Or, maybe not.

Ok, so maybe not the best parenting advice.
BUT... if you have a son,
you should really get him to like fireworks while
he's young.  
So, let him help you light them in the street.

He will definitely think he's pretty awesome!
And then, he will want to snuggle with the Mimi.

I guess now you know what WE did for the 4th this year.
The baseball game, the "smaller" fireworks...
but we also went to a ballet show,

watched four dogs try to get along for three days
in one house,

and spent time laughing with family!
I love our tradition of going to Omaha 
for the 4th of July!