summer shakedown part 2. the get 'er done edition.

i live in nebraska. i am not from nebraska although i consider myself to to be absorbing more of it's rural independence and quirky charm with each passing year. there is a saying made famous by one of our more unfortunate 'profesionals' that call this state home..
 "get 'er done!!" 

i am thoroughly annoyed and mildy offended by this statement on so many levels it's really not worth delving into..although it is worth noting that i seem to be the only one.


maybe it's an i'm not a local thing... or it's an i think people need to take more seriously the question of should i or shouldn't i go sleeveless thing... or maybe it's just a general distaste for sayings that make someone famous and then they just won't quit saying them. 
it's probable there is a perfect storm of reasons why when someone cat calls out 'get 'errrr done!!" and yes-- this happens at random events here... my eyes automatically roll, my forehead hits my hand and i ask deep questions about the state of humor in humanity.. seriously? this is funny? okay then.


so back to those summer pictures.. let's get 'er done shall we? ;)

these are all the way back from the florida trip in may. my stunning friend rachel looking regal and confident staring into the great beyond.

and then there is me... in basically the same swimsuit... after trying unsuccessfully to 'pose' without laughing. could not be done. :)

there are a few more florida and savannah pictures left on my old computer that i will dig off there. maybe on some random winters day six feet deep in snow..when a picture at the beach is like a magical garden hose in the desert. 

i could hear through the kitchen window arianna instructing grayson on how to have a 'nice conversation'. 

"first i talk about something interesting.. and then you tell me how nice that is. then you talk.. and i listen."

he was enthralled. ;)

the boy just wants to jump on his trampoline and wear his sheriff badge.

i painted my door turquoise and used the rubber band trick i saw on pinterest. you scrape the extra paint off on the band instead of the side... genius.

the bubba and the baby like to wrestle and read together. sweetness overload. :)

 the clothing optional edition.

fun friend visits... the momma of this crew and i became friends 8 years ago. that was 9 children ago in womb years. ;)

the vintage car festival in our town..

this beauty had houndstooth upholstery.i  kind of died a little it was so pretty.

sno cones while we melted into the sidewalk. it was only 104 that day. no biggie.

i have this vision of nate and i doing a road trip in a VW bus. he'll grow a beard... i'll dread my hair... it will be amazing. and can never happen because he is totally addicted to showering.

if this doesn't make you want a hovering skateboard then i worry for you. that's a time capsule in car form right there. who loves the 80's??? me too.

grayson and daddy working on patterns with shish-ka-bobs. i finally figured out how to interest grayson in learning. use food.

don't you love a good mail day??? it's the best.

my friend nell had her book hit the stores and my mailbox this summer. love it. :)

i like how they impersonate us while driving. 

notice ari sunning her legs... and grayson doing the conscientious blind spot check. 

mother in laws get a bad wrap. i have a fabulous one. really.. could not ask for better.

 loves me. loves my kids. loves her son. 

bought me the elusive black globe for my collection.

LOVE HER. :)

is it just me or does texas seriously always think they are the center of the universe?? ;)


since we have stair step kiddos with alternating genders we have to own a lot of bikes. we have condensed that number by buying bikes with plain seats and handle bars, peeling the sticker weirdness off them and spray painting a somewhat neutral color. the kid who is currently using the bike can pick out different ribbons and such and girl/guy it up.

luci loves this plan.

family tennis is humorous at best and dangerous at worst. thankfully i'm pretty out of shape so even running down tennis balls for seven minutes and corralling toddlers can be counted as cardio. no one received a flying ball to the face or racket to the mouth on this trip so it was counted as a raging success.

our newest project commando...

the annual end of summer whip cream fight.

grayson always cries when he realizes people are also going to throw whip cream at him. i reminded him that he could lick his arms and he recovered emotionally rather quickly.

she also was not sure this was fun...

until she discovered she could eat it.. and that it was delish.

and then she couldn't quit.
i found her licking the grass. you know how good that generic faux-cream is . 
mm mmm good. 
not.

this was right after they had gorged themselves. apparently they realized a little too late tummies and tastebuds don't always have the best communication.
too much faux cream is good for the soul bad for the tummy.

i hope i am never too old to end my summer with a whip cream fight. 

i hope a six inch plastic pool always beckons me to sit a spell.

i hope summer always smells of shish-ka-bobs.

i hope i always remember that the good stuff in life is right in front of me.

goodbye summer. i'll miss you. :)