Sprinklers and Summer. They both rule.

What images do you think of when you think of summer?

Is it something like this?

Pools.

Ice Cream.

Bare feet.

Late nights.

Lightning bugs.

Abused Sun-In hair. Oh wait.

Yeah that might just be me.

 But surely you think of this...

I know I do.

The torch of  running-through-the-sprinkler-for-as-long-as-possible has been handed down.

To those that I birthed.

When it's a hot summer day

What better way to get cooled off, and work on your mad skills.

And just be epically cute.

And if need be have a wardrobe change, you know, because wardrobe changes are usually necessary.

But um, I've got some news for you.

This I-just-have-to-run-through-this-sprinkler thing?

It reaches farther than I had ever imagined, because CHECK THIS OUT.

Fourteen years old, freakishly cut, and still running through a sprinkler.

It's just fun.

Sprinklers and Summer. They both rule.

Let the healing begin

Monday was the big surgery day, you know, #operationremoveallyourladyparts. 

Jo gave me permission to blog about this, but she did have one rule, which I will get to later. 

It wasn't too long ago that some of Jo's tests came back showing pre-cancerous cells, which of course you never want to hear anything with the word cancer in it. But then the follow-up test showed even more cancerous cells. One cancerous cell lead to another, and ultimately it was decided that everything needed to come out. 

So Monday morning the Clampetts all came rolling in, crammed ourselves into a tiny room, and waited. 

Because as it goes with any surgery or anything hospital related, it didn't start on time.

But that's hospital life, just sit and wait it out.

Thank goodness the big guys were there to entertain my kids!

And thank goodness these big guys had their devices to keep them entertained too.

Considering all the hours we spent there, the kids did great!

Even the 18 year old.

But before we knew it she was finished and we could go see her.

 Oh, and that one rule?

No pictures of Jo.

And like the perfect sister that I am, I almost abided 100%, but I did sneak in one.

As we sat in a dark room while she slept, I just couldn't help it.

Perfect sister, right?

 This perfect sister is happy that she can be here to help her big sister out.

And I'm even happier that she's home now and resting.

Let the healing begin!

First up, graduation party

I don't think I mentioned this, but I'm in Indiana. 

For quite a while. 

We've got lots going on up here in the land that flows with milk-n-honey, and I didn't want to miss any of it. 

First up it was time to officially celebrate Cody's graduation.

You know with balloons, and pictures

And all that party type of stuff.

 As with any proper shin-dig, there was food

TONS OF FOOD.

 Food and cake always makes the adults happy, but the children don't find their happiness there...yet.

These days when we go anywhere, the kids just go do their own thing and I hardly even see them.

But adult time was fine by me.

I miss these people!

And we had a fun night, just being us...

There is also one other thing I haven't mentioned.

My sister is having a hysterectomy today.

Please pray all goes well.

#operationremoveallyourladyparts going on now....

Change is good. I think?

So you know how I did that whole, grow your hair out to prove your to your husband you can, thing? 

I let my hair grow out well over a year, with the occasional trim here and there, but for me it was long! And I ended up loving it long. 

But it was beginning to wear on me. It was feeling heavy and I thought looked damaged, so in one our  40 minute hair conversations that Tracey and I are known to have, I started discussing cutting it.

Here's something about growing your hair out, you get possessive of the hair, and the idea of cutting it can be scary. 

And that's when I knew it was time. 

As I watched a good four inches of hair fall on the floor, I got scurred, so I kept telling myself, it's just hair, and it can grow back. 

But I think I like it!

Change is good, right?

Oh, and Paul actually likes it.

Only the finest for daddy

Father's Day, a day to thank the man in your life for all he does, a time to recognize what a great father he is to your babies, and day to only give him the finest. 

Yeah, I'm pretty ghetto and just made him a box cake.

But the kids were excited about it!

We sent him out of the house for a while so we could bake and make him homemade cards and such.

His favorite is apple pie, but we decided to mix it up this time. 

And candles too!

But the real treats are always the notes.

To: DAD HAPPY FAther's DAY YOU ARE THE BEST DAD eVeR. --Hope

Dad thank you FOR everything you DO For me. you are best Dad ever. I am glad to have a dad Like you. Thank you FOR Leting me play sports. Thank you Forr teaching me about God. --Pierce

Thank you Paul for deciding long ago that you were willing to make the ultimate commitment with me! BONDED FOR LIFE, YES WE ARE. :-)

Happy Father's Day.