places to go, people to see

I made this calendar for my fridge. I used a piece of drawing paper, a ruler and my colored fine-tipped sharpies. I know there's a way to do that kind of thing on the computer but sometimes old school is the way to go.

Our summer has been full of stuff so far and it doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon. Such is life I guess. I'm just glad to have Dan home to help me (even though he thinks that I think he just annoys me and gets in my way).

Here's some of the stuff we've been up to:

Our little town had a cattle drive down main street last week. It was special in honor of the 75th year of our local rodeo. We told the kids there was going to be a cow parade. Turns out, there were way more cowboys riding horses around the cows and you almost couldn't even see the cows. Cattle. Whatever. It was the shortest cow parade I've ever seen. I asked Danny if he liked the cow parade and he said there were no cows. Only bulls. He was very disappointed. 

Then we walked home and worked on the float.

We built a float this week. Dan did most of the work. I tried to not worry. I'd say, "Dan, should I be worried about the float?" meaning "is this thing going to get done on time without me running away from home or killing you?" and his answer was always no. So I tried my darnedest to not worry and the float got done on time.

I think Dan (plus some kind friends and neighbors) did a marvelous job. I'll just keep it positive here for the sake of choosing to be happy and making the most of my circumstances and say that building a float, getting it where it needed to be for 2 parades, figuring out kids/people/all the little extra stuff and not dying in the sun and heat is quite a feat. To say that I'm relieved that it's over is an understatement. I need a vacation after all that fun (choosing to call it fun! I'm so positive it just about kills me).

But instead of a vacation I'm going to spend this week getting ready for Girls Camp! Here's Dan at Girls Camp one year (not because he's a girl, just because we have male chaperones along to make sure everything's hunky dory and we don't get too scared by the thought of bears eating us alive in the middle of the night) creatively protecting a roll of paper towels during an afternoon torrential downpour.

Grama Bama, Grandpa and Ethan should arrive here at the end of this week. They'll bring Aunt Judy and her kids with them too. Then somewhere in all those days before August gets here we'll be visited by Aunt Jenny and Aunt Mary and Cate's girl cousins on my side, Abby and Emma. She's excited about that one. They're coming all the way from Vermont. We have a grandparents/grandkids photo shoot already scheduled. I'm quite looking forward to that one.

Somewhere in all that we're roadtripping it to California. That will be one well deserved vacation. That's for sure. Dan's been getting the kids hyped up about roller coasters so I'm thinking we'll have a blast. At least that's what I'm hoping for. Choosing to be happy! Yay!

And finally, this blogging stuff has been feeling like a chore lately. Maybe that's what old man summer does to me. Kids stay up too late, my brain feels scattered and it's just too dang hot outside to think straight.

And since this post has turned out to be a bunch of random whatever, happy Canada Day to my mother (I think it's tomorrow). The kids can't wait for her to get here. Danny said to me yesterday, "Mommy, I just can't wait for Grama Bama to get here. Then we won't bother you so much." Ouch. 

Ok. I'm done. Somebody around here (not me) has gotten the bright idea to wake up early all summer to go exercise so my nights of staying up late are long gone. Sheesh.