The last 2 months have just been a blur…

I cannot believe we are nearing the end of summer!  It’s been a really nice summer, though. We’ve only been up to Banks Beach once, and we got to go to the ranch once. The weather has been pretty nice, too. Not too awful hot for too awful long. Today, it’s 65-feels like fall! It will get back into the 80′s this week.

I have to share my Albertson’s transactions for this week. Friday, I went and spent $61, saved $76. Today, I went and spent $1.91, saved $13.25, then did a 2nd transaction and spent $3.38 & saved $32.84! What a great week at Albies!

Our garden is going crazy! The corn didn’t do too well, and the artichokes are struggling, but the squashes (zucchini, spaghetti, pumpkin) are doing awesome. The potato looks great, we finally have a couple of tomatoes, and on & on…the deer have eaten the grape leaves a few times, but they keep coming back, so that’s great. Anybody want any zucchini?

We went to the ranch a couple of weeks ago. It was so nice. It was chaotic because there were lots of people & kids, but it was fun, too! Never dull The lake was so nice & inviting (I took zero pictures of it! I forgot the camera every time we went…poopy) Lots of great pics to follow, though. We drove all night Sunday night – did pretty good. Then during the week Olivia just had a great time! She played with the bunnies, watched the chickens, goat & deer, and the cousins of course! Crea & Troy made awesome dinners every night, yummmmmmm. We all had our computers around their table – should have taken a picture of that, too. It was kinda funny. I spent way less time on the computer than normal – it was nice. We talked out on the porch every evening, drank wine, debated politics, and just relaxed after the kids were all in bed. It was just nice. We (Jane, Chris, and the boys, and us) went to Wildlife Safari (thanks Nana & Papa) and Olivia & I rode a camel (it was fun) and got to see all of the animals. Always a fun time! We drove home Friday night & had to stop a lot more than we did on the way there – we were way more tired. But, we made it! Mom took Olivia on Sunday, which was such a wonderful surprise – got unpacked and the laundry done. Thanks mom!

Olivia started preschool on Monday – she is going to go 3 days a week now. She is doing so well that we wanted to be able to do that for her. She also has 4 more Little Gym weeks left until we have to renew that. We probably will because she really has a great time. Everyone loves her of course! She just has such a big personality & is so sweet at the same time. We are just lucky lucky lucky to have her. Her hair is getting so long. She still doesn’t like barrettes or ponytails though – I should have started her in them way earlier so she could have gotten used to them…I know for next time.

Actually, there probably isn’t going to be a next time. Sorry everyone, but as much as I know she would flourish with a sibling, I just don’t see it happening for us. It’s not money or anything – it’s the fact that to both Mike & I, it feels like we would be starting over. I know most people don’t feel this way, but that’s where we’re at right now. It’s not definite, but…pretty much I think…at least we both feel the same way.

Mike’s laptop, the one that I used, died a couple of weeks before vacation. We think it was a 5 second power surge. I was SO SO lucky because 1) I had won $500 in a sweeps and 2) back to school sales were all going on so I got a screamin’ deal! I had it narrowed down to an HP & a Toshiba, and ended up getting the Toshiba because it has a 10 key touchpad. Most other specs were exactly the same. So, I am in LOVE with this laptop – it is so so so fast & just does everything. It also has a card reader so I don’t have to hook up the camera – I can just insert the card & voila, it downloads all of the pictures.

That’s really about it – we are getting up early next weekend to go see the hot air balloons take off! They haven’t done this since 2006, so I am super excited – and I know Olivia will just be thrilled and overwhelmed. ok, onto the pictures since that’s what you guys want to see anyway

We had lots of cherries, so Mike decided to make a cherry pie:

our 1st zucchini:

We went to Banks Beach for a day in July:

Olivia and Mr. Handsome:

Olivia & the hula hoop:

Who doesn’t love bubbles?

Olivia got to feed Bucky:

We rode a camel at Wildlife Safari:

No, this is not a real cow:

Theo loves frogs (ok, all of the kids love frogs):

Olivia and her cousins:

1st day of preschool (I need to make the writing on the sign bigger next time…we were in a hurry, of course…)

Whew, that just took me forever. Enjoy! I have videos, too, but I seriously can’t do any more today – have a great week!