Casual Fridays

Hello, internet-people! *insert Julie Andrews giving you a queenly wave here* (If you understand that reference, come over here and sit by me. We need to be friends.) In case you completely forgot who I am:

That's me. Hair that's always a mess and apparently too long to fit in the picture anymore. And also perpetually damp. Because ain't nobody got time for a hair dryer. 

Now that we've reacquainted ourselves, here's a little fact you need to know: someone from Turkmenistan viewed my blog this week. Listen, I didn't even know where Turkmenistan is located (and possibly I didn't even know it existed) until yesterday when I saw that someone from there looked at my blog this week. For any other ignorant people like myself out there reading, it's predictably smack-dab in the middle of all the other -stans.

It's smaller than Spain but bigger than the U.S. state of California, it's mostly desert, and it possesses the world's 4th-largest reserves of natural gas and substantial oil resources. So, there you go. Welcome to my blog, Turkmenistan. 

Now let's catch up with each other. This is going to involve a lot photos which will be in no particular and certainly not in chronological order. 

First of all, what I'm reading lately since that's technically what this little cranny of cyberspace is allegedly about. I'm currently in the latter half of the Psalms, still struggling through The Three Musketeers, and this week I started Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis because I had to face the reality that if I kept waiting until I finished The Three Musketeers to start another book from my list, I would not be making it through my list this year. Listen y'all, I am just now getting to the halfway mark of this book, and I still have like a million chapters to go. It's endless. I thought I had finally hit my stride with it a while back, but no. I got through that captivating little intrigue and now it's back to making myself read a few pages each day. Like, every time I sit down with this book, I fall asleep. I'm reserving my final judgment until I've actually persevered to the end, but I am sorely afraid that if The Three Musketeers is an accurate sample of the rest of Dumas' writing, I'm actually going to hate The Count of Monte Cristo which I secretly think is one of my favorite books even though I haven't in fact read it. Someone please tell me it gets better. Oh and FYI, I did not even pose Major for this pic. #notkidding

This is old news, but my cute niece just can't keep any teeth in her head! Number 4 came out weeks ago. Also, she's starting real school in a couple weeks. I can't even deal with that. And while we're on my nieces, here's a string of photos that will satisfy your adorable quotient for the week.... 

First of all, meet Colonel and Major's new best friend. My sweet Osborne niece is finally stateside and got to stay at Auntie Hannah's house for the first time. Not that she really cared about me that much: she was too busy with her canine buddies. If you can't tell, she's in Colonel's crate with Colonel. I can't. 

I got to steal my Golden Bolden Girls for a girls day and sleepover a few Saturdays ago and we made Uncle Cody snap a quick pic of us in our Sunday best on our way out the door to church. That second photo of them is from the Fourth of July. Too much love! 

And speaking of Independence Day....

Happy Freedom! Cody had to work a 12 hour shift (hence the grainy, late-night photo), but I got to spend my afternoon with my sisters and some sweet friends of ours. So thankful to live in America! Those shag rugs we're clutching got haircuts shortly after that photo was taken.

They DO have eyes! The best thing about the boys getting haircuts is that they don't track all the sand in Florida through my house. Bless the groomers.

I promise I'll wrap this up soon.

The Intrepid finally bit the dust. I drove it hard for a full 7 years, and it couldn't take it anymore. So we got this super-cute little 2008 Honda Fit. Apparently, Hondas go forever. *fingers crossed* The Intrepid didn't even make it to 140,000 miles. For some reason, I have it in my head that a car that can't make it to 200,000 miles ain't worth having. Is this even realistic? Anyway, it's fun having a new (to us) car, and it's fun driving this little hatchback around. 

We finished another puzzle! This one was 1,000 pieces and the most difficult one we've completed to date. What sadist creates a puzzle where the border doesn't actually connect all the way around?! We technically started this puzzle before I got my wisdom teeth out, but after "completing" the outline of it, we just tiptoed around it or stared at it in dismay for a couple weeks following because holy complex. You will never understand just how many different textures and shades of gray are contained in those two elephants. But I have to say, it was worth it. It turned out beautifully. We just finished it up Wednesday night, and I can't wait to hang it up.

We may need to start a new segment entitled "Adventures in Coloring". I've been a coloring fiend this week. I won't even tell you how many hours I've spent on this. Partly because I don't exactly know, but mostly because it's a ridiculous amount of time. Cody got me this beautiful and infuriatingly intricate grown-up coloring book for Christmas (apparently "adult coloring books" are a thing now, but I just can't bring myself to say "adult coloring book"--dodgy!), and I just cracked it open last week. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be relaxing or stressful but I'll say this: it's addicting. What do you think of my mad coloring skillz? 

And to wrap this up: y'all. I watched these people when they were babies. And now they're all practically adults. Three of them graduated recently so their parents threw them a big open house a few weeks ago, and I wrangled each one into taking a photo with me. These humans are family to me. I practically lived at their house, camped with them, did family vacations with them, went to countless swim meets with them, carted them all around town in their monster 15-passenger van, and kept them alive on more than one occasion while their parents went out of the country. This family is so dear to my heart, and I'm excited to continue watching where God takes each one of them. 

Are you tired of me yet? What have you been up to lately? Do any of you drive a Honda? Love it or hate it? How are you doing with any 2017 resolutions (particularly reading lists) you may have made? Any ideas on how to stop all my babies from becoming adults?? How did you celebrate the Fourth of July? If any Turkmenistanis are reading, what national holidays are unique to your country?