Summer so far

So I promise I have intentionally been taking pictures with the clear purpose of posting them on here to show everyone. 

But of course I then don't blog for like two weeks. 

So, let me recap summer so far:

1st: if you are going to live in the Midwest, DON'T get a dog. The amount of ticks is disgusting (and apparently out here there is a certain type that especially LOVES dogs). Even with a top of the line tick repellent and various home remedies, out dogs come out covered. 

And as Joe so lovingly points out- as pretty as the scenery is, you don't want to go 10 feet near it due to all those ticks. 

Also- I swear Penny has experienced more thunderstorms in the last month then her whole 13 years of life. I LOVE those thunderstorms- but having to deal with a panicked dog every other night at 3 am? Ugh.

2nd- Nebraska is an odd place. We really like Lincoln. There is SO much to do for every kind of person (well, unless you moved from the #1 state with the most national forest land and want to go up in the mountains and get away). But anyways. They always have events going on. So if your into fishing, biking, pets, music, beer, food, gardening, family people, or whatever- there is something to do. 

But the weather is not cool. In any way. 

And some other major defaults follow Nebraska....BUT they do have a surprising good amount of fruit, and things to do.

#3- This pregnancy is so odd. I would still classify it as an "easy" pregnancy, but harder than Sariah by far. Maybe it's the added combination of work + a toddler? This baby is still a lot more (up to like yesterday)- and I have enjoyed it (up till yesterday).

#4- Having a job is getting better. Well, it has at least allowed Sariah to develop a lot. I now can see first hand how she will handle having a sibling- and I am pretty sure she is going to be over helping me a lot. She LOVES the babies at work and is constantly wanting/trying to read to them, cover them with a blanket, give them a pacifier to feed them. 

Although today she had her first experience with hair pulling- it was not to her liking.

So, anyways. That is pretty much our life. We are trying to stay active by doing lots of summer things- farmers market, parks, pools, etc. 

Gotta make the best out of this place :)

The flies here are huge and gross. So are the ants. Bugs are just gross out here.

See? So pretty! But I promise if you stop and stood right next to the grass, you would have ticks on you in a minute.

We love out farmer daddy and checking on his fields with him :)

Sariahs favorite foods: watermelon, apples (pictures above), broccoli, noodles, and chocolate milk.

We went and picked strawberries from a farm near by and Sariah LOVED it! She was so good at helping (even though she wasn't aware that your only supposed to pick ripe ones).

Picking fruit brings an odd sense of accomplishment. I loved when we were in Idaho and during the summer we would spend a few hours every week picking raspberries. 

This is at a spray park- it took us two trips to finally start enjoying it. Sariah would much rather explore.

Local baseball game for the SaltDogs! 

Playing duck-duck-goose at work. Sariah didn't quite understand and decided to just be the center of attention :)

These kids got it right- enjoying their juice boxes in the shade on a hot day.