I feel like Ashley will like this...

I got this necklace on our 30th Anniversary adventure and just finally got it fixed so I could wear it.

 (I had to fix one side because the extension part was gone) 

It is probably a 1950's piece and I paid $2.00 for it.

 I love that it is turquoise colored bakelite and gold.

Night of Melodramatics -

Actually, it was labeled "A Night of Awesomeness" on the invitation but Bobbi changed it.

Bryan and I were responsible for a table of 8 people and I could decorate it however I wanted. I chose the theme "It's all fun and games (until someone loses an eye...)" 

 So I decorated with games, game pieces and of course cookies.

 Unfortunately, Jill's grandpa passed away so she and Jake could not join us. I asked Amiah if she wanted to come. Of course she did. Then Bobbi's friend, Aaron, had to work and couldn't come and Bryan's friend, Mark, had a soccer game to go to so...anyway... 

 We had a fun table. Lots of laughing and talking.

 Ben came with Jayme. 

I believe right here Jayme made some comment about me and the blog...hahahaha

 Amiah and I played Yahtzee while we waited for dinner.

 Two lovely ladies.

 Finally! supper. 

 Normally, Amiah doesn't get a lot of candy...but last night I told her "I am not the babysitter tonight, I am a friend and you can eat whatever you want." so while she was eating a sucker she tied her bandana around her neck and said "I'm a bad guy having too much candy." so I handed her a tootsie roll and said "Since you are being the bad guy, here, smoke a cigar!" She hammed it right up.

 Then there was the melodrama which reminded us of "Gospel Bill" a very hokey kids TV show on one of the religious channels. 

But they did a good job and Bobbi and Amiah threw lots of popcorn at the bad guy.

 I had no idea that Amiah covered her face in this until I saw the picture this morning. 

It cracked me up.

This quite possibly is my favorite picture of the night. 

Amiah took my camera and was snapping away. 

She took this one. 

Bale hay while the sun shines-

and pick it up and put it in the barn...while the sun shines.

We get our hay from Roy. He sent a text the other day "can you help pick up bales on Friday?" so I sent back a "yes I can, but not Bryan." So he says "well, we will just have you drive the truck while we load." "Ok." So I dressed for truck driving and went on my merry way.

Roy says "I got Rachel to drive, so can you help pick up?" "OK. I may need to borrow some gloves."

Adam, the other man helping (not Roy's son, Adam) gave me his, bless him. He was on the trailer stacking the hay. He needed 85 bales. We needed 100. So we did his 50 bale load, took it to his barn, unloaded (Rachel and I held down the truck and drank water while they lightened the load) went back and loaded ours. Then loaded the last onto his truck. 

 Rachel took some pictures while she idled along.

 Yes, I made cracks about the 19 year old getting to drive and the 52 year old hefting bales in the heat...actually can't complain about the heat it was a lovely morning in the 70s with a nice breeze.

 Here Rachel and I were laughing because Roy kept saying to me "take that other side then you can throw down hill onto the trailer." Well, that was all well and good but it also was the side with double the bales. So on this pass I said to Roy, "Take that side you can throw down hill and I will walk this side because there are no bales." So Rachel snapped a picture of me working hard at getting rid of my water.

 There it is, our load of 100.

We started at 10:15 and got done at about 11:40. Not bad. Then while Rachel and I waited at the truck and trailer, Roy and Adam stood out there and discussed hay for 1/2 an hour....farmers...we stood by the truck and made fun of them.

Remembering Reddy...

Warning: 

If you are from any vegetarian, vegan, or animal rights groups: 

DON'T LOOK 

and I don't want to hear about it...it happens...

There he is. Proud rooster in the flock...one crow too many...

Rooster in the pot...

 also about that rule...don't eat what I name...well, I didn't name him, someone else did so...

and he was mean! Jasper and Emmett were friendly.

Bobbi's Montana Adventure -

Bobbi went to Montana on August 12 for Danica's wedding and while I was just hanging out at home on Saturday evening trying to re-cooperate from something we did to the VW, she sent me pictures of the weekend up there. I loved it. At one point she said "for the blog" oh yes. 

So here we go!

 Josh and Danica Markus

 Jenny Poelman and Lisa Pierson at the 80th birthday picnic.

 Jay, Maddy, Kyra and Rachel Pierson

 Daran Tiencken, Erin Pride and Gracie

 Gracie

 Bobbi and Lauren Pierson

 Dad and Mom

Gracie and Mom 

 Bobbi, Lauren, Jillian, Evan Justin, Kellen, Lisa and Eric

Bobbi, Kyra, Rachel, Jay, Maddy and Shelby

I have such a great family. I so wish it would have worked for me to be there. 

It did not, but I am so glad that Bobbi got to go.

I am sure it was a great time.

It IS a BUG life {not much, but it's our life} -

We have spent the last several days on the VW. Although, we did take a break Friday. Jenny and Ken were here and it was so good to see them. They came late afternoon and spent the night. Then yesterday we spent the entire day on VW stuff.  I recovered the back of the driver's seat {long story which I WILL go into} and Bryan put in the sound proofing pads and the carpet. 

Doesn't that look amazing? 

The other day Andrea called me and told me about a garage sale that had antiques at it so Hudson and I stopped there and I found this little crock for my knives. 

Ok. LONG STORY on the seat. More likely short story about a long morning. I went down to the store room to get the seat that I needed to recover. I took it apart and brought the backrest up. I tore all the old stuff off of it and noticed that one of the three prongs that I needed to use was broken. So back down and take apart another seat {we were given 2 extra seats when we bought the car} get the back and take it up. It is in perfect condition so I tear it and put all the new stuff on it and just as I am about to make the cut in the side for the knob that lets it go forward to access the back seat I think "wait that seems like it is the wrong side..." So very carefully {after walking around for oh...10 minutes to cool off} take off all the new stuff, go down, get the other seat, take it apart, tear off all the old stuff and realize it is broken! So back to the first one I tried and just figure out how to make the broken clip work. The job that maybe would have been an hour and a half turned into 6 hours of blood, sweat, swearing and almost tears {I was too mad to cry}. Yes, I almost threw the third seat off the deck I was so mad by that time. But the seat back is done and I just have seat bottom to do today...just, ha.

I suppose you have noticed that I am not posting as many pictures of the outside of the car as before. That is because it is almost all finished and there will be one last blog about the restoration {not about the VW and it's involvement in our life} and I will reveal the car then. 

So excited.

Rearrange -

I found that old ammo box at a store in Grand Island and decided to make it a table. So I used the two suitcases, that used to be the side table there, as legs and put the old bread bin in between. 

Coolest belt ever!

and I have a tiny little one that is my Volkswagon keychain.

He can always find a Dairy Queen -

Last night we put the fenders on the VW and Bryan decided he needed a reward for that {I feel he deserves a huge reward for all this} so we headed into town and ate some supper then went to Barnes and Noble because Jayme wanted to and it was there, you know? While there Bryan found this book -

 We got a good laugh out of that because Bryan seems to know where every Dairy Queen is in every town. The irony here is that he chose Cherry On Top instead of Dairy Queen last night...

And I button tufted the back rest of the back seat just because it added some style to it. I am pleased.

It's almost been a year...

since I took Ashley's place with the kids.

Thursday I got to the house and there was a huge present on the counter and three cards.

Amiah was getting a kick out of the fact that she wrote "Bady sitting on us." 

It was so sweet of them. Hudson did the painting in the background.

When Amiah handed me the cards she said "It's almost been a year....YAY that means Ashley comes back in 4 years, we're almost done." Everything for Amiah {time wise} is in the context of when Ashley comes back.

So much VW information lately...

But we decided that it has become our life {especially Bryan's} lately. We used to talk about the horses, or Seinfeld... now it's Beetle this and Beetle that. The dogs are jealous...so is Jayme, maybe? I have taken more photos of the car lately but it can't say "Don't take that, I don't even have my fenders on." Jayme, however, says "Don't" when I aim the camera at her. Like last night when I made homemade Butterfingers {super easy, just has to cook awhile} and I wanted a picture of her eating one, but no...

Then today I had on my list to recover the backrest of the back seat so I did that.

And I painted some metal buttons to match the car and button tufted the front seat.

To say I am thrilled would be an understatement.

One more seat to go. 

Tomorrow Bryan is putting the fenders on and it will be so exciting to see that.

Expect pictures.

Also today I got to meet my new little great niece, Navy Lyn Reisinger. She is adorable.

And in Montana, my family is celebrating my parent's 80th birthdays today. Bobbi is there and I am so glad that she got to go. I would have loved to have been there but just couldn't work it out. I am sure that they all had a wonderful time.

Today on our 8 acres -

The kids and I hung out here all day. It was fun.
They drove the lawn tractor.

They made cut out cookies.

and decorated them.

Not sure what Amiah is doing here... 

Checked out the progress on the bug and fed and watered the chickens.

It was a fun day out here.
Then this evening Bryan came in from the shed with a bloody rag on his face. He had gotten hit in the mouth with the trunk spring while he was working on the VW. It pierced his bottom lip. No stitches just blood and pain. {Note: the germ-a-phobe had a dirty shop rag on his open wound...}