Bangs!

I got my hair cut today, and I had Jami give me bangs.  I have a history with bangs, and it's not good. So when I make a daring decision like this, I feel deep fear. Let's take a walk together down memory lane so you'll see what I mean...

 This is the thick, straight bangs that went about half way back my head.  Those are some BANGS.  I think we daughters of the 80's bear this burden of our past together.

Here are a few school pictures.  These capture the bangs + perm era.  I rocked this look for several years.  I'm sure some readers (okay - just one reader) will see these pictures as a representation of a battle.  School pictures + little girls' hair = tears. (I'm sorry, Mom.)

And how about this gem?  The mini-side ponytail with brushed out perm bangs.  Wow.  I'm not sure what else to say.  As a word of encouragement to my girl friends with little girls: if my mom could bite her tongue when I did my hair like this, you can get through anything.  Good luck.

 

 

And then there's this.  This is 8th grade, people.  I spent hours making my hair look like that and probably burned my forehead with the curling iron several times.  Those were desperate days.

 

 

FORE!!

Before kids, I joined a club and played golf off and on every week. During the warm weather seasons between travel, Michael Robinson and I would run out over lunch to play a few holes, occasionally take a conference call from the cart, etc. It was really fun. Even after Cooper was born, this continued for a little while. The frequency was much less, but we still got out on occasion.

Since having the boys, the idea of enjoying the afternoon on a course was a distant thought. With any time to spare, I was multi-tasking by getting exercise with my newly reborn love of biking. So, golf has been in the backseat for quite a while. However, all of that has changed. 

Cooper, and occasionally Miles, has been begging me to take him golfing lately. In a recent run he did at SBU, he won a gift certificate for two at the local public course and the date was set. We borrowed some kids clubs and hit the course. It was some of the most fun I feel like we've had together. Between getting a Coke for the round, driving the cart, and hitting the ball, he was hooked from hole one. 

Since then, the boys and I have been several times and the hours pass so quickly. Cooper is striking the ball quite well and loves the golf part more than anything else. He does a good job to make sure I'm not using 'the nice balls' around water, calls out my scores after each hole (he likes to pronounce 'bogey' 'boogey' just to mess with Miles), and provides tons of encouragement and 'advice' along the way. He has even took to reading the course guide, calling out yardage, telling me the hazards and the like. He is already quite the student! Miles is still very content to sip soda and make imaginary people out of the tees and balls and Cooper and I often return to the cart after hitting to find some kind of battle going on. I feel completely spoiled to be able to spend time with them like this. The idea that they're old enough to begin enjoying activities I also enjoy is a wild thought! 

They are growing up so fast. 

Summer is over!

It's been pretty hot here in MO the last several weeks but the temps are supposed to cool down a bit towards the end of this week. The change in temps will be perfect as the kickoff for 'cross racing is this weekend in Hermann and it will be great to have some cooler weather. Training has been tough in the heat. 

As the temps change, it reminds me that Fall is coming and I'm pumped for it! Carey and I were talking yesterday and it's crazy that summer is over, school is in full swing, Walmart is selling Halloween candy, etc. I love this time of year as you can bundle up a bit more, be outside without sweating through clothes, have bonfires, put in mums and the like. With install of the fireplace and the abundance of wood, we're also looking forward to have a crackling fire in the house on a regular basis. For me, it's tough to beat a fire inside. 

We continue to adjust to the new house and are enjoying it more every day. The grass has been in for about 1.5 weeks and we have tons of green all over. But, because we have to keep it so wet for the roots to establish, the ground is super muddy and we've not been about to get outside on the yard and play. It will be nice to have the seed established enough to be able to walk on it and not have mud everywhere. Especially on the dog. I think Fiona is getting pretty tired of being stuck in the house (and so are we as the cleaning up of her footprints and hair have been ridiculous). Here is the latest pic of the front of the house and the hearth that was installed this morning - the colors on the hearth and tile look a little funky in the picture but we're excited about how it turned out. 

We still have a few things left to do on the back deck, but are so close to being finished with the construction of the house. The concrete drive is being finished today, our concrete hearth was installed today, a few touch-ups on the stucco remain, and a bit more dirt-work around the driveway is all that's left. I won't miss the building process that's been going on over the last 8 months, but it has been fun. We're all looking forward to the finished product. Because we sold some of our furniture with the old house, we've still got a few things to buy before the inside is done. Once it is, I'll post a few pics.