dahlias 2019

I still have hundreds of 2019's dahlias on my phone...in large part because I had almost none in 2020 thanks to overcrowding them. Derp. Here are just some of them. 

Trying hard to capture the natural sparkle in the sun. 

I'm gonna try to plant 2021's dahlias early inside and try to get earlier blooms. 

Dinnerplates are my favorite!!

Stupid grasshoppers. If you know how to kill them, please share. Last year I started cutting them in half with scissors. 🙊😆

Luna was SO BIG!

I love this one.

This moth hummingbird-like creature visited from petunias several times. It was so cool! 

On September 11th it rained and the dahlias were stunning. I remember because it was the day Luna went into labor!

This photo is my phone wallpaper!

 

Labor day hike and Terry's 41st bday

On Labor Day, September 2nd, we did a potentially foolish thing and took a very pregnant Luna on a hot and strenuous hike up Boulder Hill. Thankfully she was okay but she had me worried.

She definitely looks more excited at the beginning than at the end...

Off we go. I'd never done the hike before and followed either some directions from a friend or from the hiking app...or both. We started from Sheridan Lake Road and then a long gravel road. Once we finished we realized there had been a much shorter way and took it to get home.

And done, at the top already. It was hot, hot, hot. 

Red faces eating lunch.

I propped up my phone with rocks to get this shot. 

😊

Luna was oh so big! And look at her lion tail! All that fluff came out after she was done nursing her pups. 

We were quite worried about pregnant, hot Luna and didn't think we should walk her all the way back down to our van. Terry gallantly ran down this road, which we had discovered led to our van at the bottom of the hill. I think he'd already run that day too...but it was only about a mile or so and all downhill. He was back in no time. 

Thumbs out to hitch a ride.

Luna laid herself out flat on the floor of the van and panted. I was so worried about her!

When we got home she just continued to lay flat... She ended up being just fine, but lesson learned not to take your heavily pregnant dog out for a strenuous hike in the heat. 

The following day was Terry's 41st birthday so we celebrated at home. Like Evie's addition? The unicorn? 😆

I got him a blue jacket to replace his "homeless" red one that we got at a Goodwill when it was raining on vacation in Sioux Falls. But then he exchanged it for a gray jacket and still prefers the red one. Ha! He also got that running hat and socks. 

Rally Staycation 2019

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally snuck up on us quickly in the summer of 2019, perhaps because summer already seemed half over after two weeks in Mexico. So I got our school books ordered and everything organized for fall and then we got the house ready to rent for the fifth time since 2015 (2016, 2017, 2018). This year we rented twice, back to back to two different groups. It's a good way to make some extra money and it's always worked out well for us. 

Since we had to be out of our house for so long (Aug 2-15), we stayed at Shari's for the first five days. Shari and Jesse went to D.C. for a couple's get away and the girls went to the ranch, so we house sat for them. It worked out wonderfully.

While there Terry realized our kids basketball knowledge was woefully shallow. That's what happens when your driveway is a hill and you don't have a hoop. However, when we returned home he ended up buying a used hoop and setting it up despite the incline. 

August 2nd was our first night at Shari's and since they were still in the house packing and what not, we went out to eat. Culvers is the best. 

The next day, August 3rd, Shari's crew was gone. I made waffles with the sourdough starter Shari left out for me. I look weird but they were good. 

Evie spent the first night away with Abigail and came back with pink hair.  

Terry and I drove across town to check on our house, get the mail, and water our plants. We needn't have bothered with the watering since it poured on us while we were there. 

I made pizza for dinner that night since it was Saturday. 

After church on Sunday the 4th we went to the ranch to hang out with the girls and Terry's folks. 

Walking down to the bridge.

Rock throwing per usual. 

Poor pregnant and hot Luna. What a great picture of her though. 

Roller coaster fun. Ezra wanted to go forever.

I looked after Rebekah.

Terry and I took a four wheeler ride to check out how full the stock dams were. 

Very full just like in 2015 when we were out at the ranch for the same reason. 

Our favorite little corner. 

Green and flowers everywhere! 

On the way back to Shari's place we stopped by our house again to check on it. The renters said to check out their "trikes" in the garage. Whoa.

I also discovered my very first dahlia of the year! Due to the wet and cool summer I had to wait until August 4!! That's very late.

Worth the wait.

The next day, Monday the 5th, Terry went to work and I took the kids to Sarah's house to play with the orphan they were hosting, Lena. She is one of the three from Christmas 2018! 

They played in tubs of water and then had a water fight that Samuel and Ezra just couldn't resist. I think Evie may have spent the night?

On Tuesday the 6th we went back to the house to clean since our first renters were gone (I think?) and MORE DAHLIAS!!! 😍💗

We also visited my parents (to drop off a car?) and ran into this visiting Australian Shepherd puppy. 😍

Shari and Jesse had come back that day and we had some fun cousin time as we got ready to depart on our own vacation to Colorado the next day. 

That's a pink tongue.