The last day of the fair also happened to be Allie's 8th birthday!!

It's

GREAT

to be

8!!

The majority of her day was focused on getting the fair all wrapped up, but we tried to get in a little celebrating nonetheless.  Lunch request was McDonald's.  Despite going there to celebrate with Grandma Shelly just two days before since G & G Otte were going to be out of town for the weekend.  Nothing says Happy Birthday like McDonald's!  We made her cake, but ended up saving it until the next day because of all the coming and going.  Cake request was.....a horse!  Miss Allie loves horses.  Just today as I am writing, we finally managed to get a child-size saddle.  "Hey Allie, we finally got a saddle to fit you!  Oh ya, and school starts tomorrow."  Brutal.

Grandma and Grandpa Israelsen stopped by for a birthday visit and gave Allie this AMAZING minky blanket for her birthday.  Kenna also got one on her 8th birthday and they are the most perfect, comfortable blankets!  

 

The first week of August (aside from the fair) was spent in absolute excitement and anticipation for the pending arrival of our newest niece/cousin!  We waited, and waited, and waited.  We hoped for Allie's birthday, but had to wait just a few more days until the sweet new little lady made her debut!  Congrats to Aunt Connie and Uncle Dustin!  We are beyond enamored with this precious little angel! 

Seriously, isn't that just heaven?!  Can't you just tell how much she loves me?!  Oh, fine.  It's the other way around.  Nothing quite like newborn snuggles, I tell you what.

 

A few quick other highlights of our summer adventures:

"Managing" the goat herd:

 No childhood is complete without a round or two of goat head-butting.  Goat people are weird.

Of course the classic summer activity of swimming:

We made it to the Martin Harris Pageant with our friends Maddie and her mom, Chey (they were our rodeo friends too).  Maddie came to play at our house every Thursday this summer and we loved having her: 

Must give honorable mention to fun, games, and mud with irrigation water:

And just to give you something to make you shiver a bit, here is what I found in the garage yesterday that caused me to do a double-take:

 

 Um, creepy!  Just what part of "put your doll away" was misunderstood?  Never a dull moment.