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Our nurses Deb and Coleen. They did a good job.
Aubri before it got hard. The smile did regress slightly.
After Lily's bath, the nurse combed her hair.
After lily's bath, her hair was evident.
Her first diaper.
One happy family. 
Well, no baby Hale yet, but we have lots of baby peppers and watermelon in our garden. Our corn is getting tall and putting on pretty well despite the set back a few weeks ago. We're sick of lettuce and decided not to cut anymore.
We were beginning to wonder if we'd see any of our California Wonders. They're finally starting to show up!
Our onions are ready to be picked. Here are some of our Big Daddies.
And our cute little watermelons! We stopped counting after 10, they're popping up everywhere now.
Some are getting big. They're vining out all over the garden!
Yesterday was my XXst birthday. Our neighbors, the Munderlohs, took us out to eat at the town pub and made me a chocolate cake! Mama sent a package of goodies, including these dark chocolate m&ms! Yum! For supper we had "birthday pizza" at an after rehearsal dinner for a wedding Phil is doing today. I was just happy to not have to cook!
The Munderlohs and their granddaughter Makala came over for the surprise lunch downtown!
This is the card my sweet husband made me.
I'm still creeped out when I look at our faces, but I love my dress! It's a bit see through, but so glamorous with the "off one shoulder" design! Also note how tall Phil is, at least I think that's Phil, his head seems a little small and he's shaved his beard.
While I'm waiting for this baby to come I decided to use a head of cabbage the best way I know how, by making my aunt Sylvia's Cole Slaw, the best I or you will ever have. She sent the "recipe" to me, more a list of ingredients, they don't really use recipes in the South, and I took the challenge. I will tell you, this slaw was delicious and so so close to hers, I was very proud. This is now a Hale family favorite passed down to generations to come.
I guess she can Billy Boy. We were given some cherries just off the tree the other day. I had to use them quickly. A pie sounded pretty good. I didn't think we'd eat the whole thing, but there's only one piece left now! I'm pleased with my first cherry pie.
We got our stroller the other day. To Phil's great glee some assembly was required.
He didn't even need the instruction manual, he's so smart!
This thing will hold both my babies!
West Point had it's 150th anniversary celebration parade on Saturday. I heard they'd be throwing out hot dogs so I begged Phil to take me. Unfortunately there were no Scooby Doo floats or marching bands, but there was plenty of other stuff to see.
We went with our friends Kevin and Christi Cook who live in West Point. Christi's parents were also in town.
And of course their baby Leah came too!
Here are some of the highlights of the parade:
These "ladies".
This Wimmer's hot dog shooter lived up to everything I'd heard about it. It made my day! We got 3 hot dogs!
These folks were there,
This beef,
And this guy.
This one's for Weslie. 107.9 The Bull!
???
I called this the Fry Guy, what's wrong with me? He looks nothing like the Fry Guy! Thank you Topher! This is obviously the Hamburgler. Of course he'd make an appearance here in Beef County NE! Hey, I'm pregnant, all I want are french fries these days. My apologies to all.
We were invited out to an RV camp site by the Mullers for the 4th. They promised a large spread of food and fireworks and that's what we got!
This is Lily Ruth at the fireworks show. She must have liked it. She didn't settle down until we were at home and in bed for over an hour. Or maybe she didn't like it...
My camera has a "Fireworks" setting I'd never used. That was fun to use!
The big event in town last weekend was the estate auction! We had to go and uh, it's just like in the movies. I couldn't believe anyone could understand that auctioneer, but things were flying off the, well, grass and tables. Phil decided to get in on the fun. He won a grease gun and an old tool box full of lots of little metal things he'll never need and a 9 inch bolt for $4. He was so proud. I'm just glad the auctioneer said $4 and not $40....who knew?
I'm not sure how much this thing went for but I'm glad Phil wasn't around when it was up.
Or when they sold this thing....
Our garden is coming along pretty well. We may have bit off a little more than we can chew this year though (literally in some cases). We're learning some hard lessons about the farming life. Sadly our sweet corn, which looked to be so promising a few weeks ago, has been robbed of it's precious nitrogen due to the neglect and ignorance of it's proud planters. Apparently it likes to be planted a little deeper and doesn't do well with weeds. After some advise from a local farmer, we spent a couple hours getting all of those out the other night, then fertilized, only to find that the storm that came threw tonight did quite a number on our sweet baby sweet corn. Phil found it all blown over. Below is how he came home tonight after an attempt to replant some of it.
All is not gloom and doom though. Our lettuce and spinach plants have been very good to us! Too good I think. We find we can only eat 3 salads a day, sometimes 4. More than that just isn't a great idea. We've had to give some away. Our tummies and refrigerator only hold so much.
