As crazy as it seems.

This is about the third time that Lily has officially gone to play alone at another friend's house. I'm still not sure how I feel about this. Even though my children were the ultimate titans of terror today at the grocery store, London is now asleep, the house quiet and

I miss her.

I remember the first invite she received a few months ago....I turned it down. Not because of the lovely people inviting her, not because I wasn't sure she'd behave (I never am, so that couldn't possibly be what stopped me). It was because I wasn't ready. When casually asked, "Would Lily like to come to our house today?" I panicked like an overprotective bear and followed up the question with a brief excuse and promptly called my mother.

"Mom,...(suspenseful silence leading up to earth-shattering announcement)... Lily was invited to play at a friends' house today."

"Oh, how nice."

"No, no it is not nice. She is growing up. My little girl is growing up and I'm not sure I can handle it. She's not ready...I'm not ready. Nobody. is. ready. Before I know it she'll be in kindergarten, off to college. I haven't prepared her (myself) enough!!"

After the second invitation came a while later, I put on a brave face and loaded her into their vehicle that afternoon:

"Lu, have fun and ask to call Mommy if you need to come home. Remember who you are, don't ever talk to strangers, wash your hands after you go potty, beware of the huge difference between simple interest and compound, keep your credit card in a place where you won't be tempted to use it, remember that boys will say things they don't really feel to get you to do things you shouldn't be doing, read lots of books, say please and thank you, too much texting will make you stupid, don't give up on things just because they seem hard, remember that Dad and I will always love you, you will not be able to avoid the consequences in life for poor decisions, ....

" Momm! I dus gotta gooooo."

"Oh.... right, ok. Have fun on the slip and slide."

I'll get better at this.

A Bombardment of pictures.

* I'll give you a second for your computer to upload the plethora of photos. Apologies dear reader, I am too computer illiterate to consolidate the pics into an efficient collage, and this is first and foremost a family record, so no pictures can be spared. Trust me, nobody loves an itinerary post more than myself when blog surfing. Buckle your seatbelt, this is the Haack's holiday weekend.

We had a smashingly fun weekend for the 4th of July festivities.

*Friday - took the girls for a bike ride along the river with best friends Cas and Max. Followed by delicious all American dinner of burgers, fries, and shakes at Scoopers. It's so funny how it goes with good friends, no matter how much time you spend together, there is always something to talk about. Tyler and Max excitedly exchange ideas about gardening composts, sports, and "Man Club" (more on that later). Cas and I usually cover childbirth (still trying to coax her into giving it a whirl - booo haaa haaa), clothing, family dramas, and counseling on my overall inability to control my children.

(So sad this pic is fuzzy, it so perfectly captures Lily's zest for life. It doesn't matter that it was her 1,298th time on a swing, it is still magical. Lu, you are too much fun.)

* Saturday - First order business for Independence Day was to abandon my usual hesitations towards looking like a holiday smorgasbord of hideous, and dress the entire family in a variety of Red, White, and Blue. Yes, you heard it right, a matching little family. Aaawwwww. Dresses for the girls, navy and white for myself, and Tyler was in a lovely patriotic plaid. I'm just that proud to be an American.





Went to the 'Sparks has got Talent' competition. To which I can't help but respond, "No, we don't". Kidding. Besides, a local talent show in the community sounded like a wonderfully patriotic thing to do (i.e. we had a friend in the competition - she did great).
The performers were very interesting, and we were entertained by some very lovely songs ranging from Country to Cabaret, along with a lovely interpretive "exotic bird" dance from a very limber teenage girl. (However I still can't get over the fact that whenever I'm in large crowds of people from the Reno/Sparks area, I can no longer bury my head in the sand and pretend that we aren't a white trash looking group. Seriously. Women adorning minuscule triangle bikini tops with approx. 13 pounds of stomach hanging over their wedgie shorts pushing dirty strollers full of children, toothless men with three cigarettes in their mouths, the list goes on. Oh well, what kind of a crowd do you really expect to draw in the legalized prostitution State whose revenues are largely drawn from gambling? Happy 4th of July, Nevada...I still love you.)

Later enjoyed a fun backyard BBQ with family and friends





Followed by heading up to my parents' house to watch the fireworks in the distance and make Smores. I always forget how much I love Smores. Gooey, melted mallow on chocolate smashed between a graham = perfection.
We listened to Patriotic songs during the firework display unless 'Pop' Ira protested:
"Now why the hell are they playing that song on the radio?! That's not patriotic!"
"Yes it is, Dad. It's American Woman."
"Yeah, sung by a British group that are telling her to stay away with her war machines, calling her a ghetto queen!"

I'm still torn on that one. The night wrapped up with a beautiful full moon and a warm temperature, during which Ty and I laid outside in our backyard and enjoyed the night sky and each other's company.

*Sunday - off to church. Very enjoyable and uplifting, minus the part where I got up to speak in testimony meeting and wanted to shoot myself afterwards. Seriously, don't ever let me get up again. I rarely get up, but everytime....EVERY TIME....I get down and can't stand how stupid I sounded. Rambling, emotional, MESS.

Overall - a perfectly wonderful holiday weekend. Why do they always have to go by so fast?

Think.

If I stop and think about it.

I could have been born starving in North Korea.

I could have been born in China, where my baby London would not have been permitted to live.

I could have been born in Cameroon, Africa, where hunger and corruption and the human rights of woman and children are regularly violated without repercussions.

I could have been born in Iran, where we see the right to voice concern and protest can be crushed by evil governments.

I could have been born in Mexico, where opportunity is limited and the streets cluttered with garbage and poverty.

But I wasn't. And when I think about that,

I can't help but feel humbled.

And proud.

Proud to be protected. Proud to be free. Proud to be allowed to worship what I choose to worship. Proud to exercise my God-given rights to have the children I was born to have.
To vote.
To speak.
To work.
To Give.


Humbled by those who keep us safe. Humbled by the price others paid for me, little old me...and my beautiful children...safe and blessed and alive under a banner of success and abundance and freedom we will never fully recognize because we've never known otherwise.

Humbled by the daunting task of not failing to:

Express gratitude.
Stand up.
Speak out.
Remember.

This is America.



Yes - I am proud (and humbled) to have the great honor of calling myself an American.

Happy 4th of July.

Are you sick of it yet?

We're still in the backyard. Soaking up the delicious warmth of summer.

Thoughts, ramblings, and detailed posts are on hold for a time.
I'm just not tired of it yet.

But sometimes they are....

Ps. My car and car seats look DISGUSTING (result of that squeezed out foundation previously mentioned and bad karma coming my way for swearing I would "never be one of those gross mom whose cars smelled like old hamburgers and pee diapers)...but you've gotta love the Sonic Happy Hour for icy cold drinks... and the nacho cheese covered faces (result of a mother's desperate attempt to calm down a screaming three year-old after she fell and bumped her head at the pool. When asked what would make her feel better she replied, "Owange chips...da owange ones").

Baby Shower

Baby safari






Baby Mama

Baby Presents

Now we just need....Baby.

We can't wait, Baby Hansen!


Love,

Your soon-to-be favorite Auntie

.

ThE SwEet LiFe PrEsEnTs:

SuMmEr BaCkYaRd.

"Then followed that beautiful season...Summer...
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Thanks for making us look good.

Can I just say that if I hear about one more dirtbag, sleezy, slimeball, can't-keep-it in-their-pants, loser, hypocritical, Republican, "I stand for conservative values" moron who has cheated on their spouse....

I'm really going to lose it.