August, Goodbye!

How is it September already!?!?  The end of August brought us some actual summer temperatures here in Iowa- where it's been too cold to swim all summer (goodby $145 swim passes!) and then the second the pools closed, WHAM! 90+ degrees (still cooler than a usual Iowa summer, but still...) So we were stuck without a pool and stayed inside all those days, super awesome!

When we got back from our Texas trip we did have some pleasant weather, so we decided it was time to take the boys to the Iowa State Fair! We haven't been since Ellis was about 6 months old- always way too hot! We figured the boys were old enough and so it was time- and they LOVED it! They loved watching the baby animals most of all- chickens hatching from eggs, baby pics accosting a huge gross mom for milk, baby cows covered in hay, and a fish hatchery? Talapia? Strangest fair exhibit.

....... I just got bored for half an hour even writing this post. So if you read it, you are a good friend. Or one of my parents. I'll just put this one out of it's own misery now with a few maybe redeeming pics.

With some huge pumpkin, though obviously not huge enough. Does 5th place even have a verse in the ol' "First is the worst, Second is the best, Third is the one with the hairy chest!" song?

 Ellis earning his keep (of non cooked meals, an undecorated home, and no swings at the park, ever, cause mom hates the swings)

 We went all out and got the kids a treat at the fair (!). It was cute to watch but not as cute to stain-spray out of their clothes (18 days) later.

 And this magnificent creature is the spider I've become obsessed with, who has taken up residence in the air space between our BBQ and back sliding glass door. Every day he carefully builds up his web and every night I lovingly turn on the porch light to attract bugs to his nest gaze upon his glory. This is the day I finally (FINALLY!) saw him eating a bug. Ellis has named him Spider Web. Original.

Well ok then, lets just have another.