Un-Rodeo Weekend

I’m a small town.

Just a dot there on the map.

If you blink you’ll miss me

yeah, well go ahead and laugh.
Kenny Chesney // I'm a Small Town // from Welcome to the Fishbowl.

Believe it or NOT (and you won't, cuz I still don't), but I MISSED THE RODEO THIS YEAR.

Cue sobbing and wailing and weeping.

And look. My flipflops were ready.

My FLIPFLOPS were ready to go to the RODEO, people!

But my job called. Having a summer job is an AWESOME blessing, don't get me wrong, okay? I lovelovelovelove where I work, and it's really fabulous. But when I have to work weekends? RODEO weekends? It's kinda sad.

So I can content myself with looking at Dakota's gorgeous shots of calf-roping cowboys and barrel-racing cowgirls... big smiles, big horses, bull riders, dust and dirt and small-town love. Because I wasn't there to take any. (If you want to read any more about our small town exploding with rodeo-ness every June, just check out last year's post.)

However!! After work on Saturday, I drove down to meet my family (fresh from the rodeo!) at our fifties hamburger joint, which was awesome. =) So I didn't witness the events firsthand, but I got to sip Coke and listen to stories and admire my little sister's hand... which she got SIGNED... by a BULL FIGHTER.

People, people, people... this is one of the many privileges you get when you're FAIR PRINCESS!!

Yummmmmm.
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These are the people that I love. =)
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After dinner, Sarah hopped in my car for the drive home. On the way, we swung by the fairgrounds to see if any rodeoness was still going on. Um, no. Just horse-loading.
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oh, well. let's take a beautifully long drive home?
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Oh, also... let's stop on the side of the road to take princess pictures?
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Can you believe this place we live?

Apparently not!
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Well... it looks like a lot of people have been off-roading here lately... a favorite pastime of most teenagers where I come from!
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Ever seen such pretty weeds? =)
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She was S-U-R-E that some Saturday evening logging truck was about to come up that hill and smash her to pieces.
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I hope it was some comfort for her to know that I'D get smashed to pieces, too... but she didn't seem to feel any better.
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And we're all in one piece.
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Gah wowowowowowow. She's cute.
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Annnddd then, we were on our merry way once again.
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Pickup truck love... yes? Something about girls (country girls) and trucks.
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Sunshine in our faces... wind in our hair...

it took me a million years to get the tangles out, but it was so worth it. SO.

Sisters & Smalltowniness

But I can't hang up the phone until I tell you
What I don't tell you enough... I'd do it all again
My sister // my friend.
My Sister // Reba McEntire // from Room to Breathe

Change that to "sisterS" and "friendS" and you've got it just about right.

Sure, we had moments we could do over, if given the chance. But I think all of us would agree that we had the BEST sisters in the entire world. =)


A few days ago, we got the chance to hit the town together!

pssst... completely iPhone pics ahead... don't shoot me, dSLR peoples, okay?

Our first stop was the pool... the FIRST pool trip of the summer - and on the first day of summer, too! How appropriate... =) After a few hours of splashing and getting sunburned and TRYING to dive off the board and not get in trouble with the lifeguards, we headed off to one of our favorite hangouts...


The Pizza Factory!

This place has more than good pizza... for us it has... well... sentimental value.


Gahhh, I love these girls! Look what a little caffeine can do...


Gee aint we a cute family...


Pizza arrives. Hannah wants to take picture of said pizza... and they get impatient. Gee whiz.


Yes, when the parents aren't with us, you see what we eat? (don't worry, we saved a few pieces for them....)


After pizza, we neeeeeeded some ice cream. Right? right. So we took a little trip to our soda fountain/antique store/bookstore/gift shop/random-place-of-old-small-town-stuff store. It's pretty much rural Washington all over - one of the town's oldest buildings.


And chock full of lovely stuff like... candy...


music, and homemade pies.


Me and my oldest-sister-super-cute chica.


okay, that's just how awesome we are, all right? this pretty much DEFINES my childhood/teenager life.

I think we got ONE nice one out of the lot.

Then we had to drive home. the LONG way.

Gorgeous country, let me tell you. Gorgeous.

Those of you who are on Instagram have already seen a lot of these...

Our vehicle of fantasticness. Made frequent stops to engage in awesome things such as... eating... swimming... and picture-taking.

Well, girls and guys, that's just about it. One fabulous evening with my marvelous sisters. (we missed you, Joe! but since you're a brother, you could have ruined the title of my post, and I really liked the way it sounded. But when you come home on Saturday, we shall do wonderful things. wonderful things... yes.)

Summmmmer // Four

Days of burning sun

Watch the colours run

Into pools that catch the eye

Disappear as you pass by

You're my summer rain

And I know that I'll see you again.
Hayley Westenra // Summer Rain

mountains in the mysteriously COLD summer mist - some summer! ha! okokayyyy...


stopping on the side of the road to take pictures of aforementioned mist.


strawberry mango honey smoothies //


we found a BABY OWL.

either that or it's a miniature owl.

either way... IT'S AN OWL!! I probably just made myself look STUPID because it's probably not a "real" owl at all - but who cares? We thought it was a baby owl - so to us, it WAS a baby owl.


or it was. It flew away... sadly... after it practically tried to bite Sarah's arm off.


chocolate chip pancakes //


horse shadow //


mmmm... lilacs //


I spy.... =)


sunset in the valley //


that deep green that seems to settle in the valley in the twilight //


weeds never looked so photogenic //


deep grass //


rural roads... in black and white //


homesteads //


mmmmmmm.... no words.

I can't believe I live in this gorgeous place! =)

what's on your summer lovin' list this week?

much love!
Hannah