Netflix/Amazon

So we got Netflix a little over a year ago.....but we really rarely ever watched TV so we never really took advantage of it....however, I have more free time on my hands lately which is being consumed by Netflix binge watching and this stupid game on my phone Cooking Fever (don't even get me started, it's a problem!)

So I'm YEARS behind on Netflix....but I'm going to give you my opinion on what I have been watching!

1. Stranger Things.....I really like this show and Winona Rider is in it!! Love that it was only 3 seasons so fairly easy for me to get caught up on! I love the girls Eleven on this show and the kid with the curly big hair! Season 3 was a little OUT THERE for me though. I know this is sci-fi....however, it just became too much at the end. I will probably tune in for the next season just to see what happens.

2. Riverdale...….I love all the pretty people on this show! And I love the original season of solving the death of a classmate. I love Luke Perry and Skeet Ulrich in this...I do NOT like Molly Ringwald, I just don't think she is a very good actress. Now, I do like the show and the overall mystery and darkness....why are these teenagers doing SO many things that normal teenagers really don't do? (Or maybe I am totally sheltered?!) But the amount of drinking and sex....breaking people out of jail, c. oering up murders, running clubs and underground casinos?! It's just a little too much. But I will continue to watch this also...looks like season 4 was just released, so might have to get caught up.

3. Virgin River....only 1 season and very super cute! Highly recommend for a good rom-com!

4. Orange is the New Black....now.... this is like 7 seasons, that is a little daunting. I've heard mixed reviews on the later seasons but I haven't even finished season 1. I do like it and I like all the funky characters and story lines...I just am not sure how you have 7 seasons of story lines involved. Maybe I'll find out.

5. YOU.....OMG!!!! MY FAVORITE!! If you like psychological thrillers, please watch this. It started out as a book and surprisingly I have NOT read it. A friend recommended this to me about a year ago 

and I actually watched it and loved it. Season 2 came out a couple months ago, so I rewatched season 1 before watching season 2....and I totally would watch them all over again! Season 3 is coming out in 20

6. Cheer....The cheerleading documentary. I know, I thought the same thing before I started hearing about it. Everyone I talked to said it was good. I watching it. It was good! I really enjoyed it and was shocked at what these people do to their bodies for cheerleading where they cannot go on to be professional in this sport. After college, there is no where for these kids to go with this type of cheerleading. I highly recommend this show.....and I love Jerry! LOVE him!

7. Dead to Me....Christina Applegate.....this is a light comedy, murder show. Funny and mysterious. Only 1 season but it is good for those who can't deal with the real, serious murder shows!

8. Taylor Swift: Miss Americana....I really liked this show. Gave a really good insight to her history and her music making. Her path of success, what has worked and backfired for her. I wish I had more of her creativity and determination!

9. Aaron Hernandez documentary....only 3 episodes thankfully! Some people feel sorry for Aaron after watching this and hearing about his background and issues that he faced. I didn't.  Yes, I think the whole story is sad, but I think some people put themselves in bad situations over and over again....and that is the problem. Learn from your mistakes, make good decisions. I am glad I watching this b/c I didn't know the full story originally.

10. Making a Murderer...I know I'm so many years behind on these shows. But wow! This is the stuff that I really do love but I do think there are so many more corrupt systems out there (police, FBI, politicians, lawyers) and that is what is scary. You don't know who you can really trust. I normally see the best in people and I know that is one of my downfalls even after being a fan of true crime and psychological thrillers, I still have a hard time believing people are this crazy!  At one time I wanted to be a criminal psychologist and I still think that would be super interesting. Maybe I should go back to school.

11. Hannah....I really liked this show! A little sci-fi with a badass female. Some mystery, action...only 1 season, but I'm looking forward to seeing more!

12. Modern Love....little love stories, all different! I liked some and some were okay. Overall this was very cute and I really like the whole idea of all these different relationships. B/c every relationship in real live is SO different and no one really knows what goes on behind closed doors. Highly recommend!

13. American Son....OMG, please watch this! So good, so suspenseful, so mysterious and so frustrating! I hated this way this movie made me feel. I wanted to scream numerous times with the mother in this movie. Very good and very good acting in this movie also!

I have a couple shows I started a while ago, but don't quite remember like I want to (13 Reasons Why and Mind Hunters) so I want to start them over. There are so many shows that have been suggested to me that I want to watch also (Ozarks being one of them) so stay tuned!! Even though most of you have probably watched these shows WAY before I have! :) 

August

We did get some use of our Adventureland season passes, which is always fun! It is nice that they can ride most of these rides together without one of us! Piper is getting braver and braver....she even rode the Dragon this year. I was SO nervous for her but she LOVED it.

We braved the Iowa State Fair this year with the girls. Normally they SUCK at the fair so I'm not sure why we keep trying but we do. This year they were much better and actually had fun!

Piper loves all the pigs! Every where you look!

We stayed and saw Maddie Poppe sing a couple songs, our friend Baird was playing at one of the stages so we stopped there which is where Piper scored this sloth from a random guy who was basically just looking for someone to take it so he didn't have to carry it around. She was in heaven!

Also in August is when we lost our nephew Austin in a motorcycle crash. This was the hardest thing I had dealt with in a long time! I haven't seen most of Steve's family cry and this tragic situation brought his family so close together. So hard and I can't even express how hard this was. The honor walk they did for Austin's organ donation was the hardest, saddest and most powerful thing I have witnessed. Organ donation is such an amazing gift that Austin was able to give to so many others!

In August there was a shocking sighting of the girls getting along with each other for a split second too.

Presley went to cousin Mary's birthday party so Piper and I had a date night at Adventureland! I love having this one on one time with them!

The girls and I had our annual girls day before the first day of school. We enjoyed the nice weather and just ran errands, went to a couple parks and got ice cream.

The first day of school!!! Presley going into 5th grade and Piper going into 1st grade! Presley was excited about her teacher Ms. McCune and Piper was NOT so excited about her teacher Ms. Mulholland (who Presley had also and she can be very strict).

They had never taken the bus before but we knew that this year they would probably start so we figured the first day of school was the perfect chance to start! They actually really like riding the bus, so they have been taking it more than we thought they would. Presley was riding the bus home every afternoon and then staying at home by herself until Steve got there.....which was usually about 20-30 minutes, so it was good for her to have this responsibility. Having to come home, remember to text me, do her homework, get a snack and chill until he got home.

July

I am going to try to do a quick fast recap of the year and continue along my merry way with this blog. I'm bummed I have let this go but we pick up and keep on moving. So July was mainly filled with our normal Okoboji trip. The 4th of July we were lucky enough to get invited to Presley's Bff's house and enjoy their pool. It was really nice and so much fun to hang out with them.

We spent a day at the ninja gym....the girls love it and get braver every time we go. Piper will climb the warp wall 300 times just to the sam wall as her sister....and she got it. It is awesome that she doesn't give up and to see that smile on her face when she makes it up, makes me happy!

 We spent an evening at Smash Park, they girls loves the foosball table!

 Then Spirit Lake, we spent Saturday thru Wednesday there b/c Steve was so busy at work that he couldn't get away for the whole week, but we had a great time and did so many things.

We had a surprise 80th birthday party for Jerry! So much thought and planning went into this party and he was happy, shocked and also even shed a few tears when he got his present of 2 tickets to go to New York in September for him and Kathy, to see Steve's half sister Diane. He was blown away and really moved! It was very nice to see!

 Jerry has a really bad tattoo of his name on his arm from when he was in the Army, so everyone else decided to 'tattoo' their names on their arms also!

 This smile. Little did I know that this would be the last picture that I took of our nephew Austin.

 The whole Goodrich gang!

 The Goodrich grandkids.

Ava and Presley always want to do a 'scavenger hunt', well this year it included one of them holding a frog. I knew Presley would never do it but Ava sucked it up and crossed it off their list!

 We usually spend a couple hours at the splash park, which they love!

We decided to have 'white trash' day...OMG. It was SO much fun! Definitely something different that we all enjoyed...we all headed to the Barefoot Bar this way also!

After Okoboji Presley spent a week doing Living History Farms camp. This was her 2nd year doing it and she does have fun learning about different things, so I'm glad she has enjoyed it.
Then after that she spent a week with her Bff Zoey in the Ozarks. It was SO hard to have her gone for a whole week. It was her first time being away from us that long. Zoey's family is very good to her and I think they push her to try new things and have fun!! She had her phone so she was able to text and call us when she wanted/needed. And her parents sent us so many pictures and videos of them tubing and jumping off of cliffs.....so fun for her!

I have so many pictures that I was going to download onto this...but baby steps. I just need to be happy that I have a July post at all!

I got lost.

Over the last 5-6 months I got lost. Really lost......in more ways than you could imagine! I'm finding my way back. Slowly but surely. I am hoping to starting updating this blog again! I will go back and get caught up...maybe a month by month review, so I can jot down our memories and have our pictures stored here. The updates will definitely be a roller coaster ride of the ups and downs over the last 5 months. I will apologize now if I repeat myself, leave stuff out or skip around and make no sense whatsoever. Welcome to my current life!

Shawn Mendes

The girls know we love concerts and always want to join us. I finally broke down and bought tickets to Shawn Mendes, which really weren't that expensive so it worked out. Saturday night we all got dressed up and ready to go on a family date to the concert. We talked to them long and hard about getting along, having good attitudes in hopes that we would all have a good time.

We went to Mullets for dinner and Piper had this super shitty attitude. Really sad, not talking and crying about everything. I took her outside and told her grandma was going to pick her up if she couldn't decide to have fun.....about 10 minutes later, all was good and we were on our way. We were able to buzz into Buzzard Billy's (and get a parking spot there) and then walk to up the Well.

I love this picture of me and my baby girl! I think she looks tall but she really isn't.

 I just think she is so beautiful. Biased, maybe!

 Finally Piper was in a good, funny mood!

The concert was REALLY good! The girls really enjoyed it and were good for 95% of it and they are ready to go to their next show. Exposing them to the fun of concerts is going to cost us way too much $$! :)