a few odds and ends to finish (nearly) up July

so one thing the girls have been asking me for is 'dreadlocks--the braid kind' (the fact that they know what those are and that there are other kinds almost worries me)... and since afton's been trying to grow out her bangs and I HATE when they are constantly falling in her face, I decided it was well worth the effort to have a week free of doing her hair! (and her undoing it so it falls right back in her face...)

TA-DA! (those front braids took forever)

rayna's were pretty lopsided... I guess I made the top ones too big and the bottom ones too small... if you're ever doing this, make the opposite mistake if you must do them uneven ;)

malachi stole my kitchen rug one day... I just liked the pic, sorry it's so blurry...

while paul was gone for so long, I frequently let malachi go to sleep in my bed, it was easier, and he's still pretty easy to move too... but this night when I went to move him back I couldn't help but laugh... he'd built a complete nest of pillows all the way around himself, and he used his beloved blankie as a pillow, because the last pillow was his blanket...

sleepy birdy

and the absolute HIGHLIGHT of the summer, DADDY CAME HOME!!!

midnight at the airport, the kids holding a banner that reads 'welcome home dad'

and after the braids came out

both girls loved their 'lion manes'

and since daddy's birthday was while he was at training, we had cake with him after he came home

yum! trifle :)

and I already put this one on FB, but it's too cute not to share again in case anyone missed it!
lawn mower boys