my life, my words.

Hey there,

Amazing that we are already in July. What a year it’s been so far.

We started this month by replacing our Washer and Dryer. The kids broke the washer and we had laundry piling up. We looked into the cost of getting the door replaced and it was more than replacing the whole unit. Given also the fact that they were super small in capacity, we decided to change them out and bite the bullet to get a new set. Nothing too glamorous but we should be able to do more laundry. It’s the small things.

The fourth of July came as well. We took our normal trip downtown to watch the fireworks. The kids always seem to enjoy this spot. Ezra was a champ and liked seeing all the fireworks too.

The weather has turned hot, which is fairly typical of the summer as of the last few years (thanks to global warming for making things worse).

We took the kids to a splash pad one day and tried to keep them as cool as possible during the hot stretch.

We also took the car for its first car wash. The kids were uber-excited to do that. I also added a few photos of random things. Like my buddy who keeps me company at work sometimes (it’s hard to want to work when you look down and see that smiling face) and the girl who wanted to ‘do my hair’ – which she was very impressed with. She wanted me to keep them in for a few days and while on calls.

We are off to quite a start for July!

just Pray

hey again,

The other day we were driving and noticed this vehicle. The license plate says “KHAAAN” and they have a live-long and Prosper decal on their window.

That is a pretty great plate. I pulled up next to them just to tell them it was cool.

You know what is nice? Having a vehicle that we can open all the doors and even the trunk (and frunk) while in the garage.

What else?

Over the last weekend (when we went to Tillamook) we took a trip downtown and picked up some free basketballs thanks to the Blazers. So now we have an updated photo with all 4 kiddos and the sign.

A few days later we watched the Blazers make the 14th pick in the NBA draft. I hope things start to turn in this franchise. Something has gotta give.

And finally, something I’m not sure many people wanted to see happen ever again came true. The first debate between Biden and Trump.

They attacked each other, Trump kept spewing his lies. His mannerisms have stayed the same and so has his narrative. Biden had a muffled voice as he was getting over a cold and at the end of it all commentators were saying that he should consider not running for re-election.

So, Trump vs an unknown person? It is a bit amazing that Democrats are turning so quickly on him when he won the last election and came into this one with a cold. Biden isn’t doing himself any favors though by saying he just isn’t as good at debating as he once was. American politics is a mess.

Yeah…. I do not want to say much more about that. It’s a truly exhausting topic.

just Pray

Hey again,

I’m sad to report that we lost our iPad mini that we have had with us since right before Arabella was born.

Here is how she looked. She was well-loved for over 10 years. That does go to show you that some Apple products last a long time.

In other news: As of the 15th, we now own a Tesla Model X Signature Edition P90D.

This sucker cost over 142k when it was brand new. We paid less way less than that. About 35k to be honest which was still very expensive for us. Considering that the car only has 40k miles on it and is in very good shape – it was worth it. It is worth more than what we paid for – which cars are usually something you expect to lose money on anyway, so it can’t hurt to start with the bonus.

Why this car? Well.. we can’t stand the big gas bills. We also wanted something better for the environment. We would have opted for a PHEV or Hybrid, but the options that are out there are SUPER limited and not very nice.

You can hardly get a Toyota Highlander Hybrid from 2012 for south of 30k. Our car is old (as it is a 2016) but it makes up for it in the Signature edition and the super low miles.

Anyway, I know a lot of people are against EVs but not us. Ever since we rented one last year (A Subaru Solterra) we liked them… again the biggest hassle was finding a car that would fit all six of us. Problem solved, we at least have something we can fit and that we will keep for the time being.

I hope nothing big happens that causes another change in cars.

The weather outside has been beautiful. Temps in the 50s and 60s with rain. June showers are lovely. The kids didn’t mind going out to the park in the weather either.

We had Bath Fitter come out and replace our shower. It was broken and was leaking water. This is the year for change, isn’t it? I think it looks amazing now.

Back when we were looking at the Tesla, we told the kids that if we got it we would get In-N-Out for dinner. So to make well on our promise, we took them down to Salem. The kids are so enthralled with the car because of the gullwing doors like a DMC-12 (the car from Back to the Future).

The next day we took a trip over to Tillamook and had Ezra try his first food. Tomato Soup from the Tillamook Cheese Factory. He wasn’t sure if he preferred it.

Did I mention that the weather has been great outside? Due to this, the lawn has needed to be mowed pretty much every week on the dot.

endquote:{[I always thought a yard was three feet, then I started mowing the lawn]} – Lettie Cowman

just Pray