Around Here Week 33: 08/09-16

 A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this minute. 

too much partying with the big boys!

photo by Breanna Nash

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 384+ hours (of 1000)

Reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon ...finally. Several years ago, Ninna (hi, Linds!) tried to convince me to read it because she loved it, so I did buy it at the time, but when it arrived it was so thick (850 pages!) and after reading the blurb about it being so historical I was like, ughhhh - snooze. So it's been sitting on my shelf for YEARS. I finally pulled it off the shelf this week and decided to give it a tiny opportunity and within a few pages I was kicking myself for waiting so long to jump on the bandwagon. Yeah, obsessed. 

Fly Elimination mission update: flies are everywhere and clearly have a vendetta against me. We have so many flies in the house now that I told Brandon not to come home unless he has hanging fly stick strips (!) What is going on with the flies this year (it's not just us - lots of people have fly traps in the yard this year too). My Dad brought insect spray for all our bushes near our house and we have sticky fly strips hanging everywhere. The goat pastures seems a little better (thanks parasitic wasps!) but we are all on fly-swatting death missions all day everyday. I feel like all I ever shout is, "CLOSE THE DOOR! THE FLIES ARE COMING IN!" 

Back patio project working and omigosh it's happening! We had some football coaches and Brandon's dad come to help put the trusses up on Sunday. And then my Dad and Kevin came by later in the week to put the plywood and waterproof paper up. I can't believe how wonderful it is - it's already changing our lives for the better to have shade outside.

Happy for the kiddos to get a day with Abba, Chum, and their aunts at Idlewild! (thank you!)

Signing the papers for the deed to our land. yay! Now we can really let the goats roam free! 

Sometimes feeling like five is  ALOT of kids and other times being caught off-guard by how people act like five is ALOT of kids because I sometimes I forget it is more than normal.  

Swapping out our living room furniture with handmedowns from Pappy and Gigi. Our living room looks new (to us!) and the kids are loving it. Our leather couches have taken a beating over the past two years (#boymom #girlgymnasts) and so it is nice to have a big sectional and two recliners that we can enjoy without fearing the kids will break brand new stuff. (thank you!)

Double belated birthday party-ing for Grey and Gemma. Gosh, just call me Ambitious Annabelle - because why do I behave this way? It all turned out great and all the kids had a fun time and thank goodness for my sisters who need trophies for being the best aunts ever attending both parties back to back with smiles, decorations, last minute supplies, and iced coffees to share in hand (bless you). Gemma and her friends had a sleepover at the Que on Friday night. They camped, swam, kayaked, toasted smores, and stayed up whispering and giggling half the night. Grey and his friends first spent the evening at the BMX track scaring the crap out of their football coach (hah, B) and then had a sleepover at our house watching The Goonies and woke up to play Rundown on the slip&slide of literally four hours straight and used up every bit of soap we had in the house to make the tarp faster. 

Taking family photos. One of my students has been practicing her hand at photography and at the start of lockdown, we had chatted about her taking our family photos before the school year started again. We finally got it together and we met up with Breanna, her mom, and another student Mariellen on Sunday night to get them done. Breanna will be a sophomore this year and she did so well directing us, taking the photos, and editing them. She was very professional and has a great eye - I loved seeing what she was able to do and I'm so proud of her work. You can see more on her instagram @bnash_photography

Fall Sporting with picture day and practices!

Teacher Prepping by attending the Schoology training onsite to be our building's lead teacher on the new initiative. I was happy to get a few mornings of adult time (thank you Taylor for babysitting!) and I'm loving learning the new online product. Feeling like I'm getting back into the swing of the new school year - but still having crazy nightmares, waking up randomly throughout the night and pinteresting like a crazy person. My anxiety about the upcoming school year (both teaching and sending our kids) has me on edge. I'm making myself crazy. Somehow working on my bitmoji classroom helps calm my nerves LOL

Making maraschino cherry cake (Gem's bday party), pumpkin roll (Grey's bday party), and fresh blackberry pie (at Violet's request & help) this week. Among other things, but ya know - those were the fun ones.