Around Here Week 25: 06/20-27

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

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 239+ (of 1000)
The kids are all about mini baseball still in the yard and Grey has started to really teach Rust how to use a glove. Rust told me, "Next year, can you sign me up for baseball, mum? I can play with the tiny guys team." (hahhaa, he is always calling things 'tiny' and I love it so much). We snagged hours at the Raystown cabin we rented this weekend and had to spontaneously take care of Bullet on Sunday night when he got skunked...doesn't it always go like that? Sunday night at about 10:30p when you just got into bed is when the dogs get skunked. 

Reading I’mSorry…Love, Your Husband by Clint Edwards and How to Raise a Wild Child by Scott D Sampson. I'm still struggling to get reading in right now, it is still pretty low on my priority list of things to accomplish as sleep, feeding a baby, and chores feels so overwhelming yet in week 5 of the Rotten 8. 

Loving on the Daddas in our lives for Father’s Day. Brandon and the kids attempted (and succeeded!) with their annual #Studerkidshoponpop photo which was truly a feat this year with all these kiddos! Then, we spent the afternoon at the Que and the kids were over the moon to be back at camp doing all the things they love best of all: swimming! Kayaking! Fishing! Picnicking! We are so very blessed in the dad/grandpa category and they take such good care of us all year round; making us laugh, teaching us how to fix things, building our dreams with their literal bare hands. Thank you B, Dad, and Pappy - you are so very loved. 

Excited to see some fruits of our labor in the garden! Green peppers are the winners for first ones to be visible. But by the end of the week, we could see some zucchini getting started too! 

Getting the green light to let Livy Lou sleep as long as she wants during the night. At her one month appointment, she gained 1.3 lbs in two weeks so the Ped doc said I was good to let her sleep longer than 3-4 hours if she can make it. I had told her that I woke up the night before after 5 hours in a panic (ya know, those newborn breastfeeding night panics that are belligerently hysterical) and she was all like, “Girl, she is gaining weight great – let her sleep and you sleep too!” Yay Olive, thank you baby girl.

Chatting it up with the You in Flood City board members (aka my sisters and SaraDee) at Woodside for our quarterly meeting. So much good conversation and things to look forward to for the upcoming months. I always leaved the YIFC meeting feeling so inspired. 

Clothes swapping. Oh.My.Gosh. Last winter when I was pregnant with Olive and Red was just a little baby, I literally dumped all the kids’ clothes in whatever bags/totes I could find and sent a little apology to my future self who would have to deal with this disaster. Well, the week has come for that apology from that former self because I was nearly buried in clothes this week. We also have way too much stuff. I only got through the girls clothes this week and we sent off two big totes and three bags of handmedowns to the girl cousin younger the Violet and packed up five garbage bags of donation girls clothes (!!)

Swimming up to the top of the undertow of the Rotten 8 to tread water instead of drowning. Hah! At five weeks, I finally feel like I am taking a few deep breaths and getting that extra hour or two of sleep that I can think semi-properly and be fully awake during daylight. Geez.

Daydreaming big and trying to manifest a future that holds everything I care about without sacrificing the passions I hold dear. I do feel encouragement and whispers from the universe, so if only I could build up courage to believe in myself (Question to self: Tabitha, why if everyone else believes in you, do you still pump the brakes? Let go of that self doubt girl, and jump.)

Still dealing with no internet. Whyyyy is everything such a pain to fix. I was on hold for another 25 minute wait (super convenient for a mom of 6) and B had to dig up the cable line from the pole so that the technician’s could splice it and finally restore our wifi. Thankfully because it’s summer the kids aren’t watching much tv unless at night (which has been funny to see them adjust to commercials and watching what is on tv vs. whatever in the whole world they want streaming). But it still has been super annoying to be without internet for blogging purposes, using my phone data, and stressing about my photos backing up on my phone (!!)

Taking a trip to MedExpress with Grey who is still struggling with some digestive issues weeks after the lymes and antibiotics. (thank you Taush for watching the others so we could go on such short notice!)

Astonished at Grey's massive baby tooth exodus. In the past two weeks, he has pulled out five baby teeth! Every time, he has silently popped it out of his mouth then walked over to B and I laughing to show us. I asked him if he brushed his teeth one morning and he answered, "I don't even have teeth to brush, Mom" 

Honored to attend the funeral service of my best friend's dad. It was so beautiful and heartfelt. He had an incredible life that truly impacted so many people. How grateful I am that he lived and raised one of my favorite people on this Earth. 

Enjoying a weekend away with our extended Adams family to celebrate Abba & Chum's 40th wedding anniversary a few months early. We wanted to squeeze in a little getaway between the birth of Olive and the birth of my sister's baby (in August) before football, cheer, and school swallows us whole. We booked a cabin on vrbo earlier this year and the time had finally come! The cabin was perfect and spacious for all of us to be comfortable and had great spaces like the outdoor fire pit, back porch/deck, and the ping pong table in the basement was a big hit - especially for Grey who planned multiple tournaments. We made meals, visited the day recreation beach on Raystown lake nearby, and even took a hike on Sunday to the balanced rock. The hike turned into much longer than we had planned, but the little babies were troopers (in carriers) and Uch with her 7 month pregnant belly was the real champ! 

Sporting with a co-ed volleyball game for B and I on Tuesday night where I also spotted two of my students playing AAABA baseball (hi Cayden! Hi Connor!) Our kids’ official spring sports seasons are over, but Grey got called up to play with the 12yr baseball team this week, so we squeezed a little more baseball out of the early summer.

Making sloppy joes with a side of mac&cheese (one of the kids’ all time fav meals), chicken nuggets and fried rice, and lots of leftovers. We had one Green Chef this week - Cheesy French Onion Cauliflower (amazing) and for Father's day I made a western style scramble with fried potatoes for my hearty breakfast loving hubby. Brandon grilled dinner at the cabin for everyone; steaks, shrimp, and veggies (so delicious!) while Grey made buffalo chicken dip and he and Gem both helped make breakfast both days (eek! growing up kids who legit help in the kitchen - yay!!)