Around Here Week 27: 06/30-07/06

 A glimpse into what it is like to be in our family just this moment. 

former NS students at volleyball

the unsung heroes of tournaments: the little siblings

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 302+ hours (of 1000)
A lot of pool time at Pappy's this week because it has just been so hot. We have been on top of making sure water buckets are refilled at the farm and then dragging the hose up to the house to hit the garden and flower beds too. Heather brought a slip n' slide over for the kids and the three littlest kids have loved it. (thank you!) 

Reading Miss American Pie by Margaret Sartor - I am liking it! It's a borrow from my friend and co-worker Loni's English classroom. I borrowed a stack before we left for summer - hah! Thanks Loni! 

Listening while doing chores to The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by VE Schwab. Man, it is taking me forever to get through this book (it is really long, but still) - but I do like the story! 

Operation Garage Conversion is underway. We are constantly trying to adjust our home and schedules to accommodate our family dynamic and we have made it to the moment that we need to expand for teens a little more. Last year we added the blacktop/basketball court to make our outdoor space more big kid friendly and now we are working towards making an inside teen friendly space. Turning our inner garage space into a den for tv/couches/game room. This is going to be a P.R.O.J.E.C.T because we've done a pretty terrible job of organizing over the last five years. In my defense, I got pregnant with Red, then covid lockdown with five kids, then I was pregnant with Olive, then raising tiny babies while also raising tweens, then new jobs for both B and I (including a varsity football head coach position), and blah blah blah you get the picture. So first time, clearing out the space! 

Ortho appointment for Gem and she got new bands - light blue! 

Football golf outing planning & meeting. The coaches and I met this week to make sure we had most of our tasks scheduled for the golf outing that is now in less than a month! We reached our max teams registered (yay!), favors and hole signs are ordered, corporate sponsor thank yous are rolling out via social media, and we are coordinating prizes and volunteers now in the final weeks. It has been a lot of fun to work with the coaches and I honestly am learning a lot because I'm not a golfer nor have I ever been to a golf outing (lol), but the coaches have all been really patient with my endless questions. 

Thankful for goat mentors like Eva who take my wacky texts and respond with thoughtfulness and suggestions that include screenshots of medicine bottle labels. Our goats Polly and Donut are showing signs of sickness (worms? bloat? still not weaned completely from their 1yr old babies!) So we moved the two mothers into a separate pen to try to give them some time and space to get better. It's also B12 injections and Red Cell, Apple Cider Vinegar, and de-worming meds. Fingers crossed and constant monitoring to make sure everyone is up and moving and eating. (thank you Eva for all your guidance and patience!)

Fourth of July celebrating at Pappy's pool in the afternoon. We had lunch and visited with Mimi, Kuma, and Uncle Buck too. Then later that evening, we hosted fireworks at our house thanks to Uncle Drip (Kevin) who was fully stocked with all the explosives (hah). He and Grey were patient and safe with all the kiddos there and put on a Roman Candle shoot off line to impress and please! The yard was swarming with kids - cousins, neighbors, and friends, and the firework display was really spectacular. We had ours and from the top of the mountain - we could see (and hear!) several other shows too! Grey had two night of firework fun as he had his traditional sleepover at the Rummells the night before too (thank you!) 

Organizing B's office and going through some boxes of things that just needed sorted and organized. He was relieved to get things moved around a bit, put in the mini fridge (yay for the kids' snacks come the school year!), and I also propagated his spider plant that had 12 babies on it (!!) His office looks clean and tidy now!

Day date at Forbes Trail Brewing Company. It was our first time at the microbrewery and we loved it. We had a flight of beer (I loved the raspberry/blackberry/marshmallow!) and then I had their Cherry Coke cocktail (yum!) The food truck that day was the food truck was Untraditional Creperie and it was delicious. We will definitely be back - what a gem of a place right here in western PA! Thank you to Heather who hung out with the kids all afternoon (and brought a slip n' slide!) 

Celebrating the graduation of my high school best friend's son, Tommy. It was a beautiful graduation party and I was dizzy with nostalgia and pride and love and foreshadowing and memories. It feels like it was minutes ago that Ang and I were sitting at the lunch table talking about our boyfriends (both of whom are our husbands now! Teenage Ang and Tab would not believe these lives we have out here in their futures!) and now she just watched her oldest son graduate high school! Ang was the friend I called after every Dawson's Creek episode to debrief and she and her husband Tom encouraged Brandon and I to date - we all went to the homecoming dance together (Brandon and my first event together!)  Friends are everything through those teenage years and in Ang I had a judgement free listening ear, positive encouragement, and forgiving kindness. I pray everyday that my daughters will have an Ang for their teenage years.  (love you and so proud to be your friend all this time. xxo)

So so sad. We were leaving the house and our sweet kitten Dwayne was under the car without us knowing. He was such a good boy and we loved him so dearly. That's all I can say about it right now because we are desolate. 

Kitty & Bryan PCT Update: they are done with the Sierra Mountains! They made it to South Lake Tahoe, CA (mile 1092) on Sunday evening and then by the fourth of July they had made it to Tahoe, CA. They had a bit of 'trail magic' when they came across a liquor rep (who distributes alcohol to local restaurants) and since he had just did a little day hike and randomly met up with Kitty and Bryan - he gifted them with some wine and cognac that he had in his car! 

Sporting on Saturday at the 5v5 soccer tournament for Violet. She played with some of her Sparks friends and they ended up winning the championship! Gemma had one day of lifting/conditioning, a  soccer kickaround, and a summer league basketball. Grey had three lifting/conditioning, the last summer league basketball game, and a playoff pony league JR&S game for Grey. B and I played in our Roxbury volleyball game on Tuesday. 

Making crack chicken sliders, baked chicken fajitas, burgers on the grill, meatball sliders on Hawaiian rolls, take out pizza, and out to eat at Tollgate after volleyball/baseball. For fourth of July dessert I made white chocolate chex mix and buffalo chicken dip.