Around Here Twenty One: 5/19-5/25

A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this minute...and what a week it's been!!

photo credit:  Adliv Collective

photo credit:  Adliv Collective 

photo credit:  Becky Conn

Intentional Outdoor Hours:  137+ hours (of 1000)
Only a few hours this week because this weather has been Bleh to the extreme.  We worked together as a family out in the flower bed at the turn in our driveway; trimming bushes, clearing the trimmings, weeding, and cleaning it up.  Brandon and I were joyful over how quickly we finished because all the big kids were pitching in!  So that's why we have all these kids!?  (HAHAHAH, kidding). We also snagged a few hours from baseball and volleyball games.

Reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and almost it's finished!  I also passed along The Gift of an Ordinary Day to our aunt and current momma to a teenager.  And I also used the quote from it (that I wrote a whole blog post on) in my Scholarship award winner speech.  That book made an impact with my soul.

Blown away by an incredible evening out with some brave, handsome, and generous local Dads - including my number one man.  My sisters organized an awesome fundraiser event called The Dad Bod Affair to raise money for our local Women's Help Center.  We somehow convinced ten local Dads to participate in short skits set to sultry music while they did....wait for it...household chores.  It was so amazing.  Brandon mopped and I could have died.  Let me tell ya, I felt pretty starstruck to take my own Dad Bod home....for everyday of our life! (Amazing job to my sisters and all the ladies who helped us plan the event.  Thank you to the Dads and the men who helped serve tables - all around stellar event).  To see all the photos you can find them on facebook here at You in Flood City.

Cancelling on all of our plans for Sunday because the kids were down with sickness.  I was so bummed to text and call a bride (Lyns!) and a friend (Dunbars!) to last minute bail on a bridal shower and birthday party that day.  But after the surprise in the kitchen at 9am when Violet meekly said, "Sorry I throwed up on you, momma" followed up with Gemma doing the same a few minutes later and Grey sleeping in past 11:30am (unheard of) - I was all like, "Well, goodbye Sunday."  !

Baseballing most nights of the week - as long as the rain doesn't interfere!  Grey had two games and one cancelled this week - so that means...make up games! ughhhhh, this weather.

Volleyballing!  Our co-ed volleyball league officially started this week and after two years out of the game (omigosh!) it was amazing to get back on the court.  I headed to the game while Brandon went to Grey's baseball game that night (boohoo for having to split up).  Our team worked a few kinks out and then got into our swing together by game3.  So much looking forward to the whole season!  Since I was flying solo at the game, Uch and I grabbed a beer and a long chat afterwards and it was exactly what I needed to keep my spirits up for our busy week!

Enjoying a grown up night out with our aunt & uncle at Press Wine Dinner night.  Way back at Christmas we promised to do a wine dinner with them but between both of our families' basketball schedules and then baseball and track meets - we only now, 6 months later!, had a free night in both our schedules.  The food and wine was great, the company was great - and it was such a refreshing double date evening out!

Grateful for family and friends - we had something scheduled every night this week and our family - especially the grandparents pulled in tight to make sure we had sitters and kids covered for all the places we needed to be.  THANK YOU!!  We also had our Miss Hannah babysit for us during the Dad Bod event and arrived home to her on the couch with both girls asleep in her lap!  (she's the best!!) We are so blessed and grateful for these family and friends who love our kids, especially when this life takes so much juggling!

Counting down these last few days of school.  we are all so anxious for summer to be here (and warmer weather, please!)  I ordered Gemma's backpack for Kinder this week because hello, sale at LLBean.  We ordered Grey's backpack from there (because it's lifetime guarantee) and let me tell you - after being with that wild boy for two years...you'd still think that thing was new.  Yeah, never looking back, it cost a little extra - but worth it for sure.

Barricading all the things as Rust man, on the crest of his first birthday (his party planning in the works! waaaaaah!) has been into everything.  He finally took a much delayed attempt at the stairs and scaled it so fast that we've been calling him a little gecko.  He just waddles all over the place picking stuff up and hiding it (Brandon found his truck keys in the washer this morning), pulling every toilet paper off the roll, trying to dunk his hands in the toilet water, and splashing all the water out of the dogs' dishes.  He does the alligator roll when you try to change his diaper and has this ear-piercing screech that means both joy and anger.  He's still so squishy and does love to give a good hug and kiss at random.  This baby!  He makes us all so happy even when he crazy.

Awarding our ninth annual Studer Scholarship to a CV high school senior at their senior banquet last night.  I took Violet as my date and we were happy to sit with Aunt Uch and Kevin too.  The banquet is always so inspiring to see the accomplishments of the young people getting ready to head off into the world - and of the donors who sacrifice and save to be able to provide any financial help they can.  Seriously, I am floored every year.  Our winner this year was the incredibly kind and sweet, Kara Pisczek.  This has been one of our 12 Months of Kindness tasks since the start of our 12 Months of Kindness!

Making chicken & zucchini casserole, taco Tuesday, this Hawaiian chicken (slow cooker, 3 ingredients!), and for dessert we made chocolate chip pecan cookies with the girls and shared some with Grey's busdriver too. I started the 21day fix regime again this week and I've been doing great so far with eating a diversity of foods (instead of mainly my one favorite type: all the carbs) and with the exercises everyday.  The girls hop in and out on the workouts and then cheer me on.  My motivation is that the idea that someday I'll be comfortable to just get dressed to leave the house with no feeling of being uncomfortable.  I haven't updated my wardrobe in (i'm not exaggerating) seven/eight years - like since before having kids, and I have no interest in spending money on new clothes - so I'm just going to work on getting my body back in shape to fit comfortably in those clothes again (hah).  Maybe it being a financial motivation will keep me up with it!  Whatever works, right?!