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. 

Around Here Week 26: 06/23-29

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

photo cred: Jackie F

photo cred: Uch

photo cred: Becky C

selfie with our first home and the three people that lived there.

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 269+ hours (of 1000)
The heatwave was brutal early in the week but then slowly calmed down a bit and gave us some much needed thunderstorms. The blackberries are just getting started and the few ripe ones that we spot on walks are gobbled up immediately. 

Reading and finishing Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I really enjoyed it and I contacting two science teacher friends and told them to read it! I loved getting geeked out on the science and math right along with Ryland Grace- just such a cool concept and fun way to tell the astronaut trope. Big thumbs up from me! Starting Miss American Pie by Margaret Sartor next (I haven't given up on The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store though - just setting it aside for a little bit because my summer TBR pile is staring me down!)

Listening during chores to The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by VE Schwab

Supporting Gemma while she 'worked' this week. She was in charge of daily visits to our friends' house to water plants, check on their pet lizard, and empty the humidifier while they were away on vacation. Gem was dedicated and did a great job - she has another two jobs similar lined up for this summer (house check in and pup walking).She's also a great babysitter! This girl can do it all (love you, Roie). 

Teaching the kids a card game when our electricity was out for 10+ hours (LOL, during the heatwave - hilarious). I taught them Jackit-Smackit (a doubles slapping card game) and everyone was cracking up and being super competitive but in a mostly funny way.

Maintenance visits from the HVAC guy to try to get our AC under control (fingers crossed after some serious deep cleaning, deep diving into the filter system, and two separate visits...I think maybe we're good?) A guy came to give us a quote on putting millings down on our driveway too since our half a mile gravel driveway wears away after every rainstorm. Paying the bills for maintenance stuff is so fun, but the weight lifted off our chests when things are not broken is worth it. 

Stopping in to school to drop off all my school supply boxes that have been cramping up our bedroom and master closet since February! The kids all helped (bless them!) and it was such a relief to get them out of our house and into school. I have A LOT of work to do in my classroom to get things cleared and re-organized before the school year, but I took lots of photos and feel glad that at least everything is in there now. I also got to visit with cousin/bestie Heather (our new REACH counselor in the district!) and pick up my teacher laptop. The school year feels very far away right now, but I know how time works and it will be here before I know it, so I need to start getting my mind right. 

Giant moth sighting: a polyphemus moth at my classroom drop off visit, we found it on the sidewalk, so we scooped it up and put it in the mulch near a pine tree. 

Still got it! At almost 41 years old, I can still do a back handspring and back tuck on the trampoline, thank you very much. Hah - the kids were impressed so yay for me. Violet asked me to teach her to do a back handspring on the trampoline and after trying to explain it a few times, I was like forget it - just watch what I do with my hands while I do it! Then, it only took a handful of mid-flip chicken outs for her to finally get the courage and voila! Now Vi can do both on the trampoline too! Honestly, if you can just get over the fear one time, backwards tricks are easier than front flips! 

Participating on a virtual speaking panel with the Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium at their Virtual Summit. My former volleyball teammate (and friend!) Jess S reached out to see if I would be interested in participating in their True Stories session about finding joy in education (thank you for thinking of me Jess!) I was so honored and grateful to be part of the panel and especially to hear the stories from other educators in a variety of departments and districts all over PA share their experiences. There was an excellent video, a breakout session to talk and reflect in small groups, and then meaningful guided questions to think about finding, encouraging, and supporting joy in the education world.

Spending two days with our nephews to babysit (Miss Emma was on vacation!) All three sweetie fellows spent the whole day at our house - 9 kids in the house and the little one said, 'roll over, roll over' (lol). It was so good though and I will stick to the philosophy that the more kids; the easier it is - I swear! All of our kids dote over the nephews and they just bumble around here giggling and asking for hugs; it's basically my version of heaven. I was forced into a moment of peace when baby Blair would not nap unless held - so hooray for forced rest! I was happy to snuggle that baby and tell everyone else, sorry I can't right now - I have to sit here with blair-bear.

Visiting Erie, PA for our cousin Mindy's retirement party. B and I used to live in Erie (bought our first house) and Grey was born there. So before the party, we did a driveby of our first house and it was touching to see it and be flooded with memories for a few minutes - how does it feel both distant and recent at the same time. (ugh, time). The party was great and despite having been forecasted to rain the entire day, by the time we got there the skies were blue and the sun was shining. (it had rained all morning though so the river was ripping!) There was great food, cornhole, live music, and best of all cousins! I was happy to give my godbaby Mallory a hug (almost 15! how!? Again, time - why are you like this?!) It was a good day celebrating our cousin and fellow educator (retired from teaching special ed - so proud to know you!) A very long day of driving though (3 hours each way!) but the kids were troopers and thank goodness for Spotify! 

Kitty & Bryan PCT Update: WALKED OVER 1000 MILES!! They made it to Kennedy Meadows on Tuesday afternoon. The mosquitos are unbelievable and the videos she is sending give the ick big time; mosquitos literally knock, knock, knocking on the roof of their tent - um, no. They are wearing face nets while walking to keep them away! They are finishing out the last portion of the Sierra mountains now and then it will be cruising speed without all the drastic elevation changes. It is hard to believe that they've been at this hiking for a full 3 months and walked 1000 miles on their own two feet! I'm so proud to be her big sis!

Sporting with soccer camp for Violet and Rusty M-Th with the varsity and junior high teams (so Gemma volunteered!) They had so much fun each night and Violet won the competitions enough two days in a row to egg and then pie a volunteer (she egged Gemma!) Gemma lifted twice and worked out with the Varsity soccer girls once. Grey had one Pony league baseball game, five (!) summer league basketball games (two nights were double headers), and went to lifting/conditioning three times. Grey and B had two football practices under the lights (and both in the rain!) and then went to the 7v7 at Central Cambria on Friday night.  B and I had a double header at Roxbury volleyball at 8p & 9p - so we didn't get out of there until almost 11p (thank you Uch and Kev for keeping the babies!) I had a football boosters meeting too and took on the Red & White game tailgate event and gave everyone an update on the golf outing. 

Making honey & garlic porkchops, blackened tilapia, taco pasta, baked ravioli, stuffed shells (thank you Rosas!), take out pizza, and meatball sub sammies. For breakfast this week I made buttermilk blueberry cake and pancake bites with chocolate chips or blueberries.