A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this moment.
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| photo cred: Michael O'Ship |
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| photo cred: Michael O'Ship |
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| photo cred: Michael O'Ship |
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| photo cred: Michael O'Ship |
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| photo cred: Serena B |
Intentional Outdoor Hours: 504+ hours (of 1000)
The weather has changed this week into never knowing what to wear. You need sweatshirts in the morning and evening but you're dying of heat in the middle of the day. We're out here trying to figure it out and make sure we pack jackets in the backpacks so that everyone gets recess no matter the temp! Tis the season!
Reading Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Listening to and finishing Story of my Life by Lucy Score. It was cute and exactly what I expect from a Lucy Score novel. I did like her KnockemOut series better than this one, but it was still good. I imagine that she'll continue this series because there are two more brothers in this book to build more stories from!
Using Reedsy to keep my fiction novel organized for when I can get my life together and finish that book. Haha, I re-read it as I added all the chapters in and I was like - dang, I wish someone would finish this book so I could read it. LOL. Girl, get it together. But I've already written +8,800 words and I know where the story is going, I just need the gumption to freaking do it. Anyway, I do love Reedsy!
Not raptured! Just another thing I did not expect on my 2025 bingo card. Good grief.
Celebrating our 11 year old Violet Mary! Our bold, beautiful, competitive, and honest daughter. This girl gives me a run for my money (and she knows it and exploits it - hah!) No one loves her birthday more than our VaVi, so I shoot for the moon trying to meet her expectations. We had breakfast donuts and 11 balloons in her bed to wake up that morning. She requested kielbasa / tortelini / veggie on the Blackstone for dinner and an ice cream cake for dessert. Pappy came over to sing and gifted her a heated vest for the sidelines on Friday night (she was thrilled). She took ice cream cups into school for her snack and wore a birthday girl sash (her request! LOL). One of her best friends, Giada, got to come to the game with us on Friday night and sleepover. Her actual birthday party isn't until the end of next month (an "Eleven" party: 11 hours (!!), 11 tasks, and 11 friends) My Vially girl, you are so very loved.
Posting for National Sons and Daughters days because even though it is a made up social media trend - I like comparing their photos from year and year. These babes of ours - what a privilege to be theirs.
Struggling with laundry. The dryer has been heating up to the point of it smelling 'hot' and our resident fire detector (aka Violet who always smells when anything is 'burning' or hot) was the first to notice. This is very concerning as we have a big family and that means a lot of laundry. I'm grateful the weather was somewhat cooperative and I was able to hang some things out on a makeshift clothes line that B strung up for me. And, my mumma took a couple loads this week to do for us (Thank you!!) and lots of friends have offered (thank you!) The dryer specialist has been scheduled for a visit - until then, don't judge us if you see us walking around in well worn clothes - LOL.
A wedding photography job shadow for Gemma with Bridge Perspective. She had such a great time and loved getting to see the behind-the-scenes of a wedding day. She said her favorite part was the getting ready photos. She also got to be the official dress floofer before the portrait photos which was a pretty cool gig for a thirteen year old girl. Serena and Bobby - thank you so much, you are difference makers!
A happy wedding day to Hannah and Levi. Our sweet cousin, Hannah, married her sweet hubby on Saturday at Green Gables and we were so thankful to get to be there to celebrate them. The ceremony was meaningful and intentional, our good friend Loni (Hannah's former English teacher & mentor) officiated. (Bravo, Loni, it was perfect!) We got to catch up with our Studer / Gilmore cousins and the live band was incredible. B and I spent most of the night dancing and laughing. I even got to help guide the polka / money dance that is customary in Western PA weddings because there were so many out-of-towners that never did it before (Hah! best job ever for me!) Brandon's football player, Aidan, was enlisted as the DD for the night and so we got to hang out with him until all the partyers were rounded up and poured into his car for transport. (What a good kid - love him!)
Sleepover at our house with the nephews and since it was the night of the wedding (and Gemma's photog job shadow and Grey's sleepover at Gabe's) - we had the Lasure girls babysit seven kids at our house (Vi, Rust, Olive, Red, Wells, Heath, and Blairy!) They were amazing and the kids all asked that Peyton and Addie babysit again in the future. (you girls are the best!)
Time with friends and family: surprise afterschool donuts from Miss Heather for Red and Olive (you are the sweetest!), Rusty had a sleepover at Abba and Chum's house and then caught the bus to school the next morning and then he had another sleepover with our friends' the Maurers after football practice on Friday night (thank you!). Violet got to have a sleepover with Giada at her house for her birthday. Gemma babysat for a neighbor this week! Grey celebrated his teammate and friend Carson's birthday at his party and then had a sleepover at Gabey's house.
Teaching about Argentina at the elementary school (almost everyone knows that it exists because of Messi!) It was the last week for my first Expo group and we took our classroom vocab test and learned about the Towers of Tarragona. Spanish 1 took their adjective vocab test and had a day in the gym practicing Spanish translations with Running Dictation (always a fan favorite). Spanish 2 finished the movie Canela and then started the Somos 9 and animals vocab list. We played Pictionary and it was hilarious.
Sporting with plenty of fall sports related activities. Rusty had a minors football game at Shade (while our home turf gets a final sealing) and had three football practices, Violet cheered for the majors football team and had one cheer practice and two soccer practices. Gemma had four soccer practices and one jh girls soccer game. Grey and Coach Daddy had team dinner and film, four practices, and a Varsity football game at Marion Center. Our whole family went out to Forbes Trail Brewing to support the football booster fundraiser. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed food and drinks and Grey even surprised me with a bouquet of flowers (he may have been egged on by his dad, hah). I attended the soccer booster meeting and collected and turned in all the players' 90's party fundraiser tickets as team mom.
Making chili, homemade chicken noodle soup (for all my snotnose family members), Pioneer Woman's skill lasagna, kielbasa with tortellini and veggies on the Blackstone (for Violet's birthday), homemade pizza, baked sammies, and order in pizza for the babysitters and kids on Saturday night. For desserts, I made cowboy cookies and pumpkin/chocolate chip mini muffins and to donate to the football fundraiser at Forbes Trail I made Hershey kiss acorn bites.
