Zander’s First Shave

We are currently waiting for an ice storm that is supposed to come through our area this evening and last a good portion of next week due to sub freezing (single digits in the morning) temperatures! So expect an update with how our week went after the storm passes! We are currently enjoying Beau cuddles (a newer development for our adopted pup who used to prefer resting in his dog bed at a distance away from the family). Zander also had his first shave with daddy’s help this week to get rid of the mustache that had appeared in recent weeks. Zander wanted to leave the mustache a little longer but we are liking his face without the extra facial hair just yet! It has been so cold lately making for less than ideal conditions for morning car rider duty, higher than normal natural gas bills and more evenings spent indoors rather than outdoors (giving extra time for puzzle completions). Zander got to go golfing with Grandpa (nine holes that he walked) before the weather conditions became less than conducive for golfing. We also fit in the boys’ (Eli and Maddox’s) basketball games this morning. I enjoyed getting to cheer on my littlest love and my Madman, both impressive basketball players who scored many points for their teams!

Basketball and Best Friends

I’ve been blessed to spend some time with my best friends over the last few weeks! We joined Aunt Kelly, Uncle Jonathan and Emma for lunch after church a couple weeks ago. I loved getting cuddles from this 2 year old cutie! We got to see them again this Sunday after church for “cook in front of you” Japanese! After lunch, it started snowing! It didn’t last but it made for a fun picture!

Maddox got to have his friend, Austin, come spend the night before their first basketball game of the season. The Boilermakers have brought home wins in their first two games of the season with Maddox getting many points on the board including two three pointers which he was pretty excited about! We get to catch the Kennedy kids in action on these basketball Saturdays too!

It snowed briefly last Sunday afternoon too…. And again it didn’t stick. 

AWANA is back…. Board game night was last week!

We spent the whole week without daddy while he was working in Connecticut…. We missed him but got extra snuggles on the cold evenings when we were at home.

As soon as Zack got back in town, I headed back home to see Liz for 24 hours of kid free fun! We enjoyed yummy food, hot drinks, a long walk on the greenway, in depth conversations and a trip down memory lane by visiting my high school. Thanks to Coley, we got to walk inside Freedom checking out mine and my sister’s Patriot of the Year pictures that are still displayed in the entry area and snapping a picture of the gym where Zack and I first met in 1997. It is crazy that it has been 25 years since I’ve walked these halls or stepped out on the football field. Time flies when you’re having fun! It was such a great weekend remembering the past, chatting about the present and planning fun times ahead! A great start to 2026!

Happy New Year 2026!

We have been enjoying this week between Christmas and the New Year! Today we were able to cheer on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons bring home a win against Virginia Tech! Our friends, the Millers, gifted us the tickets for today’s game! It was such a nice way to end our break! We are thankful for their generosity!

Last night, I took Maddox to see “David” the movie while Zander spent the afternoon golfing with Grandpa.

Beau has enjoyed extra time with us at home these last two weeks! He has even started to cuddle some, which I love!

I finished out 2025…. Running the most miles I’ve run in a year within my lifetime so far! It was a year that called for many prayers and my feet hitting the pavement.  This year started with a defamation of character against one of my cherished friends and a media attack on our school. Through a mismanagement of funds by our school district, I took a pay cut and added a couple job titles which also resulted in some dear friends losing their jobs. Zack took a promotion for work (which is a huge praise and also an adjustment to our daily lives). We navigated some health issues this year and said goodbye to three close friends who left this earth too soon. Every area of my life required prayer and I cherished the times I could head out for a run with my Christian music mix blaring while bringing all of this to God or the many miles I ran with my favorite running partner, my sister! Who needs a counselor when your sister has a degree in counseling and is such a great support and prayer partner?! If you are reading this, you were prayed for in 2025! I’m praying for you right now as I write this post. I’m so incredibly thankful for a God who listens to our prayers and walks with us through the highs and the lows.  He truly is another one in the fire (Daniel 3:25). 

We celebrated the arrival of the New Year with our typical NYE crew at our house! I’m so thankful for this tradition with our closest friends! The kids brought in the new year around 9:00 pm watching the ball drop in Australia with sparkling cider in hand! The adults were tucked into our own beds before midnight, opting to see 2026 during the normal morning wake up call when all these cute kids decided to get up the next morning.

This past week, we made a trip back home to see two of my childhood best friends and their five boys! When you are planning for seven boys in total between our three families, you know we opted for activities that provided an opportunity to get some energy out! We met up with Ashley and her three boys at SkyZone for some trampoline fun! Then, we joined Ginny and her two boys at the local climbing gym. We were able to see Grannie and GranDan during our quick trip back home as well! Daddy was waiting for us when we returned…. He had shampooed our carpets and geared up for a ping pong tournament for our family of four! Zander decided to replicate the ping pong tournament bracket for our NYE fun when the friends were over celebrating the new year! Mommy lost all games I played but fun was had by all!