2021...13.1.... Done!

 Linds and I have attempted to run a half marathon every year since 2009!  As I've mentioned previously, a couple times we even fit in a full marathon and some years I had to double up to catch up for the years that I was having babies! ;)  Anyways, in 2020, we found ourselves running our annual race together virtually which meant you pick the route and afterwards you upload your time.  Then, you collect your medal and t-shirt.  Linds and I decided since we wouldn't be able to run in an actual race again this year, we would simply pick a Saturday that worked for us.  Add some mileage in the weeks leading up to the selected weekend and then run the 13.1 miles using our "virtual" route.  This time we opted not to pay the registration fee or get the t-shirt and medal.  I am proud to say that even without the other runners to distract us or the actual thrill of race day, we were able to finish this half marathon under the 2 hour mark, a goal we always try to have.  With a pace of 9:07 and overall time of 1:59:26, it might not have been our fastest race but the annual half marathon for 2021 is in the books! ;)  We had a really great cheering section along the route that even gave us water along the way.  We came home to a full breakfast spread provided by Zack and then we were able to watch the cousins dye Easter eggs thanks to Grammy's preparation and planning!  We had a great spring morning!  

Zander snuck away after we dyed Easter eggs to go to his best friend, Mia's, birthday party.  He had a blast painting, jumping, hitting a piñata and eating some yummy cake!  Birthday parties are not all the way back to the way they used to be but we are finding ways to celebrate these significant milestones with some of the kids' best buds celebrating together.

Some other adventures from our last week.... we had a tornado warning as soon as we got home from school one day... so the boys, Burke, Nerf guns, books and myself squeezed into our half bathroom downstairs until the warning lifted.

Grannie and GranDan came to visit and celebrate Zack's birthday.  The boys loved showing them their new basketball goal.

Our Wii that hasn't been working for months magically started working again.  The boys have loved playing all the games on this old gaming system!  Maddox quickly grabbed "Just Dance" that he got from Granny V and PawPaw for his birthday since he wasn't able to play it much since the system stopped working.  Zack has a really cute video of him dancing to the music!

We are back on the ballfield three nights a week for practices.  When games start in April, it looks like we will be at the ballfield 4-6 nights per week depending on if games and practices overlap for these two boys.  Zander is continuing to play machine pitch this year, enjoying the positions of 1st base and catcher most.  

Maddox is again playing coach pitch and seems to love every minute of it.... even when its raining and mommy is hiding out in the dugout! haha

I made the front page of our local newspaper!  It is so humbling to be recognized for this honor when I work with such incredible people!

We got Maddox's cap and gown pictures for PreK!  I cannot believe we only have a couple months left of preschool until he will officially be joining me for kindergarten! The time has flown by!

Quick Catch Up Post ;)

 I got my 2nd Covid shot yesterday!  Zander was working with me for the Work from Home Wednesday (also St. Patrick's Day) so he got to join me for this monumental event.  This week marks one year since our world completely changed and how we did "normal things" looked drastically different.  I remember the uncertainty I felt a year ago.... kids weren't in school.... trying to juggle full time job responsibilities, being a mom and encouraging my kids as they worked and played (all while not being able to leave our home).  Things have gotten better in that schools are reopening and our routines we used to be accustomed to are slowly starting to look familiar.  I continue to be thankful for the health of our family members as this past year has brought a lot of loss and sadness to many people I know.  I had to document this step toward healing for many and hopefully back to the normal we knew and loved.... "kids being kids" and having the ability to be within 6 feet of someone, getting hugs from family members/friends/teachers, playing on playgrounds and hopefully no more masks! ;)

My co-worker since Grammy and Grandpa were out of town for our Work from Home Wednesday... and yes we worked from the building! Mommy had things that needed to be done there! ;)

This boy is so excited to be playing baseball this spring.  He asked to go practice at the field at the elementary school up the street from our house.  On the way, he picked me flowers and talked about all he was going to do at practice, including hitting some homeruns!  He found some bouncy balls while at the field and he was so excited to share one of them with his brother who was helping daddy with yardwork while we practiced.  I love this boy's heart for others and his enthusiasm about everything including baseball and bouncy balls! ;)

We celebrated Zack's birthday a week early.  I got to take him to Waffle House for dinner and then we had cookie cake made by Sarah the next evening!  I was so excited that I had the right candles for the occasion.... I genuinely didn't realize I was a decade off! haha  Here's to always celebrating 29th birthdays even if this year is actually one year before the big 4-0! ;)

My parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this past weekend.  I continue to be so thankful for the example that have shown me all these years of unconditional love and a committed marriage.  I know that marriage is hard but they have shown us that it is worth every hard moment!

I love being able to pick up my niece on Wednesdays (and sometimes on Friday too)!  I love hearing her talk to the boys in the car.  I cannot get over how grown up she is! She enthusiastically says each song on the radio is her favorite and can sing along to all the words!

I love the relationship these "bookend cousins" share!  Since Z goes over to Grammy's on Wednesday and Eli is there every day, you can tell they are very close.  I think it is such an incredible bond that would not have been possible if we hadn't gone through the last year in a pandemic.  While Emerson and Maddox continue to be really close due to their closer ages, I think these times between Zander and Eli will make them close due to these experiences they have shared.

And then a few pictures before going to school in the mornings.. selfies and pictures when it is "Tie Day"  ........ both my boys are growing up so fast!

"Snow" Much Fun!

 Our boys have been wanting snow all winter.... and when it looked like it was not going to happen this season, Zack and I made a plan to surprise them with a day of snow tubing! We had a blast and were able to see Jacob and Sadie for a meal before heading back down the mountain.  The boys enthusiastically went on some of the tubes by themselves and joined us for some tubing where we would go down the mountain sharing a tube with one parent and one child!  It was a fun-filled winter day!  Now we are ready for spring! ;)

We ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel before we left for our surprise adventure... the boys loved getting the cookie straw with their milk and I think they thought Cracker Barrel was the fun outing for the day... they had no idea until we pulled up what we were actually doing!  

Zander saw one of his best friends, Taylor, who was also tubing that day with her family!

I think the boys enjoyed seeing Jacob and Sadie more than snowtubing!  They must be extraverts like their mama! ;)  When I asked them their favorite part of the day at bedtime that night, both said seeing their cousins!

I love seeing the mountains... especially Grandfather Mountain!  Being in the mountains will always feel like home! ;)

Other events from the last couple weeks.... I went to donate blood.... something I'm trying to get back to doing every chance I am eligible! Not pictured:  I also got my first Covid vaccine!  I will be going back next week for my 2nd dose.  The nurse that helped me thanked me for being an essential worker and I might have teared up a bit!  My job has been so incredibly hard lately.  It was great to have the reminder that my position and what I do for a living is essential to our society and the kids at our school depend on me showing up every day to help them as they learn and grow into capable, responsible citizens within our society!  Basically, what I do every day matters! 

This pup.... I love him.... he is also giving me a run for my money lately!  He is chewing up the boys' stuffed animals and I sometimes come home to vomit in the living room.... thank goodness he is cute!

We stopped by to say hey to some friends who happen to own chickens... my boys want to own some too!  Don't tell them but that isn't happening! ;)

Zack and I fit in a date night at the end of February.  We try to have a monthly date night (thanks to Grammy and Grandpa)!  It is always a treat to see Zack outside of our house, enjoy a nice meal and have good conversations!  Pictured here is our dessert!

Zander's school picture.... just had to be documented for 2nd grade.... I wish he would use his authentic smile but I'll take it ;) Love this boy so much!

We went out to dinner to celebrate Carmen's birthday.... love these ladies and the time we get to spend together!  (It was Sports Day earlier at school.... hence mine and Angie's jerseys! haha)

Speaking of dress up days.... we had a whole week of it for Reading Across America week!  Here are some of the dress up days including Hat Day, Dr. Seuss Day and Book Character Day!

We got a basketball goal! These boys love it and spend almost every evening out there until it gets dark!  This was given to us free from some neighbors that are moving.... what a nice present! :) The four of us love playing outside in the driveway together while Burke watches from the yard! It is one of my favorite things these days!

Freezing rain, ice and remote learning! Oh my!

 What a week or two we have had!  The last couple weeks have been filled with less than ideal temperatures and weather for my two active boys.  While they have desperately wanted a good snow... all we got was freezing rain and ice!  Here is how we have entertained ourselves as we are counting down the days to spring!  Zander met one of his best buds, Christian, at the roller skating rink for an afternoon of fun! Zander was zipping around the rink and showed a huge confidence which was exciting since we haven't been to the roller skating rink since before the pandemic started a year ago.  Both boys enjoyed spending their money at the arcade as well!

Maddox requested gel one morning!  He gets his thick hair from his mama!  He did fess up this week that he cut a couple locks from his hair using daddy's beard cutting scissors.... he proudly proclaimed "it didn't hurt at all"! haha  I told him he will not be cutting any more of his hair in the future no matter how cute his explanation was! ;)  

Linds and I suited up for our first 10 miler of 2021.  We have a virtual half marathon we are running at the end of March so we are trying to increase the mileage in the next few weeks as we prepare for 13.1 again!  Ironically, our entire run was in freezing rain with trees falling in front of or behind us along the path.  It might have been one of the craziest things we have done lately but really made us feel like true runners who get out there in all types of weather!  When we got back to my car, it wouldn't start again! This would make the second time in a week and a half!  The last time the battery was replaced so we have no idea what is going on!  Fortunately, dad came to the rescue and the jumper cables worked this time!  Zack met me at the dealership and we got a loaner to drive while they figure it out.  As of today, it looks like it might be another couple weeks without my vehicle which I know and love!  Hoping they get it fixed and I get back to driving it soon!  (These pictures were taken prior to the car not starting.... where things got even colder as Linds and I waited for dad and mom to come rescue me!) 

As I mentioned, this past week was filled with freezing rain and ice.  This meant for lots of indoor fun.  We watched a little tv and cuddled while the kids played on their tablets for a little break for mommy! ;)  We also played Uno, Guess Who and a few made up games around the house!

On Saturday, the weather got up to 50 degrees for the first time in weeks so we headed to the science center for some indoor and outdoor fun that was not within our living room! haha  We enjoyed our day!  Zander decided not to do the carousel this time... I hope that he hasn't outgrown things like that just yet.... we shall see! 

Thursday was a no school day due to the icy conditions and fear of many power outages which meant both boys were with me but we didn't have to worry about getting schoolwork done.  Other than that, Zander and I worked from home the rest of the week.  Thanks to Grammy and Grandpa, my sidekick went to their house on Tuesday so I could get a few things done at the school.  I enjoyed snapping pictures of him working while I was also knocking out the daily to-do list. I have to say I am very excited we are going back to school tomorrow..... it just feels right for Z to be in class and for mommy to get her work done with a few less interruptions. ;)

To My Little Valentines

 To My Littlest Loves,

Well.... you are not so little anymore.... at five and seven years old, I truly cannot believe that you are in PreK and 2nd grade!  As I think back on the last year, I had no idea at this holiday a year ago, this would be the last holiday you would celebrate with your classmates for sometime.  By March 13th, you were with me full time until school started back in August for Maddox's Pre-K year.  Zander stayed with me full time until January of 2021, making ten months of remote learning for his first/second grade years.  Can you believe that we learned, played and mommy worked altogether for this long?  When I look back, I am impressed at how we juggled it all and am also hopeful you only remember the good.... the extra time to sleep or cuddle in the morning, the laidback attire, the bike rides to the school down the street to play at their track, field or courts to get some energy out between work sessions.  I pray that you always remember that mommy and daddy did everything in their power to give you great experiences while we were under a "stay at home" order.  Daddy went to work every day and both of your parents continued to provide for your needs and some of your wants.  We were still able to go to the beach, a mountain waterfall adventure and Great Wolf Lodge! We have made so many wonderful memories this year! I have enjoyed watching you grow, watching your love for sports get bigger and watching all that you are learning! Zander, it amazes me how you so quickly went from reading words and small picture books to whole chapter books this past year.  Maddox, it amazes me how you are able to confidently count to 100, read letters and numbers and how you can use your knowledge of letter sounds to put three letter words together through blending the sounds!  This all happened so fast and I am so proud of both of you! I love to hear you say your prayers at mealtime or before bed.  I love listening to you sing songs on the radio when K-Love is playing or to sing songs you learned at church in your sweet five and seven year old voices!  I cannot wait to see what this upcoming year has in store for my little valentines.  I hope you will always know how much you are loved and prayed for.  As Grammy mentioned on one of the hearts she put on your doors, you are the boys we prayed for..... prayers that started before mommy and daddy met, prayers that continued after mommy and daddy got married and prayers that are said daily since you have arrived.  You bring us all so much joy and we love being able to celebrate all the holidays with you!  You eagerly count down to the next one, giving us something to look forward to every month!  We love you!

Love,

Mommy (and Daddy) ;) 

**Grammy makes each holiday special.... she created calendars for each boy's bedroom with stickers to count down to this holiday of love.  She also wrote every single heart note that is on their doors (along with ones for us as well).  We pray we love like she does every day.  We are so lucky she is ours! ;) 

**Maddox had a Valentine party and got lots of goodies.  He even made his own valentine container at Grammy's!  Zander couldn't have a class party or exchange valentines due to Covid-19 restrictions.  He was able to pass out valentines to the other staff kids at our school which made him happy to give them out and also to receive a few in return! ;) 

On Valentine's Day, we went to church and then ate lunch at Arby's afterwards.....we enjoyed jamocha and mint chocolate chip shakes with lunch!  After lunch, the boys got fresh hair cuts for upcoming picture days this week and next!  We enjoyed a nap time and then watched the movie "Up" while the freezing rain continued from the day before!  After the boys went to bed, Zack and I watched "Psych 2: Lassie Come Home".  This movie was a spin off from a show we watched before the kids were born... it felt great to get some laughs in and enjoy some mindless entertainment just the two of us!  I truly enjoyed my relaxing day with my boys.... a perfect Valentine's Day with my forever valentine and my littlest loves!