Celebrating #5!

Beware..... this post contains way too many pictures from an incredibly fun weekend with my boys!  A couple months ago we realized we wouldn't be able to celebrate Maddox's fifth birthday the way he wanted... which was at Jump-N-Fun, an indoor inflatable playground where he celebrated his fourth birthday.  Knowing that indoor birthday parties are not possible at this point due to Covid-19 and not wanting to take a chance on the weather (since the Houstons are about 50/50 on having great weather for outdoor birthday parties), we decided to come up with a different plan to make our boy feel special as he turns a milestone birthday... a whole hand!!  So we booked a VRBO in the Brevard area and took the day off on Friday to give us a little more time to explore the great outdoors.  Maddox absolutely loves the mountains and thought it would be cool to see some waterfalls!  He really wanted to swim in these waterfalls but fortunately at the first touch of water, he realized that swimming at this time of year was not going to happen!  We were blessed with a waterfall guide book loaned to us from a co-worker and a spreadsheet of his recommendations for local waterfalls.  He photographs waterfalls all along the southeast and his recommendations were superb!  

We made a stop in the Old Fort area to eat lunch and check out Catawba Falls.  It was absolutely gorgeous!! Unfortunately a bridal party had decided to get to the top right before us, hogging all the great views for their social media posts.  Zack jokingly said that he didn't realize that "instagram models" would use a hike and some waterfalls for their photoshoot but that is exactly what happened!  Zack even made me chuckle when suggesting we pick a more strenuous hike for our next stop to discourage these "instagram models" from being on the trail! haha  You will just have to take my opinion that the view was amazing and we'll definitely have to go back when I can take a picture of the waterfall without so many people posing in awkward positions! haha

Next, we made it to Brevard! We decided to check out part of the Dupont State Park on the southern side of Brevard, stopping at Hooker Falls and Triple Falls.  Triple Falls looks like its name, three waterfalls cascading one after the other.  

Hooker Falls was probably my favorite of the whole trip.  This waterfall is seen in "Last of the Mohicans" and I love the horizontal aspects of it.  The boys also posed (unprompted) for the most adorable picture with their arms around each other!  It was an incredibly beautiful area and only about a 0.3 mile hike to get there!  

After fitting in three hikes and dinner at a local Mexican restaurant, El Ranchero, we headed to our home away from home for the weekend!  This two bedroom house was perfect for us and tucked into a neighborhood less than a mile from downtown.  The boys loved having twin beds and playing baseball in the fenced in backyard.  This was our first out of town trip just the four of us, ever!  It was special to make plans based on specifically what the boys wanted to do.  We also found time to be lazy as well so we were ready for the next hiking adventure!

On Saturday, we went to the Pisgah National Forest (north of Brevard).  We went to Moore Cove Falls and Looking Glass Falls (the most photographed waterfall in NC).  The boys again delivered sweet pictures with each other (actually asking me to snap the pictures I took below of them on a rock, hugging each other and Zander putting his arms on Maddox's shoulders)!  I just couldn't stop taking pictures of my boys so happy.... they love being outside..... with the ability to be loud, run around and lead the way on the trails!  The first collage is of Moore Cove Falls.  The three boys even walked behind this waterfall!

This collage is of Looking Glass Falls!  We had to turn around twice to find a parking spot but it was well worth it!

Then, we headed to the Cradle of Forestry where we were able to learn the history and importance of the forestry industry.  The boys loved the train, the old buildings and we even found a building with Zack's family name on it!

After two full days of exploring, we needed a nap!  Maddox crashed hard for our one hour nap!  Since we got home around 4:00 p.m., we didn't want to sleep too long or we knew we would have trouble at bedtime!  

We ate dinner at a local retro diner, Rocky's.  The boys asked if they could have ice cream for dinner! We said sure!  Zack and I had a delicious dinner food....  a Carolina cheeseburger and a pimento cheese hotdog!  We had our ice cream sundaes after dinner!  When we got home for the night, we watched "Ralph Breaks the Internet".  It was so much fun piling on the couch and relaxing together!

Today, we made our way home.  We stopped in Black Mountain on the way back to break up the trip.  I found a local park that had beautiful views so we decided to stop.  The lake was mostly dried up which made for a little different picture experience than I anticipated but we still had fun being sandwiched in between the mountains of NC and enjoyed seeing the fall leaves on the mountains one more time!  I think Maddox enjoyed his 5th birthday adventure!  The great news is.... he still has another week of celebrating at school and with family at home!

In other news from our week....  Linds and I ran a 5k last weekend that connected to the virtual half marathon we ran the weekend before.  We ran the 5k in 24:54  (8:02 overall pace).... a personal best for both of us!  We placed in 1st and 2nd in our age group and were able to grab our half marathon finisher medals and shirts afterward!  Races have looked different this year but I'm so thankful to have the same running partner through the years!  I'm blessed to be Lindsey's sister and the time we have together on Saturday mornings will always be a highlight of my week.... especially when the running part is over and we are walking to the car! haha

Maddox had orange and black day at school this past week.... here are some of his classmates and teacher, Mrs. Veigh!

I got to go out with my work friends on a school night!  We haven't been out in months due to the coronavirus and our busy schedules.  It was so nice to catch up!

I took the boys to vote on the first day of early voting.  We waited in line for 2.5 hours but they did a great job entertaining themselves playing bottle flip games, eating snacks, chatting with people in line (from a 6 ft distance) or running around the lawn area at our local library!  It was exciting to have them be a part of this process and start to understand the importance of democracy and how they can do their part as they get older!

Half Marathon!

 My life right now has felt like I'm running a marathon!  Ironically, this past weekend, Linds and I ran our annual half marathon together..... more about that in a moment!  Back to my life analogy, this has been a hard month for the Houstons.... within a month..... Maddox had his first ER visit (where we didn't know if he would have any permanent vision concerns and fortunately after a week's worth of interventions/medications... we are celebrating that he can see clearly out of both eyes)!  Maddox also had his two front teeth extracted (something we knew about from an accident about 1.5 years ago that just happened to be scheduled in September - a week after the ER visit). Maddox got pretty sick after the teeth extraction (having a hard time swallowing, eating, talking and there was plenty of vomit to go with it)!  I've been dealing with some breathing issues due to my allergies and weekly allergy shots. I made a telemedicine appointment and got a prescription for a daily inhaler (apparently you are not meant to use the rescue inhaler multiple times a day.... I had no idea)!  Then, this past week.... Burke had surgery to remove two tumors.... one we knew about and the second one that was discovered during the surgery.  He handled the surgery fairly well and even a couple days later, I was celebrating his progress.  However, by Saturday night, we knew our pup was having trouble.  He started having major tummy issues which I will just say kept us up most of the nights and throughout the days.  I came home from work halfway through the day on Monday to check on him and realized that he couldn't be left alone in his current state.... our three rooms downstairs that have carpet needed major attention after the messes that were left!  By yesterday, Burke started vomiting frequently and pooping blood.  He went back to the vet this morning for some IV fluids and medications intravenously.  I picked him up at lunch time (and spent the afternoon working from home).  I am praying he will start to show signs of an appetite and being able to keep food down.  All that said (and I guess I should include working full time and being a personal assistant to a 2nd grader whom I have to ensure gets his work completed daily), I feel like I'm constantly running a marathon.  The part of the marathon where the end is not in sight and you feel like you've been running forever!  I love the feeling after a half or full marathon.... the sense of accomplishment and the medal to prove you accomplished an impressive feat.  I am currently waiting for the end of this marathon.  I keep telling myself it has only been a hard month..... it will be over with soon.... but it just seems like I keep running.... so until I reach the finish line.... here are some pictures from our week... including an actual half marathon I ran on Saturday with Linds!

Burke in his cone after surgery! 

Linds and I ran what I call the "Kernersville Covid Half Marathon".... the actual race which is scheduled for this upcoming Saturday was cancelled... causing participants to defer to the following year or run it virtually.  We opted for the virtual option since we had all our long training runs behind us when the decision was made to go from live to virtual.  We will still be running a 5K on Saturday and receiving our shirts and finisher medals but I know both of us are glad we knocked out the 13.1 miles last weekend!  We still had our cheering squad throughout the route... including water at two places and Zack made everyone a delicious breakfast when we finished at our house.  I will never look at the roads near where I live the same again! Linds and I had to create our own route and ensure it was the 13.1 specified distance.  Linds had a PR, and this would be my second fastest half marathon overall (1:55:11).....I don't think any race will ever top my 1:48:02 from March!

I loved this comparison picture of Maddox and Eli.... you can tell they are cousins and they sure do love their aunts! ;) 

Zander is loving fall ball and doing a great job playing various positions.... his favorites right now are pitcher (even though there is a machine..... he has to field a lot of baseballs) and first base!  He has been doing great hitting as well..... he got the game belt for his hits from last week's game.  He's had teachers come visit him on the ballfield and family members cheer him on as well.  We are at the ballfield about four days a week so Zack and I rotate who takes Zander to practice or games and who hangs out with Maddox for some one on one time! 

The boys picked out matching shirts and love wearing them at the same time! Also, Zander loves his game belt! haha

We celebrated Uncle Boomer's birthday on Sunday.... we had shrimp and grits! It was delicious!

We spent some days (or half days) working from home due to Burke's upset tummy.... Burke even joined us for some outside reading time on/near the hammock (trying to knock out Zander's assignments wherever we can)!  We tried to stay outside a good portion of Tuesday afternoon since Burke was using the restroom so frequently.  Fortunately, it was beautiful weather!  I continue to pray he is on the mend.

Weekend Getaway!

 In January my assistant principal (now principal) and I had discussed the possibility of going to see the Florida Gators play the Tennessee Volunteers in college football in the fall.  We have had a friendly rivalry for years and felt it would be fun to cheer on our teams as they played each other in the Tennessee stadium.  We booked our condo for the weekend and waited for tickets to go on sale for this game.  Covid happened and everything shut down for the 2020 year/season.  About a month ago there was talk of college football returning and we were optimistic we would still get to see our teams play, even if we were going to have to watch the game on television while near the stadium!  The SEC decided to change the schedule to only conference games which meant our teams would be playing this past Saturday, but not each other like originally planned.  Ironically, they will play in the beginning of December?!  We decided to take advantage of the weekend away anyways and watch two football games instead of one while out of town! Thanks to Grammy and Grandpa, Zack and I were able to enjoy a weekend away with Angie and Keith!  Zack and I got to eat breakfast by ourselves one morning and enjoyed the four hour drive there and back to catch up on all the things that are hard to have a conversation about when two cute boys interrupt every other sentence! haha  I absolutely love the mountains... they are my happy place so this weekend away was just what I needed to take a brief timeout from all the responsibilities of home and work!

We were able to explore Cades Cove.... it was a little rainy but we were still able to see some of the local wildlife and beautiful terrain. 

We made a stop at the Apple Barn Restaurant.  This was a family favorite growing up... which means any time I'm close to this restaurant we must stop!! The smells and scenery always take me back to my childhood and all of the fun trips we had in our camper!  We even saw a bald eagle while we were there!

I had to document some of the yummy food and drinks we had while away.... these uninterrupted meals were pretty nice! ;) 

We checked out the University of Tennessee stadium.  Even though the Volunteers weren't playing at home as originally planned, it was nice to see the college campus.  I had to wear my Florida jersey even if I did stick out like a sore thumb! ;)

Seeing these mountain views and going through the tunnels as we weaved up and through the mountains will always be something I look forward to on a drive west!

The boys were in good hands... enjoying some spoiling and quality time with my mom and dad!  Maddox did throw up all over our bathroom (including the bath mat and shower curtain) the last night we were gone so I think Grammy was ready for us to return and have an uninterrupted night of sleep!  I will have to say September 2020 has not been Maddox's month! We are already counting down to his birthday month... one more day to go!

We had pajama day at school today!  I will have to admit, the remote learning experience is incredibly challenging to ensure Zander gets all of his work done and I am able to devote enough time and attention to my daily tasks which include schoolwide support and preparations during this pandemic.  The friendships that are developing between the teacher kids and the support network we have among the adults in the building are helping make it more manageable!  We keep saying we are all in this together!

I continue to be impressed with what Zander and I are doing right now!  We are working and learning together in one room all day long.  I pray he looks back on this experience and only remembers the extra time he had with mommy rather than all the times I had to remind him to get his work done! ;) 

September Birthday Fun!

After a very tough week with Maddox's teeth extraction, I decided to take the boys (with Grammy's help) to the science center on Saturday prior to our membership expiring for the year.  Daddy stayed home to get the yard/vegetable boxes/planters looking good for fall.  I loved seeing our smiley Maddox back and even got his first official genuine smile captured on camera since losing his two front teeth.  I am happy to report that we are seeing progress with Maddox's swallowing, eating and talking!  He has somehow found that pesky thumb again... a habit I thought he had broken since he wasn't able to suck his thumb all week last week.  I continue to be very thankful for his health considering the ER visit and teeth extraction back to back weeks!

We took a ride on the carousel too!

We got Maddox's school picture!  This was taken on the Thursday prior to his teeth extraction so it is the last school picture with all of his baby teeth in tact.  

Zander continues to love being at school with his friends even if we are continuing with remote learning.  He will try to finish his work before lunch and join his friends for art projects, pretend play or hide and seek after everyone completes their daily tasks.  Here they are working on an art project in my room.

I was able to pick up Emmy two days this week.... I love spending time with my niece and nephew each week! They are getting so big!

We were able to celebrate Great Grandma's 89th birthday and Grandpa's 71st birthday this week.  Zack made steaks and chicken.  We had French fries, salad and rolls to go with it!  We also had multiple dessert options!  This was the first time Great Grandma has left her apartment since March!  We were thankful to get hugs and have the grandkids and great grandkids together!

Grammy has arranged for one of Zander's friends from school to come hang out on Fridays while mommy has all day meetings.  They take turns going to Grammy's house and to his friend's house.  Zander loves Fridays with Grammy, Grandpa, Eli and Lana!

Please say a prayer for our beagle, Burke.  He will have surgery next week to remove a round cell tumor.  This tumor is in the same location as the malignant tumor that was removed three years ago.  We are praying for a simple surgery and speedy recovery for our 10 year old pup!  He is rocking a police badge in this picture! haha

All I Want for Christmas.....

 is my two front teeth!  Maddox had his two front teeth extracted on Monday.  Before I get to that, here are some pictures from our past week....

The boys wanted to see if they could make a boat that would hold their buttons.... daddy helped them with aluminum foil and they had at least 500 buttons (that is where we stopped counting) in their boat!

Zander continues to enjoy coming to school with me.  I will admit it is an extremely hard balance though.  Fortunately, he is loved on by the whole staff at our school...... making him smile and encouraging him to get his work done each day.  Here he is with his teacher from 1st grade, Mrs. Pulliam!

Angie's mother in law passed away last week.  Our former office staff is always there for the good, bad and ugly.  Angie wanted to snap a picture and jokingly said "we put the fun in funeral".... definitely blessed by my friendship with these ladies.  Also, I'm rocking a mask full time right now..... I will get to have my grandma over to our house for her birthday next week.... the first time seeing her outside of Arbor Ridge since March.  I am not taking any chances I could pass any germs over to her!

Maddox had picture day on Thursday.  I wanted to capture some of his smiles with his two front teeth still in place.  I will have to admit, I was sad to see the front teeth go but it has been an even harder recovery process for Maddox than I anticipated.  

Taking a picture before church on Sunday!

Our Monday morning before the teeth extraction.... so happy and full of energy!  I tried to take a lot of pictures, knowing this will be last time I could document his smile with his baby teeth!

Zack took Maddox to the procedure on Monday morning.  Zack said he did great with the laughing gas, the three needles in his mouth to numb the area and even with the teeth pulling.  You can tell from the pictures of the teeth that they were still very much rooted in his mouth.  We were told by the dentist he would be back to normal by Tuesday (eating normally and energy level as usual).  That has not happened for us.  On Monday afternoon, Maddox refused to eat or drink anything.  Maddox was also very sad about his teeth being gone and kept asking when the new ones would come in.  Monday night he woke up throwing up and even covered me and our bed with vomit.  We were up most of the night, making the decision pretty easy to work from home on Tuesday.  Zack stayed for the morning to help with the kids while I had some online meetings scheduled.  He snapped the picture below of Maddox sleeping on the floor after our busy night.  Finally by Tuesday afternoon, Maddox started to eat ice cream and soup.  He still had a hard time swallowing and talking.  Tuesday night was pretty uneventful and I thought we were going to be back to normal by Wednesday.  On Wednesday, he started eating a little more (mainly soft foods).  He started to put his mouth closer together and is trying to figure out swallowing again.   I took both boys with me to school and quickly realized this was not going to work for the day.  Grammy to the rescue! She picked up Maddox around 9:30 and he spent the rest of the day relaxing with her.  I am hopeful that Maddox will be returning to school today.  Zander has been a champ, knocking out his school work and going to baseball practice in the evenings.  I am truly exhausted and equally hopeful that we are on the mend as a family!  It has been an eventful couple weeks between Maddox's ER visit and teeth extraction, starting baseball and still juggling the demands of work and school through remote learning.   Keep those prayers coming!

I had to document his first smile since having his teeth pulled....... I guess all Maddox really wants for Christmas is his two front teeth ;)