Quick Catch Up Post!

Things have been pretty busy since we started back to school after Christmas break.  Here is a quick catch up post of some of the things we have been up to!

I received our 2020 blog book in the mail.... I get our blog printed every year (since 2013) so that one day the boys will have a record of their childhood.  I feel that 2020 will be extremely valuable and memorable in the future as we made it through a pandemic!  Zander has started reading these books and it has made me thankful I've documented the daily, weekly, monthly and yearly adventures of the Houstons!

Zander didn't have school half of the first week he returned.  They started off in cohorts to ease the transition back to school.  Grammy was going out of town with her girlfriends and Grandpa took over watching him for that Friday.  I think they enjoyed watching tv together and Zander loved getting to eat Bojangles for lunch!  Fortunately, he is now going four days a week and spends Wednesdays with Grammy and Grandpa while I'm in all day meetings on the computer.

Zack and I watched the Kennedy kids last Sunday night and we had a blast spending time with our niece and nephew.  I successfully fed them dinner and kept everyone alive and happy when Linds and Boom returned!  I don't know how parents do it that typically have this number (or higher) of kids!  There was never a dull moment for sure!

We have no heat downstairs.... we are going on a week and two days now.  We initially thought the fan motor needed to be replaced but when the technician went to install the new fan motor, it was discovered we would need a whole new heating/cooling unit for downstairs.  Fortunately, we have heat upstairs since our house runs on two separate units.  We have tried to entertain upstairs more this past week.... including a bath with color bath drops!   They typically don't bathe together anymore but mommy was desperate to have a little entertainment while staying warm! haha

Zander finished the 2nd book in his series he is reading.  He is already into the 3rd book, and I love that he is working on his reading stamina through this novel series!

I signed Maddox up for Kindergarten this week!  I cannot believe that both our boys will be school age by August!  Time really does fly by and I am already getting excited about us having the same schedule and having both boys with me for a few years!  I am praying that the school year looks a little more "normal" than the last year has.  

Yesterday's weather stayed in the 40s and after we threw out the idea of going to Triad Park, I just didn't want to leave the house!  So after church, we fit in rest time and some football watching.  Zander created a new game using the laser tag guns and Nerf guns!  I will have to say the house I grew up in where my dad was outnumbered looks a lot different than the house where I am outnumbered! haha  We had fun and thanks to a space heater from Grammy and Grandpa and our gas logs, it isn't too bad downstairs when you give it time to heat up (something we don't have time for in the mornings and evenings during the work week)!  I am praying everything works out to get our new unit installed on Wednesday nonetheless! 

First Snow and First Day of School (in person)!

We finished up our Christmas Break with some time with our family of five (Burke included).  One of our favorite activities right now is walking to our neighborhood school and playing football or soccer in the afternoons/evenings.  Burke loves joining us for some family fun!

When Maddox returned to school, we were able to pick up his Christmas presents since before the break.  I love that his teacher had a plate made for us to keep of his precious 5 year old handprint, documenting Christmas 2020!  

We had our first snow the Friday before Z started for in person learning at school.  I was supposed to have a workday and was able to work from home with both boys.  They predicted 3-6 inches and we got a light dusting.  The boys were still excited to walk in the snow, layer up in all their winter gear and throw a few small snowballs.  Hopefully we will get a larger snow before winter is over because these boys really want to go sledding! ;)

After 10 months of remote learning, finishing 1st grade with a computer and starting 2nd grade with one, Zander came for school in person!  So instead of a computer, he has an island, a mask and social distancing guidelines.  We are thankful for interactions with teachers and students, even if they look different and are not as close as they have been in the past.  We pray for safety and success in the upcoming months.... stay tuned as we continue with concurrent instruction.... in person learning and remote learning all at the same time!

We celebrated with donuts for dinner! Mommy had to celebrate too! For the first time in 10 months, I wasn't wondering if Zander had all his work completed for the day, had he signed on all of his zoom meetings for the day or had he eaten his lunch?!  It was nice to focus on checking off my to-do list during the day and spending my evening hearing about both boys' days at school!

This week has been crazy! Zander came with me on Monday and Tuesday and is with Grammy and Grandpa for the rest of the week!  We are coming back in cohorts to help with the transition back to school.  I am so thankful for Grammy and Grandpa for helping us survive this pandemic and all the changes that have occurred within this last year.  I am also helping with car rider duty in the mornings and afternoons as we are making changes and adapting to the "new normal" once again!  It has been rainy and cold but we are checking off this week one day at a time!  Z and I even matched on Tuesday... my dress is made from the same fabric as his shirt! ;) 

Grammy took the "bookend cousins" for a bike ride/stroller ride while she walked this week.... I am so impressed at how she juggles it all and is always smiling... I want to be like her when I grow up! ;)

Great Wolf Lodge!

We surprised our boys with an overnight adventure to Great Wolf Lodge.  Originally we planned to go there last spring for Zander's 7th birthday but with Covid restrictions, the resort closed and we were refunded our money.  Fast forward to this winter and us continuing to worry about future restrictions imposed by Covid, we decided to be spontaneous (as in we booked our night away less than a week in advance) and gave the boys a day/night to remember before going back to school.  Since the boys are taller and more advanced swimmers than they were last spring, I can't help but feel that the timing was absolutely perfect for our getaway!  Maddox was able to do all of the water slides except one based on his height and both boys enjoyed every single water feature since they love swimming in the water!  This made us less nervous to let them explore what the resort had to offer (always within a quick swim or a few steps away from mommy or daddy)!  I took this picture on our way down when the boys thought we were going to a new "park".... they had NO IDEA it was a water park!! I had packed our things and hid them in the back of the car without them seeing our suitcase which of course included swimsuits!  They couldn't believe we were spending the night when we pulled up and even asked if they had swimsuits which mommy proudly mentioned that I packed everything they needed for this surprise adventure!

When we got there, I was able to check us in quickly and they said our room was already ready!  We got a KidKamp Suite which meant a queen size bed for mommy and daddy along with a tent-themed sleeping area including bunk beds for the boys!  They loved the waterpark the most but a close second was being able to sleep in bunk beds and have their own TV in their area!  After exploring the room, the boys were ready to see the waterpark!  We quickly changed into our bathing suits and spent the next 4-5 hours tubing down waterslides, jumping and swimming through waves in their wave pool and exploring the other water features (including a giant bucket that would fill up and pour on your heads) that were all indoors... which meant even though it was rainy and 50 degrees outside, we were comfortable swimming in the 80 degree temperatures inside!

We grabbed a pizza for dinner and ate it poolside while also seeing how different the waterslides were after dark when the tubes go out past the building space and back into the enclosed property!  We grabbed a sweet treat before bed (ice cream and cookies)!  We were going to explore some more but Maddox's tummy was a little upset from all the water attractions (a.k.a. drinking too much pool/saltwater).  We watched a little TV before bed!  Maddox was ready to go the next morning, eating some leftover pizza, hot chocolate (that I had packed from home) and his uneaten cookie from the night before.... a breakfast of champions!  I had packed some breakfast items that we all had and Zack even took advantage of the Dunkin Donuts on the property to get an iced coffee to start his day!  We checked out of our room by 10:00 and then went back to the waterpark for a few more hours before heading home.  We rented a locker for the day so we could easily change into comfy, warm clothes for the drive back!  I cannot express how much fun we had!! It was the best way to start 2021 with our family of four!  Great Wolf Lodge was the perfect place for the ages and abilities of our kids!! I am so thankful we had the opportunity to do this before we get back into the daily/weekly routines with work and school!  I know we hope to be back for a visit in the future!

In other news since my New Year's Day post, I did have my annual pork and sauerkraut (thanks to Grammy), so here's to good health and good luck in 2021! 

Our pup continues to be sick over the break so he has enjoyed extra cuddles with each member of our family while we have been home.  Grammy stayed with him while we were gone overnight and took such good care of him.  We are thankful for all these extra moments together to relax and slow down our typical busy pace!

Zander made it a goal to start and finish a chapter book that he was given by one of his best buds, Christian, while we were home over Christmas Break.  It had approximately 180 pages and I feel it is at about a 3rd grade reading level.  He read a chapter or two (and 5 the last day) and finished this book by New Year's Day.... giving him almost a week of extra time that he didn't need to finish the book!  Zack went ahead and bought him the second book in the series (which he is about 50 pages into already).  He also surprised Maddox with his very own copy of the first book.  Maddox has been so excited to be like his big brother! We read a page or two together each day so he can feel as big as his brother.;)  Maddox requested I take the picture of him with his book (see below). ;)

Hello 2021!

Well.... 2020..... you were a surprise!  I was looking back at my "Hello 2020" post and noticed I was very oblivious to what God had in store for the upcoming year.  I kept saying I wanted "time" with my family and friends and I will say without a doubt, God provided additional time with my family.  I was able to work from home and keep up with two growing boys from March until August.  From August until December, Maddox went back to his preschool and I still spent most days with Zander while he worked on 2nd grade content and I attempted to get my job responsibilities knocked out.  We were less busy which made time for hikes or bike rides.  It provided for weekly dinners with my parents and sister and her family.  These are the moments I will take with me from 2020.  I continue to feel blessed to be doing "life" with the people God has placed in my care and I continue to be thankful for all that God has blessed us with.  God continued to provide jobs for Zack and me.  He continued to provide food and shelter for our family.  God provided us good health!  2020 was the year that I finally got my allergy diagnosis and had a lot less sinus infections than the whole year prior.  While Maddox went to the ER for the first time, God made sure that Maddox can still see out of both eyes... an injury that was so close to causing permanent damage.  God helped Maddox through getting his two front teeth extracted and helped us navigate taking care of Burke with his cancer diagnosis.  I look back at pictures from 2020 and I can't help but feel blessed and provided for.  We have been given so much and I pray I never take this year for granted.  Some of the memorable words or phrases from 2020 that must be documented here so I can remember when they got their "start".... unprecedented, remote learning, hybrid model, zoom meetings, "you are on mute", business on the top/casual on the bottom (referring to your work attire on zoom meetings), work from home, zoomies vs. roomies, a need for toilet paper (which was always provided) and I could probably go on!  What a year to start a new decade!  We were blessed to take a few trips this past year... to California for Amanda's 40th birthday (just two weeks before the country shutdown), to the beach with the Cantrells/Houstons/Bakewells in the summer, a weekend in Tennessee exploring my happy place.... the mountains, and to Brevard to celebrate Maddox's 5th birthday with a waterfall themed weekend in the fall.  Already I look ahead to 2021 with some pretty fun trips planned and anticipate many more memories to be made with our family!  I did miss some time with my friends this year.  While we were able to talk on the phone, I missed yearly visits from friends that live out of state that weren't able to travel "back home" this year due to travel restrictions.  I missed meeting friends' babies as we just don't want to take the chance of spreading any germs to newborns.  I missed yearly traditions that included lake days with some of our best friends.  I know these will all return in the future and I pray I will continue to cherish each event like I have in the past and like I've truly missed this year.  As I start into 2021.... I found a verse that hit me at just the right moment ..... Proverbs 31:25....."She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come."  If I can "laugh" at the days to come... it means that there is no fear of the future.  A year ago, I would never have anticipated what 2020 would look like.  And as I sit here typing this, I have plans of what 2021 will look like but the fact is, I don't know what the future holds.  I don't know what next week or next month will look like.  I pray that I can "laugh at the days to come".... that I can find joy in not knowing what the future holds.... that I will not face the future with fear but with strength and dignity.  So as we start 2021, I am hopeful that I will have less fear and more faith in what God has planned for the Houstons this upcoming year!  Bring it on 2021!!! ;)

And now to document how we spent our week at home between Christmas and New Year's Day.  You know that this week is typically one of my favorites with Zack off work and our ability to have a little "staycation" with our family.  Here is what we have been up to with our Christmas Break!

Linds and I fit in a frigid run!  I love my weekly runs with my sister.  This one happened to have temperatures in the teens and my hands felt numb for the first mile or two but we finished strong and I always enjoy the conversations we can have while running our typical Saturday morning route!

We are loving Maddox's new bed!! I took a nap with him one day over the break and I managed to fit all three of my boys in the bed while reading one night!  Zack snapped this picture to document a very full bed and a very full heart! ;)

Our pup has been pretty sick lately.... throwing up often.  The vet believes he might have developed new food allergies rather than any new side effects of his cancer diagnosis so he is super cuddly when we are being lazy on the couch.  It's hard to see in this picture but Maddox is on my lap (see his leg in navy blue pants) and Zander is to my right!  We have tried to fit in many snuggles while we have been home!

On Sunday, Zander and I matched in our grey attire.  Maddox wanted a picture as well, matching daddy in their plaid shirts!

On Monday, we explored Stone Mountain State Park.  We made the 4.5 mile strenuous loop which provided beautiful scenery including waterfalls, icy paths, a huge stone surface that people were climbing up and down, an old homestead and the most amazing view when we got to the top!  We will definitely be going back there!! They had many other trails we didn't even get to try while we were there!

On Tuesday, we went to the science center!  We love seeing all the animals.... the otters and tigers were so active.... two of our favorites that day!  We also got to see the anteater which is typically hiding when we visit!

On Wednesday, we went bowling!  I beat the boys in both games.... my best score being a 144..... I might be outnumbered but I can still hold my own with my crew! ;)

On Thursday, Maddox wanted his hair gelled!  This boy keeps me on my toes!  We also hosted a New Year's Eve party with some of our best friends!  We have had this annual gathering for the last several years..... it is always fun having 8 kids under the age of 7 together...... it felt so good to have some "normal" within a very atypical year.  The kids had sparkling grape juice as they watched the ball drop around 7:30 p.m.  We also attempted a group picture!

The boys requested using their sleeping bags and spending the night downstairs over the Christmas Break.  I thought New Year's Eve was the perfect night for this!  They made it all night down there and I think they really enjoyed it!  They are still downstairs in their sleeping bags watching TV as we slowly start our New Year's morning! Hello 2021!!