Summer Break 2025: Week 4

The boys got to have an unexpected sleepover at Grammy and Grandpa’s last Friday night due to daddy needing a little extra time to recover after his sinus surgery! These boys had a blast and daddy got to handle some of the sinus surgery side effects without too much attention from his family. We didn’t get to head to Atlanta for Henry’s birthday due to Zack’s surgery but Maddox got to go to a friend’s (Trevor’s) birthday pool party on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, Zander participated in his youth group Color Wars while I got to grab dinner with some friends.

On Monday, we went to Dan Nicholas Park with Hampton and his mom for a full day of fun (pickleball, tennis, animal adventures, miniature golf, gem mining, paddle boats, a picnic lunch and ice cream for dessert)!

On Tuesday, we celebrated the big 4-2! I came home from the pool to find the house covered in balloons and sweet attributes about me! The boys even got me a festive hat and glasses to wear to dinner at East Coast Wings with the family. It was a great way to celebrate another trip around the sun!

On Wednesday, my college roommate (Sam) and her kids came into town for a visit! They live about 7 hours away so it was a nice treat to have them in town for a few days. We had a pizza dinner when they arrived on Wednesday and then spent the day at the Science Center on Thursday. Our hall mate (Jenn) joined us on Thursday until Saturday so the college besties could have time to hang out (she came all the way from Brazil). We had a pool day with the kids during the day on Friday and then enjoyed dinner out (just us girls) on Friday night. The visit brought late night chats, yummy food and a chance to reset after a crazy, busy year for all of us! We are already counting down to and planning our next adventure!

Summer Break 2025: Week 3

We got to celebrate our favorite dad last weekend! First, we went to Waffle House (daddy’s pick for breakfast). The boys wanted to sit at the bar so they could watch them cook! Beau lived his best life this week, getting extra cuddles, daily walks and treats sprinkled in.  

The boys all dressed up for Father’s Day.

I gave blood with my two summer sidekicks! I try to donate every 56 days when I’m eligible.

Our baby birds have started to hatch!

We fit in a few pool days! I love getting to hang out with Carmen and Mia for our annual pool day!

Check out the 4 year difference…. 

Our kids are growing up!

We spent most nights at the ball field cheering on our favorite All Star! They are currently in the “Final Four” for their district and play tonight at 8:00 to see if they advance or “go home” for the season.

Zack is having his sinus surgery today. We are so thankful for our “village” who helps take care of our boys when we have things come up like this!  Grandpa took Zander to play golf (Z picked out the perfect outfit to hit the links) while Grammy took Maddox to a local pool, complete with a diving board, lazy river and waterslides! 

Summer Break 2025: Week 2

I cannot believe we are already at the end of the second week of summer! So much fun has been packed into the last seven days! Last weekend, my mom, my sister and I made our annual trip to the Grandover Spa, with an added treat and extended time of pampering by staying the night at their hotel! This meant 24 hours of kid-free, mother-daughter time! We had the best time: enjoying a 50 minute massage, catching up by the pool, eating a delicious lunch poolside, eating a tasty dinner at their hotel restaurant, drinking champagne that night while sitting in rocking chairs overlooking the golf course, sleeping in, getting in a workout and having the most amazing breakfast buffet! It was a great way to relax in between all the other responsibilities we have right now.

While I was away, Zack was able to celebrate Cousin Wade’s retirement from the police department and took the boys to church!

On Monday, we had a leisurely pool day! (I forgot to take a picture for documentation purposes)! Haha 

On Tuesday, we took Grandpa to Top Golf as an early Father’s Day present! The kids enjoyed participating in something Grandpa loves! We ate lunch at Freddy’s and then grabbed their “Good Grade Donuts” at Krispy Kreme! All A’s for this crew which meant 6 donuts for each of the school age kids who reluctantly shared with those of us that aren’t eligible for the good grade donuts! It was exciting to see their final averages being all A’s for the year, such an accomplishment! We are so proud of all the kids!

On Wednesday, Zander hung out with his friend, Hampton, while Maddox and I went to school to help with an interview.  That evening, after baseball practice, the boys and I had our annual camping trip in the backyard! A new addition this year was playing Uno using a lantern as it got dark!

On Thursday, I had two doctor’s appointments and Beau had his annual exam. We picked a two hour window in the middle of these commitments to have our annual lemonade stand, raising money for the Salem Pregnancy Care Center, an organization our church is partnering with this month! The boys raised $100! We are so thankful for family (thanks Grandpa for being the first customer) and friends that drove by to provide donations since our street doesn’t typically get a lot of customers!

Beau has kept us entertained this year! We found out at his exam that he needs to lose a few pounds and he is currently on hookworm medication with strict instructions to pick up his poop indefinitely! Fun times! Haha

We finished out the week bowling with one of Zander’s good friends, Sebastian! We went out to lunch and ice cream afterwards! Currently, Zander is mowing the lawn and Maddox is gearing up for his first All Star baseball game of the weekend! He has been practicing nightly in preparation for this tournament… Go K-Dogs!;)

Summer Break 2025: Week 1

We are officially on summer break after I worked four teacher workdays, bringing the boys with me each day. They entertained themselves by playing basketball and lacrosse, hanging out with other staff kids and completing tasks that staff members would give them to help us finish out the school year (a.k.a. a lot of cleaning up and organizing). We finished another puzzle in the evenings (as it was a rainy week). We were able to celebrate with Eli at his preschool graduation! Our annual lake day with the Badens was so much fun! It was somewhat colder than previous years but the kids played in the water for many hours. We missed Zack as he was still home recovering from his hernia surgery. We fit in two pool days during our first week of summer break, enjoying time with friends and cousins! Carmen found our names in Coke bottles near each other (meant to be!) The cousin crew (and Grammy) checked out Korner’s Folly with all its many rooms (built in the 1800s). This visit was a request by the kids! That afternoon, Aunt Lindsey entertained our kids at a local park (with a creek) while I attended the funeral of my friend, Amy Wilson. Jackson came to spend the night on Thursday, and since we had more rainy weather, the boys enjoyed an afternoon at the bowling alley! We got to see Aunt Kelly during her lunch break one day this week as well! While we fit in a lot of fun, we also checked off some things on the to do list as well: dentist appointments for both boys, inspection appointments for both cars, some needed maintenance for Zack’s vehicle and scrubbing/cleaning the front porch (a team effort this year).  I’m so excited for this time with my boys this summer! I am praying time slows down a bit though!

 

Last Day of School 2025!

This year flew by and we officially have a 4th and 7th grader!

We’ve loved having Emmy with us each morning! Next year we will add the littlest cousin, Eli, to our morning commute!

Staff friends (Mae and Kate) from class snapping pictures before school!

Awards Breakfast with Mrs. Servello, Maddox’s Third Grade Teacher 

Grammy came and got an award for all her volunteering this year…. She comes to help every Thursday!

So proud of our boy! He got many awards: Math Super Star (x2), Multiplication Master, Student Council, Honor Roll All Year and Friendliest Friend!

After a busy awards day, Maddox played a double header! He pitched the whole second game, getting the last two out to finish the game. He had some great hits as well to help his team take home first place for the regular season with a 17-8 score. Next week, it will be tournament time! Not pictured but Zander found out the same day that he made the Premier soccer team for his age group! It was a big day in the Houston Household!

Another big event this week… Zack had hernia repair surgery…. Poor guy had three hernias that needed some attention so he is currently home recovering for a few days with strict orders not to lift anything over 25 lbs for the next month. He has handled the surgery and recovery so far like a champ!