New Life- Week 32 (Buckle Up)

The holiday season is alway such a busy time of year, but this year the crazy seems to be starting early.  Our family experienced some big, exciting changes this week that are really going to amp up the crazy level.  Wednesday was my birthday and, as the ultimate birthday gift, after a year and a half on and off the market, we got an offer on our house.  It was both unbelievably exciting and stressful.  We were scheduled to leave town the next morning and now needed to get pre approved and start house hunting.

With an accepted offer and no other plans we headed off for a little family vacay.  We went to Eagle Crest Resort in central Oregon.  Honestly, it was the perfect short getaway.  Since everything has to be done with Covid in mind we got our own little cabin off of Airbnb.  At the resort we swam in the indoor pool, played pickleball, played horseshoes, and played on the playground.  Everything was done via reservation so it was very safe.  We also found a great bike trail by the house and spent lots of time in the hot tub.  We were all a little sad to go home yesterday, but it started to get really cold and actually started snowing as we drove away.  We decided it was ok to head home since we wouldn't really be able to do all the fun outdoor things we had enjoyed just the day before.  Oh, one other thing, the resort and our cabin were right on a golf course that was home to a family of deer that seemed to have no fear of people.  At any given time there were at least 6 deer hanging out on the golf course.

We are home now and it's time to get serious on house hunting.  We saw six house today.  A few of them were nice but I don't think any of them were our next home.  We'll see.  I am surprisingly calm.  I really feel like right thing will work itself out.

Oh, also, we came home from the trip to this basket of goodies from a couple of neighbors for my birthday and this note was in my mailbox from another neighbor.  I am actually super sad to leave my neighbors and I hope we can stay close!

New Life- Week 31 (Fall's Is Still Fun)

 I know I have said before, but Fall in the PNW is my favorite.  There is so much to do and with the changing leaves everything is just so beautiful.  It feels a little magical and the perfect lead into the holiday season.

I have been worried that this year wouldn't be the same and if I am being honest, it's not.  We still have been able to find some Fall fun though.  This week was the annual primary pumpkin patch.  While we all had to wear masks and there was not the same playing, the kids still got to pick pumpkins and got a treat.

This year, with less other things going on, we really stepped up our pumpkin carving game.  Our city had a "Boo Drive Thru" where probably a hundred people from the community (including us) carved pumpkins to display.  I neglected to get a picture of our pumpkin though so hopefully we will get it back.

We also carved our pumpkins from the primary pumpkin patch.  Elsie wanted a skeleton, I ended up carving hers for her.  Carrigan wanted "the witch's pet", she, Jeremy, and I all worked on it together.  Merrick wanted a ghost and he pretty much did it on his own.  They all turned out great.

We have more Halloween/Fall fun coming up and I am just relieved the fun hasn't all been canceled.

New Life- Week 30 (A Groove?)

Have we found a groove for school?  I don't know for sure, we definitely still had highs and lows this week, but I think this might have been the first week that we had no tears.  I told Jeremy that I feel like I am holding my breath everyday until school is done, waiting for someone to melt down.  We did have a few melt downs, but like I said, no tears, so it's a step in the right direction.  That being said, I still have a knot in the pit of my stomach as I think about the week ahead.  It will get better, right????  I do know that we have some fun activities and important things coming up this week to look forward to so that should help us all keep putting one foot in front of the other.

One constant bright stop from this week was our afternoons at that park.  Now that parks are open and the weather is still good, we have been spending every afternoon at a park with friends or cousins and our favorite dog, Millie.  Yesterday, Jeremy took the kids to the park while while I did some extensive dinner prep with my mom and sisters.  It is very rare for me to have kid-free time these days so it was a nice change of pace and I was very appreciative.  Hopefully that will give me the boost I need for the upcoming week.

It is getting better and it will continue to get better.  Good things are on the horizon.  At least that is what I am telling myself.

New Life- Week 29 (Hanging On)

 This week was a bit of an improvement over last.  Yes, school is still intense and overwhelming, but, at least this week, we found a manageable groove.  We received more school materials and, while I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume, I had found myself telling myself that it is ok to just focus on the most important things and let the other things go.  This goes against my very nature so I am not sure how long I will be able to keep it up.

What I do know is that everyone was able to keep a positive attitude Tuesday-Friday and for the first time life felt manageable.  Add to that that afternoons were spent in the pool or poolside (Elsie one day didn't want to swim and instead sat poolside in her pink jeep that everyone calls her "G-wagon") and it made for a not half bad week.

There definitely has been one bright spot in the the now 29 weeks of the pandemic and that is the bonding that has happened between my kids.  Of course they are still fight at times, but they help each other, play with each other, and encourage each other more.  My favorite is that they have started asking to have sleepovers together.  Almost every weekend they have a sleepover together in one of their rooms.  I warms my mama heart.  I hope they are always so close.