Hello! How was your weekend? We had a great one filled with birthday fun, basketball, downtime, winter weather, and more. One of the best parts? Today still counts as the weekend!
Here’s what we were up to this weekend:
On Friday, I picked up the kids up from school and then headed home after a very busy day at school. As I shared in my Friday Favorites post, Friday was my birthday.
Hayden had his first middle school basketball games that night, but I had already made plans with friends before the schedule came out. Travis and the kids dropped me off at my friend’s house, and we had a drink before going to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Carson’s.
The salmon is my favorite!
After dinner, we made our way to the Lexington Opera House to see our girl Heather McMahan. Her show was so funny, and we had a great time.
On Saturday morning, I woke up to a card and cookie cake from Travis and the kids. With a hectic Friday night, we pushed some of the celebrating to Saturday.
We actually had a pretty low key day, and then Hayden had two basketball games.
After the games, we picked up dinner on the way home, and watched football the rest of the evening.
Sunday started with us keeping an eye out on the weather. It started to sleet around the time we left for church, but Hadley was scheduled to be the acolyte, so we headed that way. After church, it was just raining, so we went to another favorite restaurant, Josie’s, for lunch. I had the quiche and side salad. Both hit the spot!
Then, I braved the grocery store. I decided it was probably best to go ahead and shop myself rather than do Clicklist because items have been so limited and I was afraid with the weather, items would be even more limited. I was at the store about an hour and found 90% of what I needed.
After everyone helped me unpack, Travis and the kids took Homer for a bath.
In the late afternoon, the sleet picked back up, and we settled in at home for the evening. I had time to read for a bit, and even took a brief nap.
For dinner, I made Bev’s Chicken and Wild Rice Soup.It hit the spot on a cold and wintry evening.
Then, we watched the Chiefs playoff game against the Steelers. The first half was a bit too close for comfort, but we really enjoyed the second half! Hayden loves to watch every second of the game! With now school today, I let him stay up.
You know I love books, and of course I love the Chiefs. I saw this floating around Facebook. The local KC library sometimes puts books together, and this was perfect for yesterday’s game.
We don’t have big plans today. I need to do a few things around the house, and then I think I will watch a few episodes of The Golden Girls in honor of Betty White’s birthday today. Hadley also wants to watch Sing 2. We’ll take one more day of downtime, and I bet the kids will play some out in the snow.
Hello and Happy Friday. Well, after a two week break and then only two days of school last week, this week sure felt like a marathon. Are five day work weeks really necessary?!? 😆 We were back to doing all the things: schools, activities, sports, errands, and more!
As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
{I love their new graphic! It’s so cute.}
Favorite Moment(s):
The big news and favorite of the week is that the kids officially received their second dose of the vaccine. Our district had some vaccine clinics, so it was super easy to get the second dose on Wednesday afternoon.
After I took this photo, I got to thinking that I feel like the next time they are showing me cards, they will be 16 and showing me their licenses!
I don’t have a photo, but another favorite this week is an email I received on Wednesday. A teacher in the building who was covering Hadley’s science class recognized Hadley for having great citizenship. Hadley helped her with attendance and finding the teacher materials when her teacher was out sick. Hadley wanted me to print the certificate which was really sweet.
Favorite Food:
My favorite new recipe is this (dairy free) (low carb) PB & J smoothie. I’ve made it a couple of afternoons this week, and it’s been the perfect afternoon treat to tide me over until dinner.
1 c. frozen berries (I used strawberries)
2 Tblsp peanut butter powder (I use PB2)
1 scoop dairy free vanilla protein powder
1 1/2 cups almond (or coconut) milk
A few other faves:
1.
With the snow days last week and a relaxed weekend, I took that opportunity to watch movies. I watched:
Sleepless in Seattle
Betty White special on Netflix
Becoming the Ricardos on Amazon
Sleepless in Seattle is one of my faves, the BW special was a special look back on her life and career (It was made before her passing), and Becoming the Ricardos was SO good. Nicole Kidman as Lucy and Javier Bardem as Ricky were lights out amazing in their performances.
2.
Since I missed my facial in October, my esthetician upgraded my facial service on Wednesday to the Diamond Glow. My monthly facials are definitely a “me time” treat, and a favorite every month.
3.
When my mom visited at Christmas, she left my birthday present. Well, as we tidied up and broke down boxes over break, Hadley and Travis both opened it. I had given my mom a few ideas, and I figured I knew what was in the box but was going to wait until today to open it. Well, since the box had been opened (twice!), I decided to go ahead and use it. It won’t be my everyday purse, but I wanted a sizeable Neoprene tote to carry extra things when needed. It was perfect for packing my toiletries, Kindle, wallet, chargers and more for our overnight Cinci trip. I’ve also used it as my school bag when I’ve packed light. I think it will be great to take to sporting events when I need a sweatshirt, book, and other essentials.
4.
Hadley had a gift card to use, and I was ready to change out my holiday polish, so we went and got manicures on Wednesday evening. More pampering is always a favorite.
(Too many choices which is why I usually stick with Funny Bunny)
5.
Hayden brought home a few art pieces on the last day of school before break. He was so excited to show me the basketball mug he made. The other two pieces were shuffled in with some other papers, so I just had a chance to look at them. I love the colored pencil drawing and the water color lady bug. I’m so glad that bringing home artwork continues past elementary school.
Also…
Have you heard of the “Betty White Challenge?” Of course, she was a champion for animals. She had so many sweet sentiments including:
“I just like animals more than people. It’s that simple.”
“Animals don’t lie. Animals don’t criticize. If animals have moody days, they handle them better than humans do.”
“Animals are near and dear to my heart, and I’ve devoted my life to to trying to improve their lives.”
In honor of her upcoming January 17th birthday (when she would have turned 100), many are donating to local rescues in her honor.
Our pets have always meant the world to us. I grew up with dogs, and then convinced Travis we needed our two Boxers, Shiloh and Scout, after we’d been married a year.
Homer is our first rescue dog. He and his two brothers were found on the side of the road. Tails of Hope Rescue in Cincinnati got them healthy and helped them find their furever homes. He’s been such a wonderful addition to our family.
June 2019
Yesterday, I made a donation to the Lexington Humane Society in Betty White’s honor. I hope you’ll join in on the challenge too and donate to a local rescue.
Favorite Kid Quote:
Hadley was reading her book earlier in the week and said she was excited to read the next chapter because the chapter before was a “hang twister.” We both cracked up. She said, “I mixed up “tongue twister and cliff hanger!” 🤣
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
In honor of my birthday today, here’s a little throwback to 1985. Were you even an 80’s kid if you didn’t have a birthday party at Show Biz Pizza?
Weekly Recap:
This week we had our first NJAM post of 2022, I shared a home update, and then linked up with others for Let’s Look.
I have some fun plans with some friends tonight, snow is in the forecast over the weekend, and we don’t have school on Monday. This birthday should be a good one.
Hello! It’s a new year with new Let’s Look topics. I’m excited to link up with Shay and Erika for the first Let’s Look of 2 0 2 2 !
This month’s topic is Let’s Look at…how you organize for the new year.
I’m not sure if I’m really any kind of expert on this considering I’m still looking for two pillows that go on my sun room sofa! (*insert all the frustrated emojis, here!*)
Organizing my house:
Step one of organizing for the new year is purge in order to organize my house.
This typically means “all hands on deck” as we move throughout the house and empty closets, toss expired spices, organize the junk drawer, make stacks of books to donate, and so much more.
Last year, I bought this three pack of storage boxes in order to organize my “off season” clothes. Since it finally gets cold after Christmas, I take out my sweaters from these boxes, put them in my closet, and then put my warmer weather clothes in the boxes until late spring. I tried for years to make everything fit in my small closet, and even just using these to move out a few things in the “off season,” does help so much.
Then, it’s time to put away the Christmas decorations. Last year, I bought these storage bags to hold my seasonal pillows. It’s a two pack, and I put fall pillows in one and Christmas pillows in the other one. They are perfect for holding my “regular” throw pillows from September until January.
{looks like these are currently be out of stock?}
Last year is also when I purchased my pencil tree, so I bought these bags. Since I bought another tree this year, I ordered two more. Now, two bags hold the two pencil trees, and the other two bags I use for the kids’ small bedroom trees and our two front porch trees. These bags are definitely life savers for organization.
Storage tubs for Christmas decor and the tree bags are the only things that we store in our attaic. I learned the hard way our first year in this house that the candles should not go up in the attic…they won’t survive the heat of the summer months. Now, I put candles in a smaller storage container with lid and leave them on a shelf in the basement.
Planning Meals:
Not to be cliché’ but January is always the perfect time to get back on track with meal planning. I always search Pinterest for new ideas that will get me excited about cooking. I plan meals throughout the year in order to ensure that we eat mostly at home during the week for dinner and to plan what I need to get to place my Kroger Clicklist order. That being said, I like getting organized with some new recipes to use and meal plan and prep for lunches too as a “fresh” start for the year.
Organizing my life:
Lastly, I always take the time to sit down and write down dates, upcoming practices, activities, to do lists, and even projects that we hope to tackle in the new year. Some of these things I do all year long, but January is always the perfect time to take a look at the upcoming year and plan accordingly.
I’m excited about this link up in 2022! The topics look like so much fun:
How is your week going? We are halfway to the weekend! I can’t wait.
Hello! Today, I’m sharing a quick home improvement project that we recently did.
I’ve been wanting to add shiplap to two walls in our living room. I knew it would be an added touch that would make the house feel cozier and brighten up the walls a bit.
It’s been a minute since we’ve done a home improvement project, and I was excited that this all fell into place pretty easily.
Once I saw Sarah share her shiplap update with links to where she bought the shiplap (Home Depot), I shared the idea with Travis. This way, I knew that what we were buying would look great because I was able to see the finished product on someone else’s walls.
As per most projects, I had the vision, our neighbor did the handywork, and Travis did the painting! #teamworkmakesthedreamwork
Before:
Well, I’ve shared these photos before when I did the Tuesday Transformation series, but here is the living room listing photo when we bought the house over seven years ago.
After we moved in, we had most of our walls painted a gray color.
Finally, after seven years, I purchased a mirror back in the fall. Remember when we were home for two weeks on quarantine? I finally took the time to purchase a mirror! The wood tones on the mirror really made the chest (a family heirloom) stand out instead of being an after thought in the room.
During:
We purchased the shiplap, and our neighbor measured and cut the boards before nailing them to the wall.
It took him a couple days to do both walls, but the difference was amazing!
Here’s the other side of the room before the shiplap. Also, the built-ins were in need of a fresh coat of paint.
…with the shiplap installed but not yet painted:
After:
Once all the shiplap was installed, Travis painted it white. He kept it simple and used Behr Ultra Pure White Satin.
Close up: (of some of my favorite things: shiplap, cotton stems, books, and a candle)
Before photo
Of course, it helps that my Christmas decor is *finally* put away, but the room looks so bright and airy.
…with my “regular” decor put back in place:
Another close up:
I’ve still left a few winter touches out for the next month or so. This was my view on one of the snow day mornings last week:
And…one more close up of the finished product:
I swear sometimes I think our house will never be 100% finished, but it’s been a fun process through the years. #foreverfixerupper
Technically, the only major project we have left is to update the hall bathroom. That being said, we still think about an addition of some sorts in the future to give us a bigger master bedroom. We’ll see. For now, we are happy completing little tasks along the way.
Per usual, I have to thank Travis (and neighbor Bob) for making my dreams come true!
Honestly, my favorite blog list is ever evolving. When I first started reading blogs years ago, I started with Bev and Shay. Then, that list continued to grow and expand.
I love starting my day with a cup of coffee and reading some of my favorite blogs.
Of course, some of my faves to read are in the NJAM link up (see list above!)
I also regularly read:
Amy (Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa)Amy is a teacher, and she is so funny. I love that she often shares a recap of her weekend, meals she’s making, and what she’s wearing. Her weight loss journey is inspirational.
Sarah (Sunshine and Books)Sarahis one busy lady! She’s an elementary school librarian and mom to two boys. She loves to travel, and often shares where she’s been and what she’s been up to. Her book suggestions are always the best!
Holly (Pink Lady)Holly is one fun lady! Her personality seems so bubbly, she’s the mom to two beautiful girls, and she always seems to be on the go! I love reading about all the fun she has with her girl friends, Saturday morning walks with her husband, and all about her pup Remi.
Tanya (The Other Side of the Road)Tanya hosts the fun Amazon link up each month, and I love reading about her travels. She just shared all about their travels to Hawaii before Christmas. She’s such an awesome mom to two great kids, loves to read, and shares so many other fun tidbits!
Lauren (Sunwashed Linen)Lauren is a mom to two sweet boys. I love reading her Dear Jonathan and Dear Harrison posts along with the Quick Takes posts about her boys. I miss having kids that age, so I am always reminiscent while reading those posts. Her gardening skills are next level, and her home is so lovely!
All of these ladies have such awesome posts to read, so please check them out!
Ok, if you know me, then you know that I’m always afraid I’m forgetting someone or leaving someone out! I hope that’s not the case here. Some blogs, I get the email updates for new posts, some I follow on Word Press, and other I just check in on and catch up reading on Saturdays. I like to spread out my blog reading. It’s one of my favorite hobbies!
Speaking of blogging, next month’s topic is Day in the Life, and we’d love to have you join us.
Well, our 9+ inches of snow melted yesterday when we set a record for rainfall! I haven’t even looked at the forecast for this week. As much as I love a few snow days, we need to get back into a routine. We’ll see!
Hello from snowy Kentucky! Today, is snow day #2 in a row, and with no school on Monday, we had a very short week of school.
I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for the first Friday Favorites of 2 0 2 2 !
Favorite Moment(s):
After a hectic first week of break, it was nice to finally have time to do things that we normally don’t have time to do. Also, we had extra family time which is great too.
We saw the new Spider-Man movie, went for a hike at Red River Gorge, and went to Cincinnati for the Chiefs vs. Bengals game.
Our favorite moment from this week was the snow day yesterday! They were forecasting snow, and I thought we may have an early release, but as the time got closer, the forecast for snow was earlier, so we had no school.
We woke up to no snow, flurries around 10:00, and then inches (and inches!) of snow by noon.
The kids played outside quite a bit, and they went sledding too.
The forecast was for 4-8 inches, but kept getting bumped up. Yesterday afternoon, I measured 6 inches of snow and then the official total was over 9 inches by evening.
I’m always thankful that a snow day means not having to go anywhere. There were hundreds of people stranded for hours and hours on 64 and 75 due to collisions yesterday. Travis came home around 1:00, and even the main roads were backed up.
We celebrated the kids great report cards for 2nd quarter (and Hayden making the basketball team) with the You are Special red plate at dinner this week.
Favorite Picture:
My favorite picture this week is from Sunday at the Chiefs game. Unfortunately, the Chiefs lost, but it was a good game, and we had fun.
Favorite Food:
I’ve been able to meal plan and meal prep this week. We’ve had some great meals.
Another favorite food this week was our traditional snow day pancakes. I make these snowman pancakes every year on the first snow day!
Clothing Item:
I ordered these snow pants in just the knick of time. Hadley’s still fit, but Hayden’s didn’t. My kids usually get a couple years out of these, and I just buy the next size up as they grow. I ordered teal for Hadley and navy for Hayden.
Speaking of staying warm. I’m loving my new puffer coat from Walmart. I have a heavy winter coat, and this quilted one is a little lighter. I ordered it in dusky green which appears to be out of stock at the moment.
The orchid icecolor has many size options. And there are plus size color and size options.
Favorite Kid Quote:
No specific funny quote, but the kids have been practicing presenting their science projects. They worked hard on them, and they have to share them with their classmates next week!
Favorite Memes:
Usually I share a “Mom Meme,” but these two “flashback” ones made me laugh.
I remember calling my mom at her school, speaking with the receptionist who would have to page my mom for the phone call. Then, I would have to wait for my mom to walk up to the front office to talk on the phone. As the years went on, she’d eventually have a phone in her room, and the secretary would connect me, but still more effort than texting nowadays.
This one is timely…this is the first school year the kids could know about school closing before bed. There have been years I knew school had been called off, and I would just send them to bed anyway. Wednesday night, they got the texts too saying “no school.”
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
In honor of all the snow, here’s a flashback to January 2014…the froggy hats slay me!
Hello! Well, we survived the first day back to school in 2022. Once I got over the shock of my alarm going off in the 6’s, it was good to get up and back into a routine.
I feel like I haven’t written a Currently post in forever, so today I’m linking up with Anne for her monthly post.
I’m currently…
anticipating…
The first thing that came to mind was just anticipating a fresh start to the new year. January always provides a much needed reset for all the things: mind, body, spirit, schedule, diet, bank account and more.
Pinterest
organizing…
My life. The house. and More 😂 Just getting back into a routine, getting appointments and activities written on the calendar, planning meals and just organizing life is something that takes some time once we start the new year.
I’ve mentioned before that I decorated for Christmas kind of late…which apparently means that I take down the decorations later! haha My house was kind of a mess leading up to the end of break, but I think most everything is now put away. That being said, I haven’t put all my regular decor back out because I feel like the house needs a minute to breathe.
reading…
I finished Katie Couric’s book on Monday. It’s pretty long but with tons of short chapters which made it a quick read. I found it to be really interesting.
I started The Royals Next Door on my Kindle over the weekend, and I think I’m going to like it. It has a very Meghan/Harry come to America vibe.
resolving…
to clean(er) eating, drinking more water, and working out at least four days a week. While I don’t feel like the wheels totally fell off the bus between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, it’s time to get focused again.
Here are my January goals:
**January 14th is my birthday, so I assume I may consume a piece of cake that day! Just trying to be realistic 😉
scheduling…
all the things. Appointments, practices, grocery pick up, workouts, to do lists and more.
I need to schedule an eye exam for myself and Hadley, and the kids have ortho and dental cleaning appointments on the books already.
Hayden has a new basketball schedule and Hadley’s school dance practices have shifted, so I just need to get used to those times.
I want to start picking up groceries on Saturday instead of Sunday to make weekly meal prep easier.
When I’m in a good groove, I don’t need to do it, but I’m even scheduling my day to include workouts on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Lastly, some weeks are so hectic, I need to schedule in errands and other things I need to do.
What about you? What are you anticipating, organizing, reading, resolving, and scheduling?
See you back here later this week for the first Friday Favorites of 2022.
Hello! Today, I have a big post of lots of Amazon goodness from the past month. So much of my Christmas shopping came from Amazon as well as gift ideas I gave to family. Today, I’m sharing the first Prime Purchases post of 2022.
I organized today’s post based on a few purchases for home and myself along with some gifts for the kids, Travis, and myself.
Home + Me:
I ordered this oversized sweater in hopes that it would be perfect to wear with leggings, and it didn’t disappoint. I chose the green color because I wanted to wear it to holiday parties with my Spanx leather leggings. This sweater is perfect, and I’ve already worn it so many times. It comes in a variety of colors too!
I also have worn it to school and to church with black pants and heels.
‘Tis the season for needing tissues! I always hate having the Kleenex box on the counter, but this cover (I got it in pastel gray) helps make the tissues blend in with the decor. I even bought one for a smaller gift for my Gma, and it comes in a variety of colors.
I’ve shared these lunch box notes many times, and I keep purchasing them time and time again. The sayings are perfect, they are printed on card stock, and Hadley loves receiving them in her lunches.
I rarely use the term “life changing,” but if you drink tea and don’t have an electric kettle, I’m telling you that this one is a must. I’ve been trying to drink tea instead of coffee some days, and this kettle is amazing. Two cups of water is boiling in about three minutes. No more waiting for the kettle on the stove top to boil. My mom also used it when she last visited to make her tea.
Kitchen:
I was in need a few replacement items for my kitchen. I asked for these three items and received them from my mother-in-law as gifts. I’ve already used all of them quite a few times, and they are just what I needed to refresh my utensils and cookware.
I got these measuring cups in “mint,” and they also come in gray, navy, pink, and white. I love the rose gold handle detail.
This silicone 5 piece utensil set is just what I needed to update my outdated utensils. Besides the mint color, this set also comes in black, black/white, blue and white, multicolor (so fun!), navy and pink.
I threw out two griddles once I received this new non-stick square griddle. My other two had seen better days, and this one is perfect for our needs.
Hayden:
I thought these socks were fun for Hayden. He’s on his Xbox right now as I work on this post!
I got Travis this beanie with LED light last year, and I knew it would be perfect for Hayden too.
Hadley:
Hadley requested a planner (and PaperMate pens!) for Christmas. I thought this planner was perfect for her. This planner is the smaller size and includes stickers.
Middle school has been quite the adjustment with managing deadlines, to do lists, and homework. Hadley likes to work in her room, and I thought this lap desk would be perfect for her to sit, work on her computer, and have a space for her phone and other materials. (full disclosure: I believe this was on sale when I bought it)
Hadley asked for this straightening brush, and I’d never heard of a product like this before. It has been perfect for her to run through her hair in the morning to both brush and smooth out her waves. Maybe she will let me borrow it?
Travis:
As I mentioned earlier, Travis has the beanie with LED light, but I thought this blue tooth beanie would be another great option for him to wear on his runs.
Travis spends many days in January working outside, so I thought these hot socks would be perfect for keeping his feet warm.These socks are insulated and are designed trap in the heat.
Lastly, I don’t know how we’ve survived all these years of baseball without a wagon to cart our stuff to and from. During this past cross country season, I realized how beneficial the wagon would be, and teased Travis that he needed one to keep up with all the other coaches. Obviously, we can use this for baseball, cross country, the beach, and other times too!
This was his “big” gift from us, and I felt good about buying it because it has over 6,000 five star reviews. He was pleased with the purchase, and I’m sure we will get lots of use out of it.
Shew! That was quite the list. So many great things! That being said, I’ve shared before that my “dry” January is my promise to Travis that I will not spend much money coming off the holidays and the kids’ November birthday! So, my February Prime Purchases will probably be much shorter!
I love that Tanya hosts this link up, and I can’t wait to see what others have purchased!
I hope your week is off to a great start. I’m headed back to reality today!
Hello and Happy Monday. The first Monday of 2 0 2 2 ! We have one more day of break, and I’m going to take it easy and enjoy this last day off.
Today, I’m recapping a bit of what we did over break.
Our break seemed so hectic during the first week while the second week we were able to have a little bit more down time and even do a few things as a family.
Over break we…
baked cookies.
The kids received their first vaccine.
We…
attended holiday parties.
had basketball training and practice (Hayden)
played with friends
played with cousins
celebrated Christmas
went to basketball games (Travis and Hayden attended a couple of high school games and a UK game)
shopped at the mall (Hadley had some Aerie gift cards burning a hole in her pocket)
Purged and organized the house (somewhat)
started a home project
sneak peek
worked on Science Fair projects
Hayden studied the “Science of Running” during his club running season.
Hadley observed a variety of apples over a few hours to see which one would be freshest to pack in her lunch.
We saw the Spider-Man movie.
We go to the movies so infrequently that we usually go to the nicer theaters with the lounge chairs. This movie was so good.
We hiked at Red River Gorge.
Last Thursday was a great day to go because we needed to get out of the house while our neighbor finished up our house project. The weather was in the 60s but overcast. We did a great two mile loop…
…and then stopped for pizza at Miguel’s.
I started New Year’s Eve day watching one of my favorite movies: While You Were Sleeping.
Then, I heard about Betty White’s passing. Golden Girls is one of my all time favorite shows (*one of my first parenting “wins” was the fact that both of my kids could sing along to every word for the theme song by the time they were three!) The number of people who texted me or sent me a message about her on Friday goes to show how well those people know me. I watched a few episodes of GG in her honor on Friday afternoon.
What a life she lived. She’s certainly legendary!
Then we celebrated NYE with neighbors and friends.
Most years, we don’t really have plans, and this year we ended up hanging with lots of great friends at two different parties.
Travis and I went to a progressive dinner with friends starting with apps at one house, followed by salad at another house, then dinner and desserts at two other houses. Hadley hung with friends while we did that, and Hayden went to our neighbor’s house with other friends. Travis, Hadley and I joined Hayden at the neighbor’s house around 10:00 to ring in the new year.
I can’t believe I stayed up until midnight! haha
On Saturday, we laid low most of the day. It was so rainy, so it was nice to sleep in and relax. Then, we continued to tidy up the house (this seemed to be an ongoing process…) before watching the CATS play in their bowl game.
Saturday evening, we went to Cincinnati for the night. We arrived around 6:30, checked into our hotel, and then had dinner at 21C.
We stayed at the Westin and realized that’s where the Chiefs players were staying too. Hayden got a couple of autographs that night, and then we hung out in the lobby Sunday morning to see them get on the bus. Hayden was so excited. We saw Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Tyrann Mathieu (among others)
We headed to the Chiefs game. It definitely felt like football weather (brrr!) …and up until the 4th quarter, it was one of the best days of Hayden’s life.
The Chiefs lost in a close one, but we still had a great time.
I’m sure I’m missing some things, but I’d say we had a good mix of productivity and relaxing over these past two weeks.
While I’m recapping things, here’s my 2021 recap that I shared last week.
Tomorrow is back to reality, so I’m going take today to take it easy and prep for the week ahead.
Hello! Can you believe that 2021 is almost over? Much like 2020, some months seemed to crawl by while others were a blur. I guess, really, that’s life in general. Of course, 2020 and 2021 have been full of ups, downs, masks, and an ongoing worldwide pandemic.
That being said, this is another favorite post of the year. Now, it’s a long one, but I love looking back on all that we’ve done this year. Also, it’s great to have a year full of memories all in one place!
After two years of doing these reviews, I finally got smart, and started this post last January. I just added to it each month in order to share it today!
Here’s a look back at 2021.
January:
To kick off the new year, Girl Scout cookie sales began for Hadley.
We still weren’t back to school, and my kids attended a pod of students two days a week. Before heading back to school in January of 2021, they had a pod roller skating party where I lived my best 80’s life, Hadley got the hang of skating, and Hayden gripped the side of the rink the entire time.
Hadley started phase two of braces.
We celebrated my birthday.
I was able to get Covid shot #1.
…and we had the first snow of the season.
February:
To kick off February, unfortunately, our Chiefs lost in the Super Bowl.
We celebrated Valetine’s Day with dinner, as a family, at home.
I got Covid shot #2…which kicked my tail!
We had lots more snow and ice off and on for two weeks!
Cookie sales wrapped up, and Hadley sold so many boxes!
March:
Finally, in March, we were headed back to school which meant the kids’ time at the pod wrapped up.
We had our first day of in person learning in over a year on March 3, 2021.
Hayden’s team won the winter season basketball championship.
Hayden made the big switch to wearing contacts.
Hadley had her first ever dance competition.
April:
In April, we spent Spring Break at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville.
We had our first ever Top Golf experience while in Nashville.
Baseball started for Hayden.
We celebrated Easter.
Travis and I were able to spend an afternoon at Keeneland.
Baseball continued…
With 2020-21 being a very different school year, 5th grade photos were taken once we got back to in person learning.
Hadley had her second dance competition of the season.
May:
May was a blessed and busy month.
It started with a the third and final dance competition of the season in Gatlinburg, TN.
We celebrated Mother’s Day.
My mom and Gma visited, and we celebrated my mom’s birthday.
The kids’ made the decision to be baptized…
…and had 5th grade graduation!
June:
We started off the summer with Hadley’s dance recital, and..
tons of baseball for Hayden. He had so much fun playing with his summer team.
Hayden also attended baseball camp, and he loved it.
Hadley went to camp, and lived her best life with so many new friends!
Hayden enjoyed golf camp while she was gone…
…and baseball continued…
Swim team finished up in mid-July.
August
In August, we started all the back to school prep, and Travis and I spent a few days in California.
The kids started middle school!
Hayden continued to play baseball with this fun crew:
Photos by Chet White
The kids also had dance and cross country tryouts for school.
September
In early September, Hadley’s time as a Girl Scout wrapped up.
Baseball finished up, and Hayden won the Sportsmanship award for his team.
I decorated for fall which is one of my favorite things to do.
We attended a few UK football games.
Middle school cross country was in full swing.
Unfortunately, September ended with Covid for Trav and the kids.
October
We were able to visit the pumpkin patch.
School cross country wrapped up with the state meet.
One of my college friends visited, and we were able to make it out to Keeneland.
Hadley had her first middle school dance team performance.
Hayden spent lots of time on the basketball court.
We ended the month with GG (and Gma) visiting for Halloween.
November
November started off with a photo session for Hayden with his talented photographer uncle. (Hayden had missed xc school photos when he was out with Covid.)
Hayden White.
Photos by Chet White
Hayden ran his first club race of the season…
…and continued playing basketball.
The twins turned T W E L V E !
We travelled to KC for Thanksgiving, and we had a great time with family.
We also bumped into Santa while at Union Station in KC.
December:
December began with us picking out our Christmas tree.
I put out some of my favorite Christmas decorations.
We attended a few Christmas parties.
Hayden started winter basketball with Trav as an assistant coach on the team.
Hadley had her Winter Showcase for her dance studio.
Hayden finished up his club running season at at USATF National race in sloppy conditions!
My mom visited and baked cookies with the kids.
We sent out Christmas cards.
Hayden tried out and made the middle school basketball team.
Good luck balloons from sweet friends
The kids got their first vaccine at the beginning of break.
We celebrated Christmas at home.
The second half of break was spent relaxing, organizing, working on science fair projects, playing with friends, seeing the Spider-Man movie, shopping at the mall, and a few other activities…like going for a hike at the Red River Gorge yesterday.
What a year! 2020 was so hard. We didn’t know what to expect with 2021. Honestly, 2021 was pretty difficult too, but of course, we had so many wonderful times as well.
I continue to count my blessings while wishing time sure would slow down.
I’m glad we still have a few days of break. I’m not sure why, but we don’t go back until Tuesday! We’ll take a few more days of no alarms, catching up on shows, and a few other fun activities planned before getting back into our normal (super hectic) routine.
Leaving off with a laugh…
I hope everyone has a wonderful NYE and a great start to 2022.
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