Posted in Everyday Life, Blog challenge

Everyday Images Challenge

Hello and happy Thursday!

I’m trying to find my summer blogging groove, and I didn’t finish yesterday’s 10 on the 10th post until the afternoon.

Over the weekend, I was reading Jenn’s blog, and she shared her everyday images that go with Kym’s challenge…and I thought I’d join in.

Here are the prompts:

Flag:

I just put out my Hello summer! flag this weekend.

I did have out my apple flag which is what I have out on the first and last days of school.

Simple / complicated:

I made a new but simple recipe for a neighbor’s meal train. Joanna Gaines’ Chicken Enchiladas couldn’t have been easier to make. My family wished I’d made double, so we could have had it too. We were having Tuesday night’s leftovers, so I will make it again next week.

Not that it’s really complicated, but I did hesitate before sprinkling cilantro on the finished product or adding it to the rice I made…I know people either love or hate cilantro, but I did add some in.

At home:

One of my first errands to kick off summer break was to go to Lowe’s for a bird bath. With all the landscaping we’re doing, we had a little room by the porch, and my dad suggested a bird bath. I liked that idea, so I went and picked one up from Lowe’s. Now, I just need the birds to come take a bath!

Also, Travis is moving and grooving on the new landscaping. He wasn’t going to pull out the boxwoods, but he decided to, and then planted all of these pretty flowers and bushes. In high school and college, he did landscaping, and he really enjoys doing these types of things.

Wednesday weather:

Wednesday was my first pool day of the year for me. I went to the pool around 11:00 and stayed until about 1:30. I wasn’t sure how long I’d stay if it was super hot, but the mid-80’s weren’t too bad, and there was some cloud coverage off and on.

Doorway:

Do you follow @stoopandthecity on Instagram? This husband and wife change up their New York City stoop for holidays, seasons, and apparently for the Knicks being in the NBA finals! The stoop and the doorway are covered in flowers and basketballs!

Movement:

With a little wind yesterday and lots of kids playing in the pool, the water was moving a bit yesterday.

Branched:

You might remember that we had two trees in our front yard that were my absolute favorite in the fall.

In October of 2024, we had horrible storms while we were at school, and quite a few neighbors texted us to tell us one of our trees had fallen down.

The one tree remaining is a little “stunted” on the the side where the other tree was, but there’s this one branch that’s sticking out. I told Travis I notice it every time I come out the front door, and it’s starting to get on my nerves. ha!

Unfortunately, we don’t have a way to trim this branch at the moment, but hopefully we can get that taken care of this summer.

And, another form of branched, this was my view when I walked in the pool yesterday. I always love the tree coverage and the glimpse of the pool!

This was a fun way to capture some of the daily things that we see but don’t necessarily share. I hope to link up with Kym again in the future!

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: May 2026

Hello and happy Sunday!

How has your weekend been? This weekend sure has felt more like summer Memorial Day weekend. The sun has been shining and the temps are warm. It’s truly almost summer.

Since today’s the last day of May, I’m taking a look back on all we did this month.

The first of May started with the Derby…and Golden Tempo being the first female trained horse to win! We watched from home, but it was an exciting race as he came from the back to win.

Major came to visit for a few days. He was able to see one of Hayden’s baseball games as well as a couple of my nephew’s baseball games. We took the traditional front porch pic…

Travis decided to ask Chat GPT for help with some front yard inspo and got started on that project…

Mother’s Day Sunday Hadley had a volleyball tournament in town, so we had a busy day, but Travis planted flowers, Hadley bought me some flowers, and I got front porch ferns from the kids. Oh, and bonus–I didn’t have to cook dinner!

I felt the love during Teacher Appreciation Week…I received a few sweets (and sours) as well as a few cards and notes from students.

Hayden had lots of baseball games in May, and the season wrapped up on a high note. He was the starting pitcher for the last JV game of the season; he pitched four the the five innings, and they won!

His development over the season was really good considering he hadn’t played in four years. His coaches and teammates were so supportive of him. As parents, we appreciated the he got many opportunities to pitch in both high and low stakes situations. Also, he went from pitching one to two to three and then even four innings as he got better and better with each pitching opportunity. He had two starts which was also an accomplishment. He’s not playing summer baseball, but he’ll keep working out and working on those fundamentals. I wasn’t sure what this season would hold for him, but it really was just what he needed.

Hadley’s club volleyball continued this month. She had three tournaments overall in Lexington, Indianapolis and Louisville. Club season is a lot…and her goal was to play with some different girls and grow as a player…and she’s been doing just that…

….while juggling track as well. Hadley has been going to track at least three days a week since November and then going to volleyball two days a week since December. I don’t think there’s really been a day where she’s just come home from school and stayed home. Time management is still a skill she’s working on, but juggling two sports for over six months will help you figure out time management.

The state track meet was last weekend in Lexington. While it rained for most of the weekend, there were a few breaks in the rain. Unfortunately, two minutes before her 4×200 race, it started to downpour. The first two heats didn’t have to deal with the elements, and the third heat, the fastest did. Of course, the girls did their best, and they placed 9th overall. It was a bummer as they were .03 from making the podium, but that’s part of athletics. You win some and you literally lose some…by a raindrop. I’m excited to see what Hadley and the relay team accomplishes junior year.

photo: Brian Simms at Herald Leader

Even though the JV season wrapped up, we still had lots of baseball to watch. Our school had two district games and won the championship, and then they had two regional games. Unfortunately, they lost in the regional semifinal game, but the rainbow was a sight to see.

Memorial Day provided pretty good weather, and Hadley had pool time and a cook out with friends. She made the most of the weekend.

Now, we’re wrapping up the school year…It’s hard to believe that this May post doesn’t include last day of school photos…for the first time ever in my kids’ school years. Honestly, this will only be the second time I’m still in school in June. I know that’s the norm for some areas, but not us…and I’ll head back to school on August 5th, so needless to say, I’m ready for some downtime.

We survived Maycember, y’all.

I hope you have a great Sunday.

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: April 2026

Hello and happy Thursday!

I’m sure I say this every month, but where did April go?! I will say though, in some respects, April did feel long (hello, end of the school year!), but it certainly went by quickly in some ways too.

Here’s a recap of April:

This month was a doozy…from baseball to track to volleyball to vacation and more, we had a lot going on from start to finish.

One of my favorite parts of April is always Easter…and I literally just put all my bunnies away a couple of days ago.

Easter Sunday was beautiful, and we went to a lovely service at church before heading to Louisville to hang with Trav’s family.

Hadley and I spent a few days in Isle of Palms, SC. While it didn’t go totally according to plan, we still appreciated the sunrises, sunsets, sand and sunshine.

Meanwhile, Trav and Hayden spent some time in Gatlinburg, TN with family.

How cool was Artemis II? From take off to the landing, I loved watching all the coverage.

Sports were in full spring with lots of track meets and baseball games.

I guess this is adulting…when I don’t make it to Keeneland, but Hadley went twice! She had fun with friends both times, and Trav tagged along too.

Last weekend volleyball was back after about six weeks since their last tournament. Trav, Hadley and I headed to Gatlinburg, TN (second time for Trav in a matter of weeks), and they are very serious about the black bears. This was on the counter as we checked into the hotel…

We stayed at Hotel Indigo, and it didn’t disappoint!

Hadley played lots of volleyball games last weekend. We didn’t know what to expect because they hadn’t played a tournament in six weeks, and two of their hitters were out. When Hadley is playing front row, you know they are down a hitter! (ha!) That being said, she played lots of front row in middle school. Anyway, they ended up runners up in the silver bracket which is pretty good considering the circumstances.

In between games on Saturday, Trav wanted to try the Hungry Bear Grill he saw on the side of the road. He got some wings, and I had some BBQ nachos; honestly, it was a great dining experience!

Sunday, in between games, Trav and I went to Flapjacks, and again, the food didn’t disappoint.

Even though Saturday and Sunday were two long days, it was nice having some down time to hang with Trav for a bit.

Also, while G-burg isn’t necessarily my fave place, the Smoky Mountain views are a sight to see.

Last week, Hadley crushed her AP Seminar presentation thanks to lots of preparation and a little practice in my room before the big day.

Yesterday, Hayden’s lunch table had quite the treat. The admin let students do a bracket challenge during March Madness. Hayden’s table won, and they chose Chick-fil-A for lunch!

April was more action packed than I realized. This month definitely had its ups and downs, but it was filled with lots of good stuff too.

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: March 2026

Hello and happy Tuesday!

Well, it’s the last day of March. How did that happen so fast? I don’t know about you, but February seemed to drag on, but March flew by! There is something about the calendar turning to March, knowing spring is on the way, and it’s officially the downhill slide to summer.

Here’s a peek at some of the highlights of March:

We started off March with the indoor state meet for Hadley. Her 4×200 team went into the race ranked 13th in the state, and they had a 5 second PR, placing 6th in the state! She was all smiles.

Hadley had two volleyball tournaments in March, and thankfully we didn’t really have to travel for them. She had one in Louisville…

…and one in Lexington.

Here team continues to come together, and they are fun to watch. They came in 4th overall in this last tournament.

I’m still getting used to being a “baseball mom” again, but we went to the team’s auction at Legneds Field. It was nice to see some school friends and reconnect with some of the other baseball families.

One thing about baseball is…there’s some form of baseball every day. From practices to lessons to games, the calendar is full. I’m thankful Hayden can drive himself to most of these things!

I also made it to one of my nephew’s baseball games on a beautiful Saturday a couple of weeks ago. It was fun watching him play as well.

What a random St. Patrick’s Day we had! We woke up to black ice, causing a very late call for a two hour delay. Then, when it switched over to snow, the district called for an online learning day. I was thankful that I could just stay home rather than drive around in this mess.

Per tradition, I made my St. Patrick’s Day meal of corned beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread. My brother and his family came for dinner the Sunday before St. Pat’s.

After the random snow on St. Patrick’s Day, we’ve had very springlike temps ever since…so we’re embracing the sunshine with windows and sun roofs open!

…as well as reading and walks outside whenever possible.

Outdoor track season started for Hadley. So far, she’s had two weekday meets, and she’s finding her groove in the 400 and 4×200 relay.

The professional pics came in, and they were so good.

To round out the month, I finally set out my Easter decor on Sunday. Easter kind of snuck up on me this year! I guess you could say that colorful bunnies are my weakness.

What was a highlight of the month for you?

Posted in Everyday Life, Friday Favorites, Monthly Moments

Friday Favorites/Monthly Moments: February 2026

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? I feel like this week flew by! It was a good week of school, and we were busy in the evenings too. I will say that my evenings did feel a bit different without watching Olympic coverage.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites…

…to take a look back on February…

I feel like I just shared this:

Screenshot

…for being a shorter month, it did feel like a long one!

We started February how we ended January…with lots of snow and ice.

Homer loves the snow.

We tried a new restaurant, and we’ll definitely go back.

Valentine’s Day was a little different since Hadley and I were in Knoxville for volleyball. We gave the kids a couple of gifts the night before.

Knoxville, Tennessee was a fun town to visit!

Hadley had two volleyball tournaments this month…one in Knoxville and one in Ohio.

Screenshot

She’s having a lot of fun with her team, and they’ve made it to the silver and gold brackets after pool play.

I’m getting used to the kids driving. They’ve done a good job sharing their car. We just have to have a game plan most days with four drivers sharing three cars.

Of course, we watched as much Olympic coverage as possible…at least I did!

Hadley is excited for the upcoming Sadie Hawkins dance, and the sign she made was so cute.

We packed a lot into February…even with the start of it feeling like Groundhog Day with snow, ice, cold temps and no school!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

I hope you have a happy Friday!

Posted in Everyday Life, Friday Favorites, Monthly Moments

Friday Favorites/Monthly Moments: January 2026

Hello and happy Friday!

This has been an unusual week with online learning days, and today we have a snow day. The roads are improving and the sunshine has been helping, but the mess tends to refreeze overnight and we’ve even had some snow showers too.

Next week will be quite the reality check!

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for to share a few faves…

…but I’m also taking a look back on the month of January…

I’ve already shared most of these faves in various posts throughout the week. We’ve had lots of time at home thanks to the weather. Trav worked from home on Monday, we made dinners with whatever we had on hand, we’ve played games, read books, watched shows, slept in, done school work, and the list goes on.

I always enjoy writing the yearly recap, but last year I started incorporating the monthly recaps as a fun look back in smaller snapshots. I’m going to continue doing the same this year!

I always want January to be a slow month after the busyness of November and December, and January was overall just what we needed.

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Here’s what we were up to in January…

Lots of purging, re-organizing, and refreshing

In mid-January, we celebrated my birthday by going out to dinner a couple of days beforehand.

Jeff Ruby’s is always a fave…as are bubble letters on my card and a cookie cake.

Hadley had her first volleyball tournament of club season, and they played well overall, making it to the gold bracket on Sunday. She was supposed to have her second tournament last weekend, but it was canceled due to the snow.

We’ve had lots of Homer snuggles…

We finally found a car for the kids. Trav brought it home last Friday night, and they were surprised and appreciative. It arrived just in time for the snow, but they finally were able to drive to their activities yesterday.

January started out with pretty warm weather. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if we’d have any January snow days. Well, joke is on me. As I’ve mentioned we were supposed to get 12 inches of snow last weekend, and instead we got about five…plus some ice. Bitterly cold temps have followed, and many of our roads still haven’t bounced back yet. We had four NTI days, and today is a traditional snow day.

January was good to us.

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Weekly Recap:

My blogging streak continued…

Y’all, I’ll be back tomorrow with one more post for January. I did it! I set a goal to blog every day this month, and I made that happen. Thanks for reading!

Posted in Everyday Life, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#286} Winter Break Edition

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, all good things must come to an end…or so they say!

Of course, I still have the weekend left, but it’s hard to believe that our two week break is almost over.

I’m linking up with Andrea for the first Friday Favorites of 2026.

I’ve shared some recent tid bits (Christmas Recap post), but today I’m sharing some of the “smaller” favorites of break.

I had time for a few appointments, and it was nice to go during the day rather than after school. I’d missed my monthly facial in November, so I was happy to have this appointment scheduled on the first Monday of break.

I love the Reformer Pilates classes I take in the summer, but unfortunately, the class times don’t work for me during the school year. I was able to go to one class over break which I really enjoyed.

I also decided to try something new…Solid Core. I’d love to find classes that I can take one evening a week to break up my workouts, so I thought I’d try one of these classes. Thankfully, they had an intro class this past Tuesday, and I hung in there…but I’m still sore! haha

I definitely think I will try more classes in the future.

I got a few lovely Christmas gifts, but I think the best thing I received was a new pair of tennis shoes. Travis took Hadley and she picked out these Brooks tennis shoes, and the second I put them on my feet, I didn’t want to take them off. I said, “I feel like they are giving my feet a hug!” I guess I didn’t realize how worn out my other pair had become.

Also, these were a surprise in the sense that I asked for shoes, but I assumed I’d get a gift card…they did a great job picking these out, and I appreciate that they checked my other shoes to know I size up a half a size in tennis shoes.

I’ve put these to good use going on walks and with workouts.

I had lots of time to read, and I finished a book and then I started this one that my mom gave me.

Y’all, I’ve purged most corners of this house! I typically do this in December and June, and it’s felt so good to get rid of things and get organized. On the years we stay home for Christmas, I tend to have more time to purge a little more.

My spice cabinet is looking great…

….as is the office cabinet.

When I was in the basement tidying up, I even organized some of our books by color.

I’ve watched some of my favorite movies. I watched Home Alone with Hayden on Christmas day…

…and You’ve Got Mail with Hadley this week.

I shared that I picked up a pack of three cross stitch ornaments at World Market, and it’s been so fun to complete these mini projects. I found the set on Amazon too, so I placed an order, so I could complete the other three patterns. So far, I’ve stitched four of the six patterns.

The day after Christmas, I ran a few errands, and I tried Dunkin Donut coffee for the first time…yes, you read that correctly! haha

I’ve never had Dunkin coffee. I ordered one of their festive holiday drinks that is probably too many calories, but I loved it. Next time, I will try something more simple.

We baked Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle cookies before Christmas…

…and Peanut Butter Blossoms for NYE!

I’ve loved having “snack plates” for lunch.

We’ve had lots of Homer time!

…which included snuggles on the couch while I sipped my coffee and eased into the days. I will definitely miss waking up without an alarm!

I finished my daily 2025 word search (I love this gift from Trav and the kids last Christmas)

…and I started 2026 completing the first one in my new calendar. (The bookstore where they got mine last year didn’t have one, so I ordered this one…it’s not the same, but it will do!)

I always look back on these stretches of time off and wish I’d done more or accomplished a few more tasks on the list, but I guess it’s also time for rest as we gear up for going back to school. Overall, I’d say it’s been a pretty good break.

Favorite Mom Meme:

It’s going to hurt, but it’s time for these kids to get back to school…haha

Screenshot

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week!

Today, I have a couple of errands to run, and then it’s time to take down all the Christmas decor. I’m ready for a fresh start!

Also, I’m going to try and post every day in January which means I should have some posts on Saturday and Sunday!

See you then,

Posted in Blog challenge, Everyday Life

Year in Review 2025

Hello and happy New Year’s Eve! Where oh where did this year go?!

Today, I’m taking a look back on 2025!

This year, I started “Monthly Moments” at the end of each month which I plan on continuing in 2026. I loved those little monthly snapshots, so I’m linking those in this post too.

January:

January 2025

January started off with lots of snow….we didn’t go back to school from winter break until January 16! We also celebrated my birthday in January. I appreciated the family time!

February:

February 2025

We had more snow, celebrated Valentine’s Day, the kids had indoor track and Hadley had club volleyball.

March:

March 2025

Some highlights of March were that volleyball continued, Hayden made it to a couple UK basketball games, and we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day.

April:

April 2025

April started in Isle of Palms, SC for spring break.

We celebrated Easter, the kids started outdoor track, and we finally tackled updating our hall bathroom.

May:

May 2025

We finished the hall bathroom update, celebrated Mother’s Day, both kids got their driving permits, we had the last day of school, and Hadley ran in the state track meet.

June:

June 2025

Some highlights from June include pool time, our niece’s wedding in Louisville, going to KC, Trav and I celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary as well as Father’s Day.

July:

July 2025

In July, Hadley headed to camp, and we celebrated the 4th of July. Trav and I traveled to Michigan for a few days, and we went to our nephew’s wedding in Louisville.

August:

August 2025

In August, we soaked up the rest of summer, headed back to school, the kids’ activities ramped up as did tailgating and attending UK football games.

September:

September 2025

September was a somewhat “simple” month focused around school and activities. I even squeaked in a couple more pool days, but also decorated for fall towards the end of the month. School pictures were in for sophomore year, and my dad came to visit.

We ended September kicking off fall break in Florida.

October:

October 2025

October continues to be my favorite month.

We had fall break with friends (for the fourth year in a row) on 30A...

I decorated the front porch, we made it to the pumpkin patch, Hadley went to the homecoming, dance and Trav and I made it to Keeneland in October too.

Yay! We carved pumpkins right before Halloween.

November:

November 2025

November was also a great month with the kids turning 16 as the biggest celebration from the month…

Hadley had a sweet 16 party with friends…

…and she got her license!

We also went to the UK basketball game as a family which made for a fun Friday night.

I even squeaked in decorating for Christmas before we headed to KC.

…and wrapped up November celebrating Thanksgiving in KC with family.

December:

December was a great month too!

My did some fun, festive holiday things, and family came to visit.

Hayden got his license…

We had three snow days in December which is pretty unheard of!

We had a nice Christmas at home in Lexington…

…and we’ve been spending the last few days of the year/break at home getting organized, watching movies, hanging with friends and more.

I love looking back on a year before ushering in a new one, and there was a lot to be thankful for this year. That being said, 2025 was pretty difficult as well…and I’m ready for a better 2026. I’m wishing the same for all of you too.

Happy New Year.

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: November 2025

Hello and happy Sunday!

How has your weekend been? Yesterday, we spent most of our time in the car traveling back to Kentucky from KC. We had a good Thanksgiving holiday with family. Today, I’ve gotten groceries, unpacked, organized, and done quite a few loads of laundry. I’m trying to get all my ducks in a row before heading into the three week stretch of school between now and winter break!

Today is the last day of November, so I’m taking a look back on a great month of moments for us.

This month, we saw a little bit of snow…my pumpkins weren’t happy!

I decorated for Christmas a little bit at a time.

Since I knew we’d be out of town for Thanksgiving, I wanted everything up for when we returned. I had a couple new purchases this year including a wreath and ribbon from Target, and this set of trees from Amazon. They turned out cuter than I was expecting!

On a Friday night, the whole fam went to the Kentucky basketball game. We had a great time.

We had many lovely days in November, so I tried to walk when I could in order to get some fresh air, add to my step count, and listen to an audio book.

The kids turned 16!!…and we celebrated with family…

…and friends. Hadley had the sweetest sweet 16 party.

….and we have one new licensed driver! She picked up our dinner last night when we got home, and she picked up my Kroger order this morning. This is what mom dreams are made of!!

One thing I learned quickly while being a mom to twins is that they do things are their own pace…one crawled before the other, one walked and talked before the other and so on. We scheduled Hadley’s driving test a few days after her birthday because she’s shown more interest in driving. Hayden’s appointment is soon. Also, y’all — scheduling two appointments at once is harder than you’d think! You have to get online at 8am (on the dot!) to schedule an appointment three weeks out. Now, the driving appointments haven’t been as cut throat as when we tried to get their permits, but it wasn’t much easier getting their two driving test appointments scheduled. Anyway, soon enough, I will have two who can run my errands. haha

We ended the month with a great Thanksgiving in KC. My cousin always outdoes herself with her tablescape, and the personalized chocolate turkeys that she orders are a fun tradition.

The weather was pretty nice, and it was great to see family.

We ended our visit at the Magic Tree which is a fun tradition.

Yesterday, we drove home in mostly rain, and half of the drive was in the dark. It’s always sad leaving family, but we loved being reunited with Homer and sleeping in our own beds last night. Plus, my to-do list is a mile long today.

Now we’re ready for the December hustle and bustle!

Have a great Sunday!

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: October 2025

Hello and happy Saturday!

How was your Halloween? We had a busy day at school…and most of the day our district was without internet. Talk about scary!!

It’s hard to believe that today is November 1st, and October is in the rear view mirror. October has always been one of my favorite months, so I loving looking back on all that we did this month.

First of all…

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This month started at the beach on our annual fall break trip to 30A. This was our fourth year, and we had the best time.

Once we returned home, it was time to decorate the front porch…one of my favorite fall things to do.

Hadley and friends had the best time at Homecoming. They did “brunch and bouquets” in the morning followed by getting ready together.

The group took pics before heading to dinner and the dance.

Keeneland in the fall is one of my favorite traditions. Trav tends to go quite a few times for work, but also for fun too. I joined him one afternoon; the weather was lovely, and we were able to hang with our friends.

Hadley’s sophomore volleyball season wrapped up! I’ve loved watching them play.

Last weekend, we went to my niece’s performance in Legally Blonde, Jr., the musical, and it was so fun.

We also made it to the pumpkin patch which is one of my favorite things to do in the fall. We grabbed hot apple cider, apple cider donuts, and pumpkins to carve…

….which we did on Tuesday night.

Thursday night, Hayden went to the UK basketball game with a friend and Hadley and Trav (and one of Hadley’s friends) went to an outdoor concert…Ole 60. Travis definitely won cool dad points for going to the concert…and getting them Taco Bell on the way home. 🤣 They were out late on a school night!

Last night, we had lots of trick-or-treaters which was lots of fun to see.

This month the kids have also had lots of fun going to our school’s sporting events like soccer and football games as well as UK football and basketball games, but they’re out there having fun…and making memories…occasionally sending me pics along the way.

October was a good one, and now we turn the page to November, setting the clocks back an hour and soon, my kids will turn another year older. Bittersweet, for sure!