Hello and Happy Friday! I’ve almost made it through my first week back to school which has looked very different than my previous eighteen years in education! I completed online trainings, planned, prepped my room (let’s hope I get to use it soon!), responded to emails, engaged in Zoom calls and meetings, and much more.

I’m ready for the weekend! I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites post.

Yesterday, I recapped our 2020 Summer Fun List activities that the kids individually wanted to accomplish. We were able to cross most things off our “Fun List” that we made earlier this summer. Most of the family activities made it to today’s post as I’m writing about our “Top 10” favorite highlights of Summer 2020.

I feel like this summer was less busy (for obvious reasons), but then again, it seemed like by mid-June, we were out and about a bit more, activities started back up, and I felt like we were kind of busy again. I do feel like we needed this break. While the kids still had things going on, it was definitely a slower paced summer with staying up too late and lots of sleeping in. There are some summers where I feel like I can’t even catch my breath. This summer did not feel that way even though there always seemed to be the underlying stress of the virus. But…we tried our best to make lemonade out of lemons. 😉

Here are our favorite highlights of the summer.

1. Florida Vacation

In June, we spent a little over a week in one of our favorite places: Siesta Key, Florida.

2. Extra Homer Time

Homer loves having us around! We’ve enjoyed this bonus time with him…and apparently that extra time will continue for at least the first six weeks of school 😉 He’s a hit on the class Zoom calls! 😂

Pool update: It was #homered a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully, it’s three layers, so he only punctured the top layer! I’m sure the pool will end up in the trash in a month or so, but I will still use it as much as I can to keep my tan and read a book.

3. Slower Pace

I’d say June was about the same pace as the spring months, but July kicked it up a notch with dance and baseball.

We did enjoy sleeping in since the kids didn’t do swim team this summer. There were nights where it was dark out, and the kids were still outside playing! I had to beg them to come in.

We all had extra time for the things we love: reading, Netflix, Xbox, walks, and more.

Hadley is the MVP of sleeping in!

We found time to occasionally play games like Monopoly Deal.

I’m probably the queen of pool lounging, but Hadley is the runner up!

4. KC

We were able to make a visit to Kansas City in July. It was nice to see family we hadn’t seen in a while…including my mom’s dog Gus. It was a very low key visit spent relaxing with family, splashing in the pool, playing on the golf course, and playing games like Monopoly and Dominoes.

5. Hiking

We went to McConnell Springs Park and Shaker Village for hikes this summer. We also took walks in the arboretum when it wasn’t too hot outside.

6. Fun with neighbors and friends

Keeping guidelines and social distancing in the mind, the kids ran around with neighborhood friends and rode their bikes a lot.

Hadley went to the lake with her friend one Saturday.

4th of July sparklers with friends is always fun and a favorite.

7. Picking Strawberries

We had our first experience picking strawberries earlier in the summer. I took the kids to Evans Orchard in June. It was a beautiful day, and the berries were delicious.

8. Activities

Again, June included vacation and not many activities. BUT…in July, the kids were able to start back with some to the activities they love like…

Golf. A few times this summer, Travis and Hayden were able to play golf.

…which also included hitting golf balls at a course in KC when we were visiting my family.

Hayden has had a great baseball season where he’s grown as a player, gained lots of experience as a pitcher, and had so much fun with his coaches and teammates.

A couple of weeks ago, Hayden and his friend went to a local 5 day basketball camp. They were gone all day, and had so much fun. We were very impressed with the protocol and procedures of the staff and the camp facility.

Hadley took a few hip hop dance workshops, had her recital pictures taken, and started back full time a couple of weeks ago to make up for April and May classes.

Silly Sis is always smiling.

9. Cincinnati Zoo

I took the kids to the Cincinnati Zoo in June, and we had a great time. It’s about an hour and a half drive from Lexington. We purchased tickets in advance to arrive at a certain time and were able to social distance from other zoo guests. The weather wasn’t too hot, and we were able to see most of the animals!

10. Canoeing

We went canoeing on Elkhorn Creek with friends. It was a six mile trek, but the weather was great, and the water was cool and beautiful. I’d definitely like to make canoeing a summer tradition; it’s a new favorite activity, for sure! Maybe next year, we can try the kayak.

We had a really great summer. I never knew how much we needed the extra downtime (as most summers for us are booked solid), and we sure appreciated it. I can safely say I will always remember the summer of 2020!

A few more faves…

Favorite Mom Meme:

This meme made me laugh and cry at the same time 😉

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

Both of these pics are from August 2017.

I love these pics of seven-year-old Hadley at the beach. Her sass and smile are the best!

I love this cousin pic so much. We had an impromptu photo session thanks to Trav’s brother in August 2017, and this pic is so sweet. All of these cousins are so blessed to have each other!

Weekly Recap:

Real talk: I’m just as tired at the end of this first week of school (where I was both at home and at school) as the regular first weeks back. I’m going to take the time this weekend to get some rest and spend time with my family in hopes of being recharged ready to start another week of learning, Zooming, planning, and more on Monday!

Thanks so much for reading, and have a great weekend.