Posted in Everyday Life, Friday Favorites, Monthly Moments

Friday Favorites {#269}: Monthly Moments July 2025

Hello and happy Friday!…and happy August 1st. I’m not trying to be negative, but I think August is my least favorite month, but it also does mean a fresh start and routine once school starts, and I do like both of those things.

How was your week? I made the most of my last full week of summer…I spent some time finishing getting my classroom in order, went to Pilates, went to the pool, read, went to a movie and more!

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

….to share a look back on July.

July 1st, Hadley went to Young Life camp in Michigan with lots of her friends.

Hayden and other family members ran the Bluegrass 10k on the 4th of July.

I stayed in one spot to cheer them on!

Our nephew won the race.

We wrapped up the 4th by going to our favorite spot to watch fireworks.

I got lots of pool time in July…which meant I had time to chat with my friends, float in the pool or read.

We celebrated Trav’s birthday when Hadley got back from camp. We got him a few gifts, went out to dinner, and had some Crumbl cookies to celebrate.

As I’ve shared a few times (sorry to be repetitive!), Trav and I went Lake Michigan to celebrate our 20th anniversary that was in June. We made do with what time allowed for us to get away for a few days, but honestly, it was still such a perfect vacation. It was nice being able to drive a few hours to a couple of beautiful towns, and the weather was great with low humidity.

I recapped our two days in South Haven in this post.

We stayed at a bed and breakfast right by the beach, and it was lovely.

We also spent two days in Saugatuck, and I shared all about our time there in two posts. (post one, post two). We stayed at a boutique hotel, spent time in town, got a massage, ate a few delicious meals, and went to the beach.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Louisville for our nephew’s wedding. They got married on a Friday with a dinner to follow and then a bigger reception on Saturday. It was a great couple of days with family.

In July, both of the kids’ sports started. Hayden’s been going to 6am practices the past couple of weeks, and Hadley’s been busy with volleyball. Her first tournament is this weekend.

I also spent the last couple of weeks at school off and on setting up my new classroom. I’ve worked in my room over ten hours, and Hadley has been such a big help.

Just yesterday, we finished the final bulletin board, and now I actually need to start thinking about actual school stuff like curriculum and syllabi! haha

Overall, July was a good month with lots of summer and family fun.

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week:

I hope you have a great summer weekend!

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: June 2025

Hello and happy Monday!

Why do the summer weekends tend to go by just as fast as the ones during the school year? Overall, we had a pretty chill weekend which was just what we all needed.

Today is the last day of June, so I’m sharing this month’s Monthly Moments.

Here’s a look back on June:

June was a weird month with the weather…we had some cool days and many rainy days as well. Then, it was hot…but also stormy. We were poolside when possible, and I will take what I can get.

Hayden played a few rounds of golf which is always fave…

Our niece got married in June, and we went to her wedding in Louisville.

It was a beautiful ceremony and reception, and we had lots of fun.

The kids and I traveled to Kansas City to see my family. We didn’t do a lot, but we did get to hang with family quite a bit which is the best part. We did go to the Royals game which was when Alex Gordon was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame. We got an Alex Gordon bobble head and watched the fireworks.

Once we got home, we celebrated Trav (a day late) for Father’s Day. Crumbl Cookie, cards, and the “You are Special” red plate…what more could you ask for?!

About ten days ago, the kids got their wisdom teeth removed. Hayden bounced back quickly, and Hadley had a rough go of it with her teeth being impacted, and she ended up needing fluids for being dehydrated. Our friends dropped off dinner and a few goodies throughout that week.

Trav and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. We went out for a sushi dinner and have plans to go out of town for a few days in July.

June has meant lots of yard work. Hayden and friends have been busy mowing yards, power washing and more. I’ve been admiring my hydrangeas as they’ve continued to bloom. They are my fave.

The June days sure were busy…the kids have worked a bit, had morning workouts, cross country conditioning and volleyball open gyms; I’ve had a couple of doctor appointments and have been able to go to Pilates 2-3 days a week.

I will say, it’s felt like no two days were the same…which also means I haven’t really felt in a groove. There’s definitely been some downtime, but not much! Maybe that extra downtime will come in July?

June was a great month, and it’s always one of my faves.

Posted in Everyday Life

Monthly Moments: May 2025

Hello and happy Sunday!

Also, happy June 1st! May is over, so I’m taking a look back on Maycember. May is filled with lots of fun, but like December, this month likes to try and take me out! haha

May memories:

The Major visited and was able to catch a couple of track meets and my nephew’s baseball game. We were also able to celebrate Major’s birthday a bit early.

Hadley and I traveled to Gatlinburg for her final tournament of club season. The girls had lots of fun, and it was nice having a bit of downtime when they weren’t playing.

We got home from Gatlinburg late afternoon on Mother’s Day, and my front porch looked pretty with flowers and new planters along with the traditional hanging fern baskets. The kids also got me flowers and a card which I appreciated!

Yay! We finished updating the bathroom…and I’m still so in love:

Track season continued with a couple of meets including the regional meet.

Last week, we wrapped up the school year…freshman year for the kids and year 23 for me! Since we didn’t get a Mother’s Day photo, I hopped in the last day of school photo with them.

We celebrated my niece’s birthday on Friday which was a great way to wrap up the week and kick start summer.

Yesterday, Hadley ran in the state meet…earning two medals, one in the 4 x 200 relay and one in the 400m dash. It was a beautiful day for the meet…

…and then she did a quick change and went to the Railbird music festival to catch some of her favorite country artists!

I’d say the biggest highlight of all for both of them this month is — that they both got their driver’s permit!

I’m still trying to get used to this milestone!

May was a really great and memorable month. Now, we’re ready for June and hope to find our summer groove soon!

I’ll be back tomorrow to share the books I hope to read this summer!

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: March 2025

Hello and happy Monday!

Well, it’s the last day of March…Can you believe it? We still have one more week of school before spring break, but I think once we get back from break, it will feel like the downhill slide to summer!

Here’s a look back on this month:

Hadley spent lots of time on the volleyball court. She started the month playing in a tournament in Lexington, and then last weekend had a tournament in Louisville. Her team only has two tournaments left in the season, and the girls have been so fun to watch.

This month, indoor track season wrapped up. Hadley ran the 400m at the indoor state track meet, and had a PR. Then, the kids started their outdoor track season, and had their first meet last week with another meet coming up this week.

Hadley had a summer job interview which feels like some kind of rite of passage. She’s excited to earn a little money this summer.

We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, and I made corned beef and cabbage. My brother and his family joined us for dinner per tradition.

Hayden had fun attending a few Kentucky basketball games including a home game and then some of the NCAA games that were in Lex over the past few weeks.

When we were in Louisville, we tried Swig for the first time, and it was delish.

We’ve enjoyed the sunshine, and I’ve gotten my steps in most days in March. It’s funny to think about all the snow, ice and cold temps in January, but with a bit more time on my hands, I was able to start 2025 strong with quite a few workouts. February…not so much! …but March with some pretty good weather and my desire to listen to audio books helped me get back on track, especially with walking quite a few days a week.

This past weekend, we celebrated my niece who’s getting married this summer. Hadley and I traveled to Louisville on Saturday for the bridal shower.

March was a good month! I’m hoping for some downtime and some more sunshine in April.

What was the highlight of your month?

Posted in Friday Favorites, Monthly Moments

Friday Favorites {#247} – February Monthly Moments

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? I hope it was a good one!

Well, this week felt like spring which I think helped it be a good week overall. Something about the sun shining really helped my mood. haha

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

…to share my…

In January, I started this monthly post, capturing the moments from the month, both big and small.

Here’s a look at what we were up to in February.

1. Snow Days:

Well, the snow days continued in February, but the weather wasn’t as bad as it was in January.

We had three NTI days this month, two of which were last week.

While we’ve had quite the winter, and I do love the snow, this week, especially has made me excited for spring.

2. Valentine’s Day

While we don’t go all out for Valentine’s Day, I still send family a card from the kids.

It was nice that Valentine’s Day was on a Friday as we just had some time at home. I picked up a few things for the kids, and Travis and I exchanged cards.

3. Kids’ Activities

The kids’ activities kicked into full gear in February. We started the month in Gatlinburg, TN for Hadley’s volleyballl tournament, and then her team also played in a tournament in Louisville last weekend.

The kids each had a track meet in February as well. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the high school track season, but the couple of indoor meets we’ve been to have been fun. Just like when the kids were 6th graders, being a freshman is a bit of an adjustment.

I remember going to track meets when the kids were in 6th grade and thinking the 8th graders look so old. Well, now I’m comparing them as ninth graders to junior/senior runners. Wow! That being said, I know we’ll blink and they’ll be the senior runners.

4. Chiefs

Well, our KC Chiefs didn’t come out on top during the Super Bowl game, but I love getting together with my brother’s family. The cookie cake was delish, win or lose!

5. Fun with Friends

The kids have had fun with friends this month.

Hadley likes to get together with friends to do their school work on NTI days. One day, after I picked them up, Hadley needed to do a few strides at the track to break in her new spikes. The girls cheered her on.

Hadley went to a Galentines party that one of her friends hosted. She had a great time.

A couple of weeks ago, we got together with friends to hang out at a pizza place and watch the Kentucky basketball game. It was so nice hanging out for a bit.

And…

February did have some lows. Mid-month, I had a sinus infection, and then last week Hayden had the flu. Thankfully, we’re both feeling much better.

Weekly Recap:

Lots of link ups this week!

This was a fun look back on February. Up next…March!

Have a great weekend!