Homecoming 2020

We have one child in school and so I like to do a special blog post to our homecoming week. We have fun dress up days and this year was extra special to us as our child was asked to be a part of the homecoming court. So.... we attended our first high school football game for our school EVER. We had so much fun supporting our daughter and our school's team.

So here is the fun we had last week:

Day 1: Pajama day

Day 2: Color War day. Her class was purple.

Day 3: Holiday day. She was super creative and blended Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Halloween together. We wanted to do Easter and birthday but ran out of time. Still looked great:

Day 4: Tourist day. She went as a tourist in Hawaii.

Day 5: Spirit Day

And then the big game! These two had a blast and it couldn't have been a hotter day! So fun to watch:

They came running back to us as soon as the crowning was over. And to add to the fun in our week, we also got her school pictures in:

So much growth and so much change in such a quick year from her last school picture. 

This was such a fun week and it's so crazy to think next year I will have 2 kids participating in the weekly festivities. Yes, I'm trying not to cry as I type this.

Another year of Homecoming in the books!

All Things August Related

 I totally spaced doing an August recap. And, today, when I realized how I forgot, I almost skipped a month. I mean, it's just one month and I do a recap every month for my kids. It would have probably gone unnoticed really. 

But.... Payton started 1st grade that month after 5 months of summer (thank you COVID), and Riley started another year of preschool with me, and Jayden was finally without a cast and then back into a cast (more on that below). We also sold off our last rental house and celebrated this bittersweet ending for us. So we really couldn't skip this month in particular. So, I am throwing this post together quickly on a gloomy Tuesday right after Labor day Monday. It seriously looks like winter is coming and we could get snow any minute. So, a good time to recap the end of summer for our family.

This month is a jumble of a mess, I have to warn you. I try to put pictures together in sections but for some reason my page isn't allowing me to rearrange anything. So, a photo dump with a quick description under each picture. 

I'm sure when my children read this many years from now, they will forgive me.

So here it is:

A little cleaning.

We cleaned out our closets and found our inflatable mattress. It still works but we decided it was time to donate it since we maybe used two times in the last decade. The kids loved playing on it for a  minute and were sad to see it go.

Goodbyes are never easy for us. This was our time to say farewell to our last rental and our rental business as a whole. Maybe for forever? Maybe for a year or two and we'll get back into it? Time will tell. This sale was so bittersweet for all of us though in so many ways.

We continued working the garden. We love having a garden and flowers and succulents all around. 

We went and had a picnic in the park after taking Payton to school on the first day. It was a rainy day so not as ideal but was still a lot of fun for us. 

The kids begged for sugar cookies and the boys really wanted Halloween themed. Is it every the wrong time for Fall decor?!?!?

Playing at the park as a family. 

Jayden, our sweet boy, had to have surgery done. We knew about this surgery at birth. This was the first of 2. We are almost a month in as I write this and he has transitioned great and I think he is healing so well.

This first week of school, homemade pretzels were requested. Riley and I made them one day before picking Payton up from school and while Jayden was still napping. 

We sure miss our sister during the day. Extra thankful when she is home with us again.

Feeding chickens!

The kids love reading stories together before bed. We don't always have enough time to read books but we soak up the moments we do. 

Payton snuggling Maggie

The kids are really getting into Yoga. 

Not even a full week into school and Payton brought home a cold. That spread through the rest of us. 

Garage sales in our area are the best. Payton found some inexpensive outfits, new with tags just before starting school. 

We made time to make cookies!

And cheesecake!

Enjoying our last trip to the splash pad for the year!

Loving on her chickens!

We got out to see the trains before the summer ended as well.

One last breakfast before school begins again.

And then it begins, 1st grade:

As I mentioned before, we made Halloween sugar cookies for her to come home to and decorate:

And we also got in so much park time.

Each day, Riley and I get a small window of time together while Jayden naps and Sis is at school. On this day, we swam. There is no denying that this is one of our favorite periods of time together and we both look so forward to it. 

Handsome Jayden. 

The picture above and below are both during our daily times together. The one above, Monte was home as well so Riley and I left the house to go play at our local coffee shop together. Below, we played soccer together.

When everyone is home and awake, you can find our kids outside eating fresh fruit and being creative. 

Payton made a swing in our tree for her babies!

A picture taken right after Payton came home from school and ran straight through the sprinklers in our yard and then the pivot, hitting our side road. We are always so happy to have her home where she belongs.

Oh, August, it came and went quickly. And now we are over a week into September. Life just gets busier and busier for our family. 

Hope all is well for you and you are enjoying your time as much as we are!