So much has happened in the last month. It's all really great stuff... I just kind-of feel dumb for 'wasting' all of the quarantine time and just not getting caught up then.
Like taking Roxy's 4-year pictures.
I took them two months late... and literally took them in the park behind our house 20 minutes before Jake and I went on a date. That's just how life is sometimes, I guess.
After all of the emotions early July brought (the 10 days in Colorado + all the healing that went on in the days since) I was feeling a little sad for myself.
I was just feeling like I didn't have very many friends.
I reached out to an old friendship that needed mending, so I had that 'girl date' to look forward to. I was still feeling pretty low when two other friends invited us to meet them at the community pool. It's not our most favorite place to go (it just seems like it could use a little extra cleaning :) but I felt so special being invited!
It was good to reconnect with some friends I haven't seen in a while due to church and the gym being closed.
Which I guess brings me (again) to working out in the garage. I don't ever sweat like this at the gym (mostly because the gym isn't 90-110 degrees!!!) but I'm just fascinated at how much sweat comes out of me during my workouts. It drips off my elbows and nose and stings when it gets into my eyes.
Jake has been working out in there too so I'll write my workout on the mirror, explain the moves, and he'll do it the next morning. If it's one we're doing for time, we like to compare and challenge each other.
Jake has ALWAYS wanted to be the guy that wakes up early and does a workout. He's tried for several years to make it happen but I think this whole garage gym workout thing is the key for him. He doesn't have to worry about showering at the gym, bringing clothes & toiletries... it's super convenient and I think it might stick.
One thing he/we also wanted to work on was getting him checked out for his snoring.
It's been an issue for several years. I have to wear earplugs and still have to nudge him or ask him to roll over/stop snoring all of the time. His dad has sleep apnea and has to wear a CPAP mask at night. Jake also had many of the symptoms of a person that suffers from sleep apnea.
So we got him checked out.
We've also been really good about having a weekly date night... (I'm trying to grow out my hair and COVID is helping my case!).
ALSO, I've had a wedding and a newborn session each of the weekends since Lake Powell.
(*it was too hot for me to wear real clothes! The poor bride & groom were hot hot hot!)
I feel like two (of the several) reasons I always feel so busy is that #1 I ALWAYS ALWAYS have extra kids at my house, but #2 I REALLY love a clean house and those two things pretty much consume my life.
*I found these on my phone... I'm guessing it was Breckie who took them.
*Proof of the extra kids....
The kids have started 'distance learning' as of August 3rd.
We did Meet the Teacher virtually and were pretty familiar with the process from ending last school year with distance learning.
Breckie was looking pretty for her virtual meeting and took some selfies!
As for the picture on the right.... Jake is totally awesome and brushed out Breckie's hair after her shower AND braided it. He took the picture and sent it to me saying she looked like a MMA boxer/fighter lady :)
Here is Roxy legit diving into the pool!
#shesthecoolest
Then we have Breckie leaving me a love note on the front porch and the cookies on the right are the only documentation I have from our neighbor (Faith Smith's) baptism in our pool.
We have been so busy.
I've been trying to take inventory of what school supplies we'll need (since we're not even sure when we'll go back). Everett still had granola bars and a backpack FULL of stuff from last year.
I found his little envelope with nice things his classmates had said about him.
You may have noticed that Everett really isn't in many pictures lately. It's because he spends a lot/most of this time playing with friends online either on the computer or x-box. There is a group of 4 boys from his class last year that all play. We've invited them to play in real life but their parents are more comfortable with the distance so I really can't be too upset.
He hasn't been swimming as much this summer so I went ahead and signed him up for Baseball the moment they opened the youth sports league up.
He has a two-hour practice Thursday evenings and a game Saturday mornings.
So far, it's been great.
He even hit the ball and ran to first during his first game ever.
He even ran to second base but got out running to third.
Plus, he and Jake are getting braces at the end of the month... two days after we get back from Utah for Bridget's wedding!
I am happy for things to be happening, however busy we may seem. I know this is how life gets when your kids get older but it just seems like an extra lot has been happening all at once.