Back to School 20-21

The kids started back to school on August 11, 2020. Due to the continuation of concerns for the coronavirus, they started back to school virtually for the first two weeks.

They were not super thrilled to go back virtually, but thanks to my parents, brother Corey, and sister in law Daphne they had the equipment needed to start. We got through the first two virtual weeks and then on August 24th they began in person!

Ella began high school at Atascocita High School and was nervous about navigating a very large school she hadn't ever been in, but she did great. 

Cavin is in 7th grade at TMS again and had a good first day as well.

Channing started 4th grade and was so excited to meet her teacher Mrs. Mitcham and be back with her friends.

Deacon started 1st grade and I am SO glad I had him go last year so I didn't have to send him in blind this year. He did well and loves his teacher Mrs. Rieves. 

He went upstairs at 5:45 p.m. to get clothes to take a shower and never came down so I went to check and he had fallen asleep! He slept for 13 hours. He was worn out after months of being home!

As in true 2020 fashion, they got to have school for 2 days and now it was cancelled because hurricane Laura was supposed to come through. Thankfully it has missed us and we were very blessed.

In other news. The NBA is doing fans virtually in Florida for the playoffs, so the kids were able to be on tv as fans cheering on the Rockets. 

Lastly, Ella did Literacy Girls this summer with friends and Jeri Wyn Mumford was her instructor. She does such an amazing job. They studied some classics like Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, 100 dresses, Sarah Plain and Tall and such. Ella who loves to read really loves it each summer. 

They did a skit on the book 100 dresses and did a good job. 

I am praying this year only goes up from here. We all could use some positive news!

Celebrating 16 years together!

This past weekend Ragnar and I were able to get away and spend a few nights in Austin, TX to celebrate our 16th anniversary. We dropped off the kids with my parents and headed over. We stopped at the famous Bucees to get gas and snacks and then we went to the outlet malls to shop. When we got to Austin we found a Cheesecake Factory and used our gift card to eat some delicious dinner and cheesecake. We stayed at a hotel and although it wasn't a glamorous place, it worked just fine.

I am not adventurous and always order the same thing at every restaurant. I figure if you know what you like, stick with it. However, in effort to try and be brave  (baby steps here ;))I ordered a different cheesecake. I always get the fresh strawberry, but I got the red velvet. It was good....but not as good as my original choice. haha I really want to try and get out of my comfort zone more and try different things. 

On the morning of our anniversary we headed to Lakeway Marina and tried out paddle boarding. I have been wanting to try and so it was a fun adventure. 

Balancing was a lot easier than I expected and I never fell. It was fun!

Ragnar did great as well. He only fell at the very beginning and then was a pro the rest of the time!

We then went over to Krause Springs as a recommendation from a friend. It was pretty, but a little too busy for us, so we didn't stay long. 

We tried a few hiking and swimming holes, but most are closed due to the virus. So that was disappointing. 

We went to Salt Grass for an anniversary dinner and got cheesecake again! Not as good as the cheesecake factory, but still yummy!

The next day we went shopping and then rented a tandem bike to tour downtown Austin. We had taken a tandem ride in San Francisco when we went and we wanted to try it again. 

We toured the Texas state capital and then University of Texas campus. Since so much is closed, it was perfect to bike around it and tour it. I really like tandem bike riding with Ragnar. Thankfully I know him well enough to anticipate his movements and we communicate well, so it is very fun. 

Ella always says cactus to us randomly...so I stopped for a picture for her ;)

We then tried out a hot spot called Gourdoughs big donuts. I love donuts, so I wanted to give it a try! My Miss Shortcake donut did not disappoint! It was delicious!

We had a wonderful few days together. I really do feel grateful everyday that I met Ragnar and took a chance on him. We had been friends for about 18 months before I finally let him take me out on a real date. I am grateful I was finally brave enough to let my best friend have a chance. It has been a wonderful 16 years. We may not have everything we thought we would or may not be where we expected we would be at this point, but we have each other. We have a great relationship where I know he always puts me first and I know he loves me and would do anything for me. Marital happiness and safety is a gift that is very precious to me. I love you Rags, Happy 16th anniversary! 

Deacon turns SIX!

July 30, 2020 Deacon turned 6 years old! He woke up to a decorated door and a decorated front yard!

He was pretty excited that I was able to put up a sign for him from the company I work for.  

He loved the sports graphics, but especially the pro controller remote ;) he loves the Nintendo Switch right now! 

We started the morning with traditional donuts! He loves the blue ones right now! 

He played some games and then we watched his favorite movie "Planes" in the afternoon. I think this picture depicts Cavin and his relationship perfectly. They are super close brothers, and I love it.  

Channing of course always has to snuggle with someone as well! 

Of course he wanted popcorn with his movie! 

Cavin was sweet and wanted to make him a birthday cake and cupcakes for his party with his grandparents and cousins. They all came over and we had pizza and they played a couple games outside and enjoyed playing together. Since we can't do a lot with friends right now, Deacon was super excited to have his cousins come.

Deacon thought it was pretty cool! 

He had been asking all day to open presents, so he was excited to do it with his cousins.  

He got a basketball, beanie boo, mini robot, fishing pole, squirt guns, clothes (which he was less than thrilled about..but hey they are necessary), pickle ball rackets, nerf guns, a pro remote controller, and a water bottle.  

He says he had a fun day, and I am glad! I'm bummed all the kids' birthday's fell during the quarantine, but they took it in stride and did well despite them not being as exciting as they could be. 

Deacon really is a fun kid. He is so energetic and always moving. He loves sports, all of them! He especially loves soccer and basketball though. He is naturally very talented at them and so it is fun to watch him. He was born with a natural confidence about him and always walks with a swagger ;) He has always been mature for his age and wants to hang out with kids much older than him and do things they are doing. He is always up for a challenge, and if you can do it, he can to! He is sweet and will still give me lots of hugs. I always say to him "Hey Deacon do you know what?" and he will always say back "I know mom, you love me." He loves to play games with the family and is always asking to play. His favorites are UNO attack, Skipbo, and 5 Crowns. I think during the quarantine he has played 5 crowns almost everyday! He has gotten really good at math because we put him in charge of the score sheet and he has gotten good at adding all the points. He loves goldfish, fruit snacks, and vanilla wafers. He prefers vanilla and usually won't eat chocolate. His favorite color is red because he loves the Houston Rockets. He loves to do anything with his brother, but currently playing Minecraft on the Nintendo Switch is his favorite. He says "LETS GO!" often when he's excited. He also has an imaginary friend named Jeffey that he often refers to and sometimes when I go to sit down he will say Jeffey is sitting there. Currently Jeffey is 3 years old, 7 ft tall, and 635 pounds..he certainly is big enough to protect him ;) We sure love him and his personality.